August 11, 2008

If the Food Channel Did Business News

Although I did not actually buy shares of Apple Computer last spring when I should have (now up 57.52%--dang!), I am tracking AAPL's progress on my Google Portfolio page, so I get the company's news feed every day. Last Thursday, the headlines looked like this:

Mmmmmmm...waffles! They say that like it's a bad thing.

August 5, 2008

Letter to Neiman Marcus Customer Service

I should preface this posting by saying that a couple of years ago, I started doing research about animal cruelty issues, especially with regard to farm animals.

I received an email asking me to participate in an online survey regarding my shopping habits in exchange for a chance to win a $2,000 NM gift card. I did participate in the survey, but was bothered by the question about whether I was more comfortable buying fur at a "bricks and mortar" store or online. There was no way to answer "I do not buy fur."

As long as there are no laws that require fur to be labeled with the country of origin, and while furriers buy from "producers" who kidnap and slaughter household pets for fur trim (China), and engage in the extreme cruelty of skinning gray foxes alive (for the love of God, why?), I will neither purchase fur nor wear the vintage furs I inherited from my grandmother. I wish that NM would be more proactive in refusing to carry fur until such laws are in place, or leading the way in insisting on humane treatment of fur-bearing animals.

Thanks for listening.

August 2, 2008

Random Peeve

Random pet pronunciation peeve:

I hate it when people pronounce the title of the movie "Amélie" as if it rhymes with "homily," and with the emphasis on the first syllable. I wonder how many obnoxious tourists accost Mlle Tatou and say, "Aaaah gist luuuuved yew in that movie 'Ommily.'"

It's ahh-meh-lee, if you please, with a broad, light "ah," not "aww."
There now, I feel a lot better. Which reminds me of a spelling peeve. "Alot" is not a word. It's "a lot." Two words. Count them. Thank you.