The Paradox of Choice

Hi.  A friend shared this link to a lecture with me.  It's all about how we assume, in our capitalistic and industrialized world, that more choice is a good thing, always.  This psychologist, Barry Schwartz, talks about how too much choice often stymies us, wastes our time on non-essential thought, and makes us less happy. 

I really liked this.  It has me thinking about all of the times I've been lost wandering the aisles of a store because I'm overwhelmed and can't decide what to buy.  Which facial moisturizer, which jeans, which salad dressing, which paint, which wallpaper, which couch?  We are influenced by advertising to think that we can express ourselves by our clothes, our hairstyles, our home decor.  It all boils down to wasting too much time thinking and laboring over things that really don't matter much. 

Wouldn't we be happier with fewer choices?

http://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_on_the_paradox_of_choice.html?quote=132

"Winter Grass"

The gardner guys came to the door about two weeks ago and asked if I wanted "winter grass".

I said, "I don't know, what is it?"

They said, "It's grass you put down in winter, to make it green and pretty."

I said, "How much does it cost?"

"Seventy dolla"

"OK. Sounds good."

So they put it down and set the sprinklers to water several times a day. It looked like hell at first because they roughed up the existing turf.

Now I have this. My friend Kendra's dogs who visited last night found it to be a wonderful and curious thing.

Catch-up Post for My Birthday

Thanks all for the great wishes and presents.

I partied hardy and had more alcohol than I'd had in two months!

Hilarious card from my friend Page.

And amazing hand-crafting from my sister. A beautiful hand-woven bead bracelet.

Pumpkin Carving Party Yesterday at My House

It was a great time. Three dogs, seven people and six pumpkins. And "bloody truffles" made by Kendra. They had red velvet cake inside and knives sticking out of them, with bloody red frosting.

Everybody Loves Sunshine

My friend Page brought me these flowers Monday evening when she came to dinner. They hsd been staying fairly closed and arranged symmetrically as I had put them. Then this morning I opened the blinds because it's cooler here today and within two hours they had all done this.

Space Shuttle Endeavor Over Indian Ridge

My better informed neighbor got even better photos.  Nice ones!

"The space shuttle Endeavour was shuttled from Houston to California this morning (September 20). It dipped over Tucson to honour Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly."

The Space Shuttle Went Right Over My House

I saw the space shuttle about a week ago when it was in town on the way to LA where it will be in a museum.  I was sitting in the back yard eating and watching Benji and this HUGE thing came over!  But lots of interesting things come over sometimes because of the airforce base here. 

I thought, "What the heck, it almost looks like the space shuttle, but I would think that would be bigger.  I wonder what it is!"  And by the time I recovered my senses enough to snap a photo, it was nearly out of site.  I heard later that it was the space shuttle I had seen.  So I've blown this up and shown you.  That's my back yard fence and the neighbor's oleander in the foreground.  You may have to scroll right to see it well.