Phaedrus, I knew Aesop. Aesop was a friend of mine. And you're no Aesop.
Growing up in San Antonio rooting for the Spurs, I hate to admit it, but you're right about them too. I don't think anyone's knees wobble when they see them on the schedule. In their heyday, I think the hated Detroit Pistons were much more intimitading (the image of Bill Laimbeer still churns my Spurs-loving gut).
Great article, and I completely agree! Another aspect of dynasties is that they bring out the best in their competition. As a die-hard Cowboys fan, I was always frustrated that no matter how bad of a season the Detroit Lions were having, all of a sudden they turned into Lombardi's Packers when they faced Big D (especially during the Aikman era). If you're some crummy team like the Chiefs, and you know you're gonna end up with 3 wins or so, then New England or Indianapolis suddenly becomes the Super Bowl on your schedule. You'll rarely see a team unprepared when going up against a dynasty.
Another great article. I think what really supports what Eagleton was saying is the great challenge that faces anyone trying to become fluent in a foreign language (in my case, Japanese). It's one thing to learn the textbook version of a language, but then at some point you face the biggest hurdle - idioms. Every language has them, and if taken at face value can be very confusing: "he went the whole nine yards", "beating around the bush", "don't throw out the baby with the bathwater". I have always sympathized with anyone trying to learn English as a second language.
I was holding a Diet Coke (which is the case most of my waking hours) when I wrote the article, so it was the metaphor at hand...so to speak [groans from audience].
I don't mind...I think it was great!
Vlad, that's hilarious. I had no idea that my article had been billed as "IKEA Sucks...". It might explain some of the visceral reaction - I guess if you love that store you might take it as a personal attack. I think we should name our next article, "Why Strawberry Is The Worst Flavor Of Ice Cream".
I'm not sure the expensive furniture can be sold any cheaper, to be honest. If it took you 3 months to hand-make a wardrobe, what would you charge for that? If you wanted to make a decent living, say $60k, you would have to charge $15k for that wardrobe. Who can afford that?
My beef is with the manufacturers of mass-produced furniture, who could dramatically increase their quality by reducing their profit margin. We've all heard enough stories about Nike shoes being made in the Far East for $3.00 and being sold to Americans for $125. Same idea.
Wrong. I don't look down on anyone buying these products. I thought I made that clear. I'm angry at the manufacturers who produce shoddy goods just to increase their profit margin. You should be angry too.
And by the way, a lot of people seem to be making assumptions about who I am and where I come from. I grew up among the "lower classes" I spoke of and am not ashamed of it. Even now, I'm middle class at best. I guess prejudice is alive and well.
You make a good point about the high price of quality merchandise. And if an armoire takes 4 months to build, I guess the builder has to charge an exorbitant rate. I guess there should just be a middle ground. I think if manufacturers of mass produced furniture upgraded their quality, it might mean reducing their profit margin from 70% to 50%. I just wish consumers would demand that sort of thing instead of just laying down and saying, "oh well, guess that's just the way it is".
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Invention