When I first moved into my own apartment, he bought me an EggTastic, one of those As Seen on TV products that sounds far more useful in theory than it is in practice. It’s a glorified ceramic mug that lets you make an omelet in the microwave. I pointed out to my dad that cooking an egg is not really a task that requires innovation. But he raved about his EggTastic, and wanted to share with me the gift of convenience. When the package arrived and I stared at the little white-and-yellow cup, the chirpy cartoon lettering, I was struck not by sadness but by the bite of pity that comes when you
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