RETAIL IS STUFFED

TC asked me to post this as our main reader, Richard of Richard's Bass Bag has gotten much older recently and TC is worried that the old joker might have some sort of medical event if he gets too excited. I don't understand why TC asked for me to post it. Perhaps someone can let me know.


For some time now I've been buying things online. This was before the COVID-19 lockdowns and has become a bit of the norm. Most of the major purchases over last few years have been made online:

• Refrigerator
• iPhone
• Security system
• Garden equipment
• Software programmes
• Apple Mac
• Television
• Artwork
• Car

plus regular online purchases of:

• Wine
• Tonic water
• Tea bags
• Shoes
• Clothing
• Other

It gets to the point where the only retail shopping I do is to supermarkets, OP shops and for last-minute and very small items from the larger retailers.

I field and delete importunistic emails from Amazon but know that, if Amazon ever got established in New Zealand, I'd probably order through them.

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It was no surprise to learn today that OFFICE MAX  is to close. They blame this on COVID-19 and the fact that businesses that had workers working from home during the lockdown, had less of a demand for their product. I don't really buy this as, way before the emergence of COVID I saw that OFFICE MAX generally had more staff than customers in its stores and was on a 'hiding to nothing'.

They aren't the only one in this situation and won't be the only ones to close their doors. This isn't entirely, or for some, even slightly attributable to COVID-19 and lockdowns, it's just the changing times and the shift from face-to-face retail to online purchasing.

I researched this more than 20 years ago in my working life as online buying was emerging as a 'thing' and what its effect on trading patterns might be. At that stage I was out of retail and into wholesaling and distribution, but, the looming impact for our customers was evident (to me). The result, from the Luddite company I worked for with its mundane leaders was that if it didn't affect their (short term) goals then 'let it go'. Well - it's here: TOO LATE - IT'S HERE

HO HUM

I played tennis on Tuesday and Thursday and golf on Wednesday and Friday during the week along with gardening, taking rubbish to the tip and doing some tidying and cleaning around the hoses.
As a consequence today I didn't feel like doing much at all so have been doing in-door chores, planning a meal, setting some rodent bait in the ceiling (I heard the pitter patter of horrible little feet during the night) and catching up with blogging.

It's all a bit mundane really.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICHARD (OF RBB)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It's summer! January is a time for vibrant colours and abundant growth, and the garden is a wonderful place to relax or entertain in the warmer evenings. Make the most of the season by planting lots of summer loving edibles and flowers and reap the rewards of a variety of home grown fresh vegetables, fruits and berries.

Be careful though as this summer is the hottest on record. It's also humid so hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

We have a water filter jug in operation all the time so we have fresh cool water anytime that you need it and boy do you need it in this weather.

When swimming this summer you must be careful of jellyfish, speed boats, jet skis, stingrays, sharks and orca. Yes orca as those kids at Waiheke discovered.

The hot and humid evenings  are making comfortable sleep difficult. NZ Herald published some useful hints for getting to sleep but I have some more practical ones for you in ascending order of efficacy:

• Lots of alcohol
• Sleeping drugs
• A sleep inducing blog
• An even more effective sleep-inducing blog

BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS

I've been annoyed before. Boy, I've been annoyed.
My buddies in THE CURMUDGEONS INC.ⓒ have been poking fun at Christmas and Golly Gee (pardon my French) I'm annoyed again.

I love Christmas. I've had to hide the tree, the cards, the letters, the decorations, the looped carol CDs, the lights etc. because of the Incorporation's rules but hey, I like Christmas.

Here's my choice for a seasonal song and Hot Diggedly (French), I've been playing it for weeks and will keep doing so until at least New Year.

Enjoy! I know you will.

BARRY MANILOW - BECAUSE IT'S CHRISTMAS

.

I'M ANNOYED

Well it's been a pretty exciting morning so far.
I woke at about 7am, got up, fed the cat, opened the curtains, made a cup of tea, did my ablutions, let the cat out onto the deck, turned the radio on, turned the computer on, had another cup of tea, made some toast from a delicious wholemeal loaf that The Food Curmudgeon made yesterday, checked my phone for messages, went back to the computer, checked the blogs and .....bless me, a lot of activity happened overnight that I hadn't been aware of.

The Curmudgeon alerted me to a blog post from Angry Jesus. He said that i shouldn't get too upset about it as he and THE CURMUDGEONS INCⓒ had everything in hand. I read the offending article and man was I annoyed.

I had another cup of tea, did my ablutions again, made a breakfast of poached egg on toast with sautéed potato (thanks again The Food Curmudgeon) and sat down to think about a response.

Well here it is. I'm annoyed. Really annoyed.

AT THE MOVIES

**DISCLAIMER**

This post is brought to you with the assistance of Villa Maria 2017 Rose.
You can check out this wine on THE WINE GUY:

VILLA MARIA 2017 ROSE

If it's a long post then the quality and seemliness of the post cannot be guaranteed.
Thank you.

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Now you are probably wondering why a post about cinema isn't being posted on THE CULTURED CURMUDGEON. Well, the cinema I went to is in Whangarei. It is the only cinema in Whangarei and even though it has 'cinema' in its name Event Cinemas it is more like a, well, an Event movie place. 

MOVIE PALACE

EVENT MOVIE PLACE

I said in my latest post on THE CURMUDGEON that I was hoping to see the new Blade Runner film Blade Runner 2049. 

No such luck. This is Whangarei after all, sort of like a northern Nuova Lazio.

Looking at a piss-poor selection I chose Only The Brave which is a USA film, sorry, movie about wildfire fighters in Arizona.

Now it did have its good points but was marred (as usual) with that American macho bullshit and, as 19 of the men died in an out of control bushfire (based on a true story), was chockabloc full of American maudlin sentimentality.

Sure it brings a tear to the eye at parts but frankly I was glad when it finished.

American films movies based on actual events fall in to basically two categories:

MAWKISH

Or,

HAWKISH

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I'll not be recommending the above movie to The Old Girl particularly since the macho American guys refer to the fire as 'Bitch' and say things like "She nearly got us". The Old Girl as a once and I guess always feminist hates expressions like 'mother earth' and referring to ships as 'she'. I'm glad that she wasn't watching it with me otherwise I'd be the one getting it in the neck for the sins and transgressions of the male gender.

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One of the trailers before the film started was of a new Liam Neeson film - you know the usual ridiculous Liam Neeson (I will find you) crap. This one seems to have a lot of violent action, limited dialogue, a train crash and derailment and impossible 'person off a train' stunts.

Richard will love it.