I'm Paying For The Experience

When did buying things online become cheaper than actually going into a store?

Electronics...wardrobe...perfume...phones....appliances...MUSIC. Everything is half off online.

It seems like we're paying for the inconvenience of going into a store nowadays.

I do admit that I am an Amazon junkie (i heart amazon.com with a passion). I buy most of my electronics from there and their deals on Birkenstocks are absolutely amazing. But when I found myself itching for a copy Jason Mraz's old albums. I found myself not willing to wait 3 to 5 business days for it to get shipped...even when it meant foregoing a half-price amount on BOTH of his old albums. Nope...I had to have it. Like, ASAP.

So I put on my driving shoes, and drove to a music store.

I have not been to a music store in ages. The last one I've been to was probably six months ago and it was a Tower Records that was shutting down. Goddamn iPod and iTunes are just burning these music stores to the ground. Whatever happened to good ole old school BROWSING...like browsing the store aisles for music...NOT browsing the web for the best application for music downloads.

So there I was in *Amoeba Music, and I absolutely fell in love with the experience of buying music.

It was rows and rows of cds from rock to classical. Absolutely amazing.

This is what I've been missing out by buying music online?

Just being able to browse through all the cds and just be lost in there was an experience. They had the old school records, I wouldn't even be surprised if they had cassette tapes!

I fuckin loved it.

When I finally found my Jason Mraz cds, I found the price tag twice the amount of what was on Amazon.

But at this point, I didn't really care.

I'm paying for the experience. And shit, I'll give a tip too.


*Amoeba Music - is an indie music store

I'

Caring For Parents

Un-f*ckin-believable.

I'm watching the news right now and the topic is that "there is an increase in parents moving in with their older children here in the US..."

It's funny because this is not uncommon in other cultures... It's not unusual to take you're parent (or parents) in when they're older. It's just what being a family is about. It's not unusual to have lolo/lola in the house.

And here I am watching on tv this "phenomenon" that is increasingly happening here in the US because of the worsening recession situation here.

I just find it incredibly amusing that this seems to be such a big surprise for everybody (*sarcasm*) like it's such a big deal, when it's really not.

I just didn't think news like that deserved a segment in the evening news...i mean, when did it become a phenomenon to take care for your parents?