HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Hmpf. It's Valentine's Day tomorrow. As my friend Alison (revelationsandfables.multiply.com) pointed out on her calender, why not show your love the other 364 years?

Today as I was in Wal-Mart (ugh), I noticed two obnoxiously large signs the breadth of the aisles advertising the V-Day's stockpile. I'm not one prone to eco-happy thoughts, but it occurred to me, "Imagine all of Wal-Mart's signed piled up in the dumps." There must be hundreds of thousands of Wal-Marts, each with two signs that are about 20x20. And then I noticed all the people (mostly teenagers) spending their money, buying those adorable little teddy bears that no one likes to receive, of course they also being thrown out within six months, possibly more or less depending on the relationship's length.

Someday this coming week, I'll walk in and buy some Ferrero Rocher candies, because they are just delicious morsels of heaven. Why, just blogging about them now inspired me to go and get one. After Valentine's Day, or any other day (notably Consumerism Remembrance Day), Wal-Mart practically gives the candy away. I got candy canes for $0.24 a week or two after Christmas, and most of them are still hanging on the rack of the deer mount, waiting to be eaten as I browse Multiply. Be careful in what you post: I might choke on a candy cane. And I just got a pack of dark chocolate Rochers as a gift. They're scrumptious.

Some of you might wonder if I have some sort of vendetta against Valentine's day. Well, the answer is no, I'm just cynical. While buying stuff is fine by me, I detest folks doing it on one day like today that has absolutely no significance. Other days have significance, sure, and giving a gift then is perfectly fine, but not in excess... but that's another post.

I wonder which industry sees it's sales spike most. Candy, perhaps? The flower industry? Those Vermont Teddy Bear guys, whose commercial I hate so much? Trojan and KY?

All this on a day that I've finished one of the best books I've read in a long time, "The Thirteenth Tale" by Diane Setterfield. I read TIME every week, interspersed with books, but sometimes I lose faith in books. I read the first few chapters. Then I get dejected, and just let the book rest where it last came to sit. From the urge to want to participate in Bookgasm, I decided to read one. This one was just a marvelous read.

Anyway, after that, please... don't send me a sparkily Valentine's day picture.

I've put together three songs in my albums for your listening pleasure, so aptly related to this wonderful day. The music "album" is here, called LOVE.

-Ze Baron