Can Desire be Engineered?

"Can Desire be Engineered?" was the headline on a freeway billboard several years ago. It was showcasing Chrysler automobiles. The thought , though, intriqued me.

For many years I've been fascinated by advertising and marketing -- a catchy slogan, a well-turned phrase, and of course a fabulous photo -- so for a couple months I've been looking at this page in a catalog mailer. At first I thought I had to get myself that outfit; then I knew that was crazy. So I kept resisting the urge.

Early this evening, from the corner of my eye, I saw this page again. My instant thought was, "I've got to throw that catalog out." Then I made a deal with myself, "I'll take a photo of it, so I can keep it forever, not have to spend the money, and then throw the catalog away."

Sheeeeesh, if I had allowed myself to purchase that outfit, even with the coupon that accompanied the catalog, it would have been frivilous spending. I need to find two other gals I can share the purchase with. Dividing the cost in thirds would make it just about affordable. But it would still be an outfit I wouldn't wear because, well, where do you wear something like that? So , it was an absolutely frivilous desire!

Why do I like it so much? I'm really not sure . . . maybe because she looks tall and skinny, but at 5'6" I'm not tall. . . . Maybe I like it because when I was a little girl, in my mind my mom looked like this model. My mom was not a model, and she'd laugh at the idea that I would even think that she resembled this woman. But that's what I think.

So I've out smarted the engineers; I've kept the catalog long enough to let the desire fade, so now I have a little more room in my closet and unspent money in my wallet.

And it's been a lovely Tuesday -- except that I need to get logged-into the online course that I enrolled in. I have an assignment due tomorrow -- it is good for a teacher to once in a while be a student with homework to do. And my Tuesday students have submitted another project for me to read, mark, and score. Good grief, you'd think I'd stop assigning them all this work. And the weather reporters claim that record heat is arriving tomorrow (I've had just about enough summer). Somebody send us some autumn!

Good night from Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka


P.S. And the photo from last year is a fun memory -- back then I didn't own a dog and I didn't own a Mac. This evening I sit here surround ed by three little critters who make me laugh and are so much fun, and I finally have my very own MacBookPro! Woohoo!