Man there are a lot of bikes there! That is one thing I do know, cycling can save the world. It makes you feel great and changes the way you percieve things. I think that if you can appreciate something such as a bicycle over a car, where the least technological solution works best then maybe you can spread that to our whole society in all areas and solve much of the problems we have today.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged bike culture, bike lane, change the world, copenhagen, cycle lane, cycling, denmark
“Can I have a water please?”
“Bottled or Tap?”
“Tap”
“What size would you like?”
“Venti”
“Ice with that?”
“Yes please”
“Lid and straw?”
“Yes please”
“Flat lid or dome lid?”
“Flat lid”
We live in an age where all across the globe we are richer than ever and our planet has been shrunk to the size of a snowglobe, where the majority of the world’s citizens live in democracies, supposedly giving us control over our lives. We have an endless array of choices in front of us, 60,000 or so drinks combinations at my lovely Starbucks. We can converse with anyone, anywhere, anytime. We can eat whatever, wherever, whenever. Shopping, travel, food, music, literature, language, education, knowledge is available on tap. Culture is available on tap. 30 years ago they couldn’t have ever dreamt of the internet or cellphones or ipods or our 24/7 everything everywhere culture. Do we not have everything already?
I get shouted at because the wireless internet isn’t working. Only 2 years ago wireless internet was very rare now its expected. 8 years ago broadband internet started, now the wrath of god will be brought down on an Indian call centre worker when someones youtube video is playing slowly.
Our political system is based on choice. Our economic system is based on choice. Choice is meant to free us.
Yet as I serve up Lattes to the masses all I hear is grunt/whine/shout/complain/scream/moan.
They are angry. The world is angry, it’s frustrated, people are frustrated, i think because they seek some control over their lives. Each individual is powerless in a system driven by Adam Smith’s ‘invisible hand of the market’. That very hand that fed us, sheltered us and clothed us in the 20th century is now slapping us in the face in the 21st.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 21st century, adam smith, anger, cellphones, choice, consumerism, culture, democracy, freedom, internet, invisible hand, ipods, lattes, noughties, starbucks, water, wealth, wireless internet
Cultura Ignoralius Americana – A subspecies of the Cultura Ignoralius, the American variety is found rather fittingly in America.
This variety asks for pouring cream/demands pouring cream, can’t seem to understand why Kiwis don’t put pouring cream in their cawffee, don’t seem to make a connection between the cream and their ever-expanding waistlines. Yesterday I had a new request.
Customer: “Do you have honey”
Barista (me): “No I’m afraid we don’t, sorry”
“What! Starbucks without honey?” as he displays a flabbergasted face as if I have just said we don’t sell coffee or something.
Here we go
“Yeah I know, do you put that in your coffee or something?” I say trying to sound somewhat interested.
“Uh-huh its much smoother than sugar…”
Like I really care
“…and in the States they have it on the condiment bar over there…”
no really do you think I give a crap? just have an ‘equal’ like all the other Americans and get a brain tumor from the aspartame
“…well I guess I have just have to have normal sugar then”.
Finally that ones over but whey-hey he dropped NZ$4 change in the tip jar. At least this type of customer pays to receive my faux-interested service.
Sometimes if I decide to watch ’24′ upstairs because the downstairs Plasma is occupied I think to myself ‘gosh I can’t even see Jack Bauer frowning because the TV is so small!’ Five minutes later I have completely adjusted and can now seem him torturing people in crystal clear clarity. You adjust and ‘oh look’ why on earth did anybody spend [insert $ here] on the stupid thing.
Walk into any electronics store and go to the back wall and you will see a beautiful array of plasma screens playing the same pictures of flowers with vivid colour. Buy one and bring it home and you will see ugly people on reality shows screaming at one another.
As the saying goes, ‘its all relative’…
Unfortunately buying a Plasma won’t make my building spontaneously burst out in colour.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 24, consumer, consumerism, money, plasma, pointless, spending, television, tv, waste
