One of my students, a bigger Invicta freak than I am, told me yesterday that he was in Las Vegas recently hanging out at a casino when he saw a multi-millionaire donned in a $50,000 Rolex become floored when he saw a man wearing the Invicta Subaqua Noma III, a relatively "cheap" $1,800. The millionaire approached the Invicta-wearing gentleman and offered him to buy his watch in cash. The Invicta wearer declined the offer but was kind enough to tell the rich man what kind of watch he was wearing.
I don't blame the rich man for longing for the Invicta. I suppose his Rolex had a puny 40-inch bezel face. In contrast, the Invicta features a whopping 58-inch bezel. Only men with Popeye forearms need apply.
If I hadn't made some compulsive pecuniary transactions over the last year I might shell out $1,800 for this beauty. But I must remind myself of Kierkegaard's aphorism: "Fulfillment is in the wish." And I covet this watch so much I'd have to get it in both blue and black.
Soren Kierkegaard and Vegas, buddy, tell me about it. I was in Vegas only once but that's plenty for me. All those people want to do is argue about 19th century European philosophers, what a bore. Why, one otherwise-pleasant young woman stormed off on me merely for suggesting that Arthur Schoperhauer's work wasn't entirely incompatible with a deist perspective, and I had just stuffed a 20 dollar bill in her g-string. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's touchy people!
Posted by: Mike W | July 10, 2008 at 08:02 PM
Mike, my Vegas-Kierkegaard juxtaposition is absurd, but damn it's hard to spice up my posts a little without throwing in a philosophical quote or other.
BTW, I'm sort of over the whole buy antique radios on eBay thing. I'm sick of the repairs and other age-related problems.
Posted by: jeffrey McMahon | July 10, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Jeff, I wasn't b-breaking there, just picking up on the riff. In fact, I really was in Vegas only once and found it boring precisely because it seemed to be populated exclusively by people who wouldn't catch either of those two odd surnames, even if I did misspell one of them.
As far as the old radios go, seems you went off a little scattershot there, you gotta pick 'em a little more carefully.
Posted by: Mike W | July 10, 2008 at 08:30 PM
I was scattershot, all right. Now I'm sick of the whole eBay thing.
I know you weren't b-breaking. Your post was hilarious.
I've never been to Vegas but will be there in early August. It will be 120 degrees. Where's the cabana?
Posted by: jeffrey McMahon | July 10, 2008 at 09:41 PM