Anyone here this morning trying to housebreak a new puppy?

If you've ever tried to housebreak a new puppy, you know that the key to success is consistency. You must always take the puppy out the moment it wakes. You must never let it whine and look like it needs to go without whisking the little creature outside. And if you let the puppy get away with any indoor accidents, you can bet that it will return to the scene of the crime for a repeat version of its indiscretion. The same absolute consistency is required of anyone trying to run the gauntlet of the check-out counter with a child in tow. It's an absolute, positive law of the universe that your kid (regardless of age) is going to suddenly, desperately need whatever is being sold by the check-out stand in that particular aisle.

Whether …