Hindus Chrisitans and Magic

I, along with my wife, Daya, own the Indonique Tea & Chai company. Our first venture into the tea business was a packaged tea store in ultra-conservative Mandeville, Louisiana. It was a cool little shop, if I don't say so myself, that sold, in addition to packaged teas, imported Indian textiles, spices, clothing and other unusual items. The teas filled a shelving untit just behind the counter resembling an old English tea shop. In the center of the shelving unit, a large brass statue of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesa. Very cool place that attracted many locals for the atmosphere and a few with less pleasant intensions.

One customer, more accurately called a visitor, as he regularly came in to sample the free teas but never bought a single item, will forever remain in my mind. A devout, I soon learned, christian, he asked one day what the Ganesa statue was all about. Well versed in hindu mythology, I was happy to tell him the story of Ganesa and how he as a young man/god lost his head and had it replaced with an elephant head. The visitor stared emotionless at the statue as I detailed the ancient myth. When I finished he shook his head as if understanding and offered, Yeah, those hindus believe in a lot of CRAZY MAGIC (HIS EMPHASIS) and stuff". I shrugged and offered, "Yeah, religion ya know". Then he continued, "Of course we know Jesus was our Lord and saviour because of all the MIRACLES (AGAIN HIS EMPHASIS) he performed". I nearly fell over laughing at his comments until noticing he was staring at me in a somewhat confused and indignant manner. HE WAS SERIOUS (MY EMPHASIS). I offered a "magic' with one hand then raised the other "miracles". "Wait you're serious"? "of course I'm serious", he responded somewhat physically and verbally defiant. "Just leave - please", I asked. He did and that was that.

Unfortunately, many more indignant visitors would peruse the shop, scowl and leave. After a Rinpoche visited and offered a lecture on Buddhism, the visits turned into a full scale boycott and verbal assaults against my employees. We moved to New Orleans a few weeks later. Ironically, our first customer in our New Orleans cafe was a Bourbon Street stripper, the second a Catholic priest. Neither had issue with the Ganesa nor each other. The shop was an instant success and customers included muslims, priests, rabbis and ministers from a variety of protestant faiths.

Peacock Feathers - A Novel

 Although their meat was more than an adequate substitute for goose, my Russian friend Vadim's family had instead, for generations, raised Indian peacocks for their colorful expensive feathers and, due to the bird's tremendously annoying screeching, as a means of lowering neighbor's property values to an attainable level.

I think is an opening to a book that needs to be written!

Connie George

What Sells?

I haven't the faintest idea. I own a tea company with web site. I track all activity through Google Analytics. Apparently the best campaign was the list, "Top 5 Reasons to Believe Yerba Mate is an Aphrodisiac". Lots of hits, more than any other blog post since Hurricane Katrina images were posted. But, sadly, not a single sale of Yerba Mate. I'm guessing visitors were looking for photos that might be posted with the article.

Sooo, maybe a posting/campaign, "pics of live nude girls with every purchase" will work. Huh, ya think?

Blogging While Drunk (BWD)

Blog that you're trapped in a burning building and it won't be discovered until a week after your charred lifeless body is found in the cinders, at which point some ass will post how dumb you were not to have tweeted your distress call instead. This post will be read by millions the instant it's posted. Likewise, any honest assessment of meddling in-laws or casual comments about annoying relatives to close friends over secure networks will magically find their way into vast social networks - copied, forwarded and posted everywhere at speeds that would frighten Chuck Yeager.

The new communication tool, the social web, unlike the phone, not only keeps a copy of your ramblings for all unintended to see, but bestows upon the series of ones and zeros - life, allowing it to multiply and evolve in milliseconds. And like many offspring, a life that will eventually turn on the parent. The internet has become a dangerous vehicle that can careen off a cliff with the slightest turn on the wheel or in the case of texting, tweeting and emailing, a misplaced comma or emoticon.

Slightly more dangerous with longer lasting effects would be under-aged internet use, as dangerous as the adult use with the added peril of attached photos. You can't get 'em back. They just become forever young-you, multiplying faster the hotter or more embarrassing they are. You're left with the futile option of changing your name and moving far away, which doesn't work cause the internet is everywhere and some nerd with specialized, I never got out to play ball skills will find you, cause you did get out, played ball and had a life and he or she hates you because of it.

And so, like other vehicles, should operating the internet vehicle while under the influence of mind altering substances be outlawed?

NO! We need the entertainment and some of those photos! Yes I'm posting while drunk. Oooo, maybe a nice name for a blog!