September 11th

SO it wasn't until the 6 o-clock news that the date, September 11th, range in my ear a note of memoriam. Last night sure, I even flicked over a program about the 9/11 hotel at the base of the twin towers and thought, "This has been advertised all week. Why does the media always drag things up from the past when they can't find a story?" Like when the Jean-Benet Ramsey murder came up again, sometime in the past 12 months or so, I don't know for sure when. I'm not about to get all "Michael More-ish" now, but I am a sociologist, and more importantly, I have some common sense. I wish I had some more common sense, and I wish sense was more common. I don't know which concept I like more; not being stunned, or the possibility of the bar of common sense being raised higher, to my level even. I think I'm just happy that if we must have mass deception, I'm just glad I am able to see some. Non-believers? Think what you will. Some of these deceptions seem so obvious, and then you're out with one of your mates when you realize, to them it is not so obvious! Exclamation point. Here I will give my favorite example. 99 cents, or p. At home tax is 13% and unlike here it is not added on in the sale price, you have to do the maths yourself. (Maths instead of math, that's what they are up to over here). I can recall a specific incident, because it made me cringe. I saw someone purchase a DVD for $14.99 + tax, and I heard them later telling someone that they got the DVD for $14! I would have settled for $15, even though it is closer to $17 with taxes, but most people like to list prices before tax, especially North American retailers.... It's something like 16.94. Yes, I know I am anal about some things, but don't be a slave to the market. For goodness sake, the Next time Bethany Almost-Laing calls you and tries to persuade you to upgrade your cell phone plan with a free offer, ask the details, or even better yet, say no thank you. The free part is about $7 because the free phone you get for signing up for another 3 months with the service provider is the same phone a new customer gets when they sign up for 3 months, they just have to pay $7 for signing up. Keep your old phone, for goodness sake, it has better reception anyways. Sure your new one doesn't have an antenna sticking up, because if it did you wouldn't be getting dropped calls. I never knew about these dropped calls 5 years ago, and now they have made their way into advertising, with promises of fewer dropped calls. Fewer!? Holy Banana's kids, we are all just sheep being led to the slotter, service charge in toe, with an extra month of payments left for our successors to pay for because mobile companies cannot click cancel for 30 days. I believe this science has something to do with atmospheric pressure and red dye number two. Nobody reading this will know what I'm talking about but, back in around 1997 there was a skate video where one skater had a camera phone in his intro. I'm pretty sure he got the phone off Cerith, The Elusive, but the phone was the coolest thing ever at the time. Oh!, Sorry, Sam, you probably know what I'm talking about. Technologies are fun and foolish I tell ya. Davert