When did consumers change from heterotrophs to wasteful shoppers ?

Good title eh ? What the hell is a heterotroph ? Hah, got ya !

I found this word as I was considering the word consumer. You do a Wikipedia search for consumer and you get the typical economic explanation. But what about the other meaning of the word ? It took a while to notice the single-line redirection right at the top in italics ! This is perhaps an example where Wikipedia's focus is just too narrow, and can unintentionally steer our thinking to unquestioned elements of today's society, rather than be a tool to open up our minds and take a fresh look at the world. But I digress...

So, I looked on an online dictionary for the word consumer. I thought I was out of luck, but there is was at the bottom of the list.

A heterotrophic organism that feeds on other organisms in a food chain. Herbivores that feed on green plants and detritivores that feed on decaying matter are called primary consumers. Carnivores that feed on herbivores or detritivores are called secondary consumers, while those that feed on other carnivores are called tertiary consumers.

So, then I looked for heterotrophic on Wikipedia. So, apart from learning a cool new word for the day, what does this potentially tell us ?

I agree that modern humans are much more than heterotrophs, but carelessly re-using the word that fundamentally drives our survival as a word to designate "buying something" is perhaps an indication that we've taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. (sidenote#1 - ok, the definition of consumer in Wikipedia does actually start by talking about "using" rather than "buying", but I'm sure you'll agree that's how we normally think about a consumer today; sidenote #2, in software tech talk, we often refer to an application consuming an object; sidenote #3 - blogger even thinks heterotroph isn't a word).

I found a brief excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumerism that gives some insight into this new use of the word.

The great turn in consumerism arrived with the Industrial Revolution. While before the norm had been the scarcity of resources, The Industrial Revolution created an unusual situation: for the first time in history products were available in outstanding quantities, at outstandingly low prices, being thus available to virtually everyone. And so began the era of Mass Consumption, the only where the concept of consumerism is applicable.

It's still good to keep in mind that since consumerism began, various individuals and groups have consciously sought an alternative lifestyle through simple living.

But as you can read from this, there is a glimmer of understanding that we don't have to be this way and in fact, total, unabated consumerism is wasteful and harmful in many ways.

With the Christmas season bearing down hard, good intentions for charity and the simple life, not to mention the dreadful state of the economy and darkening skies in the future, I thought I'd try and provide some simple guidelines for our shopping decisions. I thought about a fancy flowchart, but perhaps the following step-thru guide does the trick. So you think you need to buy a new item and you can afford it, should you buy it?

1. Are you replacing an item you already own ? If no, skip to 8.
2. Do you use the current one ? If no skip to 7.
3. Is the current one broken, worn out or unreliable ? If yes, skip to 15.
4. Is it killing the environment or making you sick ? If yes, skip to 15.
5. Is it hideously out of date and makes your family disown you ? If yes, skip to 15.
6. Is it the reason your good friends don't call you any more ? If yes, skip to 15.
7. You don't need a new one.
8. Do you really need more than 1 of these items ? If no, return to 2.
9. Is the new item going to save you lots of extra time and/or money ? If yes, skip to 14.
10. Will you use it more than once a week (average) ? If no, skip to 16.
11. Will it increase the chances of sex with your spouse ? If yes, skip to 14.
12. Will it prevent an massive argument with the family ? If yes, skip to 14.
13. Will it make you sing, dance and/or laugh ? If no, skip to 16.
14. Buy it.
15. Buy it and recycle the old one
    (or at least dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way)
16. Don't buy it.

I admit, this is slanted towards by personal beliefs and provides just enough justification for staying up to date, stylish and entertained. It is work-in-progress, and will likely change, once I break it. In addition and to close, I should probably build a similar guide for reducing the amount of unnecessary or excess stuff in my life.

New tunes

I finally got around to creating a new playlist in Finetune. It's basically a summary of favourites of the year minus a few that are still not available on Finetune, like Just Jack. I hadn't been on it for a while, but was pleased to see a lot of new content. For those that don't have access to cheap music or good on-demand radio, I hope you'll like this way of listening to some new music. The mix is pretty broad, including a couple of slower jazz and folk tracks, to AC/DC, with lots of stops on modern British stuff.

New tunes

I finally got around to creating a new playlist in Finetune. It's basically a summary of favourites of the year minus a few that are still not available on Finetune, like Just Jack. I hadn't been on it for a while, but was pleased to see a lot of new content. For those that don't have access to cheap music or good on-demand radio, I hope you'll like this way of listening to some new music. The mix is pretty broad, including a couple of slower jazz and folk tracks, to AC/DC, with lots of stops on modern British stuff.

Hello

It's sunny, it's Friday and it's World Hello Day. The simple idea is to do your part for world peace by saying hello to strangers today. I like the idea, I'm going to try and do it. Although I didn't do it yet and I was in a crowded subway with other people reading the same front page this morning- hm. If that's too big of a stretch for you, perhaps just make sure you have a nice smile today, open the door for someone, or offer directions to someone who's a little lost. This last action is my personal favourite and something I do quite often. Actually it's quite easy for me because my office is in the Eaton Centre and there's always some confused shoppers. Hey, this way I get to say hello and offer some assistance at the same time, brilliant.

I Predict a Great Show!

A while ago, I blogged about the bands I would love to see. One of them played last night in Toronto, but unfortunately, I couldn't get tickets to see The Killers (but I will get to see them in January, so it's ok).

Things always work out for a reason, in my opinion. Since I couldn't get Killers tickets, I didn't end up having to decide if I would go to see Kaiser Chiefs (who I already had tickets to see and saw last year) or The Killers (who I have never seen). How do two of my favourite bands play in the same city on the same night?

So off to the Mod Club I went last night expecting a great show by the band who won Q Magazine's Best Live Act of 2008.

The commentors on my blog about the bands I would love to see make a good point which is the timing of seeing someone. Ideally you want to see a band at their prime...ideally in a small venue (but sometimes the spectacle of the big shows and the large crowds are great as well).

Often when you go into an event with high expectations, you are disappointed...so with high expectations (after a great show last year and them being named Best Live Act), I wondered if I would be disappointed.

Kaiser Chiefs once again showed why they won Best Live Act. Even though the sold out crowd was small, they didn't care and gave a show like if it was a huge crowd. Sometimes Toronto crowds can be a little laid back, but the crowd was completely into it which added to the enjoyment.

Last year when I saw them at Kool Haus, I was on the floor level. As great as that is, I got to see it from the balcony this time...we had a great view of Ricky's multiple crowd surfing!



Here's a video I took last night...if you only want the best bit fast forward to 2:20 (and don't miss him catching his microphone at 2:45)



If you're interested in reading a "proper" review, you can find the Canoe one here.

The bottom line for me is, if you have the opportunity to see Kaiser Chiefs live...don't hesitate! This concert was part of a short North American trek. They'll be back in 2009 for a proper tour. Don't miss them!

Happyness

Before one of you points on the obvious, yes, it's spelled wrong.

I finally got around to watching The Pursuit of Happyness last night. I had heard many good things about the movie, incl. award nominations, but I never seemed to be in the mood for what appeared to be a pretty depressing movie.

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT.

The movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardner who is portrayed by Will Smith (I have to say that on reflection I really like Will Smith and his movies, he's a good actor, he seems to really embody the role he's playing, he's funny and he's just a likable guy, on and off the screen). The one word that keeps coming to mind is tension. Not necessarily the tension he showed on screen, but the tension I felt watching the story unfold. At one point, a consciously had to unclench my hands. It was truly an emotional movie and as good movie always do, it immersed me in the life of the main character, and the actor almost disappeared from view.

The movie doesn't clearly say why there is a 'y' in happyness, but Chris explains his viewpoint in the this interview on The Hour:


That is, the "y" is "you" and happiness means different things to different people. In the movie, references are made to Thomas Jefferson and the US Declaration of Independence and the mention of the pursuit of happiness in the preamble. The interpretation I loved was that happiness is not necessarily a state, but more of a pursuit. And what truer thought than today in the US and the millions of people with rejuvenated journeys towards happiness. I think I can relate to the fleeting thoughts, or the just-out-of-reach idea, of happiness. But as another guest of The Hour, Alanis Morissette recently discussed with Stroumbo (at 6:52), is that perhaps peace is a better personal goal than happiness.

Back to the movie. What Chris Gardner has done in his life is truly inspiring and a great lesson in determination, faith and perseverence. It also says wonders about the strength of some parents and gives a good plug for a good education too ! It's hard to believe he survived the challenges that were thrown his way and I'm sure there are thousands of other real life stories that have the opposite, tragic outcomes.

Looking at how little (possessions, money, companionship) he had at times in his life, it is a lesson for us all that we should embrace what we have and remind ourselves how lucky we are. But perhaps more importantly, I think it also says we should feel pride in how hard we've worked in our own lives and what we've managed to achieve (so far).

A beautiful story, well told and acted. A remarkable human being and hero. 9/10.

Photo Blog #6: Cassette Tapes

Click on the image for a larger image to zoom into the individual titles

I took this shot this afternoon and now looking at it, it has a lot of history in it. In addition to personal memories, for past roommates and close friends, every tape has the potential to tell a story and recall a special moment in time. For the more pedestrian reader, perhaps the photo marks a moment in time when audio cassettes were common place and a you'd find a collection like this at any friend's apartment. I also have to give a little credit for the composition to a photo collection I saw at the Contact and Luminato festivals this year.

For the record, this collection is of the tapes that were close at hand. I've thrown out a lot of tapes over the years and kept many cassette inserts to remind me of the old content. At one point in time I counted the number of "mixed" tapes I'd made - over 100. I'm pretty sure my entire tape collection was double this number at one point in time. The tapes I've kept are mostly compilations of tracks that perhaps are a little hard to come by these days. Like records, I also feel that these compilations also mark a moment in time, maybe like a "mlog" ! Just handling these tapes this afternoon triggered a nostalgic reflex so I played a few old records for the family, incl. New Order, The Shuffle Demons, Thomas Dolby The (English) Beat. And yes, I do still have a tape player connected to my stereo. You never know when you'll get the urge to hear Men Without Hats.

Photo Blog #6: Cassette Tapes

Click on the image for a larger image to zoom into the individual titles

I took this shot this afternoon and now looking at it, it has a lot of history in it. In addition to personal memories, for past roommates and close friends, every tape has the potential to tell a story and recall a special moment in time. For the more pedestrian reader, perhaps the photo marks a moment in time when audio cassettes were common place and a you'd find a collection like this at any friend's apartment. I also have to give a little credit for the composition to a photo collection I saw at the Contact and Luminato festivals this year.

For the record, this collection is of the tapes that were close at hand. I've thrown out a lot of tapes over the years and kept many cassette inserts to remind me of the old content. At one point in time I counted the number of "mixed" tapes I'd made - over 100. I'm pretty sure my entire tape collection was double this number at one point in time. The tapes I've kept are mostly compilations of tracks that perhaps are a little hard to come by these days. Like records, I also feel that these compilations also mark a moment in time, maybe like a "mlog" ! Just handling these tapes this afternoon triggered a nostalgic reflex so I played a few old records for the family, incl. New Order, The Shuffle Demons, Thomas Dolby The (English) Beat. And yes, I do still have a tape player connected to my stereo. You never know when you'll get the urge to hear Men Without Hats.

Photo Blog #5: Remembrance Day, 2008

WWI, "The war to end all wars " ended 90 years ago today. I will always feel deeply thankful for the sacrifices that our veterans selfishly made and I applaud the commitment and bravery our military have today.

Watching, reading and listening updates

I've seen some very good movies of late at home: Into the Wild, Iron Man and Awake. There should be something there for everyone, well maybe not my kids or my wife !

• Awake - Great thriller, but it was over a bit too quickly (how often do you say that?). As someone else had reviewed - a little Hitchcock like. Synopsis doesn't really tell the whole story. 4/5.
• Iron Man - Lots of fun, especially with Downey Jr. hamming it up. Robot cool. Interesting BD live quizzes and bonus features on BD too ! 4/5.
• Into the Wild - Great movie mixing good pacing, fantastic acting, beautiful cinematography and thought provoking storytelling. 4/5.

I'm not a big reader, but the one I'm enjoying at the moment is Lovely Bones. It's a bit of a chic lit book, but I really like the premise of the story. I just found out that the movie version is in post-production for release in 2009.

There are a few new angles on music I've been thinking about. Maybe it's my middle age, but the gentle sounds of Daniel Lanois, Beth Rowley, and Neil Diamond are getting more attention, especially in quieter times (and I seem to need more of those these days). I've been listening a little to CBC Radio 2 in the morning. And even enjoying the odd country track, like Dolly Parton's Jolene.









Still on the music thing, and back to my normal channel, the new Kaiser Chiefs is really catchy, looking forward to seeing them next week !

And finishing up with some TV. Apart from my faves like Top Gear (old episodes), House and Entourage, I just watched the premiere of another quirky HBO show last night called Summer Heights High. The Australian show stars and is written, and produced by the very talented Chris Lilley. Immediately funny and it brings back that familiar awkward feeling from The Office.

Americans deserve some good news

Over the last 8 years, they have been poked fun for electing one of the worst presidents of all time. Americans need a break and to gain some international respect.

Of course the big news is that America has elected its first black president. But I think there are other aspects that are important. Barack Hussein Obama II - there's a lot in that name. For one, I'm not sure if how many (if any) past presidents were first generation Americans (With Obama's father being Kenyan) . Someone asked me the other day if I thought America was ready for a black president. I said yes and my hopes are with many Americans in Obama and his chance to make a difference.

Just looking at some of the international reaction to the news was amazing this morning. It's like the world is sharing in America's joy. It seems ok today to love America and Americans for finally electing someone the world can respect. As one late night host said recently, there's probably some concern that the expectations are unrealistic. I hope we can view his progress with a healthy reality check and recognize the small changes moving forward.

But the sober thought is that he is only one man and the health and fate of America are controlled by many politicians, let's hope that many of them are drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, but some will not share in the enthusiasm for change.

I've heard some secondhand negative comments on Obama from Canadians re: the best president for Canada. I'm waiting on the full report from my west coast political consultant.

Apart from strong republicans, the only other sad folks are probably the comedy writers. The last 8 years have been pretty comical if you have a taste for that kind of humour.

Congratulations America, I'm happy for you guys.

Do you care who wins ?

It's Saturday morning and I'm just having breakfast and watching a little footy. Arsenal aren't on until later, so I'm not glued, but immediately was interested in the game being shown because it was 0-0 between two middle-of-the-pack teams in the second half. So I'm watching enjoying the ebb and flow that the game is renowned for. And I'm enjoying the attacks by both teams. I don't really have a preference on who wins this one, so I can simply enjoy the game.

I've always questioned a business friend of mine who is a big sports fan but doesn't support our local teams. It seems he really doesn't have many favourites at all in sport. I always feel that people like him and people who are more casual observers miss a large element of a sport if it doesn't matter to you who wins. That whole history of the team, the local and international passions and emotions, the heightened drama of local derbys, etc - they miss out.

However, there's the rub. If you commit yourself to a favourite, a local team, your home country, a team you follow closely and really want to succeed, then you're inevitably left disappointed on many days when they fail (just ask an England football fan). Perhaps this is why so many sports fans follow the big sports teams. They lower their risk of occasional disappointment, but still share in the highs. As an dded bonus, they're probably save a lot more money not wanting to buy the latest jersey for the favourite team too !

So what's best ? Loyally follow your favourite local team through thick and thin or simply enjoy the sport as a non-partisan observer. Do you hate that sinking feeling of watching your team lose a heartbreaker ? I'm not saying you switch off completely from a great sport, but you can perhaps enjoy that sport more if you have less invested. You can enjoy the sport for what it is, a competition of teams that can both offer great skill, passion, class and determination. You can share in the joy of their victories and empathize a little when they fall short of their goals. You get it all. The only difference perhaps is the degree of emotions you exposure yourself to. The thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.

Everton just scored. Great goal. It won't shape my mood for the rest of the day, but I'm glad I saw it live !

[I wrote the title of this blog after I wrote the content. I was struggling a little with an appropriate title, but thought this one was ok. However, it maybe broadens the topic beyond sport. After all, a rational person shouldn't really care about such non-important things as sport. But how about political races ? For the non-US readers - do you care who wins the US Presidential Election ? If it wasn't for the fact that the fate of the world was going to be put in the hands of a new player, it would be a pretty entertaining game, no ? More thoughts for a later post].