Monday, April 18, 2005
Visitation Rights, and A New Revolution
So this weekend (Saturday) Morgie, and Dan-o and I took a trip in to Sack-vegas (oooooh,... Sack-vegas....) to see some folks (DC, AngstyRob and Em-The-Anti-Angst), and, in Morgan's case, get some work done.
I love being in Sackville in the spring time. It's so refreshing and not-city. Also I love the people we saw. I miss them frequently - and thanks to the interweb (sweet, sweet interweb) we can stay in contact.
Apart from the very relaxing meal at Joey's, some great conversation with some great martime folks (again, Em fits into this category despite her dubious heritage) it was a great opportunity to foster some relationships that never get the attention they deserve but manage to thrive anyway. I think we're just hip people, and we're hip to each other. I can't ever remember not having a good time with any of these folks and I hope we manage to remain buddies even when the inevitability of time and distance comes between us.
The Angster and I have already started on a revolution of sorts, which we'll probably both be reporting on more and more in the coming months.
I picked up on a new revolution that I can help DC out with now though. His most recent blog entry evokes some ideas I've had myself, and I think - once again - DC and I are on similar wavelengths and should get together.
I've been interested in the idea of "the consumer as agent" or maybe "the purchase as vote". By this I mean (simplified), in this free market economy, when a consumer spends money, they are effectively voting for something and can thereby effect change on the world.
EX: If I buy bank stock, I'm effectively saying to the bank "Good job. I agree with your direction as a company and feel that I should give you money to help you keep moving in the same direction". Now, most people don't buy stock that way (they buy stock because they think they can make money off of it) and they don't realise that their purchase equates to a vote for the procedures the bank is following. (and this is why we get the situation of people who buy bank stock, then complain that their service fees are going up, then go buy more stock, then complain when service fees go up - they have effectively voted for higher service fees without (refusing) realizing it)
CLOSER TO HOME EX: If I go to the grocery store, and there are three types of lettuce right next to each other: one is from Brasil and one is from Ontario and one is from New Brunswick. The one from brazil is 20 cents cheaper than the others, and the Ontario lettuce is 10 cents cheaper than the NB stuff. It's basically all the same lettuce. If I buy the Brasillian lettuce, not only am I sending my money to Brasil, but I'm 'voting' for Brasillian lettuce, and also for foreign produce in general. The grocery store will say - "we sold 15 mega tonnes of Brasillian lettuce, and only 10 of Canadian lettuce. Our customers must want more Brasillian lettuce. Let's not put Canadian lettuce on the shelves anymore"
More on this later maybe, but this will probably be enough to get some type of response from you, oh wonderful viewer.
I love being in Sackville in the spring time. It's so refreshing and not-city. Also I love the people we saw. I miss them frequently - and thanks to the interweb (sweet, sweet interweb) we can stay in contact.
Apart from the very relaxing meal at Joey's, some great conversation with some great martime folks (again, Em fits into this category despite her dubious heritage) it was a great opportunity to foster some relationships that never get the attention they deserve but manage to thrive anyway. I think we're just hip people, and we're hip to each other. I can't ever remember not having a good time with any of these folks and I hope we manage to remain buddies even when the inevitability of time and distance comes between us.
The Angster and I have already started on a revolution of sorts, which we'll probably both be reporting on more and more in the coming months.
I picked up on a new revolution that I can help DC out with now though. His most recent blog entry evokes some ideas I've had myself, and I think - once again - DC and I are on similar wavelengths and should get together.
I've been interested in the idea of "the consumer as agent" or maybe "the purchase as vote". By this I mean (simplified), in this free market economy, when a consumer spends money, they are effectively voting for something and can thereby effect change on the world.
EX: If I buy bank stock, I'm effectively saying to the bank "Good job. I agree with your direction as a company and feel that I should give you money to help you keep moving in the same direction". Now, most people don't buy stock that way (they buy stock because they think they can make money off of it) and they don't realise that their purchase equates to a vote for the procedures the bank is following. (and this is why we get the situation of people who buy bank stock, then complain that their service fees are going up, then go buy more stock, then complain when service fees go up - they have effectively voted for higher service fees without (refusing) realizing it)
CLOSER TO HOME EX: If I go to the grocery store, and there are three types of lettuce right next to each other: one is from Brasil and one is from Ontario and one is from New Brunswick. The one from brazil is 20 cents cheaper than the others, and the Ontario lettuce is 10 cents cheaper than the NB stuff. It's basically all the same lettuce. If I buy the Brasillian lettuce, not only am I sending my money to Brasil, but I'm 'voting' for Brasillian lettuce, and also for foreign produce in general. The grocery store will say - "we sold 15 mega tonnes of Brasillian lettuce, and only 10 of Canadian lettuce. Our customers must want more Brasillian lettuce. Let's not put Canadian lettuce on the shelves anymore"
More on this later maybe, but this will probably be enough to get some type of response from you, oh wonderful viewer.
Comments:
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I couldn't agree with you more buddy. For the longest time I was just this unthinking lump...never really considered that I could essentially change anything. Little did I think it's as simple as not buying a big corps. products. I know it's not a large move, but it's the largest I can do at this point...and it is what I have to do.
The DC
The DC
# posted by 
: 4:10 p.m.
: 4:10 p.m.
My favourite lettuce is the really curly kind. Even though I think it is very un-nutritious, like iceberg, it's so pretty and very very soft. It's the lettuce I picture growing in a backyard garden and then not getting eaten except by rabbits who know that what is soft and curly is what is good...and soft...and...curly.
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