A Few Observations about Online Shopping

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I’m not convinced it’s evil — well, not all of it — but I’m getting more and more convinced that it’s dumb for some sellers.

I’ll start by saying this: I hate traffic. Now I know that everyone hates traffic — nothing is worse than bumper-to-bumper stop-and-go on a freeway — but I even hate local traffic, the kind usually created by traffic lights and made worse by construction or too many vehicles on the road.

Some Shopping Options
Some of the shopping options in my area. This isn’t all of them. There are also two Safeways, an Albertson’s, at least one other Grocery Outlet, and a Costco (which I am not a member of).

It’s for this reason that I do my grocery shopping at Fred Meyer, which I can get to by making a right turn at just one traffic light and not hit any other traffic. It’s exactly 10 miles from my house and is the closest supermarket. But it is definitely not the cheapest. That award would likely go to (in no particular order) Walmart, Grocery Outlet, and Winco, where some of my neighbors shop. I generally do not shop there because of the traffic I have to deal with on my way there and back. I know there’s traffic because I hit traffic at 7:30 AM Thursday when I had to go to Walmart. (More on that in a moment.)

So this explains why I prefer Fred Meyer, even though I know that if it weren’t for coupons that come in the mail and digital deals on the app I would definitely be paying a premium for my groceries. (For the record, though, I don’t like the attitude of the cashiers at Winco (which also does not accept credit cards) and Grocery Outlet seems pretty skeevy sometimes.)

But I had two online shopping experiences this week that have gotten me thinking more about shopping online for things other than groceries that I can buy locally.

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More Thoughts on Claude’s AI Summary of a Video Transcript

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An update to my October 13, 2025 blog post about the Claude AI system summarizing the transcript of a video I really liked.

I’ve been thinking about the 30 Habits video I shared earlier this month a lot. Maybe too much.

First of all, I really do like the 30 “habits” listed in the video. Maybe not all of them, but most of them. I really think they are good things to make part of your life. (If you haven’t watched the video and are looking for little things to make your life better, please take less than 20 minutes of your day and watch it.)

I decided that in order to make them part of my life I needed to be reminded of them. The idea was to make myself a little cheat sheet that I could put in my daily planner and look at once in a while. No one can expect me (or anyone else) to remember all 30 things on the list.

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It’s Not Enough to Make Art

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You also have to jump through hoops to sell it and account for it.

When was the last time you bought something from the person who made it? A piece of pottery, a wooden jewelry box, a framed painting, a hand-bound notebook, a leather wallet, a pair of earrings?

Do you have any idea what went into that item, from the moment it was imagined by the artist to the moment you took possession of it?

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Is Certification Really Much More than a Money Grab?

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I share my less than satisfactory experiences becoming a certified powerboat handling instructor.

I got my OUPV or “six pack” Captains License from the USCG back in 2023. It required me to take a 7-day class, pass four tests, and document 360 days under way on the water. (A day, in case you’re wondering, is at least 4 hours; two 3-hour days does not equal one day and one 9-hour day does not equal two days.)

I think the experience requirement is excellent, although 360 days is quite a bit of time. If you’ve spent 360 days under way on a boat and have been given any responsibilities other than tossing lines to someone on a dock, you probably have what it takes to captain a boat. Or at least that’s the logic behind the requirement.

As a USCG-licensed boat captain, I can do two things that someone without the license can’t legally do:

  • I can take up to 6 paying passengers on my boat, thus earning a little income should I decide I want to offer fishing charters or tours.
  • I can provide boat training to paying students.

In other words, I can use my skills, knowledge, and boat to make a little money. My fourth career? (Or fifth? I’m loosing count.) Maybe.

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A Short Self-Improvement Video, an AI Summary of It, and What I Think about Both

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I’m impressed by a 15-minute you tube video and surprised by how the Claude AI/LLM summarized it.

I’ll try to keep this short. Let’s see how I do.

As some people know, I often watch boring YouTube videos on my iPad in the middle of the night to help me sleep. The other morning — probably too late to get back to sleep anyway — this one was suggested to me. I tapped it and was soon pulled in by the concise way the creator presented 30 excellent tips in about 15 minutes.

If you’ve got 15 minutes to spare and think your life could use some improvement, I highly recommend watching this. (If you don’t think your life can use some improvement, you’re only fooling yourself; we can all improve.)

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