Les Bonnes Choses

If you're reading this on facebook right now, take a look at the right hand side of the page. That's where they display paid advertisements. Now look closer at one of the ads. Underneath are three icons: bad ad, good ad and next ad. The intention is for you to have an opportunity to rate the ads. Is it me, or is a bizarre expectation? I'm going to have to agree with sentiments expressed by some of my other friends about consumerism. It's as if we have gotten to the point where marketing has become the end-goal. They even have a link at the end of those ads to see even more ads. Unlimited ads? Sign me up!

Speaking of useless "products", on the way to my parent's house, there is some business set up in the plaza where I get my car serviced (plug: Teeple Tire. I highly recommend them). They have one of those black portable road-side signs. I'm not sure what the business is; all I take away from the sign is that they use lasers as a solution to many of life's problems. Want to quit smoking? They can fix that for you with lasers. Whiter teeth? Lasers. Depressed? Lasers. Death Star threatening your planet? Lasers (but they have to be very precisely aimed with The Force). I'm going to stick my neck out here and take a position on lasers as a panacea: they're quacks, and it's a waste of money. Now, let's assume I'm right, for the sake of argument. I wonder how many social problems could be solved by the amount of money taken in by snake oil salesmen?

Of course, like I always do, I'll just leave this box open for people to observe that the same could be said about aestheticians and luxury yacht salesmen.