Home invasion

Remind me not to invite Dr. Ursus to my next “at home.”1 While he was awed by his colleagues' fancy cars, I was awed by his lack of etiquette. Since when is it acceptable to accept someone's hospitality, and then underhandedly criticize your host?

Dr. Ursus, you can't have it both ways. Don't complain about the show-home decor and then grouse that you were served pizza. It seems that you expected a Martha Stewart meal, but what do you know about the homemaker in the family and the amount of time that she or he could devote to entertaining?

I am certainly no fan of conspicuous consumption, but I do recognize that people have a right to live as they please. While my extra cash goes to fuel hobbies and a reading habit, someone else might prefer the lifestyle you so conspicuously deride. And it's not just doctors who overconsume. Our entire culture is based on purchasing things we often can't afford. I suggest that Dr. Ursus take on that particular demon next time; in the meantime, he could brush up on his manners.