Good Morning.

TriSec is shaking his head today over an item I ran across in a Harriet Carter catalog. Oh, we all get them - it comes every few weeks and is full of all sorts of weird and wonderful products that "everybody wants because everybody needs".

But buried deep inside the most recent one, I found something that made me do a double-take.





Tummy Liners
Tummy liner keeps midsection dry and infection-free. Soft, 100% cotton liner tucks underneath abdominal folds to absorb perspiration and help prevent chafing, heat rash and infections. Ideal for pregnant women, post-surgery or bed­rid­den conditions. Machine wash­able. Sizes: M (24" L), L (28" L), XL (32" L). Set of 3. Imported.

Now, I'll pause one second and applaud the enterprising person that came up with such a thing. Ain't capitalism grand? Somebody saw a "need" and developed a product and is now making money with it. Good for you.

But doesn't everything about this just scream "Wrong!!!"?

Oh, it's pitched as a therapeutic aid...and I'm sure there may be a few folks out there that would actually benefit from such a thing. But.....really? This really just strikes me as exploitation.

I suppose it all ties back to the root cause. We all know that Americans are getting increasingly lazy and overweight, perhaps through no fault of our own, but perhaps exclusively through our own fault. Who can really tell?

But isn't this just another symptom of the overall general decline? Just contrast how you feel when you're thin and hungry vs when you're all full and satisfied. Under which conditions are you more likely to be inspired to do great things?

No less than Red Auerbach said it - you should always go into a game a little hungry.

I fear Americans have lost that hunger, and other thinner, leaner countries are passing us by. Literally and metaphorically.


[And a friendly reminder - we're off to camp tomorrow morning. Tuesday and next Saturday are still available - unless I missed the coverage, of course.]