CATALOGS

A catalog is a collection of things for sale. You probably receive pounds of catalogs in your mail each week. Now think about this. Suppose one of the items in the catalog was the catalog itself. You can buy periwinkle blue towels, a leather log carrier, or this catalog. Silly, right? But then again, it's amazing the things they can get people to pay money for.

Now suppose this marketing ploy catches on and soon lots of catalogs start listing themselves. You could have a whole bunch of catalogs which list themselves. But of course, other people would think it was ridiculous and you might also have a group of catalogs which do not list themselves.

Then, in a fit of capitalistic genius, someone decides to issue a catalog of catalogs. Just catalogs inside, nothing else for sale. Next, even the catalogs of catalogs become more specialized. There could be a catalog of kitchen supply catalogs. A catalog of sports equipment catalogs. And, for people who are offended by those arrogant catalogs which list themselves, someone prepares a special catalog of catalogs and includes strictly those which don't list themselves. It's called the Humble Catalog. It becomes wildly popular. In the following year, it changes its name to the Comprehensive Humble Catalog and now claims to include all of the catalogs in the world which don't list themselves.

Here is the big question: should the Comprehensive Humble Catalog list itself?