Rotundus.com

What's your favourite pseudo-scientific way of measuring the state of the economy?

• The Lipstick Index: Lipstick bucks the trend: in hard times, women buy more of it, as it is an affordable indulgence. That, at least, is the idea behind the “lipstick index”, a term coined by Leonard Lauder, the chairman of Estée Lauder, a cosmetics firm, in the 2001 recession. ... Believers in the theory trace the phenomenon back to the Depression, when cosmetic sales increased by 25%, despite the convulsing economy. (the Economist, where this quote is from, disputes this trend)
• The Hemline Index: It is almost a century since the US economist George Taylor came up with the revolutionary "hemline index" - the idea that when the economy is good, women's skirts get shorter, and when times are hard hemlines fall. (In The Independent)
• The Hair Length Index: Japanese researchers have found that when economies are doing well, women wear their hair long; when there is a slump, they cut it short. (also from The Independent)

But then the invitation to lunch so soon after meeting him. Well that just about knocked me down. At the very least, it was moving too fast. And with my southern upbringing, it might have even been considered impolite. I gave a polite southern way of saying no, "That's mighty nice of you. Perhaps some other time." Now everybody down south knows that a sentence like that means "no." And they know that's how you have to say "no" because actually saying "no" is itself impolite. And southerners are nothing if not polite.

So, I had clearly said "no" to this man's kind but hasty offer of lunch. And wouldn't you know it? The very next week when we went to this strange church again, he insisted that we join them for lunch. He was New Jersey. He didn't understand the rules and DC was too close to the Mason-Dixon to clearly establish which "Rome" we were in and what we should do.

(Found here)

I think I'll always find the differences between cultures odd. For the most part I'd consider myself part of the blunt category ... and people who can't commit to a "yes" or "no" answer tend drive me up the wall (even if I know them well enough to interpret their response).

But considering that my family talked from time to time about creating a Dave <-> English dictionary, I suppose that I can't complain too much.

And, of course, the machines are sabbath-observant, not dispensing food on Saturdays. I'm curious about what those opposed to Sabbath commerce think of these things.