I saw this ad on my Google mail this morning:
Never Wax Your Airplane – [url deleted] – NASA Technology Makes Waxes Obsolete. Amazing Shine! $69.95
Two thoughts:
- How many people have their own airplane? And, of these people, how many of them are looking to keep their planes shiny at lower cost?
- “Waxing the airplane” sounds like a new synonym for, well, self-gratification, if you get my drift.
Two things caught my attention on Sunday. The first happened when I went out to breakfast. A man sitting at the table behind me complained to the waitress about his omelette. He had asked for a two-egg omelette, and was miffed because the omelette contained three eggs. The waitress explained that their eggs were fairly small (true), so their three-egg omelette was roughly equivalent to a normal two-egg omelette. This logic did not sway our man: he said that he wanted only two eggs, not three, and why couldn’t he get what he wanted, for chrissake? The long-suffering waitperson offered to have the cook prepare a two-egg omelette, but the man said that he didn’t have time for that, and generally acted huffy and displeased. I thought, why not just eat two-thirds of the omelette, for crying out loud? And I wondered: if this man has so much difficulty coping with the concept of an omelette not being manufactured to his precise specifications, how could he possibly handle greater adversities in life? He seems crippled by his sense of entitlement.
The other thing that caught my attention happened on the University subway at about 9:30 in the evening on Sunday. The car I was in was almost empty. At the far end, a much older man, clearly suffering from the long-term effects of years of excessive drinking, was lurching about. Then, he spotted an empty plastic shopping bag and some loose pieces of paper lying on the floor. With great difficulty, he bent over to pick up the bag and the papers, and proceeded to stuff the papers into the bag. This was hard for him to do, but he finally managed it. Then, he threw the bag away with great force and sank back into his seat, mumbling to himself. I thought: I have no idea what life will be like for me when I grow old, but I hope it turns out better than that.
Posted by davetill 