kjpepper | Quick thought or two

1) Reason #265 to be glad to have moved out of Northampton: B-Side Records and Gypsy Heart are closing/have closed. Two more in the long list of casualties that pretty much changed the face of downtown into serious yuppie paradise - you know it's bad when old standards like the Army Navy store, LaSalle Florists (hell, they survived the fucking building burning down at one point!), Beyond Words, Space Crime and Whalens have jumped ship for cheaper climes or early retirement. *sigh* I know times change and all that, but barely anything is left of downtown from when I first got here almost a decade ago. What next? Taipei and Tokyo?

2) I find it amusing that when purchasing something potentially embarrassing (for some people anyway) like condoms or yeast infection creme or tampons or pregnancy tests or adult diapers or enemas or diet pills or something else the compulsion is to also buy something else reasonably innocuous as if that cancels out the other purchase. Like diet pills and christmas candy. Or Depends and a soda. Or tampons with the latest issue of Motor Trend. (I saw a guy purchase that combination not to long ago; me and the checkout girl had a vast gigglefit afterwards). I mean... what's the mentality behind that? when all is said and done and the purchase has been made, are we really going to care what the clerk or the people behind you in line are going to think about the fact that you purchased an enema? And do you honestly think the dinky bottle of water or the face cream you got with it are really going to hide the fact that you purchased a box of Fleet? I mean really, if we're going to be embarrassed about our drugstore shopping list, how about finding something to balance that gigantic animatronic reindeer you just bought? That right there is embarrassing...