holiday one-upmanship

life is all about one-upmanship. it is not good enough to be good; it is important to be better. one step beyond "keeping up with the Joneses" is "getting ahead of the Joneses". a good car is nice, but a fancy car "reveals your personality" - whatever that means. as the TV ad went, "neighbours' envy, owners' pride".

no longer is a holiday just a holiday. it is an opportunity to show off one's status, one's creativity and of course, one's wealth. there are different ways to do this, but i like the one with the last minute excuse. this hilarious article sets the tone for the rest of the summer.