Thus, I am baffled

I found myself in the midst of a swirling vortex of "Wha -?" all day long. "Wha - ?" you ask? (And can one use two question marks in one sentence?) Yes. Total puzzlement over several little things has grown into one big ball of confusion. For example:

• When did toothbrushes get so expensive? I'm talking about just the regular, manual kind. A stick of plastic with some bristles on the end. I mean, $3 - $10 for a plain old toothbrush - why? And don't get me started on the toothpaste. Can we ditch Emeril, and go back to the animated Ipana beaver? It was a lot cheaper.


• Why do credit card companies make the numbers on the card so hard to read? I get that it might be somewhat of a security measure, but when the cardholder can't make out the numbers at all and has to do a crayon rubbing to reveal them, things are out of whack. Or maybe I'm just getting too old to read the numbers.


• What is it about rich folks that allows them to get away without paying taxes until they are being vetted for some political position? Somehow, I don't think the IRS will buy it if I say, "I forgot."


• Why do I keep getting ads through the mail for General Motors cars? What on earth would make me want to run out and buy a Cadillac Escalade or Chevy Malibu at this particular point in time?


• Why do I keep getting ads through the mail for car insurance when I don't own a car (GM or otherwise)?


• What in the time/space continuum causes a 4-day work week to seem longer than a 5-day work week?

Thus, I am baffled. Wha-?