NYCweboy

The Return Of The Brown Years

Back in the eighties - when, in an un-ironic manner, we thought we were having a blast reviving the sixties - the worst thing in the world (no, really) was expressing any kind of positive nostalgia for the... *shudder*... seventies. Spy Magazine was the first place I saw the decade referred to as "The Brown Years", and the moniker seemed so appropriate: that awful mix of wood paneling, "harvest gold" appliances, plaid upholstered furniture... oh, the horror.

Somewhere along the way - I blame grunge - all of that got reversed: the eighties were suddenly tragic, plastic, big shouldered, mulleted and overly bright... and the seventies were sublime, underrated, and a design feast. (And of course, somewhere along the way, Spy turned into a pale imitation of itself... and now we get former Spy-meister Graydon Carter draining the joy out of Vanity Fair.)

The re-appraisal of the seventies, at first seemed fair: sure, much of the fashion was tragic, the polyester blends unfortunate... but reinterpreted and re-styled, it was clear that indeed some adventurous notions of interior design had been abandoned too soon. Dark wood floors, modernist furniture... even, as Jennifer notes to me frequently, the return of "wear what you like" fashion  had a liberating quality that had been missing for a while.

Well, all good things must pass... and the past couple of years have been a tipping point of figuring out what comes next in design and fashion, without a lot of clear indications. In th meantime, the celebration of seventies-chic appears to have run its course... and we are back to: The Brown Years.

Prelude to the Flowerlude

Classic Americana: Outdoor cafes in strip mall parking lots.

Hope you're enjoying a beautiful July afternoon.

But You Can't Stay Here

I don't really talk about my actual paying job much; I'm one who thinks its best to separate the blog from the rest of a personal life.

That got a little harder last week, when Starbucks announced it was closing 500 more stores, bringing planned closings to 600.

I found out the night before it hit the papers, because we got the press release posted to the in-house web page, and I was working.  That night and the next morning were all about answering the "is it you guys" questions from friends, family, and, most touchingly, customers.

It's not us. It may not even be any store in my district. We are all performing pretty well (though the "underperforming" criteria was left rather vague, so no one's actually sure what the criteria is), and all of that has to be viewed in the context of a weak economy.

It's the broader economic implications that are really worth writing about. I don't think I've ever worked for a company that held the place of "stand-in for the larger economy" before, even at other retailers. It's an interesting place to be. It's why, I think, you get pieces like last Friday's in the New York Times, which blamed poor real estate choices for what realy is a story about broader economic trends.  It's also I think why David Margolick's profile of Howard Schultz (yes, we all just call him Howard) seems so sour and less than flattering. Howard is supposed to solve everything for everyone... or he's failed. That seems like an outsize level of expectation, if you ask me.

Notes From A Vacation

As Nevermind noted in comments last night, my discussion of TV watching from my trip may seem "one sided and strange"... I suppose there's no point to mentioning that a blog is pretty much a one-sided affair (mine), but I agree, my tastes can be... strange.

I could go into the long, er, strange, history of how my Memorial Day trip came to be - there was a plan to travel to Salt Lake City which fell through over finances, and this was an alternative that fit the moment, and the planned companion - but that story takes too long and probably only matters to maybe 10 people (5 of whom don't read this blog, though I try to convince them, repeatedly).

In any case, the trip that was an odd combination of convenience, circumstance, and opportunity became an object lesson in understanding who I am and what I actually like... and don't. Like decorating programs. Herewith, with no determination to offend anyone, but a likelihood to offend or puzzle all, some notes for myself on what I like in a vacation:

• I don't like being stranded in the woods. That is, I really like to show up at places like the one I went with a car of my own and the opportunity to run to the store at my convenience, not others.
• I'd rather be at the ocean than at a lake, and at a beach rather than in the woods.
• I don't like the way "the woods" has become an extension of suburbia; this lakeside development amounted to a piece of gated suburbia for the second home set, giving "back to nature" a thoroughly commodified, managed air (the lake nearest us, as it turned out, had been drained and not refilled, which made yesterday's run to sunbathe a lost cause).
• I also don't love the way "the woods" has bcome an extension of a kind of suburbia where the most basic services are 30-40 minutes away.
• No more Wal-Marts. Ever.
• When you, as an individual, go on a trip with a couple, you are reminded, very quickly, that it's called "third wheel" for a reason.
• Apparently, though, dinner conversations about politics when everyone is interested are even fun with Republicans.
• I really must learn not to overpack.
• I need wifi; dialup will not do it, anymore.
• I am no longer a night person. Oh well.
• I agree one should leave a guest house much the way one found it... but there's clean, and then there's sterilized within an inch of its life.

I know, I know... who's ever going to want to invite Debbie Downer on another trip? A getaway is a getaway and one should be grateful to one's hosts. But I do think one should also know one's likes and dislikes enough to know when an offer may not be the right one. And so, though I feel like the girl who's unpacked her adjectives, I think I'm just chalking this one up to learning a little more about my own likes... and sticking up for them.

Fun And Cynicism For Process Geeks!

The saga of the terrible farm bill continues: after both parties larded up the farm bill with an embarrassing array of pandering goodness (the usual mix of incentives not to grow things we need... and then subsidies to help the hungry... which, at least, can be defined as well meaning), the bill was, as expected, vetoed by President Bush this week.  Because the larded up farm bill that passed while the GOP had the majority was, you know, okay, but this Democratic one... isn't.

So yesterday began the Kabuki theater of overriding the President's veto - as if he needed confirmation of his irrelevance - only with a wrinkle. As it turns out, due to a clerical error (I always assume they fire the clerks responsible for messes like this... but how much do you want to bet that they don't?), 34 pages of the original bill were left out of the version sent to the President.

This led, yesterday, to the humorous chaos of the House Republican leadership first overriding the veto... and then complaining that in fact you couldn't just add back the 34 page (because that would be a different, larded up bill), so it would have to be a new vote. Except of course that re-passing the original bill with veto-proof margins will also be purely procedural, because Republicans, who want to campaign on "fiscal discipline" no longer have even the fig leaf of pretending to be serious.

This is abysmal stuff, all the more abysmal because there's no one to respect in this process... except possibly President Bush and John McCain, both of whom have called this pork driven exercise the appalling waste that it is.  That contrasts nicely with Nancy Pelosi, last week, calling this "a good first step" (hint: that's what she said last year, too). It also, sadly, is yet another place where Clinton and Obama agree: both have given their blessing to the bill, Clinton using it to attack McCain... while campaigning in South Dakota.

Indeed, it's the convenient timing of farm state primaries that's probably made this a good time to get pandering, do-nothing responses to problems (now let's pass that Gas Tax Holiday!), but it certainly undermines Barack Obama's suggestion of finding "new ways to work in Washington". And while I try not to be cynical and sarcastic... this one really does just leave me shaking my head in amazement. And you know, I could use a job as a Congressional assistant. No 34 page document losses on my watch. Promise.

It's A Good News/Bad News Kind Of Silence...

As you may have noticed, life - the life outside of blogging - has been taking me away. On the plus side, I'm happy to report that I got promoted at the 'bucks. Yes, I am now one of those Shift Supervisors people think shouldn't get tips. On the minus side, it's been a pretty nonstop whirl of training, and heavy schedules. So I'm back, but things will be a little hectic on that front until the weekend. Hoping you'll bear with me while posting is a little light...

... and anyway, I don't really have much to say about Kentucky or Oregon. Nobody does, it seems.

The Latest In A Series Of Super Tuesdays

I'm sorry I neglected to mention my vacation; I sort of assumed I'd post more, but frankly, I'm tired and needed a rest. Lucky for me, the addition of co-contributors means I get back to see two interesting posts from my pals.

So here I sit in my favorite cafe in Maine, sipping cappucino and eating a small piece of apple tart, catching up on the web. My mom is reading her latest Swedish mystery, something my Aunt recommended.

I am in the heart of Obama country here - aside from Obama's fairly commanding win of the Maine caucuses, my Aunt is a hardy Obama supporter, more so than my Mom, though both for similar reasons. After a day of shoring up my strength with Red, I am in the lions den, looking, well, like a cartoon bull.

My Aunt, like most of humanity (or at least, most of America), has full cable, so my Mom and I have been overwhelmed catching up on the cable news shows we never see.  I have to admit, from their cracked lens, this race is much different than the one I know on the web, or in real life. And that's before I get started on Chris Matthews.

I get the impression that tonight's results will be what many of us expected all along: Clinton appears on track to win, probably by 5-9, though I think it's 10 or better. Obama and his people seem to have essentially conceded it (he's heading to Indiana before the vote's over), and now we're arguing if close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.

Myself, as a Clintonite, natch, says winning and winning and losing is not.  Obama spent money like water to battle himself to a slightly less losing proposition than he had when he started 6 weeks ago.  All the excuse making - and the none too subtle suggestions of racism, fearmongering, and stupidity in PA's electorate - can't hide the fact that Obama's appeal to working class folk looks completely unsuccessful.  If it's by as much as I suspect it might be, this loss doesn't just make a case for Clinton staying in, it is indeed the case of asking, finally, why Obama can't close the deal with voters he needs. I don't take any pleasure in saying that, despite what Obama supporters might think; talking to my family's matriarchs, we are closer together than further apart, and we all want a Democrat in the White House. What I don't want, and what concerns me, still, is an Obama candidacy that can't relate to the needs and politics of working class voters in a successful way.

In the end, I don't think today changes all that much; not for the candidates. And not for the Democratic Party. Barring an incredible surprise, we will be, as with other Tuesdays, right back where we were, only in Indiana. And for me, personally, it's just another quiet evening in the country, possibly with some of the best ice cream I've ever had, and the company of family I care about. That's a pretty Super Tuesday, any way you slice it.

-- Weboy

The Cheese, Standing Alone

In my ever seeking quest to know all about retailing (the true sign of a know-it-all is the quiet observation before spouting off), Mom and I made a pilgrimage to Costco for the first time, and following that, to legendary Bronx/Yonkers grocer Stew Leonard's.

Perched high atop a hill, at the end of its own drive, Stew Leonard's is fairly impressive, though not particularly mind blowing for anyone whose seen the rise of Whole Foods, and the move of other grocery chains to be as full service (salad bars, hot meals, pizza ovens, sushi bars... the list goes on) as possible. The produce, cheese, meat and fish departments are decidedly impressive (deli, not so much, in my opinion), but higher end stores have that too.  Probably the most impressive element of Stew Leonard's is actually its layout, which forces one through every section (unlike the usual aisle setup where you could skip products you don't need).

Costco, on the other hand, was a horror show. I've heard tales of the legendary "warehouse shopping", the huge bargains, the vast selections... color me unimpressed; Industrial size amounts of lighting, batteries, detergent (even bras, for God's sake) are not my thing, and the savings, for what I saw, wasn't so much. If I were raising six kids on a budget... maybe; but even then the 64 count cases of Capri Sun... make me uncomfortable, not pleased. And, though I try not to make these things central to my viewpoint, it was hard to miss the Economy Size proportions of the patrons, either.  Another reason not to be in favor of those 64 count cases of Capri Sun, I fear.

I suspect, though, that Costco is bulletprrof from a retialing standpoint; as the economy worsens, many, I think, will be seduced by the call of "massive savings" for "low membership rates," even if the comparative worth of the deal (the measure of whether your membership fee is made up in purchase savings) is negligible at best. But my mom hates shopping... and Costco isn't really how I shop. It's just me... not the Mrs. (ha!) and six kids on a budget. The cheese stands alone. And likes it that way. If Stew Leonard's weren't such a haul (clear across the county), I'd probably make it a regular stop. As it is, I might go occasionally. And so, the quest goes on.

When You're Not Around

Between the rain, my finances, the general annoyances associated with working things out on the web, and having to work today... it was not a good day. And what is usually a simple matter of faking being the cheerful outgoing person that customers expect, became much harder than usual. In order to fake successfully, you need something to draw on, and today my reserves were just depleted.

So I just thought I'd share something you may have suspected: yes, we talk about you when you're not around.

We talk about your clothes and your jewelery, and the fact that you think leaving the change from a $1.99 cup of coffee constitutes a tip (or that you have the nerve to reach into our tip jar when your order is $3.01). We talk about your noisy kids - or the adorableness of your baby - we talk about how you shouldn't leave your blouse undone that extra button, or how you should, and the quality of the work of your plastic surgeon.

And we kid about the way every 16 year old girl orders a frappucino as if she invented the idea, and how every 20-something college girl orders as if she's Lauren on The Hills. We discuss what constitutes a girly drink and how you want to tell the burly construction guy that ordering a Strawberry and Cream frap may not be the way to go. And while we're at it, we'd kind of like to tell people that ordering a mocha frappucino light with extra mocha is really not "light." And that's before you added whipped cream.

It's not that we mean anything by it; it really just passes the time, and from the service side of the register, you get to observe things about human behavior... if nothing else, the ways that we look at people when we think of them as the help. It's why, really, I try to be nice to every salesperson I meet, at least the ones who give good service; it's hard work, and a lot of people don't understand, and I'd rather they say "that fat guy was really nice" rather than "he left a bad tip." Please don't talk about me when I'm gone... but I know you will.

Anyway, that's probably enough bold honesty for one evening.  See ya tomorrow.

808 State

...which refers to the fact that I was in Connecticut at 8:08 this evening, and that I was quite peaceful.  Yes, I am back in Boston for the evening (a small errand to do tomorrow), and I am tired, but a few notes from the road:

• For music, I went all lounge-y and ambient: first up, Jose Padilla's Navigator.  Jose was the original deejay of Cafe Del Mar (I wrote about that a while back), and this is a gorgeous collection that always manages to improve the setting I am in, as if seeing things for the first time (today that was Waterbury, Connecticut). It also contains simply the most beautiful song I've ever heard - Adios Ayer, sung by Seal.  Navigator was recommended to me by Felix Cutillo, while he was deejay at Louis, Boston (now he's at Bergdorf Goodman Men), and I followed Navigator with his Music Bar collection for Louis (which was a wonderful surprise Christmas present from RedStar), and also listened to his Visage collection (a present from Jennifer... I am a lucky, and grateful, weboy).  It was a lovely ride.
• In my road travels, I often sample fellow Starbucks. I must say, the folks in the Southington store do a great job - always a tasty beverage, and very friendly. Right off Route 84, too.  So convenient. :)
• And I still love me some Zipcar... but this one I have was... how shall we put it... rode hard and put away wet. Pardon my French.
• The high variability of gas prices, I think, makes it hard to nationalize the problem: compared to the $3.60 they're charging round my Mom's house, the $3.35 they're charging in Connecticut seems like a bargain.
• But you can tell the gas prices are being felt... or at least I can; the roads were deserted.  It was like 5 or so years ago when you could drive in the evening hours and not hit any traffic anywhere (after rush hour).  I don't think people are driving for pleasure really at all anymore. Which makes me wonder about our "open road" culture coming to an end - if we can't have cheap gas it's hard to see how we can keep our auto driven culture and the lure of wanderlust (except for the extremely well heeled). Or, is it that people will skimp on everything else, just to be able to take to the roads?  I just think we haven't thought about it. At all.

Anyway, I am quite tired, and off I go to bed.  More tomorrow.