Every so often, the New York Times really pisses me off by seeming to cater to the idle rich and pretend that they are the middle class. It happens a lot in the Real Estate section, with the stories of everyday people looking to spend millions on apartments. This time they've really gone overboard in the Home & Garden section with an article about searching for unique gifts that will truly surprise their recipient. I can't deny that they accomplished that mission, but in the process they selected some 33 items that have an average price of roughly $501, and several of which I would be befuddled or horrified to receive. I'm not going to be spending anywhere near that kind of money on any one gift, and I don't think my income is below the national average, though my generosity might be. And if I were going to spend that much, it would be on something I was quite sure the recipient wanted, not an oddball surprise gift.

The Times has written about the ever-growing gap between rich and poor in America, and yet they seem to embrace the rich minority as their clientèle. Another recent article described how the abundantly rich are growing further and further apart as a group from the merely rich. The article seemed to have genuine pity for the 'merely rich.'

But I would be truly remiss if I did not mention some of the lovely gift ideas they picked out. Who would not be delighted to unwrap a $4,100 life-sized lamp in the shape of a horse? This one would be less hilarious if the lamp element were not just a boring old conical lampshade above the horse's head. But seriously, I have an empty half a room in my apartment that totally needs this. Or a ceramic umbrella stand in the shape of a Roman gladiator's foot for $625, with umbrellas for $95-$175 (try to not to leave them on the subway). Or a bowl of golden fruit, $280.

As I look through the list some more, many of the items would be quite nice, if they cost about 1/100th of what they do. Maybe I'm just a member of the Wal-Mart/Ikea generation that expects everything to come cheap, but a glass vase for $3,150? A red leather album with "This Is Your Life" on the cover for $290? A 16-inch painted porcelain platter for $1,980? A set of six notepads with the names of the rooms in your house printed on them for $150? We're talking about pieces of paper here. They also have a set of 14 for $350. I guess if you have a Guest Cottage, a Library, a Butler's Pantry, a Pool House, a Sun Room, and a Private Jet, you expect to pay $350 for some stacks of paper.