Tag: Retail

Spending spree

Right about now. If the economy is going to pick up, authorities should push spending. Credit card spending.

Gadgets are out. Electronic devices miniaturized. Skirts cut shorter even when it says Winter Clothes. Victoria Secret pulled Native American outfit from broadcast. Planned controversy or not, we don’t know. We just know that things are back to its normal pace.g. Windows 8,  I-phone 5 release etc…

With Halloween behind us, Veteran Day being celebrated, what else to look forward to besides Turkey and Tree.

We got the calendar seasons, then we got shopping seasons, but for centuries we live with only a few seasons (until they made up Fall and Autumn).

Seasons are good for the Soul. They roll in cyclically, to remind us there is a rhythm of life: hard times and good times.

Unlike compound-interests chart and monthly bills. These come in under a different chart and graph.

We still respond to seasons in awe: autumn foliage, first snow etc..

When something like Sandy screw up our lives, we are at a loss (blaming it on those new voiture in China and Brazil?)

Meanwhile, those with or without money still have to spend. For loved ones and for oneself.

Gotta get those midget gadgets: i-pod and tri-pod.

Who would find out that our taste for music has been the same for decades? or what content women read on airplanes (E-readers).

Something strange has happened  lately, but then nothing strange has happened lately (covert ops but overt affairs etc…)

Banks and retail stores are still into collecting ROI perentages. And we consumers still fall for it, willingly.

We are creatures of habit and of harmony. We put on warm clothes and winter clothes. We feel a warmth in our hearts when we see Christmas decoration  all around us. We  miss that fireplace scene and the gathering of the faithful. We long to belong and to be home (Train, plane and automobile) . We long for rest and comfort.  The world knows this. It will offer a different version of our hopes and dreams. It will instead offer false hope and unreachable dreams. It will in fact give us the opposite of what we hope for. In the race to embrace our dreams, often times, we have to outsmart those who claim themselves to be dream providers, of essentials that we need like homes, health and happiness. We gotta to own the process of attaining them ourselves. When we do, we will be rooted firmly in that which we can call home, that which anchors our restless feet and soul. True happiness lies in the heart of those who feel content and are not in denial of death, the only reality that matters most. So spend, spend, spend. But keep in mind that those gadgets will be obsolete next year. In their places, are successive versions and newer generations. That’s what keeps us awake at night.

Progress has its pain and price to pay. To stay in the game, one needs to constantly pedal forward and uphill.

Again, I admire people who stay up all night out in the cold for a shopping spree phenomenon we call Black Friday.

Just remember to leave those pepper sprays at home this year. Walmart is trying to outsmart the competitors by opening early. Thanksgiving night as a matter of fact, for your 24/7 shopping need.

On Seeing

With YouTube, Skype Video and 4-G network, we will be watching a lot of video.

Some content was finally “remastered” to be added on to the collective archive in the cloud.

Yet, we neglect to clean our lenses and learn to see as if for the first time.

The sense of wonder, curiosity, marvel, or just discover what’s been there all along.

(The National Archivist picked Star Wars among others for future

generations).

I had my glass redone last week. After trying the new lenses on, it got worse. Turned out that the store had the wrong measurement for the order.

What you see depends on where you stand.

A or B? Is this better or worse?

Yesterday, on Bloomberg, Pimm Fox had a great interview with Howard Davidowitz, who pointed out that with more online shopping, we are stuck with so much excess in commercial retail space.

I live close to the near-abandoned Palm Beach Mall. All stores had moved out, except for JC Penney. Even when it’s not “last chance bargain” store, it feels like it.

We view others and being viewed within a context. I have my daughter’s high school graduation picture on my desk. I might be looking at her picture, but actually, she has looked at me, watching Dad struggle, put on his best face, war face if need be.

We also see differently when we are intoxicated, or with a pocket full of money.

It’s sad to hear that attempts at micro lending in India have failed due to loan sharks.

Noble idea but not without some hiccups.

With a new decade comes new configuration, if only we can “see” (IaaS for instance).

See what’s left standing. See what’s coming up from behind.

See who are still with us when the dust is settled.

And most importantly, seeing our real selves: that which has actually emerged due to so much contextual stimuli (that draw out our characters, and sharpen them in the process.)

The old Western movies extolled the Alpha Male (Last Man Standing).

Somehow, our Capitalist society got a page from that same script. The result is, Chase  branch at every corner, and JC Penney the only left in the block.

I know now what’s tomorrow’s blog should be about: on becoming.

New terms such as “coffice” (in Korea, you pay for the coffee like at Starbucks and sit down to commandeer a table from 9-5), TARP, CDO etc…New Year Celebration, on ABC, I heard Ke$ha (We are who we are) say “let’s make twenty eleven a bitch”.

Underneath it all, we should be glad that next-gen are holding it quite well.

If twenty eleven turns out as expected, then we are going to be OK.

That’s how I “see” it. So much wasted retail space, so much wasted US talent.