Wow. It's November already.
I am almost finished with my Christmas shopping. I just started today but I'm almost finished. One more day and I'll be done. I really enjoy getting things for people, especially when I know that they'll like it, and especially when I can get a lot of gifts in one fell swoop. One thing I don't enjoy is going from place to place to buy stuff, especially when pretty much anything you'd want you can buy online. That is why I pretty much insist that everyone around me have some sort of internet wishlist. Of course, that takes some of the element of surprise out of it, but I'd rather my loved ones be a little less than surprised with a gift they love rather than completely surprised by a hideous gift. "SURPRISE! This gift stinks!"
This brings me to the discussion I hear sometimes about purchasing things on the internet. I've heard it argued that purchasing things on the internet is no good, because it takes away from local businesses. I'm sure some of that's true, but let's face it, if we do buy things in our town it's not from the Sawyer Family General Store, owned by 6 generations of Sawyers ("I'll have 3 yards of that lovely calico fabric and 4 sticks of peppermint candy, please"); we usually head on over to the nearest Target or (gasp!) Wal-Mart. People out there running internet businesses are part of our local global community, so there. I know most of you reading this blog are not going to argue with me about this...but it's my blog and it's my ranting outlet, so I get to argue with imaginary people.
Anyway, next on my agenda (and I say "my" because Chad couldn't care less) is to buy a Christmas tree. I must do this because, as mentioned in the previous paragraph, all the gifts I am buying will be on their way soon and I need a pagan symbol to light up and put the gifts under. Maybe I'll go get one tonight. So the question is, fake or real? Hmmm, if I don't want to have to do this every year, I'll get a fake one. Cheaper in the long run, and not as messy. Yep. It's decided.
I also need to mention that it has begun. One of my students found my blog. Anje, if you are reading this, go away. No, I'm kidding. Kind of. I think "Go away" is the kind of thing that you're not supposed to say when you are a teacher and a student is reading your blog.
Changing the subject...one of our city councilmen is proposing a baggy pants ban in our city. What? Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? Ooh, let's get more tight clothes on people. How attractive. At least baggy pants are modest. And how do you define baggy? Would I get fined if I wore some baggy sweatpants in public? Just because some fashion style is against your taste doesn't mean you should fine people for looking bad. In that case, let's start handing out tickets for people wearing tapered "mom jeans" and those half-jackets that only go to just below the armpits, or how about those coaches who wear those shorts with the two snaps on them? It's really interesting to me that the target of this proposal is baggy pants and not too much cleavage or really short skirts/shorts that show waaaay too much hiney. What about females who wear pants that are so tight it squeezes their back fat until it plumps out all around their belt? What about really low cut pants on females where you can see their...well all kinds of stuff you don't want to see? And really, before you say that you think it's a good idea to fine people for wearing baggy pants, think about the precedent that would set for all of us being told what we can and cannot wear. Let's be realistic here anyway...the guys wearing the baggy pants usually have baggy shirts that go all the way down to their knees anyway. I appreciate their willingness to keep it all covered up. By the way, I just checked the poll of people who think this is a good or bad idea, and 72% like the idea. I guess I am in the minority. If I was a cop I'd be a little ticked at the idea of having to patrol the streets looking for the "Pants Ordinance" violators instead of stopping real crime.
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4 comments:
Wow! That was a lot of ranting! I liked it. Here are some random thoughts in response.
1. The main thing I think we should keep buying locally (as well as from the internet) is books. My theory is that if we only buy books from the internet then there will no longer be bookstores.
2. Maybe the guy meant "saggy" instead of "baggy". I think somewhere in the metroplex they have a new dress code at some schools because some folks got tired of seeing other folks' underwear. 3. I'm all for fake trees. You can establish the family tradition of getting the tree out of the box each year.
Rant on, Lesley! That's what blogs are for.
1. I agree. If it's a local store, by all means, keep buying there. I think Chad has singlehandedly kept one of the local coffee shops here in business...can't buy the coffee shop atmosphere on the internet! And we like to frequent the outdoors shop next to it quite often as well. I mean, if we don't buy their over-priced (yet high quality) outdoor gear and apparel, who will? The poor college kids who work there? I think not.
2. Dress codes at schools are entirely different. It is an established fact that students do not have the same rights inside a school building as public citizens do--this would fall along the lines of skirts to the fingertips, tucking in shirts and no facial piercings. So maybe I can see some guy's plaid boxers when he's walking in front of me at the mall. There's a difference between being tacky and being scandalous, and I think saggy pants just fits in the tacky and tasteless category.
The only kind of pants I have are baggy. That may have to do with skinny legs and rear. I always love to hear your rants and we really arn't imaginary.
Enjoyed the rant - but where is a "local" bookstore? I'd love to go to one, but all I ever see is national chains. Half Price is kinda local. Hardware stores - I usually go to an Ace (they are owned locally) because you can at least get someone to help you.
Baggy pants - wonder what the plumber's union is going to say about that?
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