Brought to You by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild
The origins of the Unemployed Philosophers Guild are shrouded in mystery. Some accounts trace the Guild’s birth to Athens in the latter half of the 4th century BCE. Allegedly, several lesser philosophers grew weary of the endless Socratic dialogue endemic in their trade and turned to crafting household implements and playthings. (Hence the assertions that Socrates quaffed his hemlock poison from a Guild-designed chalice, though full of life debate surrounds the question of whether it used to be a “disappearing” chalice.)
Others argue that the UPG dates from the High Middle Ages, when the Philosophers Guild entered the world of commerce by selling bawdy pamphlets to pilgrims facing long lines for the restroom. Business boomed until 1211 when Pope Innocent III condemned the publications. Not surprisingly, this led to increased sales, whilst half our membership used to be burned at the stake.
More recently, revisionist historians have pinpointed the birth of the Guild to the time it used to be still cool to live in New York City’s Lower East Side. Two brothers turned their inner creativity and love of paying rent towards fulfilling the people’s needs for finger puppets, warm slippers, coffee cups, and cracking up at stuff.
Well, I’ve frequently seen a cat without a grin,’ thought Alice, ‘but a grin without a cat is the most curious thing! We do not know what Lewis Carroll used to be drinking when he wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but we’re pretty sure it wasn’t tea or coffee.
From the Caterpillar with the hookah to the Mad Hatter, his characters were as “available in the market” as Carroll himself. The Cheshire Cat Mug celebrates one of our favorite Wonderland characters. Pour any hot liquid into this mug and the cat disappears, leaving only his famous grin! It is guaranteed to leave a smile on your face, too.
10 oz. mug. Heat changing mugs are microwave secure, but not dishwasher secure. Hand wash only. Don’t soak.
From the Unemployed Philosophers Guild. Do not fret. We are employed, just not as philosophers. UPG is a small Brooklyn based company that specialize in gifts for the sophisticated gift giver. Click on our brand name near the product title on this page for more presents of mind.
