Once upon a time, there was a large company that employed small cacti to represent its customers in a customer service rally.

"Take care of the customer," was the intended message.

Hundreds of little cactus plants were distributed to the employees in tiny 2" x 2" pots labeled with an important customer's name.

It the picture above, we have Merck on the left and Ford Motor Company on the right. After growing spiny things and deciding to wither and grow down instead of up, Merck was chucked out of the house last week.

Based upon these potted cacti, where would you place your investment bucks?

I have to admit that I never really thought much about ceramics, vegetables and baby pigs until now.

I often think about vegetables, especially in the grocery store, and when I am planning my weekly rounds of the supermarkets. Less often, I think about pigs, although I do think about bacon, pork chops and ribs while in the grocery store.

While at Sam's Club tonight, I saw this Fitz and Floyd cookie jar, locked away in a glass case. It wasn't very expensive, less than $40, but I imagine it was locked away so that people couldn't grab it in order to ridicule it mercilessly. Or, perhaps some people might try on the ceramic onion, pea and lettuce lid as a "hat" of sorts while perusing the jewelery and ceramics. There was a whole set of this junk.

Has this pig been rolling in garbage? Why is there an intact red onion quarter on its back? And a lettuce saddle and diaper of sorts? The beet in its mouth should be a warning signal for him to run like the wind. If you are a food animal, it is wise to never pose with food.

Would you eat cookies out of this? How about some crispy bacon?