Snow and its "power." Trendy stuff and its "power."

More like effect it has on me. It lifts up my soul, just a tad, when I'm feeling down or when I'm troubled. Time slows down for me.

Unlike rain.

Now onto a narcissistic, first-world "problem" of mine.

Back in December I was deciding to get new snow boots. Where I live when it snows it snows. It's not as bad, as say Minnesota, or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (U.P. for short). I went onto L.L. Bean's site to weigh my options of their heralded  "8 winter boots. I was late to the party. The size I wanted was back ordered until May. I checked other widths to see if they too were back ordered. Sure enough, they were - till April or June. It even made the news, here and here.

This sort of back order I never experienced before. I mostly order online when I can because my sizes are hard to find in a normal brick & mortar store.

Since today it's snowing it reminded me of this "problem." I re-visited the site to relive that "da fuq" moment.

I knew they were immensely popular amongst those who A) have worn them all their lives in conditions that called for it - sort of like a trusted brand in families that might stick to a certain dishwasher or washing machine or car, or B) the more fashion conscious crowd. I don't necessarily fall into the latter because I actually need these types of boots where I live; I just want to "upgrade" my old boots so I did my research which led to the L.L. Bean boot.

This back order urges me to question: Of those that do purchase them for their intended wear (snow, rain), how many purchase them that do not live in places where such boots are necessary? (I saw pictures of people wearing these in a pile of leaves, and some - obviously made for a fashion site/blog - wearing them on a bridge with no snow, rain ... Or leaves, wearing blazers. In the picture it looked like a mild 55 degrees.) So when people like me, when met with days with several feet of snow, need them they're SOL.

According to boston.com -

 Why the increase in sales? Well, blame teens and millennials.

“Younger people are buying them. They’re all over college campuses and high schools,” Beem said. “Without changing anything, they’re back in style.”

You see that little white cloud hovering over states like Illinois, Indiana and Michigan? Those are the places that actually need winter boots like the L.L. Bean boot. How many hipsters live in said states? Besides the city of Chicago, not many I bet.  States like Main and Vermont need them. The New England region? Yes. People in San Francisco? No. Seattle or Portland? Not really, unless you live in small towns that are nearer the wilderness. L.A.? No. NYC? Okay, sure. College campuses where it doesn't snow heavily during winter? You don't need them.

It's a good thing people who wear fake eye glasses don't back order the style I want. 

Plenty HumanWear: Brand

Inspired By All -

PLENTY HUMANWEAR is a streetwear company for men and women which first got inspired by the lifestyle put forward by counter-cultural sports such as snowboard, skateboard and surf. We are also highly influenced by all artists who could die for an idea, who live solely to create and who, just like riders, grow to the beat of their passions.

Again with the "artists" + ideas + passion cards.

The thing is I like streetwear; during certain night outs and if the occasion calls for it I'll wear what's considered streetwear. But what I'm finding, when I peruse street wear brands and their philosophy is that besides the font on their logos, they blend in together. I see it when a new raw jean company opens and pulls the heritage/tradition line ... like the half dozen companies before them did. Way to practice individuality. I thought the head of marketing gave you the memo that heritage/tradition line has been used, abused and recycled before the owners decided to practice their indignation towards mall brands and fashion conformity (not that streetwear brands & the people that make them are devoid of this dreaded conformity, oh the irony).

Startup vs Corp.

ZocDoc from glassdoor.com -

For people who want to build something, try new things, and pave the way, they shouldn't hesitate to climb aboard. For people who want to do the same job day in, day out, clock in, clock out, maintain the status quo - probably better to go to a big corporation without any fire in the belly.

So I take whatever new status quo is put in place. set by an employee, another "fire in the belly" type of person will change that status quo a few years down the line? It's a revolving door of status quos trying to out do one another.

I guess this is the nature of "fast growing" startups. I wonder if the "fast growing" startups ever fully mature. Probably not. It ain't google, or facebook or youtube. but those places dress like college students -- and most, I bet, are like people in the arts: totally unaware of the real world and just sticking to their startups and art. But hey, they dress in jeans and have laundry (google) at their work.

Or my favorite Con:

LONG HOURS. 8-6 at least, but you are expected to work after hours as well, especially if your territory sucks.

Yes, because people in the medical world and finance world (big corp.) don't work long hours as well. You poor thing. Just ask my friends who are medical interns and my mother. Ask my brother about the hours he worked during certain projects plus some of his co-workers working till midnight - starting at 8:30AM - in accounting. Accounting. But this was at a Big 4 firm, not a startup. Heck, I know an executive personal assistant who had to arrive at her job at 8:30AM and couldn't leave the boss said "You can go now." That was anywhere between 6PM and 8:30PM, easily clocking 50-60 hrs a week. Add in being "on call" on weekends.



Then there's a little light of sanity -