Cyber Monday Idea Fest

What a fantastic day to be alive. I'm just reflecting on the 'news' that there was a 21% increase in online sales over the "Black Friday Weekend." This is concrete evidence that people's trust of virtual sales and "faceless" transactions have made a paradigm shift. According to Fortune.com, "Analytics company comScore is projecting that people will spend $70.1 billion buying gifts online during the holiday season, which is a 14% jump from the previous year." I feel my personal penchant for face to face sales, meetings, etc. is being reshaped as a teabag ready for immersion in a simmering teapot. Immediately following my morning reading, I had an unexpected "virtual meeting" with someone introduced to me via mobile phone. In less time than it would have taken to drive the eighty miles between us, Ann Mbacke, a fellow advocate of promoting peace inter-generationally, and I identified two specific things we will research and talk about next week. I understand what she does as a mentor and she understands what I do as an artist. We have both gotten further faster by "virtually" setting goals and identifying resources for our shared interests in peace art and literacy.