The Economist is the curmudgeon of business magazines. It hates everyone and wants you to get off the lawn. 🙂

Since it’s a British pub, I’m not sure what the equivalent of “You kids get off my lawn.”

Now, they have turned their stern monocled eye towards people who buy toys.

“Britons seem highly susceptible to media conglomerates’ marketing campaigns. Britain’s toy market is similar to America’s in favouring entertainment over education.”

I’M SHOCKED. Parents will buy a Mater diecast over math flash cards? I’M SHOCKED!

I would also point out that parents find going vroom, vroom much more fun with a Mater diecast than they do a flash card …  though a Finn Submarine diecast, that might be a closer test.

“British parents buy an average of 41 toys per year.”

Just 41 diecasts – you’re slacking! 🙂

“German parents are bigger on engineering. Last year building sets accounted for 13.4% of German toy sales compared with only 8.6% in Britain. Germany is the biggest European market for Lego, the Danish maker of colourful bricks. Mediterranean countries are more traditional. Dolls account for fully 16.8% of toy sales in Spain, compared with 9.7% in Britain and just 7.9% in Germany. Italians buy a disproportionate number of toys from small, local makers.”

I should point out that technically it’s illegal to mail metal diecast cars to Italy. I guess the government prefers that metal be used for Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s and Alfa’s so I guess that’s an acceptable reason. 🙂

You can read the rest of the BAH HUMBUG here.

Speaking of falling for an advertisement … (WILLING!)

Is it just me or do I really, really, really want to buy this – even though I might be 200 lbs over the limit (not to mention 4 feet taller than max size):

Disney Cars 6-Volt Racer Battery-Powered Ride-On Disney Cars 6-Volt Racer Battery-Powered Ride-On

Now to get 12 other people in my neighborhood to get the rest of WGP racers … I’ll race you to …