Half-demolished Kitchen of the Soul

Tale of two markets

I needed to get some items from the market. The small parking lot at my yuppie neighborhood grocery was completely full, including the semi-secret spots in the back. I guess everyone had knocked off work early and was stocking up for New Year's Day. Like me.

So I went to the store about a mile in the other direction, on the edge of a blue collar neighborhood. The parking lot is much bigger and half empty.

You can tell the two supermarkets cater to different clientele. Whereas one has breads in various shades and densities and grain combinations, the other has almost exclusively the soft white kind. One has a variety of meats, the other has mostly cheaper cuts and lots of fat back.

In addition, my yuppie, single/divorced/empty-nester grocer features a lot of items packed in small portions. The working class store has most things in jumbo packs.

So which is the cause and which is the effect? Do the two markets stock what they do because they serve different socio-economic groups, or do their customers choose the store that has what they want? In my case it's the latter. 

True, the working class store has slightly lower prices, but you'd think they could attract the wealthy people from right across the street if they carried some of the slightly more upscale goods the other store did.

In the end, though, I suspect it's about brand image. One is the "nice" grocer and the other is the budget grocer. People tend to buy as high up the ladder as they can. Maybe in this economy more of us yuppies will be patronizing the budget store. If they only had hummus.

Acting badly

There are the places in the world overrun by corruption and crime. The motivation behind crime is simple: you want money and the things it can buy. It's no mystery why someone would kill to get money.

I can understand— intellectually if not viscerally—why people kill over racial and cultural differences. That goes way back to the dawn of humanity when strangers were a threat to your clan's well being.

What I have a hard time understanding is all the killing going on over religion—killing over something as intangible as beliefs. Specifically the belief that you are right and everyone else needs to agree or be destroyed. Or is it that the desire to kill people who don't think the same way came first and the belief system to justify and sanctify that desire came second? Is it the gods who can't tolerate infidels, or the believers?

Acquired taste

I made two additions last night to the list of foods I used to dislike but now I'll at least eat, if not enjoy. Cucumber and some sort of pickled beet looking thing that was part of the Honduran dish I had last night.

Music Video Monday: Kassav'

Cabin fever

I guess all the people who weren't on the roads yesterday OD-ed on staying home and just had to drive today.

Or, like me, everyone failed to get all their errands run by Christmas and had to go to the store today.

A movie certain to be made

Authorities say Bruce Jeffrey Pardo, dressed as Santa Claus, opened fire at a Christmas Eve party then set the house ablaze.

Since this report, Pardo has killed himself and investigators have found more bodies in the burned house.

Ow, my head hurts

The caption on this photo read, "Palestinian Greek Orthodox Christians carry children dressed in Santa Claus costumes as they arrive for Christmas day mass at a church in Gaza City."

As if the concept of Greek Orthodox Palestinians isn't enough to try to wrap your head around, they've taken a secular European/American icon and adapted it in their own little way. I guess everyone likes the idea of someone bringing free stuff. 

And what's with Mickey Mouse in the background?

Cold is relative

I stopped riding my motorcycle when the temperatures got in the 60s. Brrrr, too cold.

Well, after a long period of rain and cold, my Christmas present is a clear, dry day with temperatures in the mid 60s. Gee, looks like a great day to ride.

I just got back. Adding to the joy of being able to ride in December were nearly empty streets. Woo-hoo!

Harold Pinter dies, decades after his audience

I guess it was twenty years ago or so, I was living in San Francisco and I wanted to take a girlfriend out for a highbrow evening. I got tickets to a Harold Pinter play. 

I enjoyed a lot of theatre back then, but this Pinter play boring and depressing. When the lights came up for intermission, my date and I looked at each other, shook our heads, and left.

Model of efficiency?

I'm expecting four packages today via FedEx. A FedEx guy just delivered one of them. The online tracking says all the packages are out for delivery. That means they'll have to stop here at least twice in one day. Well, as long as it works for them.