"Dad?"
"Where else but at Williams & Sonoma could you find a waffle iron that makes waffles in the shapes of farm animals?"
"You're not thinking of buying it, are you?"
"And it's on sale! Only $76!"
"Think of how humiliated your children would be to have their friends be served waffles in the shape of farm animals!"
"Must... purchase..."
"Help! Help! We need to pull him out of the store! He's been trapped by advertising!"
[Later]
"There. Aren't you glad we pulled you out of that store before it was too late? We don't need a waffle iron that makes waffles in the shapes of farm animals. Nobody needs that."
"We don't need very much. All we need is enough food to not be terribly hungry, enough clothing to not be shivering cold, enough shelter to not be miserably wet, and enough books to not be deathly bored. Everything else is a 'convenience' or a 'luxury'."
"Why isn't he saying that we need to buy the waffle iron to stimulate the economy?..."
Posted by DeLong at December 22, 2003 07:10 PM | TrackBack
Because 'the economy' is really the 'umpa-lumpa's --not really OUR economy. Buying one of those 'farm animal waffle makers' could put more of our waffle makers out of business.( OK ok there is 1 or 2 local 'entrepenures' that are 'stimulated'). Now if it were bags of whole wheat... that would be different: just imagine--20 lb sacks of flour under the Xmas tree. Some treat! And mid-west farmers dancing in the streets! ( OK ok 'in the fields').
Posted by: calmo on December 22, 2003 07:34 PMBrad needs to steer clear of those waffles. Pass him some protein!
Posted by: pills on December 22, 2003 08:29 PMAnd unfortunately, over here outside of US, especially where general level of education is low, animal shaped waffles, along with "Sex and the City" (did I get it right?) get to represent America. How? Mainly, through the national media, and the process of a la mode in private and public sector bureaucracy.
Somehow the national media is motivated and works hard to import and promote bad copies of extravagant and sassy elements of the American culture, rather than the sane and productive side of it.
This process on one hand causes degeneration in some segments of the population over here and causes animosity towards America in other segments of the population.
(But all that and other national-level stuff is really none of mah business-- I have had my fill of dealing with national issues over here and the jerks won. I was just overwhelmingly outnumbered and gave up, got burned out. So I don't concern myself with national issues any longer. I don't even watch TV or read papers.)
Posted by: Bulent Sayin on December 22, 2003 10:43 PMC'mon, Brad. It's speaking to you. You know you want it. You could even say you need it. I bet you can get it through their website, right from your office, with no children around to prevent you. What say, huh??
Posted by: Chuck Nolan on December 23, 2003 04:59 AMUhm, if you're not going to eat that little piggy waffy, can I have it?
Posted by: Bulent Sayin on December 23, 2003 06:05 AMNo, seriously, go with a normal waffle iron. How many horse shaped waffles will you make before you're tired of the novelty? Go with a normal one whose waffles are boring from batter one.
Posted by: tegwar on December 23, 2003 08:35 AMAnd please, please, please....make light crisp yeast waffles, be they shaped like cows or sponge bob
Posted by: peter on December 23, 2003 08:47 AMUnder the strategy of culinary preemption, it is wiser to permit the purchase of a $76 kitchen thingie which can later be used in the future as a cudgel when faced with a even larger purchase ("A $200 blender? Remember, you bought that animal waffle maker and only used it once!"). The fact that this always unanswerable argument was not used strongly indicates that it is not in arsenal or at least needs upgrading. This way both sides get to stock up.
And how soon before they come out with a dog-figure waffle iron? Then someone will really be sorry.
Posted by: J Edgar on December 23, 2003 08:51 AMI used to work for Williams-Sonoma phone support. You wouldn't believe just how common this sort of impulse purchase is.
Posted by: Scott Martens on December 23, 2003 09:19 AMI used to work for Williams-Sonoma phone support. You wouldn't believe just how common this sort of impulse purchase is.
Posted by: Scott Martens on December 23, 2003 09:21 AMhey, it's like that bobble-head commercial... what's that commercial for?
Posted by: drk on December 23, 2003 11:10 AMhey, it's like that bobble-head commercial... what's that commercial for?
Posted by: drk on December 23, 2003 11:13 AMhey, it's like that bobble-head commercial... what's that commercial for?
Posted by: drk on December 23, 2003 11:13 AMhey, it's like that bobble-head commercial... what's that commercial for?
Posted by: drk on December 23, 2003 11:16 AMWithout form there is no desire
Without desire there is tranquility
And all things would be at peace
-Lao Tzu
Teo Teh King Ch. 37
Feng and English trans.