Soul Thumping

A Moral Monday Moment

I'm not going to post anything deep and meaningful about the Moral Monday protests that have taken place in our state over that past months because I can't add anything more profound than those words already written by others, but I was looking through the photos Poseidon snapped at some of the Moral Monday rallies, and I liked this picture of me looking out at the crowd under a dark sky.  Fortunately, the rain held off, and we grew in number.  And because I can't end on a serious note, ever...my jeans are baggy!

--Amphitrite

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What My Cats Did on Election Night

Last night was a night filled with excitement, anticipation, and anxiety.  We watched the election returns like mad crazy people...my sister is staying with us this week, so she added to the madness with her anxious sighing and fist banging on the sofa each time Romney won a state.

Just as the results started coming in, Kwinn and Kat began chasing each other...all through the house.  They haven't done this in a while, as Kwinn despises Kat, so he usually ignores her begging requests to play, and busies himself with his own tail.  Odd.  Something is up with these two felines and their sudden furtive movements.  Within a few minutes though, they quieted down and each took an opposite side of the room to chill and watch the returns.

At one point, I believe it was when Romney won Indiana, and my sister seemed ready to spiral out of control, I noticed Kwinn, sitting next to her on the sofa.  He was staring at her, but he seemed unusually calm.  Calmness in this neurotic Siamese is a sign.  That little mongrel voted for Romney!   I'm very nearly certain that Kwinn, despite his obvious lack of opposable thumbs, somehow wandered down the street and circled the ballet next to Romney's name.

Kat?  Her only thoughts are of food, even during the election returns.  Who will feed me?  Are you going to feed me now?  How about now?  Now?  When am I going to see food in my bowl?  After she eats, we usually don't see her.  She only pops in every few hours to see if, by chance, she might coax us into feeding her, again.  She is the 47%, and she voted.

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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Five for Friday - Political Fabric: It's All About Big Ears, No Matter Which Side You Are On

Political posts are posts I avoid writing because I still want my friends and family to be my friends and family, and I'm no "crafter" but I occasionally like to sew stuff together, so what better combination for a Five for Friday post?  Politics and fabric.  Doesn't matter which side of the political fence you land (a nice face plant in the dirt will be the outcome for us all), both donkeys and elephants have big ears.  They do:

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All fabric swatches are from Spoonflower.com!

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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Thinking I'm Responsible for the Space Shuttle Disasters

With the passing away of Neil Armstrong last month, and Space Shuttle Endeavour heading for retirement, it is with considerable trepidation that I face my self-diagnosed "NASA anxiety."  Born exactly 6 months (to the day) before the first landing on the moon (or, if you are a conspiracy theorist, the theatrical production of the first landing on the moon), this Gen Xer takes our space program seriously, sometimes, and this is why I'm now confessing that I hold myself responsible for the space shuttle disasters.  

I hold myself responsible because I insisted on watching them live.  January 28, 1986, in high school, I voted "YES" (along with the majority of my classmates) to watching the live take off of Space Shuttle Challenger during a Social Studies class.  Our teacher was excited because Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space, was a crew member.  History in the making folks.

Just over one minute into the flight, we saw the infamous blast of bright light, and we watched in horror as the space shuttle disintegrated, fiery pieces falling from the sky.  LIVE.  The reporters were at a loss for words.  For the first time all year, that classroom full of high school students went completely silent.

Fast forward to February 1, 2003.  I got up early that morning to watch the landing of Space Shuttle Columbia.  I sat on the sofa with my bowl of cereal and a blanket, watching the television screen like a cat watching a mouse.  A few minutes before 9am, the shuttle is nearing the coast of California.  A play-by-play announcer on television made the whole thing that much more exciting.  But then, something went wrong, because Columbia wasn't appearing where it should be, over Texas, at least that is when I remember feeling anxious.  "Roger, uh, bu --" was the last contact.  I won't go through all the details because those are readily available all over the internet, but I spent the entire day engulfed in the drama.  I watched all the NASA press conferences, eyewitness accounts, conjecture from engineers, scientists, meteorologists, laypersons, family of the crew, etc.

I was sad but mostly stunned.  Then, because I'm neurotic, I thought, "Damn, I did it again!"  It was at that moment I decided my watching the space shuttle landings and take-offs was the cause of these freak disasters and I would watch no more.

As curious as I was, I chose not to watch the Endeavour make its way to California last week.  As much as I wanted to watch it pass over the Golden Gate Bridge, I wanted more for it to make it safely.

It still has some road traveling to do before it arrives at its final home, the California Science Center, so someone let me know when it's all over and I can turn on the television again.

Challenger Flight Crew - By NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 

 

--Fortuitous Observer

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

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

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Please Keep Your Child's 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

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

Walking Contradictions

Have you ever met someone who claims to be a fan of a person, place, organization, cause, group, etc. that appears to be in direct contradiction to who the someone really is?  Let me clarify my question so you know where I'm coming from.  This may be considered a rant, I'm not sure.

Yesterday while out running a few errands (the errands I can afford to run are dwindling, as my employment status continues to be that of "un") I pulled up behind a car at a red light.  The first thing I noticed about the car was the "Free Tibet" sticker on the right side of the bumper.  I thought, cool, someone who cares about the rights of Tibetans and wants to join the fight to end the unfair Chinese occupation of Tibet.  My eyes then shifted to the left side of the bumper.  What the hell?  There, in juxtaposition of the Tibet sticker is a McCain/Palin sticker!  Who is this person driving this car?  Do you know what the Free Tibet organization is?  Apparently not, or you wouldn't be touting your loyalty to the political group in our country who doesn't have one activist bone in their collective bodies.  Ugh!

At this point I was irritated and wanted to pull this person to the side of the road, smack a picture of the Dalai Lama to their forehead and drive off (I didn't, I just wanted to).  This scene reminded me of a young woman I used to work with who claimed to be gay and tried very hard to portray herself as some hip  nouveau flower child, but she had Bush/Cheney stickers in her office cubicle!  Was she really gay or did she just want to try to shock people?  If so, why in the world would she be showing support for Bush and Cheney?  Or, maybe she was gay and she wanted to shock people (like me) with the Bush/Cheney sticker as a joke?  I might believe the latter, except that she did in fact work for the Bush campaign.  Ugh!

Of course, the car I saw yesterday isn't the first time I've seen walking (or in this case, driving) contradictions.  I've seen more than one soccer mom's mini van plastered with the cute little Grateful Dead dancing teddy bears (though they aren't really dancing) on one side and a GOP sticker (any one will do) on the other side.  Do these moms know who the Grateful Dead were?  Do you know what they stood for?  The Grateful Dead was a band that used and promoted the use of drugs, including marijuana and LSD (I'm not knocking them.  I enjoy the Dead).  The cute little teddy bear design is the artwork that appeared on the History of the Grateful Dead, Vol. 1 (Bear's Choice) album.   If you are one of those folks, I'm not trying to offend you, honest.  I'm just letting you know about your faux pas so you can go take the stickers off of your vehicles.  Hopefully you can see that your bears and GOP stickers are in gross opposition of one another.  Ugh!

 

--Fortuitous Observer