We are living in a rectangular world

Using the power of deductive reasoning (although power may not be the best word, considering how long it took me), I arrived at the hypothesis that the floor in the corner of my living room is slightly slanted, causing my end table to lie slightly slanted as well. To test this hypothesis, I proposed to place a sphere on top of the table and observe whether and in which direction it rolled. Naturally, I expected prompt results. Sure enough, within fifteen minutes I was able to conclude that I do not own anything in the shape of a sphere.

How is this possible?

Now I know why I used to keep all those superballs in my "random stuff" box. Now I know why I used to keep a random stuff box to begin with. It's not a matter of cost, because the contents of my entire random stuff box could have been replaced for under $20. It's not a matter of nostalgia, because my random stuff was either nondescript or so old that I forgot why it would have had meaning. It's a matter of convenience -- of having that random piece of junk on hand just when I need it.

I think it may be too late to start up a new random stuff box. The only random stuff I encounter these days has some company's name printed on it, and it usually has a real function (refrigerator magnet, ballpoint pen, four-door sedan) that detracts from the ability to make-believe.

In some ways I long for the days when I built towers out of inverted 2-oz. plastic cups instead of filling them with modified Jell-o.