A Message from Your Christmas Curmudgeon
December 21st, 2009
By Gene Ayres
One of my longtime favorite movies is practically a cliche to even mention these days, but I still love it, if only because it's so quaint: It's a Wonderful Life. I don't know if any George Baileys actually exist anymore, if they ever did, but I am definitely familiar with the Mr. Potter archetype, because he seems to be manifested in our national psyche now as a role model. Case in point, the national Chambers of Commerce, most of the seats in the United States Congress (or at least in their handlers and bosses), and what passes these days for representative government.
Welcome to Pottersville. It's where we live now. (Oh, and Merry Holiday of Your Choice, secular or otherwise, according to your beliefs and local regulations). And when you do go out on the town, just leave your name at the door please, for future harassment, spam, mailbox flyers, telemarketers, warrants, and solicitations on your way out.
Read the rest of this entryCellular Disorder
December 14th, 2009
By Gene Ayres, Your Consumer Curmudgeon
I've mentioned before in previous dispatches that a lot of disturbing research is surfacing around the globe, indicating that cell phones may not be all that good for you. Or me. I know, I know, this comes under the category, particularly in this gift-seeking season, of sounding like, well, a curmudgeon. After all, cell phones are the greatest invention since, well, white bread. Or at least, since the PC, and we all love them to pieces.
For what that's worth, when Sir Walter Raleigh first showed up in the Queen's court from a sojourn to the Colonies with a boatload of New World produce, people at the time felt the same way about tobacco. Sometimes, the more we learn about something, the less appealing it might be. We're going through this painful transition as we speak with carbon-based energy and transportation vehicles. It's proving really hard (against huge deliberately placed obstacles legal and political worldwide) to make this change away from oil dependency to something that won't fry the planet, and we are resisting it with what might very well turn out to be every fiber of all our beings.
Read the rest of this entryMore Good Reasons to Drink Red Wine! (Should you need any)
December 7th, 2009
By Gene Ayres, Your Consumer Curmudgeon
The Holiday Season is upon us. And a lot of us use this as yet another good excuse to indulge, or perhaps overindulge, or, to apply my favorite maxim: moderation in all things. Including moderation.
For health reasons alone (and I feel so very righteous writing this!) I have one glass of wine every evening for dinner (OK, OK, sometimes two on weekends and, well, Holidays). The French have been doing this since they were, well, French, and they are way healthier than we are, even with all that horrible national health insurance they're stuck with.
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