Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Poor Choices

Lowe's clearance shade


Once upon a time one could buy basic lampshades without hocking one's children. I consider $29.95 for a plain medium sized drum shade -- no fancy shapes, no pleating, ruching, piping  or ruffles -- extortionate for what I want,  essentially a piece of heavy paper on a wire ring.

Lowe's has a shade for under $10. It fits a lamp with a harp, and I was willing to try it until I saw that it is lined with red. I'm sorry, I do not want a red cast on everything. It has a similar sized cousin in a nauseating mustard yellow. No sale.

Target has a whole lot of chandelier shades, and a whole lot of large shades. Nothing medium sized, except for small lamps with medium sized shades at $15.97. I briefly considered plastic cubes meant as locker storage. I toyed with the idea of using ice cream containers, or even plastic planters. 

Reluctantly I perused the WalMart website. While there are oodles of choices in the $15-$40 range, there are a few plain shades under $10 in small and large sizes. Hobby Lobby, too, has shades that will do.
Hobby Lobby self adhesive shade

What do you do when what you need is only offered by stores you'd rather avoid? I weigh the amount of my revulsion. WalMart is a store that is good for no one but the Walton heirs. I object to subsidizing a family that is wealthy enough to buy a third world country. Hobby Lobby sanctimoniously closes on Sundays so its workers can spend the day with their families, but wants to opt out of health care programs because they can't control how the money they pay in will be used.  Specifically, Hobby Lobby wants assurances that no money it pays into a health care system will ever be used for abortion, even when abortion is needed to save the woman's life. This  sort of moral superiority may be even more revolting than soulless money grubbing.  

I suppose I could order metal rings from a lamp supply house and make my own shades. Martha Stewart would. But there's no way she'd stop at 4. 

Will I stand on principle or cave to expedience?