No Need. Ever.

Call it idealism, call it willpower, call it being contrarian – hell, call it trendy. I don't care. I turned tail and retreated from a single consumerist outpost...not exactly a moral victory. All that to say – I don't buy anything from Amazon anymore.

Last year, for the Holidays, I bought most gifts (that weren't food, drink, or records) from Amazon. It was easy – there were multiple options, low-ish prices, home delivery of goods (valuable when you share a car)...and clicking through endless iterations of material goods seemed to be less soul-sucking than wandering the glittery corpse of a mall.

Then this year's media blitz happened, and I started paying attention to their labor practices. I learned their original name was Relentless (and still redirects to Amazon!). I learned they'd been historically stingy despite astronomical revenue. Most of all their (incredibly tone-deaf) dust-up with Hachette.

After a few moments of conscious thought, it became pretty clear that this wasn't an organization I thought should be the gatekeeper to many of the world's cultural products. This wasn't someone I'd want to work for.

No, this was an organization dedicated to accumulating possessions, with little care to quality. Dedicated to pure, uncut commercialism & attempted domination of any sector it touches. Not to mention, "Is there anything on Amazon that I actually need?" The answer, of course, was a resounding "NO."

I'd rather wait a day and give money to a local business who feeds my economy, pays & treats workers like people, rather than avoids paying taxes and uses seasonal workers as automaton stand-ins until the drones are ready to do the mouse-clicks bidding.

Most of all – I don't need any of the things that an algorithm tells me to shop for. I don't need to immediately resolve almost any of my "wants". What I do need are experiences, connection, warmth, and people that value others over any material good. And if you need those things, too, then you don't need a gift from me.

See ya, Amazon. I won't miss you.

---

Day #2 of Think Kit!

back to the present

things i have been up to lately:

Writing album features (here and here) for Musical Family Tree, the Indiana-related digital music repository.

Went to Florida with Amelia to see my parents, who reside in Land O' Lakes...not the home of the butter. We walked beaches, ate fresh shrimp & grouper, saw botanical gardens, rode bikes on nature trails, slept-in, made pancakes, drank lots of coffee, saw dolphins, river otters, and all kinds of cranes, visited my Mom's co-op, introduced my parents to Cuban food...had a great time.

My parents & I outside their house in Florida. I think we were all looking into the sun...which is out 95% of the time. Now I remember why people move there...

An extra-sauced Thanksgiving due to generous tastings of Amelia's cousin's cider...

A mini-roadtrip on a freezing & rainy day to Cincinnati to see German experimentalist/improviser/elder-statesman Roedelius, in an art-space converted from a century-old brewery & warehouse, the Mockbee. also ate one of the finer meals of our life at Senate Pub---my review here.

One of the best live shows I've ever seen...(6-part vocal harmonies? Yes, please.) Enjoy this nugget filmed in their home-base of Athens, GA.

A month prior, roadtrip to Columbus to see a recently reunited (and completely awesome) Olivia Tremor Control at the fabulous Wexner Center, preceded as always by the irresistible Clever Crow pizza.

Released (digitally-only, for now, vinyl to follow in February) the new Everything, Now! album, Do It On The Moon, via the wonderful musician's tool Bandcamp. Check it out here.

Cover of the new Everything, Now! record, Do It On The Moon. Painting by Allen, our guitarist.

Read at least three incredible books, Steinbeck's East of Eden, and Orhan Pamuk's Snow, and Dexter Filkins' The Forever War.

Watched way too much 30 Rock / Parks & Recreation via Netflix, and finished the currently-streamable, anxiety & stress-producing, overall way too depressing seasons of Mad Men. Also discovered, thanks to my brother Wes, the British-comedy Peep Show, with its near-constant internal monologue.

One of the best moments of Season 4...had me rolling around on the couch with awkward laughter.

Third annual post-Thanksgiving bash filled our house with good friends & good times. Along with breaking the fire-code for bodies in the building, lentil stew & cranberry cake were served, along with a baby keg from Sun King, and aforementioned ciders. As a sign of getting old, the night slowed down pretty early & ended with a sleepy round of Scattergories (I blame this on so many English degrees in one place).

Two impromptu basement recording sessions with amigos Andy & Tyler have produced roughly 8 workable tunes. Went into the basement with just ideas, came out hours later with live tracks recorded through a 4-track into Garageband. Mixing & Chicago-apartment-overdub session is imminent for January 2012, with an internet release to follow shortly thereafter, with the nom de plume of.......well, I can't say. "D's P" for short.

Lastly and most recently, trip to Louisville for the family Christmas. Stayed in my sister's sweet new home, dined at the now-traditional Irish Rover (been coming here for a good 2/3rds of my life...yikes!), exchanged some small gifts, and helped cook a ridiculously awesome Christmas dinner of beef tenderloin, cheesy potatoes, balsamic brussels sprouts, garlic & butter green beans, homemade bread, and strawberry & cream cheese jello. Decadent to say the least. Who knew we'd all be able to cook so well! Oh, and can't forget the yearly treat of Buckeyes, as made by Jennifer. Thanks sis! Now, back to running...