- trivia -

[sear]

"Do you blame them?" S2 #80

This didactic question posted "under the wire", 12 hours before the end of January, 2026 / ET deadline,
has earned the prestigious DIDACTIC QUESTION / STEAMER OF THE MONTH award @CV.us

"Blame"?
They're humans, many with parental and or other responsibilities. Sitting this one out doesn't cram maypo into the little leaker. BUT !

Those that did refuse to participate are entitled to clear conscience about it.

Wearing a mask while robbing a bank may seem to offer some anonymity, but doesn't render the conduct any less deplorable.

Credit where credit is doo ?

Congratulations to S2 for being this month's winner, and Melania audiences for being this month's losers. They have you outnumbered S2.

 

[sear]

What It Means​

short shrift​

noun SHORT-SHRIFT
Short shrift means:
a) “little or no attention or thought” or “quick work.”
b) In religious use it refers to barely adequate time for confession before execution.

Definition of SHORT SHRIFT

barely adequate time for confession before execution; little or no attention or consideration; quick work —usually used in the phrase make short shrift of… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

Perhaps definition b) explains why complaints using the term are so rare.

 

[Shiftless2]

Sylvan Goldman introduced the first official shopping cart in 1937 in Oklahoma City. At the time, he owned a supermarket chain and noticed customers stopped shopping once their hand baskets got too heavy. His solution was a folding metal frame that held two wire baskets—basically a chair on wheels adapted for groceries.

The idea made practical sense, but shoppers hated it. Many men said pushing a cart felt weak or “unmanly.” Women avoided it because it reminded them of pushing a baby carriage. As a result, carts sat unused in stores at first.

Goldman responded with an unusual bit of social engineering. He hired well-dressed men and women to walk around the store pushing carts, making them look normal and even fashionable. He also stationed employees near the entrance to politely explain how carts worked and why they were helpful. Slowly, resistance faded.

Within a few years, the shopping cart became standard in American supermarkets. Goldman later refined the design, patented improvements, and built a business manufacturing carts—changing retail forever. What began as an awkward invention people mocked became one of the most profitable ideas in shopping history.