Someone found a chicken McNugget in his serving, which resembled the profile of George Washington on the United States quarter dollar coin. He put it up for sale on eBay, and netted over $8,000.00.
This reminds of a story about massive crowds forming in the 1980s out side of a church in New York in which there was a statue representing the Blessed Virgin Mary, that had tears coming down the cheek of the statue. The crowds grew and this made news, worldwide. Pictures of ecstatic believers, crowding into the church on a sweltering day, reverently praying to a crying statue, were transmitted worldwide.
Some eager Chinese businessmen had taken to studying USA newspapers to see what they might make that would sell well in US. Clearly from the news article, there was great demand yet an amazing shortage of statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that cried. Try as they might, they could find absolutely no one in USA, or anywhere in the world in fact, that sold statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that "cried." Undoubtedly their research was about to pay off.
The entrepreneurs consulted with master ceramicists on how it is done. "No problem, just make pin-holes from the hollow interior of the statue out beyond the face, through where tear ducts would be. Next paint, glaze and fire with these tiny wholes clear. Fill the statue with water, and insert a rubber plug. Capillary action would do the rest, and the hotter the day, the more the tears (since the coefficient of warming water expands faster than warming ceramics, tears flow aplenty.)
So in all sincerity, and with a desire to meet the needs of the faithful second only to a Pope, these Chinese entrepreneurs created, packaged and offered into the USA market statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary "guaranteed to cry, or your money back!"
Imagine their chagrin when the market proved apoplectic. Neither Smart & Final, Ruby Tuesday nor Big! Lots! were interested in the unsaleable item.
Lesson: 1. If you want something to sell in USA, it must be designed and tested in USA, by Americans. You just cannot guess at these things. And if you do not test, you are guessing. The plural of anecdote is not science.
2. The reason the Catholic church expends so much effort disproving "miracles," more so than anyone else, is because it's members are too easily duped. Even after deciding such a thing may be worthy of reverence, the church requires no one to believe it. The scientific community has no such formal challenge to goofy ideas, and seeks to destroy any academic who does not toe the line. Hence so much bad science is so widespread. Whether you believe in Science or Religion, a bit of skepticism can be very healthy.
This reminds of a story about massive crowds forming in the 1980s out side of a church in New York in which there was a statue representing the Blessed Virgin Mary, that had tears coming down the cheek of the statue. The crowds grew and this made news, worldwide. Pictures of ecstatic believers, crowding into the church on a sweltering day, reverently praying to a crying statue, were transmitted worldwide.
Some eager Chinese businessmen had taken to studying USA newspapers to see what they might make that would sell well in US. Clearly from the news article, there was great demand yet an amazing shortage of statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that cried. Try as they might, they could find absolutely no one in USA, or anywhere in the world in fact, that sold statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary that "cried." Undoubtedly their research was about to pay off.
The entrepreneurs consulted with master ceramicists on how it is done. "No problem, just make pin-holes from the hollow interior of the statue out beyond the face, through where tear ducts would be. Next paint, glaze and fire with these tiny wholes clear. Fill the statue with water, and insert a rubber plug. Capillary action would do the rest, and the hotter the day, the more the tears (since the coefficient of warming water expands faster than warming ceramics, tears flow aplenty.)
So in all sincerity, and with a desire to meet the needs of the faithful second only to a Pope, these Chinese entrepreneurs created, packaged and offered into the USA market statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary "guaranteed to cry, or your money back!"
Imagine their chagrin when the market proved apoplectic. Neither Smart & Final, Ruby Tuesday nor Big! Lots! were interested in the unsaleable item.
Lesson: 1. If you want something to sell in USA, it must be designed and tested in USA, by Americans. You just cannot guess at these things. And if you do not test, you are guessing. The plural of anecdote is not science.
2. The reason the Catholic church expends so much effort disproving "miracles," more so than anyone else, is because it's members are too easily duped. Even after deciding such a thing may be worthy of reverence, the church requires no one to believe it. The scientific community has no such formal challenge to goofy ideas, and seeks to destroy any academic who does not toe the line. Hence so much bad science is so widespread. Whether you believe in Science or Religion, a bit of skepticism can be very healthy.
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