BrainyBeauty
Literotica Guru
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2000
- Posts
- 653
There has been a lot of negativity and complaining on this board lately. I feel SO left out!
Well, now it's MY turn. Although there is a twist. I am not mad or upset with any of you people. My wrath is directed elsewhere. So, will somebody go get me some cheese so I can have something to go along with my whine? (I should have titled this the Literotica Whine Festival!)
Saw an article last week but forgot to save it. I'll try to capture the essence. It was about an exciting new opportunity to pay for something formerly available free of charge.
I am sick and tired of companies treating me/us like we're idiots/boobs/morons. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. They're all jumping on the bandwagon. What has gotten my dander up? The fact that a new company has opened up shop here with a new way to separate us from our money.
Now, before some of you start, I KNOW this is not new. California, the rest of the country and the civilized world have had it for years. You have to remember that things don't reach this place till 20 years later. (There's even a famous quote about that!)
A couple of weeks ago some clever entrepreneur opened an 'oxygen bar'. Charging $20-36 to breathe air! Correct me if I am wrong, but can't we still get that for free on our own?
I think that people come up with these schemes from seeing our responses to other frivolous ideas. It appears to them that there are many people out there with more money than brains. What's the deal? Unless there's an outrageous price tag, it's simply not good enough???
They are encouraged by the blind acceptance of Americans who will buy water in plastic bottles instead of turning on their taps.
They must be giddy that people are happy to pay for cable tv to watch shows that are 40 years old. And I am sure the bean counter who invented ATM fees (charging us money to access our money) was promoted to president instantly!
How gullible have we as a society become? Is it a status symbol to have to pay money for everyday items? What would possess someone to shell out $400 for a $5 Beanie Baby- remember those? Or other "collectibles"?
Who started this trend? Tell me who I can blame and where I can direct my anger. I remember a possible beginning. When food manufacturers started selling 'no-salt' products for more money than the original product. Take away a component and charge more. Classic. Pure genius!
Airlines came to the dance- they stopped serving those disgusting free meals (maybe that is a blessing) and starting doling out teeny, tiny bags of peanuts instead and decided to charge more- for less leg room.
My favorites are the prognosticators who decided that 'fake' was the way to go. Instead of spending time in the kitchen baking, you can now buy a candle that smells like apple pie. Even better-----they put it in a fancy container, call it "aromatherapy" and charge three times as much! Ya know, I can get the same effect for free every time I step onto the elevator with a particular woman at work.
Restaurants that convince us that we must choose super-sized meals. So after we gain weight, we go out and buy a Stairmaster- which is just like walking up steps, except more expensive.
Boy, these marketing boys and girls deserve their salaries. Ya gotta admit, it's a sweet little racket. What do you think? Do you have any other instances along these same lines?
I can take a lot. But when someone tries to shove herb-scented AIR down my throat- for $20 an hour, I have to protest. Or laugh my ass off. For free.
PT Barnum was right.
Well, now it's MY turn. Although there is a twist. I am not mad or upset with any of you people. My wrath is directed elsewhere. So, will somebody go get me some cheese so I can have something to go along with my whine? (I should have titled this the Literotica Whine Festival!)
Saw an article last week but forgot to save it. I'll try to capture the essence. It was about an exciting new opportunity to pay for something formerly available free of charge.
I am sick and tired of companies treating me/us like we're idiots/boobs/morons. It's a conspiracy I tell ya. They're all jumping on the bandwagon. What has gotten my dander up? The fact that a new company has opened up shop here with a new way to separate us from our money.
Now, before some of you start, I KNOW this is not new. California, the rest of the country and the civilized world have had it for years. You have to remember that things don't reach this place till 20 years later. (There's even a famous quote about that!)
A couple of weeks ago some clever entrepreneur opened an 'oxygen bar'. Charging $20-36 to breathe air! Correct me if I am wrong, but can't we still get that for free on our own?
I think that people come up with these schemes from seeing our responses to other frivolous ideas. It appears to them that there are many people out there with more money than brains. What's the deal? Unless there's an outrageous price tag, it's simply not good enough???
They are encouraged by the blind acceptance of Americans who will buy water in plastic bottles instead of turning on their taps.
They must be giddy that people are happy to pay for cable tv to watch shows that are 40 years old. And I am sure the bean counter who invented ATM fees (charging us money to access our money) was promoted to president instantly!
How gullible have we as a society become? Is it a status symbol to have to pay money for everyday items? What would possess someone to shell out $400 for a $5 Beanie Baby- remember those? Or other "collectibles"?
Who started this trend? Tell me who I can blame and where I can direct my anger. I remember a possible beginning. When food manufacturers started selling 'no-salt' products for more money than the original product. Take away a component and charge more. Classic. Pure genius!
Airlines came to the dance- they stopped serving those disgusting free meals (maybe that is a blessing) and starting doling out teeny, tiny bags of peanuts instead and decided to charge more- for less leg room.
My favorites are the prognosticators who decided that 'fake' was the way to go. Instead of spending time in the kitchen baking, you can now buy a candle that smells like apple pie. Even better-----they put it in a fancy container, call it "aromatherapy" and charge three times as much! Ya know, I can get the same effect for free every time I step onto the elevator with a particular woman at work.
Restaurants that convince us that we must choose super-sized meals. So after we gain weight, we go out and buy a Stairmaster- which is just like walking up steps, except more expensive.
Boy, these marketing boys and girls deserve their salaries. Ya gotta admit, it's a sweet little racket. What do you think? Do you have any other instances along these same lines?
I can take a lot. But when someone tries to shove herb-scented AIR down my throat- for $20 an hour, I have to protest. Or laugh my ass off. For free.
PT Barnum was right.
