Swindled Again!

I have been studying the ancient art of Tai Chi for a little more than a year now. Every quarter my class meets in the Student Rec Center and begins practice with silent warm-ups. My chosen pair of shoes have been well broken in and, when I am late, they squeak as I try to creep behind the group. I've been thinking about getting some new shoes.

All the enlightened Wushu kids in the class, and our instructor, wear these kung fu shoes. Maybe they would be a good purchase. The shoes look like this:

Can you see those glorious little white feet? The shoes are called "FEIYUE" and I take them to be an authentic kung-fu shoe, because the peers whom I trust wear them. So maybe I'll check these out for a new tai chi sneaker. I visit the website and stare dumbly at the screen, crestfallen. There are a plethora of sneaks to choose from. They're like Adidas.

Here, I was enamored with what I thought was a little brand. Authentic, genuine. But when I learned it is a shoe giant, all the magic was gone. I didn't want to sort through their plethora of pedantic bipedal designs! I just wanted the classic shoe.

And this is the point at which most people are overwhelmed and feel bombarded with meaningless options. Why can't a brand, a product, a choice, or an experience be just one good thing? Just one. Is that too much to ask?

(To supplement my post, watch Malcolm Gladwell on TED. Around 9 minutes.)

Appease yourself.

Only a few days ago I sat at my kitchen counter. My sinuses burned and my eyes watered with the enjoyment of wasabi peas. When I regained my vision, I noticed the bag's label:

"WASABI PEAS: A DELICIOUS COMBINATION OF SPICY WASABI AND CRUNCHY PEAS."

I was struck by this incredibly accurate description of its contents. Subsequently. I felt a little ashamed that a bag of peas has a clearer description than I do. 

I wondered, 'If I had a descriptive label, what would it say?'

WHAT WOULD YOURS SAY?

Black Friday Stampede

Walmart says it was a security flaw; local law enforcement says, "all hell broke loose," it was a mob mentality; a young woman at the end of this clip says somebody lost their life because of a stupid Black Friday sale, which was not even going to last all day. And me? Of course, you're desperate to know what I say:

It's us. It's not an economic slump, or even a recession. It's a disease in our culture. What does it say about us that Walmart blames itself for not keeping crowds from trampling its employees? What is it in our culture that has made us this way? Consumerism, materialism, capitalism, fear, greed, stupidity, love? Do you love your family so much that you would trample someone to death just so you could buy their holiday gifts five minutes early?

I hope that's not love.

Wo qu zhong guo..

So, I am fortunate enough to travel with three other students to Shanghai for the ONE Show China: Young Creative Workshop. This is, needless to say, an amazing opportunity sponsored by the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.

As far as I know, I'm prepared. We've got these new little books to reflect in (nerds!) and I even brought snacks! But they were confiscated from me at security... So sad. Actually, right now we're waiting in the Eugene airport. Well, I got up at 5:30 this morning and we've been waiting here for two hours and our flight to San Francisco has been delayed for two hours due to fog. Yes, the trip so far has really payed off.

One member of our group, China native Andy Liu, says that eating dogs in china is pretty common. Then I asked where they get the dogs, from a dog farm? It's probably this one.

Congratulations, Country

Yes, I know millions are saying it, and now more than ever, our collective voices mean more than each separate. Today is a new day. Today I woke up inspired because we have elected a leader that I admire. Although I'm not one to boast my political values, last night I was so moved I decided to show my support and made an Obama logo (LogObama) for my front door. Here's how. So can you.