New Year's Resolution

HERE! HERE! A stolen entry from another blog...just had to post it here for all to read:

When my son brought me this to open for him, of course I agreed. But when I saw the packaging — the evil, evil packaging — I looked him in the eye and almost told him, “Son, there is no possible way this can be opened. It was obviously intended only to be admired in all of its packaged glory from afar, on a shelf. There’s just too much wire and tape and glue and Daddy has a finite lifespan. No, son, let’s leave it in the box and hang it on your wall as the sadistic packaging designer intended.” And then I went to find the wire cutters in the kitchen from the last box we opened.

It takes a lot of the fun out of ripping open a present, tearing open the box, and playing with your toy. Now the process is: rip open present, tear open box, get wire cutters or untwist the ties, pry toy out of box, peel tape off of everything, cut open shrink-wrapped bags and sealed plastic pouches, and ten minutes later you can actually play with the toy — but the kids have already gotten bored and have gone on to something else. What the hell, toy makers? I understand it makes everything look pretty in the box. I understand if the box looks pretty it’s more likely to sell. But are you so short-sighted that you really don’t care what happens to the package once it is paid for? Don’t you care that opening these god-forsaken packages is an awful experience that young children don’t have any fun doing and that they are often physically incapable of opening their own toys?
Here’s a New Year’s resolution for you: I resolve to buy less packaging, especially packaging that makes my life harder.