When I was a kid there was always a five and dime dry goods store where you would go to get all kinds of stuff. Those aluminan pans to cook with. Plates and spoons and forks. Stryfoam cups. Cheap towels. Cheap toys. You know all kinds of shit.
Now these were allways owned by Jewish people. Just like the fruit stands were owned by Italians and the bars by Irish guys. But times changed and Koreans began to have all the vegtable stores and fish stores. The bars are owned by yuppie guys. And the notion stores are owned by Koreans as well.
Now I went all over Brooklyn to get red sweatpants for my Santa outfit. I wanted to go to the Army Navy store but now it is a place that sells lamp shades. Thats right. Just lamp shades. That guy has a super business plan.
Anyway I found this dingy old store chock full of everything. The door was locked and this diminutive Korean lady opened the door. She had one customer and older Spanish grandmother type who didn't speak English. Anyway they both decided that the white guy had to interpet for them. That was muy interesting.
When we finally got her squared away we let her out of the store and I was able to buy a fake beard. But I was really impressed with all the cheap crap she had in the store. I know where I am going shopping for Christmas this year.
Now these were allways owned by Jewish people. Just like the fruit stands were owned by Italians and the bars by Irish guys. But times changed and Koreans began to have all the vegtable stores and fish stores. The bars are owned by yuppie guys. And the notion stores are owned by Koreans as well.
Now I went all over Brooklyn to get red sweatpants for my Santa outfit. I wanted to go to the Army Navy store but now it is a place that sells lamp shades. Thats right. Just lamp shades. That guy has a super business plan.
Anyway I found this dingy old store chock full of everything. The door was locked and this diminutive Korean lady opened the door. She had one customer and older Spanish grandmother type who didn't speak English. Anyway they both decided that the white guy had to interpet for them. That was muy interesting.
When we finally got her squared away we let her out of the store and I was able to buy a fake beard. But I was really impressed with all the cheap crap she had in the store. I know where I am going shopping for Christmas this year.
15 comments:
You know, I don't talk about it much, but I found a million dollar baby in a five and ten cent store.
Totally OT, but what's your impression of Shaun Donovan, NYC housing commissioner, who's been tapped to head HUD in the Obama administration? Your take on NYC officials is always illuminating and often contains info not generally known outside your fair metropolis.
/OT
Reader, we don't need no stinking HUD. HUD is like giving a bailout year after year after year to the same lazy people. IMO.
Trooper you should take some pics of the "cheap crap" you will be giving to people for Christmas.
Shaun Donovan, NYC housing commissioner is a perfect pick for a Democratic Administration. As a full blown Nanny state bureaucrat he will have his fingers into everything forcing the government on private property owners until they squeal like Ned Beatty in Deliverance.
The New York City Dept of Housing Preservation tells you how you can fix up your house and demands that you comply with its arcane regulations or you get a massive fine. They strive to limit business development and stifle progress if it means the person who owns a piece of property can make some money off it.
In the meantime cranes are toppling and killing people. But a brownstone on a historic block will have the right type of shutters. Makes a lot of sense right?
Hey now that I figured out how to add photo's you can get all the crap I will be giving out.
That's GI Joe with the Kung fu grip.
I recognized him!
What's he got that's so important to hang on to?
Well he is holding on to his piece. And he has a gun too!
GI Joe's been Ken-ized. (I presume. I've never actually seen one, I don't think.)
It's hard to tell from the online pictures, but the "Sigma 6" line sorta made think "Bionicle-ized."
(The kid wants GI Joe, too, but apparently not the "real" ones, or at least what I consider the real ones, fogey that I am.)
Thanks for the reply on Donovan, btw. I had a feeling ... .
I am afraid that a lot of his appointments to secondary positions are going to be problematic. I mean they fit into his world view but when it comes out in the light of day he is going to be doing a lot of backpeddling.
Good thing that the President Elect is a very loyal guy. Hee, hee.
Very fleetingly--so don't hold me to the details, because I admit I don't have 'em--I saw just a snippet of story tonight in which P.E. Obama was talking about Donovan and how the latter would help the O. administration get more people into housing, specifically their own homes ...
... but of course in a different way, one which wouldn't cause similar problems to what we've experienced recently, and one which would make sure people were equipped to be able to handle it. Those are not exact words. The impression--I emphasize, impression--I came away with, from the bit I saw, was that not only were we going to continue to implement (editorial comment: as opposed to support the individual desire to pursue) the American dream of home ownership, but that there was going to be some sort of support system in place, meaning some kind of training, or mentoring, or what have you. I mean, fair or not, it pinged certain bells in me, those which reminded me of my stint, many many years ago now, working in a private, non-profit social services agency. Pro-gram, pro-gram, pro-gram, was the peel, meaning some sort of new system/bureaucracy.
I'll stop there for now.
That's what they are all about.
The program is more important than the result.
Cool I never even noticed that you did not have any pictures on your blog.
Now you have to try to add some music to the GI Joe Kung Fu pic.
I suggest ....Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting ! See if that song gets stuck in your head for a while.
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