File under—Cash (Credit or Debit Card) & Carry
Since I’m not finding writing/editing work—not producing—I’m tempted to prove my good citizenship (You guessed it!) by consuming. Earlier today I headed to IKEA, truly a global corporate winner in these hard times, which even trickle up to negatively affect the availability of capital and the large venture capitalist. (Don’t worry, Mr. Bush will attend to their needs and eventually there may be a gravitational trickle.) But, as I was saying, I headed to IKEA.
One of the things I particularly liked about IKEA was the lunch special: the $4.95 poached salmon plate included salmon filet, sauce, lemon, four boiled potatoes, seven broccoli florets, dinner roll, fountain drink (which could be Swedish lingonberry) and, for dessert, a light lemon mousse. If I indulge such a high protein and food-group-balanced meal at lunch, I notice a terrific increase in my energy level later when I work out at the gym. No longer a loss leader, the meal price is $6.95 and they’ve dropped the beverage and dessert. So it goes.
Another thing I like about IKEA is that the products almost all bear Swedish names, a quaint language few of the world’s people understand though we’re learning. (Product instructions are repeated in 14 languages, so I assume IKEA design solutions are available almost as many places as MacDonald’s hamburgers and Starbuck’s coffee.) I spent $7.95 on an
Uddevalla, an unfinished folding pine table perfect for TV dining. Almost on the way out, a colorful green-and-red striped
Rimma caught my eye; I could appreciate its value as a doormat though the price was $9.95. The Uddevalla was cut, sanded, and assembled in the People’s Republic of China, while the Rimma was woven and gaily dyed in India. I can only imagine what price the producers receive per item.
(Cousin Jeff commiserated when I bumped into him the other day about unemployment. He’s worried that Bank of America is beginning a new spate of layoffs. Though he’s in computers he may have reason for trepidation. I heard on the radio that B of A is rendering redundant its US-based technical writers. Well-educated, English-fluent South Asians are happy to provide the service for a salary of 17K without benefits. Other reports have vast staffing in places like Bangalore studying American slang so they can convincingly provide “next-door” product customer service. So much for globalization.)
Back to IKEA. Months ago I’d bought an inexpensive shelf of four Russian-built plywood drawers—advertised as perfect for organizing the CD collection. When I discovered I needed another set to house my audio library, the store was interminably out of stock. About two months ago I found the item there and bought a second one. This time, however, though the exterior dimensions were exactly as before, due to heavier plywood used in the drawers the interior dimensions allowed only three CDs to be stored—diagonally. I returned my purchase, thinking it was defective, but took a CD to make sure. Surprisingly, all of the similar-sized boxes had inadequate interior dimensions for the advertised purpose. Though I get no Winona Ryder-like thrill from larceny, I discovered IKEA separately selling CD drawers of the same dimensions as before. I unwrapped four and replaced them in the shelf—a perfect fit—for the heavy, inadequate drawers. I kept the plastic with the original bar code intact for checkout. I almost tried this tact another time, but heard a Code 32 called simultaneously over the PA system and got cold feet. (OK, for the giving season here’s a little riff on contemporary first-world consuming.)
posted by Paul at 2:10 PM
