Soul Thumping

The Amazon Price Check App vs. Brick-And-Mortar Hullabaloo...My Two Cents

Earlier this morning, Poseidon forwarded to me the New York Times opinion article written last week, "Amazon's Jungle Logic" by Richard Russo.  This opinion piece is in response to the infamous Amazon app, Price Check, that seems to be causing so much uproar, most notably from small/local bookstores.  I also read a few other articles on the subject today (between XML code changes and researching error messages...you know, my day job "stuff"), and I understand the clamor and the Amazon "backlash," but I also understand Amazon.

I don't claim to be an expert, but as a reader of books and habitué of all things internet, I'm right down the middle on this one, and here are my thoughts on the matter (worth probably 1/2 cent).

Some Background

The Amazon Price Check app (which I do not have by the way) gives customers the ability, while shopping at any brick-and-mortar store, to scan the barcodes of items also sold by Amazon.com, to get instant price comparisons between the store and Amazon.com.  What shopper wouldn't love this?  Of course, the issue under scrutiny is that Amazon's promotion of the Price Check app gives customers $5 off (up to $15) purchases made through the app at Amazon.

 

The Controversy

There are, as I see it, two major bones of contention with Amazon's new app and I'm spouting off on both:

1.  Many view this is as an ingenious (others might say insidious) strategy for gathering price data from competitors.  This concept is nothing new folks.

A friend of mine who got his MBA back in 1991 started his new job, with a very well known company (no longer in business by the way), as a price gatherer--though I don't know what the actual professional term was for this position way back when.  His duties required him to drive around the southeast to visit the retail stores of his company's competitors, check their prices on certain items, and report back.  His company would publish coupons in local papers for consumers to cut out, take in, and rake in.  The only difference I see in the Amazon Price Check app promotion and the days of yore couponing?  Technology.  Technological advances since the early 90s allow Amazon to save gas and staff salaries, and consumers who want to spend less (including not paying sales tax) do the leg work.

 

2.  As I mentioned earlier, it appears that small mom-and-pop book stores are the most offended with Amazon and their Price Check app.  I'll say one or two things about this.  First, the Amazon Price Check promotion does not include book sales, or so I've read...again, I don't have the app and won't be downloading it.  The melee could simply end here, but of course, it doesn't.

I like, no I love going to small independent book sellers in our area and that won't change.  As long as books are still printed on paper, I'll be perusing the shelves.  Why would I do that when the book prices are sometimes more than Amazon's prices and I have to pay local sales tax?  Because I can't "browse" the shelves of Amazon.com in person.  Book stores are like candy stores to me.  I like looking at the book covers, seeing the artwork up close and personal, thumbing through the pages, and more importantly, people watching.  I can't (and don't really want to, honestly) people watch on Amazon.  I'm not a coffee drinker, but believe it or not, some civilized folks actually enjoy a nice cup of coffee while reading in the comfort of a local book seller's brick-and-mortar establishment while listening to some cool beat music from the past.

For those worried about your favorite independent book stores closing up shop due to the likes of Amazon, don't, and I highly recommend this Forbes blog post, "Amazon and the Starbucks Effect" by E.D. Kain.  Kain has actually written a few posts on the topic of the internet and future of local businesses, and in another blog post, "The Future of Local Business is Selling an Experience" he says, "That’s the future of local businesses – a multi-faceted experience that goes beyond the product itself."

 

Kain summarizes this entire issue better than I ever could in yet another blog post, "Shop everywhere. I do. I shop at Amazon regularly. But I wouldn’t dream of spying on my local bookseller for the behemoth in the market."

As demanders of the latest and greatest, we have only ourselves to blame.  If the technology exists, and can exist (and there is no going back now), businesses, both Herculean online entities and local retailers will use the technology they can afford to do what they've always done:  vie for our business.  We require they court us and woo us with something, whether it be an experience or a coupon...be careful what you ask for.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today - Day 7 Shoe Obsession

Today I found shoes to be aesthetically pleasing.  Many different types of shoes, some affordable, some not so much (at least by me).

 

These Burgundy suede pretties are by Fluevog.  His 40th Anniversary reissue of the Munster shoe, made famous first by Lady Miss Kier who wore these statement platforms on the cover of Deee-lite's debut album "World Clique."  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are also Fluevog...my eyes enjoy seeing blue and yellow together.

 

Next up, Flower Power boots by Roper.  I found these on Zappos.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie Antoinette shoes I found on Ali Foster's blog:

 

 

This last shoe is so amazing I can't look away, but my feet could never pull these off.  I don't know the designer but I found them on 15 Cool and Unsual Shoes site:

 

I'm nearly liking this "Things I Found Aesthetically Pleasing Today" series.  I may do it again for the 12 days of Christmas!

 

--Fortuitous Observer

 

Don't let the Fear Mongering Stop You From Buying Those Sweet Suede Boots

Within minutes after the market closes at the end of each afternoon, I can expect an email from Chicken Little (otherwise known as The Washington Post) telling me how utterly terrible things are.  They want to make sure I know that the sky is falling.  Hey, I'm not picking on The Washington Post (I just happen to subscribe to The Washington Post for email updates, so they get the brunt of my rant today).  Every form of media (liberal and conservative, print, online, television news, etc.) is out there letting us know everything sucks and we are all going to die a horrible, painful, slow death because we are going to starve or probably even have to eat our neighbors in order to stay alive.

I need to get this off of my chest (W.P., the Times, NPR, ABC, NBC, FOX, and even ESPN):  If it weren't for your depressing, battered, tired, over-done links in my happy-looking email folder every day, I would be clueless and actually might even start living my life, and how terrible for a recession would that be?  Why, the recession might just get so mad that he takes his ball and goes home if we start ignoring him.

If we are told every day that things are bad, we will believe and act like things are bad.  I am a living example.  When I see the negative headlines in my inbox, I feel a dark cloud over me and start worrying about my job, my mortgage payment, how much I spend on groceries, etc.  When I see positive headlines like unemployment rates have gone down, or interest rates are going to continue to stay low, I'm automagically a happy camper for the day.   Those shiny happy headlines are few and far between.  Not because there aren't good things happening in the world, it's just more fun for the media to print those stories.  Buzzards, vulchers.

In the past several weeks I've had more job offers and opportunities than I've had in 2 years.  I've seen more jobs posted than I've seen in a while.  We are less stressed with paying bills, and we aren't selling our house for peanuts just because the realtors are telling us to.  I'm not selling my house at a cheap price (and neither is a woman I work with, thanks!!).  If we don't sell it, we don't sell it.  There are so many people who HAVE to sell, and I wish them the best of luck and if they are in that position, it's unavoidable and you have to do what you have to do.  But if you have your house on the market and you don't have to sell, then don't just because your realtor is telling you to do so.  You will only be adding to the problem.  Ignore your realtor.  Realtors work for you and you determine what you will and won't take...they only want to keep their percentages up.

I'm not an economist, a V.P. of anything, a financial guru, etc.  This all comes from gut instinct and common sense.

Things might be bad now, but handing your emotional control over to the media will not solve any of our problems and will only continue making things worse.  Live a little, and spend a little.  We are going to spiral if we cave into this nonsense.  The media stands by with bated breath, waiting for something terrible to report like salivating buzzards.  Buzzards I tell you. 

No Chicken Little, the sky is NOT falling, and if it's falling where you live, you might want to consider a sturdier roof.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Please Keep Your Pacifier Out of My Mocha

Before I even begin to get into this, let me start by saying I have nothing against babies, toddlers, children, etc, and to most of my friends who are parents, please do not be offended, because you are great parents.  I love googooing and gahgahing over babies and sweet little folks, if they truly are kind, sweet little folks, which generally means they have been brought up properly, well-behaved and polite, and taught that they are not the only beings on the planet and the world does not revolve around them outside of their parent's home.

As a matter-of-fact, I had a lovely conversation with the most adorable little girl (I'm guessing she is probably 2 years old) this evening at the grocery store.  She was so unselfish and tender, and she babbled preciously with an "inside voice" and I could tell her parents were enlightened and imparted upon her the virtues of being respectful of others (I'm not sure how her parents did this, but I applaud them loudly); that the world does not revolve around her and she is but only one small cog in a huge wheel like the rest of us.  I'm so serious:  I applaud these parents (and they looked very young, early 20s).

What a contrast to the ridiculous little spawn, and more importantly, his mal apropos "mother" I encountered in a coffee shop this morning.  I had my follow up appointment with my surgeon to check my healing process (had my gallbladder removed over a week ago), then decided to go to a coffee shop to do some writing for a change of scenery, and fortunately I left before cops had to be called...

While sipping my iced mocha (with the heat index today...it was near 101 degrees at this time, 9:30am, so anything I consumed had to have ice...except my bagel, it was toasted) and typing away on my laptop, I noticed a woman (I'm truly gonna now use that term lightly) and a toddler - he looked to be around 3ish - walk through the door.  I went back to typing, and not 5 minutes later I heard a scream, which caused me to look up in fear because I thought a child was being murdered.  The aforementioned toddler was screaming and kicking the counter because he demanded to be picked up and sat on the counter and the toddler-whipped pansy of a mother complied with his wishes, which made me want to vomit thinking of a poopy-filled diaper touching the counter where I had just picked up my bagel and mocha only minutes before.

I went back to typing, when the enfant terrible began running around the coffee shop, which I could ignore, but he ran up to my table and started pulling at my notebook, laughing and screaming.  I pulled the notebook away, giving him a stern look, and then looking toward his mother for some sort of involvement, and she was totally oblivious (under the age of 30), then he ran away, bothering other patrons.

I again turned to my writing, and within 5 minutes he did it again.  Sorry, not on my watch.  If you can't parent your child, I'm going to step in and help you.  I said loudly, "Excuse me, I'm working," and pulled the notebook from the future delinquent's hand, which got a look from his mother, and a "Jamison, let's go."  No apology.  Nothing.  You rude, ignorant $%^&.

This story is apropos, because yesterday evening I was reading an NPR article about a restaurant in Pennsylvania called McDaine's that has chosen to ban children under the age of 6 from their establishment.  Oddly enough (for an NPR article), the majority of the comments (a great deal many from those who ARE parents) are in favor of this.  I have to quote one of the comments, that in my opinion, sums up the problem with a neat little bow...it's not the children, it's the parents...kids NEED boundaries, just like puppies:

"There was a time in our history where this wouldn't have ever been an issue. Children were expected to meet a certain standard of behavior, and would never be brought to certain venues (restaurants, theaters, etc.) if they couldn't be trusted to behave appropriately. Since many parents don't set this standard anymore, it is a really great idea to have these rules to protect the rights of the majority of patrons who wish to have an enjoyable time. There *are* some well-behaved children out there...but unfortunately there are also far too many who can be downright awful."

 

--Fortuitous Observer

Sick of Being Sick

I haven't spouted off much lately because I've been sick.  I have one of those lingering upper-respiratory things that's just bad enough to be annoying and makes one feel like a sluggish snail, but not bad enough to have someone bring you chicken soup every night and buy you jewelry to make you feel better...it sucks.

There is absolutely no point to this blog post tonight except to serve as an outlet for my wailing and whining.

--Fortuitous Observer

Blame it on the Economy

It seems like most people I see out and about these days are so miserable and so ready (and some are even hoping) to get the opportunity to rip someone's head off (so far, it hasn't been my head, for which I am thankful).  I credit this widely spreading disease of boorishness to our economic situation and people being uncertain about their jobs (I guess I'm lucky...I still don't have a job to worry about), their homes and how they are going to take care of themselves and their family, or how they are going to pay for the brand new Lexus out in the brick driveway that they just had to get because the neighbors just bought the new BMW SUV and there is no way in hell they are going to let the neighbor one-up their family, no sir-ee Bob.

I'm trying to look at this in a more humorous way.  If there is a silver lining in all of this (or as I said to my boyfriend, a tacky gold sequined liner), it's that we can blame everything on our economic situation right now and get away with it!  I can't seem to manage to complete anything on my to-do list.  It's the economy's fault!  I can't concentrate because of the economy.  I think my neighbor has a stalker.  It's the economy.  He lost his job and has nothing else to do but spy (speaking of the devil, I just saw his car "sneak" down the street...he thinks no one notices).  I cannot grow grass in my front yard.  It's the economy's fault because I can't afford to cut down the tree in my front yard (which would allow more sunlight to fall on the yard, allowing grass to grow) because I'm unemployed, because of the economy.  My garbage disposal is broken.  You guessed it, it's the economy.  Well, OK, I can't really find a way to blame the demise of my garbage disposal on the economy right now, but you get the point.

So, I'm back to playing my Smile game again because I can't take one more dejected-looking person stumbling around in a miserable cloud of melancholia every time I go out the door or I'm going to slink right down in the dumps with them.  If that starts to happen, I swear I'll go kicking and screaming feet-first --which reminds me, I have a blister on my foot today, and as soon as I can think of someway to do it, I'm going to blame it on the economy.

--Fortuitous Observer

A Corporate Strategy Meeting...with my Cats

At what point during these five months of unemployment precisely did I lose my mind?  I am (ok...was) a software consultant for a very well-known German software company, traveling non-stop, consulting for Fortune 100 companies, advising and recommending, going toe-to-toe with some important highly paid decision makers.  Yes, I loved my job and it loved me back!  Now I'm unemployed, spending way too much time with my cats.

This afternoon, after I took Kwinn, my Siamese cat, to his vet appointment (yes, he is still throwing up and I was told today he may need to be on steroids the rest of his life...which could be shortened if I so desire), I decided that I needed to get back into "work" mode so that I would be more enthusiastic about searching for a job.  I mean, lets face it, right now, after months of being ignored by recruiters and hiring managers, emails of "thanks, but we've already found our candidate", I'm losing my drive to keep going and I'm thinking of posting my resume as an experienced "Samurai Warrior" on Monster.com (I do have an obsession with Samurai's due to a college class I took once...I'll explain more about that later, but I did mention it in a previous posting.) just to see if I get any hits.  So, to get back into "work" mode, I made Kwinn and my other cat, Kat, sit down in my home office and have a corporate strategy meeting with me.

I know, this does sound insane, and I'm thinking if Pat (the boyfriend) reads this, he may reconsider moving his things into my house, but I felt compelled.  The order of business between myself, Kwinn and Kat was to discuss a gap analysis I came up with for a pseudo company, who was moving from their old software system to my recommended software system.  For those non-geeks out there, a gap analysis highlights what the existing company's software can do that my new improved software cannot.

I handed each of my felines a copy of the spreadsheet I made, showing what the existing "fake" software does versus what my software does.  They each glanced and sniffed at the paper placed in front of them.  Kwinn began to rub his whiskers on it to mark it as "his" and Kat just looked at me as if to ask where were the snacks that were promised for the meeting.  Of course, due to my narcissism, there were no gaps in what my software could offer, thus my meeting was rather abbreviated (and because the attention span of a cat is, well you know, short).

I truly understand that this might sound a bit weird and some of you may even be wondering if I'm still taking my medication, but I needed to do this.  It does help to feel like I haven't lost all of my consulting ability, and well, I have two cats who do nothing else but eat and sleep, and because they are strictly indoor cats, they are a captive audience, so it gives us all something to do.  Tomorrow we are going to go over the budget, and the day after that we will take a look at the project plan and decide if we can meet our milestones.  It will be a working lunch meeting and I've already promised salmon to those who show up on time.

--Fortuitous Observer

PS.  I know not everyone likes cats, so this link is for you cat haters of the world.

PSS.  This is a great blog if you are into silly cat pics with captions (whether or not you love or hate cats):

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Sometimes a Girl Has Just Gotta Cry

The world is so upside down.  I've known that for a while as it's been almost 5 months now since I was laid off from a great job.  A year ago I was living in downtown Nashville, having probably one of the best years of my life, job-wise and health-wise, and I decided to take a chance and by my first house, back in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area.  I got a great deal on my house and I was looking forward to gardening, painting, remodeling, etc.  Excited about doing things that new homeowners do.

Then it happened, the swinging corporate axe came down heavy on my company, and over 3000 of us were let go.  I immediately got an interview with another company and I thought I was going to be ok.  Turns out, the company I had the interview with instituted a hiring freeze and my final interview was scrapped "until further notice" which means "So sorry, we are now worried about our jobs."

It's ok, surely something will come along.  Everyone who reads my blog knows I've said I plan to be positive and remain optimistic about this situation, but sometimes a girl has just gotta cry.  I think I'm there now, sniffle, sniffle.

I'm not saying it is a bad thing.  It's good to cry.  I've realized that if I keep a positive attitude during this unemployment situation, it makes me feel ok, but then sometimes it hits like a sledge hammer to the nose and I just need to turn on the water works and release some of the anxiety that I try to hide.  Sometimes a girl has just gotta cry!

I've taken this opportunity to examine what it is that I really want to do, or not do.  I'm trying to get back in shape, where I was a year ago, and I'm keeping in mind that I might need to actually "change" and take a different road.  OK, enough of my sobbing.

Things could be so much worse right now.  For instance:

• my cat could decide that vomiting once a day just isn't enough
• my right calf could be an inch larger than my left one instead of just 1/4 of an inch
• the guy stalking my neighbor could be stalking me
• my parents could have stayed longer than 2 nights
• I could be going once a week for electric shock treatments (ok, that might actually not be a bad thing)

For those of you following along, we are now at Brady Bunch song #8, "Time to Change."  I hope everyone enjoys the 4th of July weekend!

--Fortuitous Observer

Rude People Suck - Part I

Here comes another rant.  Does anyone remember the bumper sticker that was popular in the mid-90s, "Mean People Suck"?  I bought a similar bumper sticker around that time that said "Trendy People Suck" but I decided actually displaying it on my bumper would make me "trendy" so I would, in a way, be making fun of myself, and I didn't want to do that.

Anyway, I've seen so many rude people during the past few months that I want to bring those stickers back (and billboards, and posters, and jail time), only this time, proclaiming "Rude People Suck" instead of mean people.  I think some people are just born mean, while people learn to be rude, either from an entitled upbringing or ignorant parents, and usually both.  I remember as a child that I was told to say "please" and "thank you" and to just be aware of other people and my surroundings.  I had to share the planet with everyone else.  I'll admit, there are times when I'm out in public or in a store, and I'm in a zone, reading ingredients or fat content, and I don't realize that people are trying to get around me, and as soon as I do (either by myself or they say excuse me), I immediately apologize and get out of the way.  I don't want to be rude.  Get ready folks, I'm about to unleash my fury...

I (and all of us) stillhave to share the planet, and that means we need to resort back to the golden rule.  Now, I've seen many people in the past few weeks and months who either don't know what the golden rule is, or have forgotten.  So, I'm going to do you a favor and tell you what it is:  "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  Short and sweet.  Then why is it that no one remembers this one teeny-tiny little sentence?  This is my opinion, based on many, many years of observation (I like to think of myself as a student of the human condition):  many people were never actually taught that the world did not revolve around them/owe them/cater to them.  In truth, depending on upbringing, they may have been taught the opposite, that the world does revolve around them.  So, I'm going to play the role of parent, priest, shrink, and most importantly, fellow human being:  hey dingbats, the world does NOT revolve around you.  You are not the only living creature on the planet and you had better get used to it!

• For instance, today, at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, the man in the glasses and the white and green striped shirt:  you were rude.  My boyfriend and I said "excuse me" twice to get around you, but you ignored us.  I know you heard us.  You AND your wife were rude.  The next time it happens, I'm going to sketch you (only because it is illegal to take a picture without someone's consent) and put you on Craigslist, ok, so stop it.  You are breathing the air I breathe and you put your pants on one leg at a time like everyone else (unless you wear skirts in private, then, well, that's your business but you should let your wife know).  Enough said.

• Again, today in A Southern Season in Chapel Hill (hmmm, I'm sensing that this is where the rude asses congregate, and believe me, they do), the two middle-aged ladies in the hot sauce aisle, taking up the entire aisle and as I said excuse me to get by you, you looked at me and didn't move:  In case you didn't realize it, you were RUDE.  OK, you weren't just rude, you were bitches.  I suggest some estrogen, or even better, staying home and having your gourmet sauces delivered to you.  For those of you ladies going through menopause, I'm not making fun of you.  I will be there myself one day, but I can assure you, I will have a medicine cabinet full of drugs and will not be a pain in the ass to society.  See above.  The next time I see you there and you act like complete idiots, I will sketch, Craigslist, etc.  Got it?  Good.

• For the woman who let her smelly dirty-diaper-wearing kid sit on the counter at the drug store last week, you were rude.  You may think your kid is awesome, even when he poops, I don't.  Keep him off of public counters where others do business, especially picking up prescriptions.  Thank you.

• And finally, to the woman who threw trash out of her car window on Leadmine and Glenwood on Friday, June 19, around 6 pm (in a dark blue sedan, I don't remember the make), you are not only rude, but stupid.  You were not satisfied with throwing onepiece of trash out the window, but you rolled down the window again and threw a second piece out!  Were you raised in a barn?  I'm serious.  If you were, maybe I understand a bit, that your parents were the last of the Neanderthals and you don't know any better (I'm glad you've advanced enough to learn to drive a car, you should be proud of your species).  If you weren't, then you should be forced to pick up trash along the highways with the convicts, or even better, you should be forced to live within 10 feet of a garbage dump.  No one throws thrash out of car windows anymore (at least in the last 10 years) unless you are a moron.  I hate it when my car is cluttered from the stuff I thrown on the floor of it, but it is not even near my realm of thinking to throw trash out of my car window.  If I see you doing it again (my boyfriend and I got your tag number), I'll call the cops and have you hauled in for littering and for stupidity (OK, I know stupidity isn't really a crime, but I'm going to lobby for it to become one).  Grow up.  The highways that my tax dollars pay to keep clean are important to me.  You might want to pass this along to your parents also and thank them for fire and the wheel (or was that the Cromagnum instead of Neanderthal?), but it is time to evolve.  Manners do count.

--Fortuitous Observer

Whatever Happened to the Rejection Letter?

I'm now well into month number 4 of unemployment and I know I'm not the only one experiencing this (or at least I hope I'm not the only one) sad cyber space scenario.  I spend a few hours of each morning job searching.  I send out resumes and cover letters, accompanied by letters of recommendation.  I get nothing.  Nada.  Nil.  No response.  In the 4 months that I've been job searching, I think I've actually received only two letters of rejection, nothing else that even leads me to believe my resume is being read.  Every other submission seems to be going into a big black hole in cyber space.

I'll be the first to admit that job searching is easier these days.  When I first started working, I paid someone to type up my resume on resume stock paper, then I would peruse the want ads in the various newspapers, and snail mail my resume, with a cover letter to the address provided, usually a PO Box.  We now have online job searching, but this comes with it's own set of problems, the biggest problem (in my humble opinion) is anonymity.

Online job postings are submitted either by a third-party (recruiting firms) or by the hiring company themselves, but sometimes they keep their company name and information private, which means most of the time I have no clue what/where I'm applying to.  Remember the follow-up letter?  I used to be very good about sending a follow-up card in the mail if I hadn't heard back from a potential employer.  Now, I have no way to send a follow-up because I don't know who/where it goes.  When I submit a resume online, I sometimes get an email confirming my resume has been sent, but it is a "do not reply to" email address.  Basically, "don't call us, we'll call you."  Sure you will.

If anyone out there has any suggestions or creative ways of following-up to online submissions, I would love to hear them!  Truly, I would.  In the meantime, I'll continue on with my job searching journey of course, and I'm still trying to keep from getting discouraged, but isn't it sad when one actually celebrates receiving a rejection letter?  It gives me the perception that someone did pick up my resume and read it, even if they did decide that I am not worthy of their company, at least I feel like I've been noticed!

--Fortuitous Observer