They're baaaack.

Apparently, Wednesdays are Neo-Hippy Days at FIU now. At the root of it, I think, is Obama, with his love for Honest Tea and Whole Foods and hugs. You know he'd grow a 'fro if it were fashionably acceptable in the White House. Even the Man is kept down by the Man. But anyway. I suspect the mini Woodstock is primarily a result of the Organic Farmer's Market being held every Wednesday afternoon, which started this semester. Campus seems pretty average and lame all week (as usual), except for those few hours the market is in business-- it's still lame, but in a peaceful, hempy way. Suddenly, the hippies sprout up everywhere, like magic mushrooms on cow dung. Just look...

Next to the market, playing acoustic music and getting high on love and tie dye...


Out by the lake with their quirky foreign instruments...


Feeding Sun Chips to the turtles...

Sunbathing until they're burnt beyond recognition...

I wonder how long this new age of hippies will last. What speedy drug will take them out of their daze and into some horrible post-modern disco era? Which of their musical heroes will OD and drown in their own vomit? Do they bathe? Obama, look what you've done!

I can't believe I ate the WHOLE thing.

Mmm, Whole Foods Market. The patron saint of grocery stores. They're environmentally friendly; they have a ridiculous nutrition section; there's not a smidge of hydrogenated fat in their products; they're super vegetarian-friendly; they host cooking demonstrations; they rank as 22nd in Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For; and hell, the Obamas like to shop there. What more motivation do you need to go there RIGHT NOW?

Not convinced? What's wrong? The prices? Well, yeah, I know... the only people who can really afford to go there regularly are wealthy, New-Age white people. But here's a secret. There's another reason people go to Whole Foods. The real reason...

FREE SAMPLES!

(Left: Fig & olive crackers, Right: Feta cheese with sundried tomatoes)

Yes, indeed, 95% of the time you visit Whole Foods, you're going to find at least one tray of organic fruit, vegetables, cookies, gourmet chips, cheese, bread, chocolate, etc. You could go there on a Sunday afternoon and sample your way into a free lunch.


And you don't even have to be a neurotic health-food freak. Lardy junk-food addicts will find their share of delights. Look! Potato chips! Krinkle-cut!

Moral of the story? Everyone at Whole Foods may seem like good, pious people. But we're all just here for the organic/fair-trade/environmentally-friendly gluttony.

"Yeah, honey, I'm gonna pick up the wheat-grass, flax-flakes, and, oooh, granola bread!"

NOM!

OMG, Obama.

So, yeah, Obama’s in. (Confetti falls down, woo. [This is not sarcasm, I really am happy about it.]) And if this has not been the biggest inauguration hullabaloo ever, I’d like to know what was. Starbucks even had patriotic cup sleeves for a day, each with squishy, heart-warming quotes from past presidents. On my way out of school to watch the swearing-in at home, I saw a big gathering of people in the library watching George Sr. and Barb on the tellie, waiting for the big moment. Of course, some people were decked out in their Obama gear. So cute. It’s great that this past election has gotten even the most apathetic people (such as myself) to take an interest in the political situation. But I’m tempted to say that it’s really another fad/trend; throughout 2008 I saw the bumper stickers, the pins, the t-shirts, the hats, but I didn’t hear much about why people sported the propaganda (for either Obama or McCain). A lot of it seemed compulsive, though ultimately, just about all of us had our reasons besides party affiliation. And if it is/was a trend in any way, shape or form, it’s been one that’s actually significant and socially beneficial-- we’re all paying attention now, aren’t we? At least more than we were before. Or maybe it’s not so much a fad as it is a reaction of desperation and fear. We know we’re in deep shit, but we’re still doing the wave for some kind of upward potential (or at least those of us who support Obama are). It’s one of those “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade” periods… as long as we can still afford the sugar.