TubaOrNotTuba

Is a hypothetical purchase the equivalent of a brain teaser? Or perhaps a conundrum. I’m not setting aside the pleasure derived from imagining that you will own a particular thing; rather, I’m curious about the mental process of deciding what to buy because you know you must, but not actually completing the transaction until you have to.

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Throughout the day, I listened to those around me. After all, we’ve been waiting for the last couple of months for the “big news” out of the national capital. All the king’s horses, etc. have been busily concocting the perfect homeopathic medicine to treat a case of sudden onset of depression. A little drop of this, and a few drops of that. Homebrew pharmaceuticals, by the best spin-doctors in the business. And without exception, there’s not a believer left in town.

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Rest assured, predatory business practices are alive and well. Just over a year ago, one of the two daily newspapers that keep the local population informed went through a winter of discontent. The owners, unhappy about the covenant made with their employees, locked the doors and told everybody to stay home until less money for longer hours was acceptable. The advertisers didn’t show much solidarity with those apt to be their customers, and things dragged on for a very long time. Nobody won (unless you count the shareholders).

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Rarely, the advertising inserts in our daily newspaper offer a product that might be personally useful. Sure, there’s a steady diet of dreams, but I can learn all the costly details by going directly to a local mall outlet or with some judicious online shopping. Rarely is not the same as never; today my son noticed a flyer dealing with increased security for debit cards.

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There’s a consensus that the economy has issues right now. We’ve been warned that there will be unpleasant decisions due to the downturn. Still, is there a rule of thumb that says “stupid people with management jobs are safe”? This evening, an article in the local newspaper mentioned that our national rail system is laying off a certain number of workers, and that the list targets the mechanics who do regular maintenance.

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I was fortunate; I attended a great small university, and my education prepared me for the next three-plus decades as a member of the workforce. Once in a while, people would ask me if I would have prepared attending “a more prestigious school”, something from the Ivy League. I can now answer such questions with one word. They must have misunderestimated the value.

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After this afternoon, I can answer the question “Where do people with too much money go shopping?”. We all wish that we had surplus cash in the pocketbook, but in most cases, we’re never at a loss on how to trade the paper for “stuff”. The curious state of what to buy when you are overstocked with banknotes had never crossed my mind (until today). Now my education is complete.

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Even though I’m not much of a shopper, for financial and ethical reason, I do enjoy perusing the retail facilities when I’m out and about. This is in addition to my love of hardware stores. Anyhow, this evening saw the happy wanderers on a tour of the mall down south of here. There are historical reasons for this mall as a target; it was the first one in the whole area, and so when our extended family wants to shop, to Barrie we must go.

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Maybe I should stick to ordinary presents, but sometimes the need to meet an obligation goes along with a sense of adventure. This year, my search for the original gift has shown me that perseverence will lead to success. As long as the gift is appreciated; maybe even if it isn’t (but I don’t want feedback), my efforts won’t be in vain.

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The evening has been dedicated to various software updates. The different blog installations are now using the latest version of WordPress. The different machines that are “dual-boot” now have the latest distribution of LinuxMint working (and it automatically configured the wireless stuff, which is worth mentioning). Even the various permutations of Windows have updated this afternoon. Everything is in order for the busy time of the holidays, where we soon tire of seasonal TV and depend on the laptops for distraction.

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