Alphonse was enthusiastic about motorcycles—he rode one and he worked in a motorcycle dealership—but he wasn’t the brightest bulb in the chandelier. One evening a salesman knocked on his door.
“I’d like to show you a wonderful device for the working man,” the salesman began. “It’s called a thermos.”
“What does it do?” Alphonse asked.
“It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.”
Alphonse pondered for a few minutes.
Then the salesman put in, “It fits perfectly in most motorcycle saddlebags.”
Well, that did it. Alphonse bought the thermos.
The next morning he carried it proudly into the motorcycle dealership. His fellow employees gathered around.
“What is that, Alphonse?” his manager asked.
“It’s a thermos.”
“What does a thermos do?”
“It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.” Alphonse swaggered to his desk.
