I'm one for capitalism... but this sh*t's getting ridiculous...
More on the title of this entry a little later...

So here it is, crunch time for AdLab... WHOO HOO! Or not. In 13 short days, we will be presenting to a packed, Park Auditorium... However, there's no PowerPoint to be accounted for, not to mention a slew of other things. On top of all that, the five of us are expected to give a *stellar* performance of our script this Monday. Check out http://odyssey_comm.tripod.com for more info on AdLab and Odyssey Communications.

Now to begin my ranting and raving:
As I leave my Critical Issues class and walk to my car, I "well-meaning" hippie boy in a Subaru pulls up in front of me, shouting out his window at me:
Hippie dude (hence forth, HD): "Hey man, dude, are you walking to your car?"
Me: "Yeah..."
HD: "Oh man, can I please give you a ride?"
(obviously, this young gentleman was in need of a parking space... and apparently desired to have mine... badly. Either that he was trying to pick me up... in any event...)
Me: "No."

Now, not only do I say "No" but at that precise moment I think to myself:
"You crazy mother fucker, you can't just get an easy parking spot like that... You want a parking spot? You're going to drive around and find one, just like the rest of us!"

A little annoyed, I continue to walk to my car... and at the same time, I notice parking spots, LOTS of them, so I do the only "logical" thing, and I start counting, "One. Two. Three. Oh, there's a few in a row over there." The fact that Hippie Dude couldn't find any of THESE spots usable was appaling. That just makes me more angry, so I decide to stop counting.

Which brings me to rant #2 today (and the title of this post):
There is nothing quite like the free market and capitalism. Ah! The choices we consumers have! Oh it's *wonderful* to live in such a society, right folks? To have all these stores and companies competing for our attention and for our money. Trying to give us the best deal so we come back to them, time after time!

Case in point: I go downtown today to visit a better men's store... let's just say it's *Benjamin Peters*... So I first walk in the door, and I'm greeted cheerfully by some schmoe who asks how I am, to which I reply "fine". Then he asks if he can help me find something (cuz I don't have my own eyes, and I can't read the signage apparently...). I decline his offer politely and quietly browse the store. I browse for a bit... then realize the motherfucker's following me. "What the fuck is this?" I think to myself.

So I make my way towards the back of the store - where the suits are (I'm looking to purchase one soon). In any event, the fucker stopped following me... I guess maybe he had to go back to his post at the front of the store.

As soon as I start browsing the suits, another guy pops out of no where.

"Can I help you today sir?"
"No, I'm just looking and browsing around."
"Okay, well, if you have any questions, just ask."

Bastard. In light of these pushy, follow-your-every-move salesmen, I do what any self respecting consumer would do - I put my grubby hands on every suit in sight... especially the ones that *feel* expensive, I make sure I rub those around really good. After I'm satisfied and assured myself I couldn't POSSIBLY afford any of these suits (being the poor college student I am) I go to leave the store. Here comes the fun part...

SalesPerson: "Didn't find anything you liked, huh?"
Me: "Actually, I was just looking around to see what was available."
SP: [puts his arm around my shoulder and pats me on the back like I was his best friend from High School] "Well, we've got THE BEST prices in town and we can't be beat."
Me: "Oh, I believe you." as I think to myself, "Could it be that you have the best prices in town BECAUSE you are THE ONLY KIND of store OF ITS KIND within a 75 mile radius? Could being a MONOPOLY have anything to do with it? Could the basic laws of SUPPLY AND DEMAND have anything to do with it? Hmmm."

I left the store feeling rather cynical. Maybe it's all this talk in class about Disney's Evil Empire that's gotten my panties in a bunch. If you don't know what I'm talking about, do a little research into Disney, the corporation that owns basically everything... scary.