Just a quick post, as I’m off to get my car radio replaced. Driving around in silence, without WRNI to keep me amused and informed would take a lot of the fun out of my job. Mineral Spring Avenue at rush hour in December is lovely and all, but you need diversion.

I’m going to a place that got a flaming bad review and its own Facebook bad review page, but they’re cheap. I’ll let the whole English-speaking world know how this turns out.

Anyway, a new Savers is opening on Branch Ave, in Providence, about 3 minutes down the road from WalMart. Will this be the clash of the Titans?

This spring it got hot early, and I couldn’t find my summer clothes so I went to Sals on Smith St. and got some good deals. Later, when shopping at WalMart (wearing a wig and dark glasses) I noticed that most of the new clothes on the racks had that ‘pre-worn’ look we all love so much. So why buy new?

Maybe it’s being middle-aged, and buried in clutter, that makes me think re-using, re-circulating, altering and re-imagining, is a promising possibility. We did it in the 70′s, and we were all much prettier then.

Our leaders tell us that the way out is to go shopping and buy more stuff. This is getting real old on me. I’m as greedy and sensual as anyone, but another coffee cup, or even electronic toy won’t excite me any more. Anyway, endlessly expanding consumption is not desirable or possible.

I don’t have answers, just looking for the questions.

And I just answered one question. Is Big Sisters a front group for some extreme conservative agenda? A friend told me that years ago, so I decided to do a quick search.

Nothing except that they, like Big Brothers, exist to help children who need mentors and good adult attention. And Focus on the Family really hates them. They have a non-discrimination policy and accept gay volunteers. F on the F tried to organize a corporate boycott, without success. It seems that corporations have non-discrimination policies too.

Savers is looking really good now.