Wednesday, December 02, 2009

My Achy Breaky Pot

I had two WTH moments today.  I would think of a third for balance (does standing next to Atul Gwande for 5 seconds count?), but my judgment is rather clouded today.

Chance beyond chance today, I came across a paper in a prestigious cancer journal, written by an old, old friend from middle school.  It must have just come out.  It was a complete fluke, but now, the people who read her facebook wall will think that I regularly read important cancer journals.  I'm OK with that.
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There are 2 Asian grocery stores down the street from me.  I usually prefer the farther one since the closer one attracts a fair number of drunks and/or belligerents.  (Then again, so does my entire neighborhood.)  Today, however, I didn't go the extra mile.  It turns out, I wasn't the only one skimping on quality.  The lady in front of me bought a tea pot and when she went to pay for it, the very helpful cashier asked, "Did you make sure that it doesn't leak?  We have a no refund policy."

"How do I check that it doesn't leak?"

"Put water in it."

"What?  How?  I don't have any water."

"You can get some water."

"Now?  Where?"

"There's water where you found the tea pot."

Apparently, the store has a vat of water by the pots where the customers can test the vessels for themselves.  Helpful, yes.  But, so are litmus strips for arsenic.  I like my stores better when they only sell non-leaking teapots.   

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