Some people are craftier than others. They know how to pitch their wares; They know how to grab your attention, and they're not even around. It's called point of purchase. Go into any major grocery store and you'll see mammoth displays near the entrance. The closer to the shopping cart corral, the more likely their product will be placed in the basket, burried and forgotten about, under the items you really do need, and at the end of your journey, you'll unload your cart not even paying attention to the conveyor belt pulling everything toward the scanner. It's a done deal. You'll swipe your card and sign.A month ago one of my students brought in a preying mantis like the one pictured above. He knew I was fascinated with bugs. He knew how I'd react. "Where'd you get that, it's so cool!" I said.
"The Bug Man," he replied.
Before I knew it, I was filling out a disbursement form to buy two more of these preying mantises. I'm too embarassed to tell you what I paid for them; afterall, they're made out of paperclips, cardboard, paper, glue, and paint. The Bug Man set me up. He's probably buying himself some Right Guard from the prison store as we speak.
5 comments:
Oh my God those pictures are soooo cute! hehe liked the post today jim!
Jim,
Hilarious! And right on. Points of purchase, indeed.
~~Erik
Awful bugs! My brother had one, a real one, when we were children and he'd lovingly take it from its plastic box and walk around with it on his shoulder. I'd cower in the cage of my room and shudder whenever he'd walk past. Now, thank God, he exchanged the bug for a bird, who is more dangerous with his nibbling swoops but far less frightening.
Great pics. There are plenty of bugs at the shop. Just a note: When I clicked on links to post all your archives came up. So it doesn't look like its been lost. But why the change in format?
MW
Hell, I don't know. I guess I'm a clickaholic. I'll have to "work the bugs out."
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