Upon entering MGM Foods on North Burnet Road in Austin, Texas, a smell overwhelmed me. It took me back to my days of walking up and down Devon Avenue in Chicago. Usually, after volunteering in the computer lab at the Indo-American Center, I would pick up some groceries at Patel Brothers -- whatever I could carry back on the hour-long Red Line trip to Hyde Park. Being able to purchase South Asian specialties was always a treat, so it is nice to find a store in Austin that allows for a similar experience.
After being swept to Devon by the initial smell at MGM, I began to take in their large selection. One of the first aisles I noticed was filled on two sides with various pickles and chutneys. They not only carry standard Udupi and Patak’s brand but also a number of specialty pickles and chutneys. MGM stocks fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk bags of rice and flour, a large selection of dal, and big bags of spices. In addition, shoppers will find a number of necessary kitchen tools (such as tea strainers) and shelves of South Asian audio tapes, CDs, VHS tapes, and DVDs. If you are not in the mood to cook, MGM also has frozen and box meals, homemade samosas, sweets, and other tasty treats.
The most impressive aspect of MGM Foods is the helpful service. There was a gentleman there who answered all of my questions readily and directed me to goods that I was having trouble finding. He showed me to the tamarind and explained the differences between the varieties. A friend visited MGM and asked for the ingredients for chai, and someone got exactly what she needed. I consider this marvelous service.
MGM Foods may not be one stop shopping for most, but it is the place to go for South Asian essentials. It has been open in Austin since 1985; their hours are 11a - 9p, Monday through Saturday, and 12p - 9p on Sunday.
Find them online: http://www.mgmindianfoods.com/index.html
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Intangible Materialism: Critiquing the Linguistics of the Virtual Marketplace
A recent article by Rob Walker explored the notion of ‘immaterialism’ in the virtual marketplace. Using examples such as virtual gifting, digital collectibles, avatars in virtual worlds, and even phone apps, Walker explores the notion that the virtual goods we purchase online are just as effective as material items. He very perceptively notes that conspicuous consumption exists albeit in a virtual environment, therefore one can be a ‘material girl’ in a virtual world. However, the conception of ‘immaterialism’ is in itself contradictory and a proper term should be forwarded.
In considering ‘immaterialism’ as a concept, it is important to first accede that “time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law.”1 By allowing for change, Saussure recognized that when linguistic signifiers (words) change, so might the linguistic signified (meaning). One of his examples is the Latin word necare, kill, which became the French word noyer, drown. So, it is natural for words to change and meanings to change along with them. However, in the linguistic tradition, “the action of time combined with the social force keeps language from being a simple convention that can be modified at the whim of interested parties.”2 Simply put, meanings cannot be changed or amended haphazardly.
In the case of the term ‘immaterialism’, it is important to note the definition of the term. Immaterialism refers to a critique of materialism made in the 18th century by Irish philosopher and bishop George Berkeley. In refuting materialism, he argued that “if all knowledge comes from the senses, nothing has reality for us unless we perceive or have perceived it.”3 The philosophy of immaterialism forwards that even tangible items exist only in the subjective realm. Any additional meaning ascribed to the term ‘immaterialism’ should recognize the potential to be affected by and also to circumscribe this previous philosophical definition.
Departing from philosophy and linguistic tradition, what Walker suggests is assigning a new and, I will argue, incorrect definition to the term ‘immaterialism’. This new conception of ‘immaterialism’ takes the term materialism (highest value is placed in material objects or material well-being) and adds the prefix im- in order to recognize that the good purchased is virtual rather than tangible. This presents a contradictory definition since, on one hand, the prefix im- denotes ‘lacking’, but while the virtual marketplace may be lacking a great deal, I think that Walker will agree that it is abundantly materialistic. On the other hand, the term immaterial refers to that which is unimportant or irrelevant, but as Walker argues, virtual gifts, apps, and collectibles are important, relevant, and effective. So, then, what is the form of materialism that is occurring through the practice of virtual consumption?
If we are to agree that (a) virtual consumption is occurring and (b) virtual consumption generates a form of materialism, the practice should be defined correctly. The form of materialism that occurs through virtual consumption is tangible by proxy. Virtual consumers need certain tangible resources and tools: electricity, a computer, a modem, a router, an internet service provider. The ISP, in turn, needs resources and tools: labor, servers, racks, an office. In all of this, there is no lack of tangible goods and services being consumed. However, when we purchase and consume a virtual item, we are also engaging in intangible materialism, where a high value is placed on the consumption of intangible goods or services. Any argument otherwise would be immaterial.
1 Saussure, Ferdinand de. Course in General Linguistics. Eds. Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye. Trans. Roy Harris. La Salle, (Illinois: Open Court. 1983), 77.
2 Ibid., 78.
3 Durant, Will and Ariel. The Story of Civilization, Part VIII: The Age of Louis XIV. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963), 594.
In considering ‘immaterialism’ as a concept, it is important to first accede that “time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law.”1 By allowing for change, Saussure recognized that when linguistic signifiers (words) change, so might the linguistic signified (meaning). One of his examples is the Latin word necare, kill, which became the French word noyer, drown. So, it is natural for words to change and meanings to change along with them. However, in the linguistic tradition, “the action of time combined with the social force keeps language from being a simple convention that can be modified at the whim of interested parties.”2 Simply put, meanings cannot be changed or amended haphazardly.
In the case of the term ‘immaterialism’, it is important to note the definition of the term. Immaterialism refers to a critique of materialism made in the 18th century by Irish philosopher and bishop George Berkeley. In refuting materialism, he argued that “if all knowledge comes from the senses, nothing has reality for us unless we perceive or have perceived it.”3 The philosophy of immaterialism forwards that even tangible items exist only in the subjective realm. Any additional meaning ascribed to the term ‘immaterialism’ should recognize the potential to be affected by and also to circumscribe this previous philosophical definition.
Departing from philosophy and linguistic tradition, what Walker suggests is assigning a new and, I will argue, incorrect definition to the term ‘immaterialism’. This new conception of ‘immaterialism’ takes the term materialism (highest value is placed in material objects or material well-being) and adds the prefix im- in order to recognize that the good purchased is virtual rather than tangible. This presents a contradictory definition since, on one hand, the prefix im- denotes ‘lacking’, but while the virtual marketplace may be lacking a great deal, I think that Walker will agree that it is abundantly materialistic. On the other hand, the term immaterial refers to that which is unimportant or irrelevant, but as Walker argues, virtual gifts, apps, and collectibles are important, relevant, and effective. So, then, what is the form of materialism that is occurring through the practice of virtual consumption?
If we are to agree that (a) virtual consumption is occurring and (b) virtual consumption generates a form of materialism, the practice should be defined correctly. The form of materialism that occurs through virtual consumption is tangible by proxy. Virtual consumers need certain tangible resources and tools: electricity, a computer, a modem, a router, an internet service provider. The ISP, in turn, needs resources and tools: labor, servers, racks, an office. In all of this, there is no lack of tangible goods and services being consumed. However, when we purchase and consume a virtual item, we are also engaging in intangible materialism, where a high value is placed on the consumption of intangible goods or services. Any argument otherwise would be immaterial.
1 Saussure, Ferdinand de. Course in General Linguistics. Eds. Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye. Trans. Roy Harris. La Salle, (Illinois: Open Court. 1983), 77.
2 Ibid., 78.
3 Durant, Will and Ariel. The Story of Civilization, Part VIII: The Age of Louis XIV. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1963), 594.
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- John Rose
- "If you broke the record, or tore up the score, the song would still be there."
