In other news (apolitical thread)...

[FearlessF]

the only "Grand Openings" I would cornsider attending would be if I knew the owner/manager and wanted to show my support

I'd rather give eating/drinking establishments at least a month to work out the kinks and have a much better experience than on opening day

[OrangeAfroMan]

17-18 year old boys in a half-horse town. 
THAT makes sense.

Just trying to make sense of what I saw on the TV screen.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I have no delusions of grandeur, personally.  And we are all lemmings in some form or fashion, that is true.

I *think* the difference between "us" and the kooks I am referring too is ---- awareness.  Many really do not have a clue that they are programmed via marketing, advertising, and propaganda.  I think the folks on this forum are generally aware of the game.

I find the game unethical and one of the biggest arguments against unfettered capitalism.  
Taking advantage of one fool?  Fine.
Taking advantage of 100 million?  Ehhhhh....

[OrangeAfroMan]

the only "Grand Openings" I would cornsider attending would be if I knew the owner/manager and wanted to show my support

I'd rather give eating/drinking establishments at least a month to work out the kinks and have a much better experience than on opening day

How prudent of you.
I'm worried that prudence today has become a synonym for boring and isn't valued at all.  Some do, but most (the masses) really don't.  I'd love to be wrong about this.

[jgvol]

I find the game unethical and one of the biggest arguments against unfettered capitalism. 
Taking advantage of one fool?  Fine.
Taking advantage of 100 million?  Ehhhhh....

A fool and his money are parted easily.......

There really is no fail safe for ignorance, or willful ignorance, that I've ever discovered.

[OrangeAfroMan]

A fool and his money are parted easily.......

There really is no fail safe for ignorance, or willful ignorance, that I've ever discovered.

...and this is me NOT delving into religion....

[OrangeAfroMan]

A fool and his money are parted easily.......

There really is no fail safe for ignorance, or willful ignorance, that I've ever discovered.

Oh, there are some easy ways to help limit the fleecing of the masses.
How about specifying the average result of a product instead of the "up to" result?  Would that infringe on anyone's freedoms?  To simply cite the middle of the bell curve instead of the end of it? 

Nah, stupid idea.

[jgvol]

Oh, there are some easy ways to help limit the fleecing of the masses.
How about specifying the average result of a product instead of the "up to" result?  Would that infringe on anyone's freedoms?  To simply cite the middle of the bell curve instead of the end of it? 

Nah, stupid idea.

To protect idiots from themselves, the capable are always limited, or punished in some fashion.

Lowest common denominator is for the birds.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I'm just advocating for being fair.  Simply not actively taking advantage of people.  Still have the energetic voice-over, the bright colors, the pizzazz and shit, but also be honest.
The image of the steak on the sign?  Make it be chosen at random.  The truck barreling up the mountain on the commercial?  Show the actual dust being kicked up and the driver being jostled around.  Honesty. 

Window-dress it up all you want, but make it honest.  Let people really know what they're spending their money on. 
The sexy lady chugging your beverage on the commercial?  In big font, specify how many of those drinks she consumes per week. 
The lease terms on that Mercedes?  Get rid of the "qualified lessees" and put the average on the screen.  This top-tier outlier bullshit is unethical.

Once you do that, the talented marketers will still be effective, but only if they're talented.

[Cincydawg]

I made eggs for lunch and was musing about their lobby ……

[OrangeAfroMan]

I made eggs for lunch and was musing about their lobby ……

I'm more anti-"breakfast foods" than I am panicking about the egg lobby man behind the curtain.

I applaud you enjoying eggs for lunch.  
Allowing the clock to determine which foods are available to us is asinine.  It has always been asinine.  It will always be asinine.  

[jgvol]

I'm just advocating for being fair.  Simply not actively taking advantage of people.  Still have the energetic voice-over, the bright colors, the pizzazz and shit, but also be honest.
The image of the steak on the sign?  Make it be chosen at random.  The truck barreling up the mountain on the commercial?  Show the actual dust being kicked up and the driver being jostled around.  Honesty. 

Window-dress it up all you want, but make it honest.  Let people really know what they're spending their money on. 
The sexy lady chugging your beverage on the commercial?  In big font, specify how many of those drinks she consumers per week. 
The lease terms on that Mercedes?  Get rid of the "qualified lessees" and put the average on the screen.  This top-tier outlier bullshit is unethical.

Once you do that, the talented marketers will still be effective, but only if they're talented.

https://youtube.com/shorts/GrRhBftxjns?si=EOxVhIcgsXvco4uo

[SFBadger96]

Opening night/day of whatever is often a fun event. It's a new experience, even if it's just new this year. There is the anticipation that has built up for some time, along with the camaraderie of being among the first to be involved. I would never wait in line for the opening of even a grand gas station, but I've been to opening day of a sports season, opening night of an arts series, opening night of a movie...openings are fun, if you're interested in the product becoming available.

And yeah, some people are weird and materialistic in a ways that offense my sense of normalcy. But I ride bikes in my free time and to commute, and there are few more obvious signs of weird in America than that.

[OrangeAfroMan]

My gun is a keyboard.