little miss independent

One of my favourite bloggers recently posted accolades for the return of Starbucks Eggnog Latte (you know who you are Amanda). Almost as though a bell went off, I began to salivate a few words into reading. I love eggnog lattes and I can't wait to indulge in one (I'm pretty sure they're not here yet - we're still on pumpkin spice and friends). Ditto gingerbread lattes. More salivation.

This year, however, I won't be buying mine from Starbucks (insert group gasp here).

The other night I went to the premier of a documentary made by some friends of mine, called Independent America: The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop (http://www.independentamerica.net/). Hanson Hosein and Heather Hughes, two journalists from Kelowna, drove across America with their dog Miles last summer, avoiding all interstate highways, corporate chain restaurants, motels and stores. Along the way, they interviewed customers and owners of Mom & Pop shops and documented the growing retail insurgency and its effects in little towns (and even ghost towns) along the way. Who knew shopping could be so political?

It was facinating to learn the havoc large corporations wreak on communities economically - not just because they take business away from the independents, eventually forcing them to close, but in terms of wages (low), and the percentage that's put back into the community (miniscule).

I've always preferred independent restaurants to chains (everything from McDonalds to Olive Garden), not only because it's nice to support local endeavours but because you get something different. Sometimes it's better, sometimes it's worse but it's never not an adventure.

I've also lived quite hapily hating Wal-Mart and McDonalds and their ilk, although mostly for reasons of sheer snobbery. Watching Independent America, I realized there's a deeper issue at stake than the proliferation of tacky living and cheapness. It's like a corporate conspiracy, destroying all remnants of originality. Every town in North America looks essentially the same. Of course there's the obvious - McDonalds, Starbucks and Walmart, but who out there doesn't have a Safeway? or a Costco? Is no one immune? Then there's Pier 1, Home Depot, Chapters (in Canada) or Borders (in America), HMV, Gap, Blockbuster Video . . . where does it end? Why do we need to travel? Why step beyond the city limits?

Admittedly, there are flaws to independent shopping. You have a smaller selection, higher prices, less flexibility, and sometimes, yes, crappy service. But you also get something different. something unique. Tomatoes fresh from the garden, an original work of art, an out-of-print book. And the knowledge that your money is going to a person that lives in your community, who will then spend it in your community, and not some wanker at the top of the corporate food chain.

So I've decided to try the 10% rule. At least to start with. That's the amount of purchases I'm going to aim to make local. Only 10%, at least for now. It's not much, when you think about it. It's picking the Bean Scene over Starbucks, Mosaic Books over Chapters (they have a coffee shop inside as well), Blonde (clothes) over Le Chateau or the Oriental Supermarket over the "exotic" aisle at Stupid Store.

I realize I need big box stores for some things - especially as the mom's & pops become fewer and farther between. But if I can shop there when I can, I know it will make my life more rich (if more expensive at times) and definately more unique.

And I like the Bean Scene's eggnog latte - even if it's served by a girl with more rings in her nose then I have in my entire jewel box. Perhaps I'll treat Amanda to a cup when she gets here.

waxing etymological

I just read this article on language trends for 2005. Yeah, think “cruncked-up” and “bigged-out” because, according to a book called Fanboys and Overdogs: The Language Report, by Susie Dent, those are two of the hottest new words in the English language.

The word “crunk” is just stupid, not to mention unimaginative – it’s a combination of crazy and drunk – and it’s not hard to guess what country it originated in (hint: its president thinks that “nucular” is a word). The sad news is, it’s supposedly catching on in Britain, too.

A “fanboy” is a guy who is absorbed by a passion for comic books or computer games. I like that one. Don’t know what an “overdog” is, except maybe the opposite of an “underdog?” Please enlighten if you know.

In the meantime, let's reminisce on some of the language trends of old. No, not your near-old phraseology – the “rad,” “ex,” or even “bodacious” days that send a combined shiver down the backs of anyone who grew up in the 1980s. Think a little further back, to “hep cat,” “groovy,” “far out” or (my favourite) “hot dog!” Why don’t people say “hot dog!” anymore? What, it’s not edgy enough??

Going even further back, I really like the word the “rapscallion.” And “cockamamy.” And lest we forget the classic “egad!” There are so many!

I recently learned of another great word, “bloviate,” on CBC Radio. Apparently, an interviewer used it in reference to someone (someone discoursing at length in an arrogant or boastful manner I assume, in keeping with the meaning) and all these people started calling in complaining because they didn’t know what bloviate meant because it’s so old it’s fallen out of use. All the more reason to use it, I say, to bring it back into mainstream use: “bloviate” and “hot dog!”

Who wants to help me start a movement? The Friends of PAWP, we’ll call ourselves – Preservation of Antiquated Words and Phrases. We won’t try and stop our language from evolving, just keep alive the words and phrases that were once not only “stylin’” but down right “jolly good.”

belief-o-matic

Something fun (click on today's title). I got this off my friend Amanda's blog, who got it off her friend Torbjorn's blog. Thought I'd try it, to see if I'm on the right track, religiously, or if deep down I really am a Taoist, Neo-pagan or other and have been going to the wrong church all this time. Well, turns out I won't have to change religions - at least if Belief-O-Matic has any divine accuracy. And if that doesn't work out, and Orthodox Quaker, Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant or even Eastern Orthodox somehow disappoint (although I must say I could live like I'm from the 1800s, at least for a couple of weeks) I did reach totals of 9% in Taoism, 22% in Neo-Paganism and 34% in Jainism, putting them in the 27th, 20th and 15th spots respectively. Shoot, I don't even know what Jainism is!

Here were my Top 10s.

1. Seventh Day Adventist (100%)
2. Orthodox Quaker (93%)
3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (90%)
4. Eastern Orthodox (89%)
5. Roman Catholic (89%)
6. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (59%)
7. Orthodox Judaism (57%)
8. Hinduism (56%)
9. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (48%)
10. Jehovah's Witness (48%)