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True enough. It's the mainstreaming that is the thing. It is genuinely contrary to the bedrock principles of our culture and only inflames resentment and desire - flaunting, if you will. Historic Americanism values work, thrift and Judeo-Christian values but, hey, food eaten in secret is sweet - as the Bible says. It also says that those who eat dainties shall eat dung cakes. I'm not calling for an abolition of this kind of behavior, just regret that the culture is so sodden with idiocy to the detriment of solid values that will carry the most people the longest distance.

Thanks. It’s good to know that you don’t want to outlaw really expensive cheese. : ),

That’s not to say I would, even if I could afford it, buy cheese with gold flex in it for $93 a pound as I don’t think that would improve the flavor at all. But then I do like some fine imported cheeses and I love Stilton, Huntsman, Brie and in a head nod to my Norwegian heritage, some good imported Gjetost during the Christmas season. I can get them all at my local Wegman’s so I’m both thrifty and supporting a fine American company. And I gladly share them with my family and friends.

I work hard, pay my bills and am pretty thrifty all year long but during Christmas, I may splurge a bit on some treats.

And I like me some very good dark chocolate and make no secrete about eating it. I’ll however pass on the dung cakes, with or without the gold flex. :) ,

Did you also lament the mainstreaming of pepper and other spices which were also once only with in the reach of the very wealthy? Are they contrary to our bedrock principles?

How about wearing silk rather than wool or linen rather the tow? John Hancock's outfits with their gold embroidery would have given Liberace a run for his money. Was he not part of "Historic America"?

Chocolate? Sugar?

Also not part of our bedrock values and traditions? Maybe we should drink ale or only water?

I think it is interesting that we have created a world where such things are actually in reach of many rather then being in a world were only a few thousand on the whole earth could even dream of it while the rest ate bread that had a lot of chaff in it.

Now I do think it is silly (the gold leaf not the cheese) but I think a lot of things are silly without regarding them as the end of a culture.