An old man was rocking on the porch after dinner one evening at the local choke and puke, intent on his whittling. He liked to carve little animals out of the small branches that fell from his many oak trees. His handiwork wasn’t the best ever seen, but it was unique, and he was carving it all with a well-worn pocket knife. It calmed his soul to shave away the wood, little by little, exposing his imagination and creativity. Then a whippersnapper of about thirty noticed the old man as he left the restaurant. Intrigued, he asked what the old fellow was doing and was told. That’s when the young fellow tried to educate the old man. “You know, they make power tools that would make that so much easier, and so much better looking than the mess you’re making.”

Nobody asked the old man if he wanted a power tool, and nobody asked me if I wanted a commercial with my blood pressure pills…

I was in the drugstore today to pick up a prescription. They’ve changed things there recently and instead of walking up to an available window and telling the nice lady my name, I was directed to a row of touch-screen monitors. I had to enter my name and when I pushed the NEXT button on the screen I was presented with a commercial for something else being sold there. I pushed the SKIP button and arrived at the next screen where I had to give them my birthdate and then it was off to yet another advertisement. Four screens later I was informed that someone would bring my prescription out in a few minutes.

These damned screens are everywhere. I stop to get gasoline and am assaulted by the loudly playing advertisements emanating from the gas pump. Great! I can get ten cents off on a ‘Big Gulp’ if I would only sign up for their rewards program.

Is death the only escape from runaway capitalism?

Two thoughts for the day:

  1. We live in a world with too much goddamn tech...
  2. Those who believe the 21st century is better than the 20th century haven't been to a drugstore lately...