Got this e-mail today and figured it sounded like the group purchase...

AN OLD MAN, A BOY AND A DONKEY WERE GOING TO TOWN. THE BOY RODE ON THE DONKEY AND THE OLD MAN WALKED. AS THEY WENT ALONG THEY PASSED SOME PEOPLE WHO REMARKED IT WAS A SHAME  THE  OLD MAN WAS WALKING AND THE BOY WAS RIDING.
THE MAN AND BOY THOUGHT MAYBE THE CRITICS WERE RIGHT, SO THEY CHANGED POSITIONS.
LATER THEY PASSED SOME PEOPLE THAT REMARKED,"
WHAT A SHAME, HE MAKES THAT LITTLE BOY WALK."
THEY DECIDED THEY BOTH WOULD WALK!
SOON THEY PASSED SOME MORE PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE  STUPID TO WALK WHEN THEY HAD A DECENT DONKEY TO RIDE.  SO, THEY BOTH RODE THE DONKEY! NOW THEY PASSED SOME PEOPLE THAT SHAMED THEM BY SAYING HOW AWFUL TO PUT  SUCH A LOAD ON A POOR DONKEY. THE BOY AND MAN SAID THEY WERE PROBABLY RIGHT SO THEY DECIDED TO CARRY THE DONKEY.  AS THEY CROSSED A BRIDGE, THEY LOST THEIR GRIP ON THE ANIMAL AND HE FELL INTO THE RIVER AND DROWNED. THE MORAL OF THE STORY?
IF YOU TRY TO PLEASE EVERYONE, YOU WILL EVENTUALLY LOSE YOUR ASS!