The ghost of crop scandals

Whether because of the location of my apartment, the low impedance of my headphones, or my wireless card sending noise across my sound board, my head phones pick up NPR when my computer isn’t actively playing any sounds. You’d be surprised how few practical applications this fact has. If I concentrate, I can follow the interviews / outraged callers that are on there most of the time, but again, few practical applications. Mostly I just feel like the headphones are haunted by very boring ghosts.

Speaking of outraged callers, I almost put in a call to Sony Picture studios because of a commercial during Jeopardy a week or so ago, but then I remembered no one cares about my opinions. It was a political advertisement endorsing ending the “death tax,” with the slogan “no taxation without respiration.” The gist of their argument, voiced-over by a concerned elderly man to scenes of people playing with their grandchildren, is that you worked hard all your life so that your children would get all your assets when you die, and that therefore the estate tax is immoral. The guvmint could take 55 percent of your meager savings AND the family business / farm! Oh, and the WA senator up for re-election supports the death tax. “Paid for by a bunch of rich fuckers interested in establishing un-taxable American dynasties.” The best part of the debate over this sinful tax is that, even though the vast majority of Americans are completely and totally unaffected by it, studies show that they believe they someday will be and so vote to end it. I wish I were making that up. What a bunch of hypocrites. “You worked hard all your life. Your children shouldn’t have to!”

At least it was a respite from the prescription drug commercials. They certainly know their demographic.