happy news

In case you didn't see this article on foxnews.com, go check out happynews.com for a lift.

The director of the journalism school at TCU was quoted in the Fox article, saying "Unfortunately, the events we need to respond to as informed citizens are not good". I agree with that, but I don't think the right answer to 'balancing the news' is what we get from the mainstream media (entertainment and celebrity news), so I am happy that someone started happynews.com.

countdown to tex-mex

The time is currently T-5 to Tex-Mex...and progressing!

For everyone in Houston dying to take me out to dinner and hear all about my grand adventures in the queen's England....I offer the following suggestions:

• Lupe Tortilla
• Chuy's
• Lupe Tortilla
• Molinas
• Lupe Tortilla
• El Tiempo
• Lupe Tortilla
• Chuy's

Please note the list does NOT included Casa Ole or Taco Bell. At this point, some people would say "Well, Dovie...beggars can't be choosers", but I'm not begging. So I'm being choosy. Is that so horrible?

random (small) acts of altruism?

First, a definition:

al·tru·ism: Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.

Now, maybe my internal content that comes from placing the Weekly Word News back in its rightful place (instead of in front of the one stack of Vogue) while standing in the grocery queue isn't atruistic, in the purest and grandest sense of the word. But in a very small way, I think it is.

And so is picking up that stray bit of paper in the office hallway. And so is filling up the holders for coffee sweetener and cream when they're low (even though I don't even use sweetener at all, and I am enough of a snob to refuse to use powdered 'creamer' in my coffee...but I digress). And so is putting out a fresh roll of paper towels when I've used the last one. And so is filling up the copy machine with all the paper it can hold when I notice it needs to be done.

These things may not seem very 'unselfish', but they take time...and time is a limited resource...and time is money. So (stretching the metaphor just a bit more), I'm giving away money every time I do these things. But I'm happy to do them. It gives me joy to do them. Now I'm reminded of that Friends episode where Phoebe is trying to find a truly selfless act and ends up making a donation to Sesame Street even though she hates it...but I digress, again.

These activities might be perceived as just a bit overly concerned with order and give a nod to neurotic tendencies...but aren't they just as selfless as letting the pedestrian cross the street in front of me when he's out in the rain and i'm in my nice, warm, dry car? (Or is that just common courtesy?)

Anyway, I believe in the broken window theory, and view my magazine sorting (and label facing and general product reshelving) and self-appointed trash duty to be my personal fight against the broken window phenomenon taking over my immediate environment. I mean, I really do want that girl I'll never meet but am sure is coming along behind me to easily find that stack of Vogue, because I know how sweet it is to make the odd impulse-magazine-buy and enjoy a long and quiet evening browsing the latest fashion trends and dreaming of shoes I'll never be able to buy.

I'm happy to make the bigger gestures...but on an average day, it's only the small ones that I have opporutnity to provide.

Don't get me wrong...I'm not looking for any crowns or anything (although a tiara would be kinda cool). I'm just sayin'...I'M NOT NEUROTIC!

me? neurotic?

In response to a comment on my last post about properly aligned Sweet 'n Low packets, I submit the following:

Since I don't use Sweet 'n Low (or anything that comes in little packets like that), it's a non-issue at home. In a restaurant, as long as the packets of (any given) sweetener are safely housed within the intended container on the table, I don't care if they are perfectly arranged or not. Admittedly, I do prefer if all the like-packets are kept together (i.e. all the yellow ones are together and blue ones together, rather than a stray yellow packed mixed in with the blue ones).

Now, I do catch myself rearranging magazines at the check-out line at the grocery to be put back in their appropriate place (b/c if they're not, a 'stray' copy of the Weekly World News might be covering up the one stack of Vogue that some poor girl is looking for. This also occasionally happens at magazine racks in the bookstore.

Generally, I consider this magazine-sorting behavior to be altruistic (and not neurotic). And the sweetener packet ordering is just plain logical and proper, right?

And for the record, nothing in my pantry is properly faced, although most items do tend to be placed such that the front of the label is generally viewable as it sits...but clearly, all the spices live together in one spot, the cereal all together in another, etc. I mean, isn't everyone's pantry set up that way? Who would be crazy enough to keep cumin and dill seed in one cabinet or shelf, and have garlic salt and marjoram in another?

So, it's not about having everything in PERFECT order...just in order.

But if you still wonder...check out this cartoon and then tell me I'm neurotic!

diction: it can be a monkey

I don't remember ever learning the word 'persnickety'; as far as I know, it has always just been there, in my brain, waiting to be used as appropriate.

I'm sure there are countless words that fall into this (unfortunate) category, and most don't ever get to come out to see the light of day. However, a few years ago, 'persnickety' started getting a lot of attention from me when I noticed a friend of mine using the word 'persnippety' (which isn't, actually, a word). 'Persnickety' quickly started working its way into my daily speech around this friend, in the hopes that it would rub off. I can't remember if it did or not.

Because it was such a rub for my grammar-patrol-loving mind, you can only begin to imagine the immense panic that I experienced two days ago, when, in the course of reading some bit of fiction, I ran across the word 'pernickety'. I froze. All those moments of frustration with my friend who says 'persnippety' came rushing back as I realized my worst fear might come true...that I had been wrong about the word myself all this time. THE HORROR!

Needless to say, I jumped up and went straight to the dictionary and looked it up. Turns out, the definitions cited on dictionary.com are as follows:

per·snick·e·ty (adj)

1. Overparticular about trivial details; fastidious. Snobbish; pretentious.
   
2. Requiring strict attention to detail; demanding: a persnickety job.
   

per·nick·e·ty (adj): Persnickety.

persnippety: No entry found.

My first thought: Ah...what relief!! Despite the fact that I know I've looked up 'persnickety' and 'persnippety' before, it has been quite a while, and confirmation is such a good feeling.

My second thought: As much of a fan as I am of people that have good diction, when two words are so similar as 'persnickety' and 'pernickety', shouldn't someone quite farther up the grammar patrol chain than me have the authority to just DELETE the superfluous word, and go with the one we're all used to - and comfortable with: 'persnickety'?

turkey day in the UK

Mmmm...pizza and red wine. Now doesn't that just SCREAM Thanksgiving to you? Well, it did to me.

Thanksgiving here is 'just another day' (because although the Pilgrims actually were English, England doesn't claim them, given how things turned out about 150 years after the first Thanksgiving).

So, when what was originally a double-booked night on my calendar turned into two cancellations, I carted myself off to the store to buy 'Thanksgiving Dinner', instead of doing what I technically probably should have done (go to the gym and cook dinner), and this is what came home with me. So compared to what I would have done on most any other night in merry old England, this was a blessed holiday!

In retrospect, I should have chosen a Napa or even Texas wine, given the event to which I was drinking. However, being that I didn't really think things through, since my Thanksgiving celebration was quite unexpected, I ended up with a Spanish Rioja. It was lovely.

impulse buys CAN be good!

The pictures I posted yesterday include one taken at Piccadilly circus, standing in front of the Virgin Megastore, where I had just purchased my new favorite CD called "Who Killed the Zutons". Buy it now from Amazon.

I decided to buy the CD after hearing only 2 songs, one of which reminded me of an older U2 sound. In fact, I asked Mike and John if it WAS U2...which won't suprise those of you who know about my mishap with James Taylor and Ronnie Milsap (aka "the Milsap mishap").

Now, I should state that, although I was much more prone to impulse buying in years past...lately (and by lately, I mean in the last 2 years or so), I have grown to be quite the spendthrift when it comes to CDs and DVDs. Reason unknown. Regardless, every now and again I still fall prey to the impulse by (like the rest of the human population), and it usually turns out to be a disappointment.

This time, however, I am gloriously happy with my purchase. If you're not up for the absolute impulse buy, you can read a couple of reviews here.

Dali was a FREAK!

I went to the Dali museum in London this weekend with Mike and John. Now, it should be noted that, generally speaking, I don't like Dali...never have. However, in the name of 'broadening my artistic horizons", I spent some time reading about the sculptures in the museum.

Apparently, one of the themes Dali was obsessed with during his life was the concept of time, and the fact that it is mastered by no one. So, even though I still don't really like his work, I do very much like one of the sculptures I saw. It's a melting clock (big surprise) with a crown at the top.

Some of these pictures are John's...he's got a MUCH better camera than me.

i can drive!

My permanent car hasn't arrived (fingers crossed for Monday), but I couldn't take another weekend of cabin fever...so I rented a car this weekend, and today I visited Windsor Castle.

My car will have an automatic transmission, but the only thing available at the rental agency was a standard. Now, it should be said that I'm QUITE good with a stick shift, as that's what I learned to drive on, and continued to drive until just 2 years ago. However, driving a stick shift here means that not only do I have to worry about the steering wheel and traffic on the wrong side, I also have to shift...and oh, yes, the stick is on the wrong side of the steering wheel as well.

Let's just say there was a general email issued to everyone in the office to steer clear of my part of town as well as the road to Windsor for the weekend. Emergency contacts were entered into the mobile phone, clean underwear was worn, and many prayers were prayed (by me and every Christian who knew I was on the road, I'm sure).

Even though I took a few pictures, the best part of the day was something I couldn't capture on film. It was me. Bouncing up and down in my seat in the car every time I knew I had taken a turn and was still on the right course. Especially when I was close (and knew it) and was having that experience Meg Ryan kept having in French Kiss of NOT seeing the Eiffel Tower...and then, finally, there it was!

I was like a giddy little girl who just found out she was getting a new puppy for Christmas!

I made it all the way to Windsor AND all the way home without hitting anyone or anything, and I only stalled the car 1 time (give me a break, it's been 2 years), and I only went around 2 roundabouts more than once. Now, for the record,I purposely went around both of those roundabouts twice to be sure that the exit I thought was the right one really was it.

So, for those of you who will be passing through my part of the world anytime soon...the one place I know I can take you (and get you back home) is Windsor.

today's blond moment

Today, I needed to filter through about 650Mb worth of engineering drawings to find a few specific files. So, given my lack of engineering expertise, I went to an engineer that sits just down the hall from me for help:

Dovie (cheerfully enters office): "Hey Nikos...can you take a look at these and find the blah blah drawings? It's all Greek to me."

Nikos (chuckling): "No problem, I'm fluent."

Dovie: "Thanks. Just save them to blah blah drive."(cheerfully exits)

[end scene]

Hah! Did you catch it? I was talking to a guy named NIKOS! And, to make it worse, I JUST had a conversation with him last week about how the Greeks don't celebrate birthdays, but they DO celebrate name days...so in a way it's more fun, because everyone you know with your name gets to party together on the same day (which, for Nikos, means about 50% of the male population).

(This, of course, made me very happy to NOT be Greek, because...clearly...I would never get to have a day of celebration.)

About five minutes after I got back to my desk, I got the joke...and laughed out loud alone in my office. I'm sure Nikos could hear me, and I hope he thinks I was laughing about something (anything) else. And way too much time has passed by now for me to go back to him and say "Hey...that was funny" or something equally stupid.

Mustang planned an Astros Spirit Day for today (excellent timing), and this is the picture I sent for the "Best Dressed" contest they were having.

I got 'Honorable Mention' all the way from London!! It might seem weird that I'm holding my laptop, but I'm trying to show my commitment to our boys from across the pond...I've had to sign up to watch over the Internet (on a 2x3 inch viewing screen, mind you).

the ugly green monster bit me

Seriously!! How did she get this gig??? I've GOT to figure out how to work with Alyson Footer so that when she gets promoted to bigger and better things (is that possible, given what she's currently doing?), I can take over as the Astros inside-scoop-girl!

I actually teared up a bit reading this article.

She's GOT to know how sweet a gig she's got going...I just hope that she's ready to move on when I get back from England!

oh no...i might like golf

I’ve got a whole list of things I’d like to do or learn how to do while I’m in England...some are things I’ve always wanted to do, and some are just for the sake of trying something new and different. Writing, painting, photography classes and horseback riding lessons are all on the list…and just before coming here, I added golf.

--- background story ---
(feel no guilt for skipping down to the main point)
Now, I have never EVER wanted to play golf. I always said it looked boring and tedious, and it’s a really expensive hobby (and frankly, there are other equally expensive hobbies I’d rather take up first, such as photography – if you really get into it). However, this summer my mom gave me tickets to the Shell Houston Open, and I went with a few girlfriends. We got some good advice from a guy on the shuttle bus to the course: “You’ve got two options, really…either pick a green and plant yourself to watch all the players come through, OR pick a player and follow him through the course to watch his game.” We went for the “pick a green…” option, and planted ourselves at the 17th hole.

This is where I started realizing that my disdain for golf actually stems from a lack of understanding (and an assumption that it takes a special blend of talent, fate and fairy dust in order to consistently make contact with that teeny tiny ball) rather than tediousness. Turns out, I like tedious things (as long as they’re interesting or challenging) because it gives me something to really focus on and turn off the rest of the world.

The weekend after the Houston Open, we visited my aunt and uncle in the thriving metropolis of Tyler, TX. My uncle is a GREAT golfer, and when I was telling my story about the Open (because I knew he’d appreciate it), he offered to take me to the driving range at his club. And off we went…where I got a second piece of good advice: “Now, do you see how – all across this field – there are balls on the ground as close as 10 feet from the tee boxes? That means that EVERYBODY hits a bad shot here and there…so don’t you worry about these other guys out here. Just concentrate on what you’re doing and have fun.” Brilliant. Exactly what I needed to hear.
--- end background story ---

So, last week, I signed myself up for 6 weeks of golf lessons. Last night was Lesson #1, and I was the only pupil (Woohoo!! Private lessons!) After about 30 minutes of getting familiar with a few terms, learning how to hold the club, and some coaching on stance, my coach had me swinging on my own, and worked with me until I hit 3 balls in a row, completely unaided. Then he left me with a bucket of balls and said “You need to hit 25 more balls before you leave.”

I managed to hit at least that many, about half of which actually caught some really good air and flew straight ahead. The really good ones made about 125 yards (or is it feet – well, whatever measure of distance is commonly used in golf) and a couple of them looked like they went even farther than that!

Confession: I loved every minute of it.

i want alyson footer's job

Alyson Footer is a journalist for mlb.com, and I would love to have her job. I have visions of all sorts of cool things that she probably gets to do...like attend MLB parties throughout the year (in AND out of season) and any pre- or post-game activities that she wants, hang with all the cool broadcasters (who come up with all those amazing statistics and give away blue stars to the guys who make the really great plays), and of course...interview the players.

She's doing a daily commentary series with Chris Burke throughout the Astros post-season run, and I'm about as jealous as is humanly possible! Well...in all honesty, it WOULD be worse if she were interviewing Lance or Bradley ("Is that what he prefers you call him?" "No...I do").

Laurie...can you hook a sister up?

By the way, in case you missed Game 4 yesterday...you can check out the photo gallery page on MLB's website. There's a really great shot of the crowd in the Crawford Boxes all going for Jason Lane's home run ball. (Click on the "Sunday's Gallery" link at the bottom of the picture-box labeled "Daily Pics" to choose any galery for viewing.)

taking recommendations

I've just signed up with Blockbuster's version of the Netflix subscription service (Netflix hasn't made it to the UK yet).

Anybody care to share their 'must see' movies...?

it's not versailles, but it'll do

So, in case you're planning or considering a trip to the UK to take advantage of the free room and board...you might be interested in the luxurious accommodations you can expect.

Here are a few pictures of my home sweet home in England.

haven't received my post card?

Don't worry...it's on the way!

The US Postal Service promises "neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds", but they're no fools! The trick is, they just don't specify how long it will actually take!

how cool am i?

I'm feeling rather cool about my new place, due in part to the intercom system installed for visitors. It's so very metro...visitors have to buzz from the ground floor and then I buzz them into the building. THEN they trudge up the stairs and knock on the door.

At 7:45 this morning, as I was getting ready for work, someone buzzed my flat! Not being used to this noise, it took a few seconds to realize that it was NOT the fire alarm (sigh of relief), rather a visitor trying to gain access (Who needs to see me at THIS hour? Welcome back, panic attack!). And it took another few seconds to realize that it was likely the post man (not Joe, for those who heard that story) who was delivering my (insert singing angels in the background) broadband set-up package from British Telecom.

Frankly, it was WAY too early in the morning for me to have such an emotional roller coaster...maybe that buzzer isn't so cool after all!

i can't resist

I chuckle almost daily as I stroll through town center in search of lunch. There is a small clothing shop that is almost always along my chosen path for the day. Apparently, they sell shoes as well. The reason I chuckle is because of the sign that hangs in the window that looks like this:



Now, normally I would think lots of not-so-nice thoughts about the marketing person who made that sign, and the people who approved it. But in this particular scenario, I have thought:

• "I wonder if they're trying to be clever and make people think there's a sale on when there's really not...just to get them to wander into the store (I bet that's half the battle in the retail sales world)?", and
  
  
• "Hmm...I wonder if that's just how they say it here in England, as opposed to 'Buy one PAIR, get one free'?", and
  
  
• "I wonder if that shop just happens to sell shoes one at a time, instead of in pairs."
  
  
• "Maybe it's just another case of poorly done marketing that ended up with an interesting twist.", and
  
  
• "I wonder if ANYONE else has spent as much time thinking about that sign as me...including the people who made it?"
  

Whatever the answer, I still grin as I pass the sign every day...one of these days I'm going to wander into the shop just to find out, but for now I'm still enjoying my daily chuckle at all the possibilities.

patience is a virtue...

...and I'm not as virtuous as I'd like to be.

I’ve been in England almost 4 weeks.
I just got a phone last Friday (last day of week 3).
I should be getting broadband in 6 days.
But I still don’t have a television.

While this does mean that I’ve done a lot of reading and walking around town just to keep from sitting around staring at the walls, I am definitely looking forward to the day when the much anticipated TV does actually arrive. I have DVDs to watch, a language to learn (and isn’t a country’s media the best way to do that?), and hours of unallocated time in which to do it.

I’m living in a ‘fully furnished’ flat, and (clearly) a TV is supposed to be part of that package, but the people that lived here before me had their own TV, so I guess the owner never had to buy one. They agreed to provide a TV by mid-September, but we’re quickly approaching October and I still don’t hear the choir warming up to sing the Hallelujah Chorus.

It’s definitely an exercise in patience…and I have to say that God is forcing me to ask myself I would be spending as much time in the Word or studying or prayer if I did have my precious TV.

What I’m hating is that the answer is NO. And what is even more shameful is that even though I AM spending more time doing those things, I still find jingles of other things to do instead of being thankful for all the ‘extra time’ I could be spending with the Lord! So, it’s two lessons in one, really (and maybe more, by the time it’s all said and done):

1. Have patience.
   
2. Reconsider how I prioritize my ‘free time’ before the Great Distracter arrives.
   

my introduction to the island

So, let me take you back to the first weekend I spent on the Island after I left Houston. Although I came here to live in England, I spent the first two weeks traveling in Scotland for work, mostly. Anxious to spend as much time as possible in the land of the Scots, I signed up for some extra time in country over the weekend before I was to report for duty at a conference in Aberdeen.

For brevity’s sake, I’ll confine this story to the events of the first (full) day of travel with my 2 (American) co-workers who were also in Scotland to work the conference.

Early Saturday morning, we picked up the rent car (which I was nominated to drive, given my need for acquiring the skill anyway) and were assigned a 4-door Smart Car. It’s cute…in an odd sort of way. I can’t imagine having the 2-door version, but this one actually looks like a whole car. So we were off.

I’m happy to report, for the record, that over the course of the weekend we managed to avoid contact with all other cars and pedestrians with which we shared the roads of Scotland. And I say ‘we’ because it took all three of us to get around – driver, co-pilot and navigator.

We left Aberdeen, and headed for the Braemar Gathering (Highland Games - the link is to the pictures of this year's event) to witness a traditional Scottish event (the caber tossing is particularly exciting!). One of the big pulls for us to attend this particular event was that it is traditionally attended by some members of the royal family. And true to tradition, the Queen, Prince Phillip and Prince William arrived as expected at 3pm. We were rather excited that we were seeing the queen on our first day in the country – even though she was about 2 football fields away.

Not long after they’d arrived, we headed for back to Aberdeen. After stopping in a couple of small towns (to shop, of course) along the way, we headed across a small, short bridge to the entry gates of Balmoral Castle (Queen Liz’s home away from home). We couldn’t see much (except the gate itself), so we turned the car around and headed back for the main road. Now, remember that it’s my first day of driving in the UK, ever…so I look both directions about 4 times before committing to a turn in any direction. At my last glance to the left, I spotted the motorcade. The queen was on her way home! Her car literally turned RIGHT in front of us. I was, for a brief moment in time, approximately 4 feet from the Queen of England.



I will be eternally grateful to one of my travel pals for the speed of her trigger finger on the camera. What really got us about the whole thing was that, as we crossed the bridge to Balmoral, we noticed a few people that had started gathering to see the queen come home…and there were a couple of guards posted at the gate…but there was NO indication that we were MOMENTS away from her arrival. Needless to say, we all FREAKED OUT! We were screaming and laughing so hard that I had to pull the car over, and Heather (our shutter bug) had to get out of the car and run around a bit before she could begin to compose herself again.

A few minutes down the road, it occurred to me that, if I were an on-my-feet thinker, I would have hit the queen’s car with our little rental (hey, we bought the insurance!). Can’t you see it? “Why don’t you come in to the castle and we’ll exchange insurance information over tea” and all.



At least now I have a better plan for the next time I’m within striking distance!

simon

We’re about to move our offices to the 3rd floor of our current building. I’m working with two other people to plan the space: Shelley and Simon. In trying to explain how we plan to lay out the kitchen area, the phrase “Simon did a drawing” was said to me today. With the accent, “drawing” sounds like “drawRing”.

So, in my head, I immediately saw images of Mike Meyers in a SNL skit sitting in the tub playing the character of a little boy, singing “Well you know my name is Simon, and I like to do draw-rings”.

It was all I could do to keep myself from chuckling. I may have cracked a small grin, but at least whatever expression I had was not coupled with audible (and seemingly random) laughter.

wandering around edinburgh

I can't believe 3 days have already come and gone. I'm going to have to move closer to facing the real world tomorrow (but not QUITE back to office life yet).

I'm going to have to write a bit about our actual comings and goings...but for now, here are some pictures.

falling in love all over again

I have finally set foot again in the place where I first fell in love with Scotland...Edinburgh. I'm even staying at the same hostel I stayed at the last time I was here, and I'm amazed by my memory's ability to remember some of the places I visited last time, and exactly where they are in relation to my humble temporary abode.

I feel like I'm looking at everything with a bit more wisdom this time around, and although it is a dark place, so is a lot of Scotland...so is a lot of the world! However, Edinburgh is home to the roots of the Scottish reformation, begun by John Knox, whose church I hope to visit tomorrow (he's not there anymore).

I'll be happy to serve as tour guide for anyone who ever wants to make the trek across the Atlantic.

dedication or addiction?

This is me in Aberdeen this week anywhere from 11:00pm to 1:30am after a full day at the conference we're here for...I'm staying in the flat of a co-worker b/c all the hotels were booked, and of course some people decided at the last minnute that they wanted to come...so I gave up my hotel room to stay here, where I have a more 'homey' feel AND access to laundry facilities (which allowed me to pack a smaller suitcase for my two-week-stint in Scotland).

Someone in the building has a wireless network, but the only place I can get the signal in this flat is in the hallway...so this has been my 'home office' for the last 7 days.

I'm not sure if this makes me look dedicated to communication or addicted to wireless Internet...either way it was a good photo op!

scotland coastal trip

In case you don't pay much attention to the links on the right...here's a few pictures from my trip along the eastern coast of Scotland today.

We drove from Aberdeen down the coast to Stonehaven, which is a small town just before the Dunnotter (DunOTTER) Castle ruins - see more info here. Then we drove on to St. Andrew's and walked around the golf course, attended a wedding (on the 18th hole) and had tea in the club house. It was absolutely SURREAL!!

The 'old course' is closed on Sundays and you can just wander around on the course (and you can get married there too), but the other two were open for golfing (who knew there were THREE courses there?).

It will be out of order...but as soon as I have the pictures to prove my claims, I'll write about my day at the highland games in Braemar, Scotland.

home sweet home?

After a rather uneventful flight that included exactly zero minutes of sleep, I spent almost an hour in line to get through customs to enter my new homeland. Needless to say, I'm one sleepy chica.

Although I think it will be quite a while before I use the phrase 'home sweet home' with passion and confidence to speak of London (Woking), the truth is...this is my home now.

'Home home' will, obviously, always be Houston, Texas.

there's no place like home

Just in case anyone saw this article on FoxNews, I did NOT steal the ruby slippers.

Yes, I firmly believe that there's no place like home, and I did watch the Wizard of Oz every year when I was growing up, and I CAN sing every line of every song in the movie, and I AM aware that I'll be homesick at some point...but it REALLY WASN'T ME.

excel envy

If computers are alive (and I sometimes think they are), and as they are persnickety in nature, I think it's fair to assume that computers are girls. Further to that, I also think most software is of the female persuasion.

Limiting our subject to the standard-issue Microsoft Office Suite of products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access), I'd have to say every girl on the block has Excel envy.

Let's face it...Word is a helpful girl. She can get the job done reasonably well, but she gets a little hard to work with when you ask her to do things she wasn't really made to do.

PowerPoint is the popular girl on the street. Everybody wants to work with her, but her beauty really is only skin-deep. She tries...and she can really put out the charts and graphs...but when they get too complicated, she can't cut it.

Access is your girl for out-of-control productivity, but you've got to spend a LOT of quality time with her to get there.

In the end, Excel is the one everybody wants to be. She can be very simple, but if you treat her right, she can handle some of the work even Access could do.

She is all things to all people. And all the other girls know it.

john stott - a living legacy

The life of John Stott (and that of other legends of the faith) represents much more than a well-lived life. It represents the legacy of Christ. John Stott is who he is because of God's intervention in his life, and the indwelling of Christ...which extends and spreads Christ's legacy. Christ is the only thing that makes him special. Christ is the only thing that makes me special.

But I'm still quite the giddy school girl about having had my picture taken with him today. I was so excited to get to shake his hand and say hello that I don't even care that my eyes are closed.

oh, the anticipation!

This Sunday, I'll be attending All Souls Church in London with my boss and his wife, and we'll be sitting under the preaching of John Stott.

This is very exciting to me for two reasons:

1. I'm going to church with my boss and his wife! How many people have the opportunity to do that these days?


2. I'm going to be hearing John Stott...live!

Some may say "What's the big deal?". Well...I'll tell you. Several years ago, when God was growing in me a desire to learn more about Him, I was feeling very overwhelmed and was paralyzed by lack of a clear starting place.

A very good friend (Jay Bruce) was living in London at the time, working at All Souls. I asked Jay for some advice, and he mentioned it to Stott during one of their meetings. Mr. Stott recommended a book from his own shelf, called Understanding the Bible, which he gave to Jay for delivery to me. This book became instrumental in creating a framework for understanding the major themes and movements of God throughout Scripture, and it is one I often recommend and refer back to myself.

John Stott is one of my heroes. He's the rector emeritus* at All Souls, and doesn't preach regularly these days, but I'm going to get to hear him preach in two days.


* Retired but retaining an honorary title corresponding to that held immediately before retirement.

my current living quarters

I can't imagine anyone is really interested, but I'm working out the new digital camera, and all I've got so far are a few shots of my temporary housing.

It's nice...but it's an apartment...these pictures aren't going to win any awards or anything!

They're on my .mac homepage, .mac homepage.

the King's Table

I visited a London church this weekend with a couple (Ian and Christine) I met through a friend in Houston. I had agreed on Saturday to come along with them after church to their weekly homeless ministry called “King’s Table”. The ministry has been feeding homeless people on Sundays under Waterloo Bridge for 14 years.

The system is so regular that the guys are queued up in line before the van even arrives. When we pulled up, a few of them jumped out of line to help set up the tables and food…someone said it’s one of the few chances they have to ‘earn’ anything, so they’re happy to help. One of the guys even walked around with a trash-grabber and bag to clean up after his fellow (less tidy) homeless friends as they were finishing their meals.

I served coffee and tea (“Would you like milk and sugar? One spoon or two?”) to homeless people for 2 hours. I’ve never done any ministry with the homeless before. They were not scary. Most were kind. Lots of ‘Thank you’ and ‘Thanks, Texas’ all day. One was strange (he was schooling me on the difference between angels and demons) and one was angry (because we were out of food...despite the fact that he arrived at 4:15 when EVERYONE knows we regularly arrive at 2:30 and the food ALWAYS goes quickly).

The thing that was most striking was that many of those guys and ladies looked like someone who could sit down the hall from me at the office.

In one afternoon…my heart melted. In Houston, I view every person on the street with suspicion, and walk with my cell phone to my ear when I think I might be coming up on an approach or request for money. And to be fair, a lot of them have been drunk out of their minds. And some of these guys on Sunday were drunk…but most weren’t. I just kept hearing the words of Jesus…”whatever you have done for the least of these you have done for me”.

What I think I like best is that the King's Table group is all about developing relationships with these people…they’re in it for the long run. There wasn’t one single reported “significant” spiritual discussion. But these guys know their names, and vice versa…and most of the Vineyard group know the homeless guys names. And people’s lives are being changed one step at a time.

A further testimony to the ministry - Bob, a guy that they used to feed on Sundays, passed away on Christmas Eve. They (and by ‘they’ I assume ‘the British government’ is meant) have been looking for a relative since then, with his body stored at the morgue. Apparently, they haven’t been able to find any. The King's Table ministry is going to sponsor and conduct Bob’s funeral, next week…and they’ve made up invitations and are going to provide bus fare to all those who want to come.

I’m floored by the real love these people have for those they are serving.

ahhh, Scotland!

First day in God's country (this side of the Atlantic) was today. The only down side was that it was only a day trip (well, that and the driver taking me to the airport had to pick me up at 5:30 to catch the flight).

Once we set foot on terra firma in the land of the Scots, I did a fairly decent job of keeping the spontaneous grin off my face in the taxi to the office in Aberdeen. This was mostly due to the fact that the taxi driver hardly said a word and my boss was busily working away at emails and such on his Blackberry. However, on the way back to the airport, we had a quite chatty driver, who was reasonably cute, and had a REALLY thick Scottish accent, and I'm surprised my cheeks weren't sore from all the grinning that was going on.

Heaven.

i met brian regan

I can't believe I almost forgot to post this!!

On Saturday AND Sunday, July 17 and 18...I saw stand-up comedian Brian Regan at the Improv in Houston.

After the show on Sunday, I said a lot of extended good-byes to several friends, because I was heading off the next day for a month in London. Catha and I were going to walk to the garage together, and it turns out we were among the last to leave the theater.

Our loitering and chit-chat turned out to be PERFECT TIMING. As we exited the Improv, I saw a couple talking with none other than BRIAN REGAN himeself! I didn't realize that Catha didn't see him, we kept walking, and I said "I'd really like to meet him, but I'm not sure I want to be THAT fan" (or something like that). When Catha realized we'd just walked righ by Brian, she quickly turned to be 'that fan'.

Why don't I want to be 'that fan'? Well...I'm glad you asked. I don't want to be 'that fan' because I say stupid things like "Hi...I'm Dove. We saw you last night as well...we're like, Brian Regan ambassadors in Houston. I just love that you can be as hilariously funny as you are and not resort to crude and profane humor. I really appreciate that."

[For the record, Catha DID speak, but this is my part of the story. If you want her part of the story, ask her.]

Yes. I said I was an 'ambassador' for Brian Regan.
Yes. I spoke for Catha on that one.
Yes. I felt like an idiot.

BUT...I DID get to shake Brian Regan's hand!

pipe dreams

According to this site, July 25 (just missed it!) was 'Pipe Dreams Day'.

---quote---
During the 1800s, opium was heavily imported to Europe from Asia. This hallucinogenic drug wasn't illegal at that time and was widely used in some literary circles in England. The opium was smoked in a pipe and usually produced strange visions. The creative writers called these visions "pipe dreams". Today the term is used for farfetched ideas that probably aren't going to happen.
---end quote---

I wholeheartedly believe in pursuing your dreams...especially those that would be called 'Pipe Dreams'.

The best fruit is at the end of the vine, right? Sure, you may not get there...but you'll ALWAYS be better off / a better person for having 'gone for the gold'. The farther out you reach, the better the fruit gets, even if you never make it to the 'ultimate' goal. But a LOT of times you do...you just gotta go for it.

Hey...living in France was once a pipe dream for me. Done.

Living in the UK was a pipe dream as well...and here I am!

Just wanted to take a minute to say:

'Go for the gold!'
'Just do it!'
'Aim High!'

...and all that...

'SuperDrug': a daily habit

I have often considered myself a well-prepared traveller, but it turns out that on this trip, I have really been an embarrassment to myself.

I arrived in London (Woking) on Tuesday, dead on my feet after a few hours at the office...went home and fell fast asleep by 4:30pm local time. Therefore, Tuesday doesn't count.

~~~~~~~
Wednesday morning: "Ack! No hair dryer in the apartment. I guess today will be pony-tail day at the office. Oy! I forgot the moisturizer I bought the DAY I LEFT."

Wednesday lunch SuperDrug shopping list: hair dryer, moisturizer
~~~~~~~
Thursday morning: "BLAST! I forgot my shampoo! [You can see how this realization didn't happen on Tuesday, right?] Hmm...no hair spray either. What HAPPENED to all that stuff?" Yes, I washed my hair with body wash, which works better than one might think.

Thursday lunch SuperDrug shopping list: hair spray, shampoo
~~~~~~~
Friday morning: "DAMMIT! I just dropped my blush on the bathroom floor and it broke into a thousand pieces...oh, and how about some lip liner...hmm...guess I'll need a sharpener." And then as I stepped out of my building to walk to work, "Hmm...first day I haven't seen the sun, and oh yes, the weather guy said it would rain this weekend...maybe I ought to have an umbrella."

Friday lunch SuperDrug shopping list: blush, umbrella, lip pencil sharpener
~~~~~~~

SERIOUSLY! I've never been THIS unorganized. At the rate I'm going, I'll need another suitcase to bring home everything I'll have bought by the time August 12 gets here!

(Oh...just in case the context clues weren't enough, 'SuperDrug' is a local "chemist", or pharmacy for we American types.)

hiatus from grammar patrol?

What with learning a new language and all, I've completely lost all sense of pride with regard to the supremacy of my grammar skills.

I'm ambiguous with every email l send, as the spell-check feature suggests the British spelling of more words than I care to remember...I sometimes allow the dictionary to correct me, sometimes not.

So now I live in fear that everyone will think me a horrible speller, both here and in the States. I suppose this is one of those sneaky ways God gets at our pride.

Score another one for the Creator.

London, the early days

So, I’m in London. Well, technically I’m in a town called Woking, but it’s much like being in Katy…where it’s still okay to say you’re in Houston. I’ll be here a month before returning to the States for about 2 weeks…and then officially moving here.

The Cliff Notes version of the early days…things I’ve learned:

• I don’t sleep well on planes (well, this I already knew, to be fair, but it has been confirrmed)
• Sleep is NOT over-rated
• Corporate housing doesn’t come with hair dryers
• In the UK, ‘Bacon’ = cooked ham
• Body wash doubles well as shampoo

...that I may know Him...

The Internet home page on my laptop is set to Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest daily devotional reading. Admittedly, I rarely read it...but my logic is thus: I'd rather the home page be set to something pointed toward Christ than anything else. And it increases the chance that I'll read it at least some of the time.

I actually took a few minutes to read the devotion this morning...and in true God-like fashion, He used the words written so long ago assigned to a seemingly random day to speak to me exactly where I am.

As one prepares to completely uproot her life and face a reality of a completely blank slate...as exciting as it is, it can be a somewhat daunting idea. It offers the opportunity to re-define yourself in your "new life", unencumbered by the assumptions and expectations of the world you have been living in...but it also strips you of all comfort factors (family, friends, 'stomping grounds', etc.). It really puts you into an introspective "who am I" and "who do I want to be?" mode...which I believe can be a very good thing. However, if these are the only questions one asks, I see bad things afoot, for to forsake the greater pursuit of knowing Christ would be a tragedy.

Sincerely, I have always believed that the opportunity to live abroad again is a great chance to readjust my worldview and open up my eyes to things God may want to do with my life that I just can't see here, but I think there's more. Yesterday, as I listening to our pastor speak about the short-term missions project in which hundreds from our church will be participating, I began to see my assignment in London as my own personal mission trip. Sure, Mustang is paying for me to go, and I'm sure they're going to expect to see me around the office regularly, but what is there to prevent me from viewing (and acting) as though I'm on a foreign missions assignment? Nothing at all. In fact, I think that's the biggest part of the purpose of this trip that I've missed up to this point.

So, hopefully tying this all together, many (including myself) would quickly jump to self-discovery as a huge benefit of such a time as this. But I think I'm seeing that things might probably fall out as such:

1. Know Christ (Phillippians 3:10) - this must be first or #2 can not happen, effectively


2. Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19)
   


3. These will result in a greater self-realization, not for that knowledge in and of itself, but to further the effectiveness of #1 and #2 above.
   

In this order, the focus remains on Christ, and not on me.


From Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for His Highest
(Edited. Emphasis mine.)

--- begin quote ---
July 11 - The Spiritually Vigorous Saint

...that I may know Him... —Philippians 3:10

A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ...He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing— even eating, drinking, or washing disciples’ feet— we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. "Jesus, knowing . . . that He had come from God and was going to God, . . . took a towel . . . and began to wash the disciples’ feet . . ." ( John 13:3-5 ).

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is "that I may know Him . . ." Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.
--- end quote ---

These thoughts are quite newly thrown together in my mind, so please pardon their jumbled nature.

i'm not scared

All day long, people have said to me "You're the first person I thought of this morning when I heard about the bombings in London today". That statement has mostly been followed by something like "How are you feeling about going now?" or or "Are you scared to go now?" or even "Are you still going to go?"

Yes. I'm going. No, I'm not scared. And here's why:

I believe in the Sovereignty and Providence of God. And Providence is not the sort of thing you get to believe in sometimes and not others...God is either Sovereign in His Providence, or He is not. It is all I have to stand on, but it is the firmest foundation I will ever know.

Because men much more wise than I could ever dream of being have explained this much better than I ever could, by way of elaboration, I give you the following:

In this essay on Providence and human action, John Calvin writes, from Psalm 23:1-4,6:

--- begin quote ---
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. The faithful who dwell safely under God's hand are nevertheless exposed to many perils. David compares God's care in guiding the faithful to the shepherd's rod and staff. When a sheep is walking in a dark valley, only the shepherd's presence keeps it safe from the attacks of wild beasts or from other accidents. David was not boasting of his own fearlessness; but was rather saying that he would walk boldly wherever his shepherd led him. And now that God reveals himself to us in the person of his only-begotten Son, as our Shepherd, more brightly than he did of old to the fathers under the law, we do not honor his protection properly unless we keep our eyes fixed upon it and by so doing trample upon all our trepidations."
--- end quote ---

Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the concern behind the questions. Here I mean only to explain why I walk with confidence. I'm not crazy...it's just that I know whom I have believed in...

baha sessions plug

Mike Hon recently posted a request for iTunes suggestions on his site. After much pain and agony (how can I choose just one song to recommend?), I offered a few tracks off Chris Isaak's Baha Sessions CD.

This is mostly a result of timing, as I've recently re-discovered the CD and have been listening non-stop (so, all the other fabulous songs I'd be tempted to recommend have been trumped by the recent Chris Isaak listening-spree).

However, since I had such a hard time recommending just one track, I thought I'd throw a plug out there for any and all to consider the entire CD.

Yes, it's available through iTunes.

No, you can't borrow my copy (I'm still enjoying my listening-spree).

that's a job opening

I sometimes think that I over-use this phrase, but maybe I don't. Recent example:

I happen to sit next to the CFO at my company (don't let yourself think that makes me anything close to that well-paid). She's fun and personable, and very attentive to details (and not just with numbers). She knows all about the 'grammar patrol', and considers herself a card-carrying member.

A few days ago, she left a letter she received from a solicitor on my desk with a note asking me if I'd like to give them any of our business.

--- And I quote: ---
Would you like to be updated quarterly on your contingent labor spend?

Do you need better contingent workforce management?

Would it be helpful for your organization, if you had migration and transition from non-core suppliers with consequent margin reduction?

If you answered yes to any of the following questions above, call me.
--- end quote ---

I'm not even going to touch the sentence structure of the 3rd question, or its effectiveness from a marketing stand-point.

What made me say "That's a job opening" is the phrase following questions above.

If you can't work out that following and above don't go together, do you REALLY expect me to trust you with updating my 'quarterly contingent labor spend'?

That error was enough for her (and for me) to consider this file 13 material. They'll never get our business. Think of all the money this lady spent on printing and postage!

You may think that's an extreme response, but I don't think so at all. If you can't take the time to make ABSOLUTELY SURE that your solicitation is ALL GOOD before sending it to countless numbers of potential clients...I'm NOT going to trust you to take care of my business needs. I'm not even going to grant you a meeting where you try and explain all your capabilities to me.

And while I'm on the subject...I'm also the girl who would throw out your resume because of a typo or spelling error. If you want me to EMPLOY you...check it, double-check it, have someone else check it, and then ask Mark Palmer to check it, and then CHECK IT AGAIN.

Somewhat of a soapbox topic for me...does this make me a mean person?

flag attack

Reading Todd's slap happy post reminded me of a driving program I'd like to implement.

Basically, the program would solicit the involvement of any and all drivers interested...but they would have to submit to a training course outlining (and possibly demonstrating) the desired driving techniques and driving etiquette in order to receive the necessary licensing and equipment.

Upon completion of training, each certified participant would receive a cross-bow-like device with miniature plungers as "ammunition". The plungers come with flags attached that are labeled "Stupid Driver". These tools would be used to "tag" those drivers who fail to demonstrate the desired driving techniques or etiquette.

If, in the course of a day, any given driver is tagged with 3 flags, that driver would lose all driving privileges for the duration of one week.

This may seem like a harsh punishment for only three flags...but consider a likely scenario. Realistically, not everyone who aims at a given driver is actually going to accomplish the tagging of that vehicle, for various reasons (including poor aim and radical driving on the offending driver's part). So if, given a reasonable amount of failed tagging attempts, a driver STILL manages to get tagged with 3 flags in one day...it's got to be a big sign. I think a week of the Houston METRO service would go a long way to correct poor driving habits.

not so deep thoughts

Yesterday, as I was walking through the lobby of my office building, I found myself stepping in such a way as to avoid stepping on the 'lines' created by the grout between the floor tiles. Most that know me would probably testify that I'm a little bit 'weird' about stuff like that - for example, I'm the girl who straightens all the magazines and gum cartons while in line at the grocery check-out.

However, I often find myself doing the 'step on a crack, break your momma's back' thing when I'm in a chipper mood and am just being silly.

But yesterday, the thought occurred to me: "Wouldn't it be horrible to be OCD about this for real? And wouldn't it REALLY be horrible if you were a basketball player and be OCD about this?" I mean, the tiles I was skipping around on were the standard 12"x12" tiles - and basketball players would have to jump around on their tip-toes to play my little game.

And then I laughed out loud at that mental picture. I hope nobody hear that!

i object!

Confession. Every time I hear someone I don't know speak about the Bible, my first and immediate position is to be wary. Call me a snob, call me an elitist, or call me closed-minded, but hear me out.

Variance abounds among lay-persons, theologians, philosophers, etc. on what is absolutely true (if that's even acknowledged), what is wise, what is right and what is wrong. If we are to make an attempt at making sense of it all, we have to learn to judge the words and actions of others. If we're ever expected to judge the words and actions of those who profess to be teachers and authority figures, we've got to have a litmus test. I firmly believe that litmus test should be Scripture, above all else.

Every now and again, I find myself wondering "How did those people end up drinking the kool-aid with Jim Jones?", and similar ponderings. The examples, specifically within the 'Christian' realm, are endless! Some people are going to groan at this, but I believe it's a lack of attention to detail. Groaners, bear with me...

Today, a good friend sent me a link to a website of a 'minister' who very much reminds me of another Jim Jones. The specific example, although worth a separate discussion, is not my point here. What concerns me is that there are bits and pieces that contain kernels of truth throughout this minister's website, but the bulk of the message throughout is full of extra-biblical and/or contra-biblical teaching. However, if all you know about Christianity is that Jesus is involved...anyone can throw down a reference or two, and if you're not watching, they'll throw down a lot of other stuff (that isn't Biblical) too, and you run the risk of putting your faith in a lie.

Whether Jim Jones (or anyone else like him) had good intentions in the beginning, it all falls apart when Scripture is not Supreme. It's bad hermeneutics in the extreme - coming to the Bible with pre-conceived notions about who God is, who man is, and how the two interact, etc. A good student of the Word does everything he can to come to the Bible with nothing, and lets the Bible inform him of who God is, who man is, how the two interact, etc. The Bible should be the basis of my theology, not the other way around. I think the biggest error we fall into is getting too far down the road with our theology and/or doctrine, and not far enough down the road with Scripture. Or we forget to take Scripture with us as we walk down the road with our theology and doctrine.

But back to the main point. How do we know what to accept from a speaker (using this term to encompass teacher, preacher, writer, etc)? And how do we know what to throw out? AND, how do we know when we should reject a speaker entirely?

Because I have found that I have (historically) been too easy on speakers that I like, despite the fact that they have some pretty poor theology, I try to ask myself some basic questions about each new speaker I hear. One often has to be a very active listener to get answers to some of these questions.

1. Is this person's message grounded in Scripture?
2 Peter 1:19-21
And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2. Does this person readily submit to the authority of Scripture?
2 Timothy 3:14-17
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

3. Is this person boasting in himself or in Christ?
2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. Therefore, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Whatever the questions are, if they aren't asked...anyone could end up drinking the kool-aid. And I certainly don't want to end up being THAT girl!

Genius, thy name is Starbucks

For some good entertainment, why don't you take 5 minutes to read this article about the genius of Starbucks, by David Garzian.

For those who don't have the time...just read my condensed report of the main ideas below (heavily edited for readability).

--- begin quote ---

Like few other companies in the world, Starbucks is adept at manipulating its customers' emotional weaknesses to generate cash.

The third place of American life
Like many others, I am a sucker for the ritualistic experience of what founder Howard Schultz has termed the "third place" of American life. It's a place without the stresses of the home or the office, a neutral ground where there are always "friends" behind the counter...returning to the homey confines of one's own Starbucks, staffed with people who care enough to remember something about us, provides a primal human connection.

A ridiculous premium for heating milk
Second, the cost of this third cup is ridiculous. Yet, despite being a value buyer in virtually every other part of my life, I pay without complaint. How crazy is it? Well, if you break down the components...the $1.37 premium is therefore just for the labor of steaming the milk, which takes about 20 seconds. If a barista can do three steamed milks in a minute and keep up that pace all day, then she's earning Starbucks around $246 an hour just by steaming milk.

Also, a lust for status emblems is an obnoxious burden that we carry around in our collective cerebral cortex. It's the same reason that businesspeople shake hands upon meeting, showing each other, in a subliminal gesture, that neither bears the calluses of hard labor (or a weapon)...these gestures bear identification to others that they are members of the same tribal caste.

Since it's fairly obvious that all the people riding the elevator in a downtown skyscraper are not day laborers, it seems that we then unconsciously take another step by holding an expensive white cup in our hands as a status symbol...a cup of Starbucks beams out a little message that we are wealthy enough not to care about overspending for coffee.

Starbucks card means money is no problem
Third, we allow Starbucks the right to earn interest on the $10-to-$50 value of our smart cards to satisfy a need for convenience -- and to offer another symbol of caste. On one level, flashing a card instead of cash shows that you are a regular, that you're in the club. On another, it offers a way to exhibit a sense that coins and dollar bills are trifles.

--- end quote ---

Further to the 'it's all about marketing' post, this is one of my favorite examples of the fact that I'm so impressed with them figuring out the brilliance of their model that I don't hold it against them for so blatantly 'using us'...in fact, I'm still happy to 'reward them' with my continued business for it.

Is that so horrible? I mean, it's capitalism at it's best!

it's all about marketing

I'd like to think I would have the same 'when life hands you lemons...make lemonade' attitude as this lady. I'm sure the insurance money helped...but CAPITALIZING on the tragic...that's where I hope I'd be able to respond in kind.

It really highlights the human condition of wanting to be 'in the club'. Clearly, we all have different 'clubs' we'd like to be a part of...but ordering something just because of a cool or unusual name (probably at an inflated price)?

Brilliant marketing. Which, by the way, is one of a two-part axiom under which I think the vast majority of the word, aware or not, operates. (We'll get to the second part another time.)

It's all about marketing. The first time I realized this truth I was shopping in that great retail mecca known as Target. I needed tape. Just enough tape to go with the wrapping paper and last-minute birthday present I was also buying on my way to the birthday party (don't judge...you've done it too).

As I stood in the office supplies aisle, I was overwhelmed with choices. Permanent tape. Temporary tape. Shiny tape. Invisible tape. This width. That width. Scotch brand tape. Target brand tape (probably made by 3M - who makes Scotch brand, sold at a lower cost but still going to 3M's bottom line revenue). And then...something caught my eye. It was a Scotch brand tape, but it was bound in a curvy, shiny, fluorescent green tape dispenser...a FAR CRY from the clunky, angular, plain 'standard issue' dispenser. I was sold. I grabbed it (and no, I have no idea if it was permanent or temporary, shiny or invisible) and was on my way. Give me a break, I was in a hurry to wrap the aforementioned last-minute gift and make a fashionably late appearance to the birthday party. As I stood in line at the register, it hit me.

Target brand tape: $0.69
Average price of Scotch brand tape: $0.99
Shiny green dispenser Scotch tape: $1.39

I was SUCKERED by the marketing machine. Me! A reasonably intelligent and self-aware consumer. And I bought it anyway...I mean, what's a measly $0.40 to me? Answer: not much. What's a measly $0.40 to 3M's bottom line? Answer: at thousands of units sold...it's BIG MONEY. Brilliant.

Now...allow me to connect the dots of my fragmented psyche. Why did I buy the fancy green dispenser tape? Because I thought it was cool, and I want to be "in the club" (consciously or not). Just like the people ordering the "elephant set" at the "Restaurant Where Elephants Have Been."

This idea is at the heart of all great marketing. But the brilliant ones...they make you fall for it without realizing it. Or, they make it such that, even if you do realize it, you reward them by buying it anyway.

Consider Starbucks.

Author's note: the Target incident happened way too long ago for me to remember the actual prices of the various tape products, but for the sake of illustration, allow me to declare that they are reasonably accurate, comparatively speaking.

they

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I'm counting on that!

Of course, They also say "out of sight; out of mind" (about which I hope They are wrong). "They" say lots of things that are obscure, ridiculous, or down right contradictory.

They're also pretty nice sometimes. A few weeks ago, during a Round Rock Express (Astros minor league team) game, one of the guys hit a home run, and a fan in our section stood up and started collecting money from the rest of us. My friends and I were confused (and didn't readily make the connection between home-run-hit and hat-collection). The guys in front of us then explained: "They say that since minor leaguers don't make much money, when they hit a home run, the fans take up a hat collection and give all the cash to the home-run-hitter." Isn't that kind?

I wonder if we'd have done a hat collection that night if They hadn't told us about the sad state of minor league baseball salaries? Or, rather, if They hadn't told someone, who told someone else, who told the guy who started the hat collection? See...that's the biggest problem with it all...by the time you hear what They say, it's so far removed, you can never get back to them to ask real questions (and believe you me, I have questions).

One of them is this: Do They even know they're "They"? I submit that They do NOT. Who knows who they are? See...if I could just figure out who Who is...I'll be getting somewhere.

the 'kiss cam' proposal

Why? Really...why does this keep happening? During the latter portion of the "kiss cam" at almost every Astros home game that I have attended, we find ourselves participating in one of the most critical moments during the life of any long-term couple: the proposal. I don't understand this phenomenon.

Let the record reflect that I am, in fact, quite a fan of the game...but there's much ground to be covered before I'd consider it dreamy for my guy to ask for my hand in front of a crowd of roughly 30,000 - 40,000 people. And I say this because I think the vast majority of the girls I see trying out their new ring on the jumbo-tron for all to see are in my club.

Let's evaluate the typical "kiss cam" proposal. Guy is wearing at least one piece of Astros (or baseball) paraphernalia; Girl is generally NOT wearing such gear. Guy is awkwardly watching the cam until he realizes that "he's on", then scrambles to a knee (assuming camera position allows for such a gesture), and hopes for the best as the crowd looks on (and while I, admittedly, am screaming "SAY NO!" because I think any guy that doesn't know me (or her) well enough to know this is NOT my (or her) dream does not deserve a YES to that question). The whole thing seems "hurried", Girl usually looks rather caught off guard, always gives a big nod to Guy (and the camera) and all the world cheers as she tries on the ring. Somehow I feel like I'm invading their personal space...and I didn't at all mean to do it! (But I can't not look at it.)

Two clarifications:
1. Guys, if your girl can out-quote you on any given player's stats, college play, or rules of the game (especially differences between secondary, college, minor and major league rules)...you *might* consider it...but I'd ask at least one of her (closest) girlfriends before popping the question in front of us all.

2. Even if #1 above applies (which it doesn't, and never will), the ONLY acceptable situation in which I would accept, dare I say enjoy, a proposal from my guy during a major league ball game is if Guy is WEARING A TEAM UNIFORM BECAUSE HE GETS PAID TO WEAR IT (no...buying the full get-up from the gift shop doesn't count), and he brings me out ON THE FIELD. I mean, if we're going to share this with everyone else, let's make it special...not a 15-second blip on the screen. Stop the game (between innings, of course). Make the national television coverage "go long" on commercials...heck, they'd probably thank us for the extra advertising dollars! Give Lidge a few extra minutes to warm up for the 9th. We need it!