Boy, I am now in the mood for a peach... lol.. Dmnkly, you made that sound soooooooooo good...

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Okay, everyone. This is interesting and all, and I see both sides to it. But honestly, do you realize how harshly and cruelly you've just treated each other over this? Acknowledged, Pam typed in all caps, which is normally considered rude. My brother types in all caps, too, and I've given up telling him about it. He does it because he's not the best typist in the world and for whatever reason doesn't want to use all lower (go figure! I don't claim to understand him). Dmnkly defended cultural sensitivity, individualism and knowledge. Bravo. But isn't there a kinder way to do so? You know, educate her without being nasty? Because let's face it--the article didn't mention WHY square watermelon were that expensive or anything about Japanese culture. The article was poorly written and lacked information.

You know, produce prices aside, the world IS in a sorry state of affairs if we really need to make everything this dramatic. Everyone here needs to take a deep breath and CALM DOWN.

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i think you're all a little too much to handle...

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i disabled my caps lock key in the registry too.

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OK FOLKS,
I THINK I HAVE SEEN JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING NOW !!!! LET ME BEGIN BUT SAYING I AM 53 AND HAVE DONE A LOT IN MY LIFE. FROM MARINE TO MEDIC AND HAVE SEEN A LOT OF WIERD THINGS. NOT TO MENTION REMEMBER THE DAYS WHEN THIS MELON WOULD SELL BY THE ROADSIDE 2 FOR 5 DOLLARS.. SEEDS AND ALL.. BUT NOW WE ARE PAYING CLOSE TO $8.00 FOR 1. FORGET THE CUT UP PIECES. THEN THERE WAS SQUARE MELONS.. NOW THIS... FOR 82 DOLLARS.. AND SAD THING IS I KNOW SOME OF THE YUPPIES OUT THERE ARE GOING TO BUY IT. MY NANA MUST BE ROLLING IN HER GRAVE JUST ABOUT NOW.. IT IS NO WONDER THE GOOD LORD TAKES US BEFORE IT BEGINS TO GET TOO MUCH FOR US MENTALY. OR WE ARE RENDERED UNSTABLE AND COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT HOW MUCH ANYTHING COSTS. FOR 82 DOLLARS I WANT IT TO EITHER CLEAN MY HOUSE, OR PAY ONE OF MY BILLS. I WILL BE THE ONE AT THE PRODUCE COUNTER LOOKING AND SHAKING HER HEAD, AND BUYING THE ONE FOR $ 8.00 AND GRUMBLING ABOUT THAT..
A WATERMELON LOVER (BUT NOT
FOR $82)

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i disabled my caps lock key in the registry.

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Pamela...

Before you spout off, ridiculing this idea and generalizing about how you're sure it will only be supported by those crazy, stupid yuppies, you might want to learn a bit about Japanese culture and the place of premium produce therein.

Though there is normally priced produce in Japan, there is also premium produce. This premium produce is, quite simply, perfect. Premium fruits are completely blemish free, perfectly shaped, perfectly ripe, usually enormous, and elaborately packaged in special, expensive gift boxes. This isn't what you pick up at the corner store when you have a taste for watermelon. This is what you give to the president of a company when you're sealing a big business deal. It is a token of respect and a symbol of friendship, and while it may seem silly to you, it's an important Japanese custom with a long history.

While I have not had one of the oddly-shaped watermelons, I was fortunate enough to have a premium peach once at a business lunch in Japan. It was the size of a softball, and not only was it absolutely perfect without the slightest blemish or bruise, but it was also the sweetest most intensely flavored peach I have ever eaten in my entire life, and not by a small margin. It goes beyond being an incredible peach... I simply couldn't conceive that a piece of fruit could be so good. It cost about $30, and while I certainly wouldn't be in the habit of going shopping for $30 peaches, as a once or twice in a lifetime special occasion experience, it was worth every penny. It was one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted in my entire life.

So if you want to leave that to the crazy yuppies, hey, that's fine. But before you criticize so boldly, consider that there may be more going on here than you're aware of.

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You can grow a square watermelon by making sure you grow them inside a breakable, hollow, square. My family has always used cinderblocks. Once the watermelon is ripe, break the blocks with hammers, and Voila! a watermelon that will not roll off the table, and sweet as only homegrown can make them

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Dmnkly: my hero.

PS. Pamela, typing in ALL CAPS is considered rude and ignorant...

PPS. The good Lord's got nuttin' to do w/ the price of watermelon--leave him out of it will ya?

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