What Must You Think of Me!

For years I have heard people joke about the iTunes recommends section of the iStore "you don't know me, iTunes!!" Though the suggestions sometimes feel insulting, I can see the path fairly clearly and the conclusions are logical, even if taste is not. Amazon recommends however, those require leaps of the imagination.

Regular readers will be aware that I teach karate and enjoy cooking. It should come as no surprise that I have purchased books about karate and cookbooks such as home canning guides. Both are activities I want to do safely without injuring or poisoning anyone and with all due respect, I don't believe everything I find on the internet.

After teaching karate for 10 years, I worry that my drills might be getting a little stale, so one of the books I purchased was about conditioning for martial arts. I thought I'd learn some new exercise ideas to liven up my advanced classes (I didn't, the book was useless). When Amazon recommended books on Kettlebell training, it didn't seem that far fetched. "Jailhouse Strong" was a little unsettling, both that it exists in the first place and that a search engine would lump it in with fitness and martial arts. Why does everyone think all dojos Kobra Kai from Karate Kid?

What really surprised me were the prepper book suggestions. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "prepper" it is a new word for "Survivalist" - people who actively prepare for the apocalypse. As a Red Cross trained Disaster Relief volunteer, I understand the importance of having an emergency kit in case of fire, flood or natural disaster, (even though I don't) but that is child's play to the prepper. Preppers are more the modern equivalent to the bomb shelter builders of the 1950's. Prepper websites include such topics as, "safely crossing a fence with a firearm" and debating "bugging out vs hunkering down". All this because I wanted to enjoy my favourite roasted tomato sauce during winter when produce available at the grocery store is flavourless. 

Taken individually, these recommendations are funny. Put them together and you get the kind of profile the NSA would red flag. What Amazon seems to be suggesting is that I am hording supplies for the inevitable doomsday that I may or may not be planning to cause and preparing my body to survive my prison stay once the authorities catch up with my unhinged ass. 

Seriouly, Amazon, you do not know me!