I'm procrastinating, and I thought I'd find out more about the man who felt it was time to connect with his family and eschew ostentatious display by telling the New York Times about frozen hamburgers on silver trays.

It seems he is also a superhero. That's right: he has a power that no other human being possesses. He can smell anything, anywhere, anytime. The downside is that he can be brought low by gardenias, which seems to be why he hasn't made headlines stopping bank robbers.

He does wear a scarf as a secret identity, though.

In these tough economic times, it is important to re-evaluate. Think about whether you really need to spend money on the inessential. Consider all the consequences; not get into debt for no real reason. Deleverage, if I have used the stupid word correctly.

And all this is cool with me. What is less cool is rich people being fucking douchebags about this. Here is a story about how people are now conspicuously not consuming. Which from one perspective, I suppose, could be seen as a beautiful display of community with the commonalty. From another, it could be seen as exactly the same impulse to vainglorious self exposure that prompted the conspicuous flaunting of crystal-encrusted diamond caviar tongs and beds made entirely out of torn up hundred dollar bills.

My favourite quotes:

Harry Slatkin, the founder of Slatkin & Co., a home fragrances company, said he and his wife, Laura, recently canceled a 50th birthday party for her at a Four Seasons hotel. Instead, they plan to have a party at home, with defrosted White Castle cheeseburgers served on silver trays. "It's not time to have splashy birthday parties," Slatkin said. "It's a time to stay home, spend time with friends and connect."

Or this:

He cited a story from an Audi dealer: a buyer of an S4 high-performance sedan requested the nameplate be removed, "so only the person who really knew what they were looking at," he said, "would know what it is."

That's it: let's hit the barricades.