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<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">Yes, online shopping does seem to be directly analogous to mall and big box shopping, engine oil right next to the organic apples! What's not to love?</pre>
</blockquote>
Seductive it is. <br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">More importantly, monopolies like Amazon demonstrate, once again, that the computer is less flexible than the humans using the computer. Their undermining of Etsy with "handmade" is a great example. I use Etsy to buy from locals.</pre>
</blockquote>
I try to use Etsy, but the lines between Etsy, Amazon, eBay and
AliExpress are getting blurred enough I lose track. I recently
bought a handmade longbow for Mary via Etsy from what felt like a
proper one-man shop, but when I couldn't raise them to change the
shipping address (my bad) and ask them to tiller it for a slightly
higher draw weight (Mary's amazon physique had already mastered a
35# training bow), I could get no response whatsoever, so I started
looking around and discovered that they also sold on Amazon and the
"shopfront" there made it evident that they'd transcended "family
business" to something bigger... still probably cottage-industry
scale. When we got the bow (never got an acknowledgement but they
DID ship it to the right address and it DOES appear to be a 45# draw
to my feel) the finish and packaging suggested that they were
turning out tens of these a day... not the same as a factory, but
not the same as a guy or gal sitting in front of their fireplace
shaving down a stick into a bow. This is all nit-picking if I"m
criticising this vendor... whoever/whatever they are, I'm happy for
them and they got my order right, and *I* was the one who wanted the
product for $60 when there were *plenty* of (mostly SCA/Reenactor)
options for $200. I still "shop" Etsy for what feels like
righteous products and both of my creative adult daughters have Etsy
shops where sometimes some of their creative products get sold...
<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""> The narrative we were fed for "online shopping" was a diversification of vendors with a unification of end point (your door). [⛧] But what we end up with is a unification of vendor (Amazon), through an exploitation of workers and institutions, to a unification of destination.</pre>
</blockquote>
I *still* find myself thinking "I'll check Amazon for that" when I
really mean "I'll check ONLINE for that" and then veering away from
big-box stores online for one reason and small independents for
others and settling on Amazon. I have *forced* myself to use
Amazon Day delivery (condense any orders within the week to a single
delivery day) and Smile (small donation to non-profit of my choice),
but that feels more like guilt-amelioration than anything.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""> This hearkens back to wealth inequality and the permanent underclass capitalism requires.</pre>
</blockquote>
I'm always game to hear about what *have to be* myriad alternatives
or variations of the reality (manic hypercapitalism) or the ideal
(mere free-market capitalism) we live in. <br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">I think it's a mistake to desperately optimize away from "needing" anything.</pre>
</blockquote>
That was just a knee jerk toward "getting ready for the
apocalypse"... it's easier to tune up skills and establish personal
infrastructure (herd of chickens) when you aren't starving in the
dark.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""> But maybe it's purely philosophical. </pre>
</blockquote>
I think it is *partly* philosophical... and can maybe be more well
explored in the abstract hindsight of just what each of us would do
if we know what we know now, but found ourselves on the Titanic just
as it hit the iceberg. We have a few hours to sort ourselves out
from top to bottom, what do we do? Anecdotally, the "Orchestra
Played On" and I admire/respect that. As well as those who worked
hard to get the lifeboats in the water without more loss of life and
supplies than neccessary. But not so much the ones who had already
picked out the best ones, hoarded extra supplies aboard, and then
got there first and fought off the "women and children" that might
have competed with them for those supplies as they caste off with an
elite crew aboard (my apprehension of what a modern Libertarian
would do).<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">Part of the reason I prefer the local hardware store is because the people in there help me solve problems, regardless of whether I buy anything. Of the box stores, Lowe's seems the most interested in problem solving, but still not good. The local hardware (and feed) store people seem to get a real kick out of it when I come in with a problem to solve ... e.g. hanging a movable welding screen from a > 20' ceiling. The people at the box stores could not care less.</pre>
</blockquote>
I enjoy my current local hardware... my previous local hardware
tended toward "overhelpful". There are hardwares virtually
everywhere who typify the best of these things, and I am thankful
for them. I have not visited, but hear great things about Arandas
across the Street (Hickox?) from the TuneUp in SFe. Independent
Bookstores, Farmers Markets and Coffee Shops and even Grocers the
same. But the imbalances in "the Market" make it hard, just as
"one-stop shopping" at the big-box, mall (or even mainstreet) and
now Amazon is seductive if not always in one's best (broad or
long-term) interest. <br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">That social interaction, along with the pub, are about all I really get in meat space. Were I as creative or handy as you, I wouldn't need/have that social interaction at all.</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><i>au contraire</i>... my "handiness" just means that I have
*more* projects in the pipeline with *more* (maybe not)
interesting challenges for my local hardware. I really wish for
a similar "electronics" equivalent... Radio Shack is defunct (and
hadn't been much good for that for decades) but some of the big
cities may still have their own variations (I can't remember the
classic names of such in Silicon Valley?). You mention Maker
Spaces below.</p>
<p>I may be making up a big batch of homemade salsa from my
tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green chiles, but I'll still pick up
some other peppers, limes, avocados and cilantro from my local
market. <br>
</p>
<p>I may be using creek rock (instead of some
industrial-store-bought facade material) to face the foundation of
my sunroom, but I'll still buy the stucco-mesh, cement/mortar at
my local hardware. And maybe, just maybe, if those were not
available, my sunroom would still get a nice facade of rock, but
the mud-mortar/chinking would need annual maintenance, and would
flat *disappear* in a decade or so if *I* went away, which might
be better for all concerned.<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""> I used to get something similar at the book stores, not so much at Powell's, but the smaller ones. The maker spaces I used to go to had similar issues ... purchasing electronic components online is waaaay different than going to the local pack-rat dork vendor who would help you build the device with you.</pre>
</blockquote>
Yes, like that. I *barely* engaged with the Santa Fe Maker Space
before Covid shut everything down... they did host a DYI network of
mask/face-shield/PPE makers that I hooked a prolific 3D printing
friend into, but the interest I'd have in such would be for the
interactions you speak of. I was gathering the spare powertools I
inherited from a few different places, to gift them when that came
down. That was one aspect of SFx that I felt like we sort of got
right... but it could/should have been even moreso, fostering
small-group engagement and creative interaction.<br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap=""> So, it's less about only buying what you need, and more about social learning/production. Ebooks and online shopping just does not compare and I feel sorry for those who do all their reading, making, thinking, and drinking alone in their basements.</pre>
</blockquote>
What's a basement? <br>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">[⛧] We were fed that narrative for personal computers, media sources, music artists, etc. Each time, the oligarchs manage to find a way to exploit resources (including duped consumers) in order to funnel wealth to their passive investments.</pre>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, we are duped consumers and sometimes I am proud to spend
significant personal resource trying not to be as much of a
"duped", while other times I resent the hell out of having to work
so hard at not being "part of the problem" (which of course, no
matter how hard I try, I still am). Mary loves Starbucks'
almond-milk Latte's and despite having everything to make similar
ourselves, I've fallen into the habit of joining her in a Vente
Almond-Milk Latte with an umbrella-on-top when we are out,
especially after an hour of swimming. We just don't find any
other source of that particular drink (including our own version)
as satisfying. With our wicked-cold snap last week we went
further and downloaded the Curbside App so we could order/pay
online and have them walk it out to us as we arrive (geeeze!) but
there was a snafu today trying it the first time and I ran through
the order top to bottom only to discover that this particular
drink specialty has 20g of carbs which happens to be my full daily
budget on my (yes, once again... for 1-2 months every summer)
Ketogenic diet. Neither Espresso nor Almond Milk nor Water have
virtually ANY carbs... so I asked the nice girl at the counter
(never got the app to work right) about it, she didn't know but
did pull out the (Starbucks brand) Almond Milk and sure enough IT
had 20g of carbs and sugar was in fact second ingredient. No
*wonder* I am eager for a "hit of Starbucks" after swimming! Not
a problem at all if I wasn't trying to maintain ketogenesis!
Caveat Emptor!<br>
</p>
<p>You make me long for living in a healthy "neighborhood" with some
of these services within a short walk, and a chance at more
like-minded neighbors. The Pojoaque Valley still has 3
identifiable "Tiendita" shopfronts evident that have probably not
been open for business since the 50's (now part of the private
homes/compounds built behind/around them). There were probably a
couple more that have been razed or refaced out of recognition
along the way. But would I walk 1/4 mile for a quart of milk
when I can drive 9 miles and get USB phone cord, a Lotto ticket,
some Twinkies and a 12pack of fancy beer also? <br>
</p>
<p>Berkeley/Oakland had a few of these "neighborhoods" when I lived
there... though I rarely walked to any of them. Our "corner
grocery" was an overfancy, overpriced Whole Foods which I *did*
walk to. It was probably a 30 minute walk to the Telegraph
section in one direction, and 30 minutes the other way to
Rockridge... but I very rarely walked them... bah! Mary and I
are equally against bucket-lists, but on the list we don't have is
trying a few short stints (3-12 months) living in a city as we get
tired of tending chickens and gardens and trying to ignore the
neighbor's constant spraying of roundup and mowing their dirt to a
fine powder. As a writer, that IS her work (finding more and
different stimulation and subjects) and my own work (such as it
is) is more remote-able than ever. I'd like to do this *after*
lounging in a street cafe doesn't have to be a health hazard (to
us or others). Or maybe we can just renormalize to whatever
becomes the new normal in those contexts.<br>
</p>
<p>- Steve<br>
</p>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:eca79a28-38ff-7c5d-9abe-bc136c2f8ab9@gmail.com">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">
On 9/14/20 9:30 AM, Steve Smith wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">
I think "online shopping" in general has proven to be an effective
competitor to "mall shopping" as "malls" became effective competitors to
"main street", and I suppose "main street" to the old-school "general
store" model. It is a reverse-backflow system where some aspects of
the "business" improve while others flail. The mall has *everything
you want* compared even to a rich mainstreet selection, but you have to
drive out to the suburbs and hike across a 1000 acre parking lot, but
are rewarded by ambient entertainment, air conditioning and an
invitation to use them for senior exercise walks.
Yup, but it felt like Elizabeth would like to "rain hell down on them"
like an early c20 Trust Buster if she'd gotten hold of the reins (for
better or worse).
I paradoxically drive past small hardware stores on my way to "the big
box" too often, though usually only when I am confident the local
doesn't have what I need, and after I've checked in on "do I really NEED
what I can only find at the big box". Before COVID I studiously
eschewed *marts but still went to Target and Sams as if they were
qualitatively different (whilst also doing the calculus of the big-box
hardware store example when I could).
COVID had me going back to my DIY roots and trying desperately NOT to
think I needed ANYTHING from ANY of those places.... just as practice
for the Apocalypse, should it come (yes, it is still inevitable, just
not sure what time-scale). Speaking of which, our flock of 8 hens is
finally producing 5-7 eggs a day which is only slightly more than we are
eating... but now we have a racoon who jumped the 8' courtyard wall
(an interesting obstacle at best, not an obstruction for him) and shat
on the roof of our coop (knocked together from my hoards of salvaged
supplies) last night. Time to double-down on fasteners and get the dog
habituated to the chickens (while in their coop at least)... I'd
rather not have to figure out how to pass Raccoon Stew off to Mary as
vegetarian.
<anecdote meant to reinforce the value and hazards of distributed
sourcing of goods and services>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">
</pre>
</blockquote>
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