The Pursuit of Happyness

yea, i totally dug this movie. And not just because I love Will Smith, which I do. No, I loved it because it was so real and such an amazing story. It didn't feel contrived and at a time in America where it just seems the rich get richer and then run for office to protect their other rich buddies, it was a much needed rags to riches story. Not to mention Will Smith's son is adorable.

I love beth lemon, because...

she always contributes to my blogs, even if they are dumb.

she has red hair, thats very original.

she found etsy.com, and threadless(without her none of your gifts this year would have been nearly this awesome)

she artsytastic, an amazing painter and just ridiculously knowledgeable about art history.

she is the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

she is passionate about politics and making the world a better place.

she is patient with me when I try to cook.

and I have zillians of others but you get the idea...

Dear Scott Clum,

I apologize if I offended you. I do not in fact "hate you." It is actually a sort of inside joke. A friend of mine and I had intro to graphic design together five years ago and we had this project which was to typographically lay out something that had to do with an appearance you were doing. It also just so happened that we were not very fond of our professor and the project dragged on until basically the entire class was a bit unnerved at the mention of the name Scott Clum (of course nothing to do with you personally, it was the project we were annoyed with).

So, a few months ago that same friend of mine encouraged me to write a blog to entertain her while she was at work. I wanted to do a blog that was about design but I didn't want to be boring and call it "graphic design blog" so I thought long and hard and decided she would be amused by the reference to our inside joke. I didn't count on anyone actually reading my blog other than my friends so I figured it wouldn't be an issue. It would appear I was wrong.

And I just think pagination is a great word. It sounds so majestic for what it is.

To shop online or not to shop online? That is the question.

So I have a new love in my life and it goes by the name Etsy.com. This site is fabulous, its all hand made stuff at mostly reasonable prices. Its perfect for finding holiday gifts for the crafty person in your life, or just the adorer of anything unique.

Then there is of course amazon.com with their cheap books and countless other amusing products. And lets not forget Target.com and Macys.com and all the other wonderful .coms out there. But I have got to wonder is online shopping for holiday gifts on your lunch hour less personal than spending your sataurday rumaging through store shelves while sharing your personal space with some woman named Alma from New Mexico? Something about it just seems too easy. Its like I'm cheating, comparing prices and getting good deals and saving time, not to mention not having to lug bags around all day. They are just delivered right to my house. It just doesn't seem to fit in with my idea of what christmas shopping should be.

Maybe it isn't the gift receivers that I am cheating, maybe in the end I just feel like I am cheating myself as I do so love to shop in stores with the crowding and the people and the holiday music blaring. I'm nearly done with my christmas shopping and yet I have only been shopping once after work and I only went to like three stores.

So, Online shopping. Is it the make-you-do-your-shopping-early, safe-you-time-and-money inovation that it seems to be or is it the death of holiday shopping fun?