The World Has Gone Mad

[fauxklore]

I am slowly making my way through the mail that accumulated during my vacation. I decided that I would try not to just stash the junk mail in the Box of Shame. Instead, I am actually looking through things like mail order catalogues relatively promptly.

Which means that I am, once again, puzzled by the existence of various products. The source of my greatest puzzlement at the moment is Smith & Hawken. This is a company that sells what are, nominally, garden products. In practice, that means they mostly sell metal trellises and wooden outdoor furniture sets. I think they used to sell some practical odds and ends like plastic clogs, but there is no sign of that in this catalogue.

I can't comprehend what sort of person would buy a $6000 gas grill. No, wait, I can. I imagine that, were he still alive, my father might well go for such a thing, given the competitive barbecuing that the Weber oven inspired in him. Male gadget syndrome can be a serious condition.

But what on earth would make anybody buy an outdoor television? If you are outdoors, watch the bloody outdoors.

Comments

[ron_newman]

what is an 'outdoor television'? Just one that uses batteries instead of AC?

I could imagine myself wanting to sit outdoors at a picnic and still have the Red Sox game on.

[fauxklore]

There have been small portable battery operated TVs available for years. I think they're silly, but I can handle that. (If I'm not at a game, I prefer baseball on radio to television, personally.)

But these are serious televisions. 32-52 inch LCD TVs,at price tags starting over 3 grand. What makes them outdoor televisions is apparently the weatherproofing to withstand temperature extremes and rain.