Visiting the American dream - Black Friday

The day after Thanksgiving commerce returns with a vengeance as the Christmas shopping period begins in earnest. The day is known as Black Friday. It is spreading to the UK, although the date is meaningless there. The term comes from Philadelphia, where it was used to describe the first day in the year where stores made a profit - having been in the red since the beginning of the year. Now it heralds fantastic deals, at least enough to draw people in. In some places it starts the previous day, and people queue outside from a ridiculous time to pick up a bargain.
For us it was a day of recovery. We breakfasted at Hardee's quite late in the morning. Friday is normally a fasting day for me, but that is always suspended when I'm away on holiday.
Later we went to look at the house that Karen & Robert are thinking of buying. It is split level - the type of house I've always wanted, but never managed to find. It will also need lots of work if they choose to go ahead.
There was a small amount of shopping to do, after that we played couch potatoes for a while.

Problems with the American dream
I mentioned yesterday that I have some problems with the American dream. The main problem is that the pursuit of happiness can never achieve its goal. It is a hard task-master and will grind you into the ground. Happiness is found in other ways, these normally involve selfless acts of service.
Inalienable rights leads down the much discredited European road, where the Human Rights Convention constantly throws up conflicts (because the declared rights are not hierarchical), it also leads to the selfish act of demanding 'my rights'. The Bible shows a better way. Jesus said "love your neighbour as yourself", if we can"t get to that then let's try the golden rule - "do to others as you would have them do to you" and if we can't get to there at least let's talk about our responsibilities.
Finally, one persons attempts to achieve the dream cannot be allowed to inhibit others, this is a very difficult balance to find.

posted from Bloggeroid

Car slapping

I am plastered. Just so that you realise that this has nothing whatever to do with alcohol I have included the picture. I also thought this picture might me more acceptable for facebook as there are some who don't sound happy about the unclothed torso. Yesterday I explained that the intent behind this is to allow me to sense the movement in my back. It works well for bending over, and very well for slapping cars, but not very well, if at all, for tiny movements of the shoulder blade when lying face down on the bed. Still I will keep trying, and keep exercising. "There is no gain without pain" they say and it is no doubt true, but after Friday's manipulations there is no time without pain either, so I may as well go for the gain.

Today Jo and I went to Pipps Hill to look at printers to see if any of the rear feeding ones would fit in the 15" high space and still allow access to the paper. It seems they will. I now thing I know what the new printer will be.

After that I took a short trip to the town centre to pay in some money that my son had given me (to pay off his loan). On the way across the notoriously badly designed Sun Street zebra crossing I stopped and waited for the driver of the car to acknowledge my presence. He didn't. He didn't even look my way, just drove off. As he passed I managed to slap the side of his car. Once round the roundabout and on the High Street he slowed down as he passed me and wound down his window. We exchange pleasantries and he left. Shall I say that he was not impressed with having his car slapped, and I'm quite sure he realises that I am not impressed that I was nearly run over. I also think he was properly awake by then.

So to cheer me up and remind me that spring is almost here - these are the dwarf daffodils poking their heads through the grass and winter debris to get some sun.

Fridges

Would that be from one extreme to the other? - Prayer to Fridges.

Yesterday we went to to shops to look at Fridges and Freezers for the new Kitchen. They are free standing, and can therefore be purchased and installed as soon as.

The day before we had struggled to find a place called 'Evolutions'. The entrance was on a different road to the address and the post code took us to yet another location. When we did we came into an office foyer with two large screens showing the classic picture of a chimpanzee turning into a man in four easy steps. The ceiling was dark, with small lights, to look like stars - the whole place was dim, they'd call it subdued or atmospheric, I'm sure. (very Moon-Watcher) There was a bank of screens to the left, and a receptionist opposite them talking to someone who looked like a security guard.

We looked around, up at the ceiling, around at the desk with the screens, and at the video loop on the large televisions. We were ignored - we left.

Yesterday we arrived at the first shop at about 10am. It looked closed, the shutters only half open. No signs on the door - nothing. I looked under the shutters and tried the door. Eventually a man came and said they were closed for 'Annual Stock Taking'. I didn't say "That's what I'm here for, I'd like to take some of your stock - you are a shop, aren't you?" He said they would be open in two hours. I mumbled "thanks". We left. I said to Jo "Tough luck mate, 'I won't be back'".

Finally, we reached a shop that was open, where the staff let us look around before they asked how they could help. After a reasonable discussion, we left with a number of brochures.

Here are two that we were quite interested in:















Thanks to John at Stellisons, it was a useful journey.

A more productive day

At last I can relax, as the pressure of the sermon is passed. Today my PVR* arrived. Now Freeview is almost as good as analogue. I set the machine up and played with it. New toys for Christmas - great fun! In the afternoon we went shopping and we were disappointed to find the Hi-Fi shop in Brentwood is closed on Mondays, never mind lots of other things to get. We wandered round in our usual way, with me trying to work out the best route through the shop, but unable to keep up with the 'random' way Jo works. We got home in time to get to Basildon, have a meal (Nando's), and see "Flushed Away", and back home in time for Jo to do the Christmas cards, me to blog, and demonstrate the PVR. Mike pointed out all the things that his does that mine doesn't, and reminded me his was under £100. I think he was just a bit impressed when I recorded two channels at the same time, and watched a third. * Personal Video Recorder: Topfield 5800