Howdy, good folks, Howe Weird here, and welcome to Comedy Week, where the truth is doing its own stand-up routine. Pip has just informed me that if anyone is selling pre-tangled USB cords, he has been running a warehouse under my desk for years.
According to UPI, a former 7-Eleven in Seattle has been turned into an art exhibit called the “Inconvenience Store,” and yes, one of the featured items is pre-tangled USB cords. That is either high art, modern commentary, or exactly what happens naturally in every junk drawer in America.
The store features artist-made interpretations of everyday goods: shoulder bags made from old snack packaging, beeswax egg candles, snack-shaped keychains, and even a “landline iPhone” that reportedly only plays “Vertigo” by U2 when answered. Pip says that last item is not a phone. It is a test of patience with a ringtone.
The project was created by artists Lilia Deering and Mary Anne Carter, who previously spoofed IKEA with an exhibit called “STÖR.” Their new setup includes about 70 mostly local artists across 14 departments, and the items are actually for sale, ranging from a dollar all the way up to $10,000. That means somewhere in Seattle, a person can walk into a fake convenience store and purchase an object that is intentionally less convenient than the thing it resembles.
That is funny because it is painfully accurate. We live in a world obsessed with speed and efficiency, yet most of us still own at least one drawer where cords go to form emotional support knots. If you would rather untangle less and live more, a cable organizer or a set of USB cables may be more useful than the pre-knotted version. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Pip’s Take: “Humans invented cord management, then turned cord failure into art. Respect.”
Original source: UPI — https://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2026/09/22/Inconvenience-store-seattle-art-exhibit/1271790098025