Fly Like an Eagle

Have you tried to fly lately? Buying a ticket from Expedia is insane...

When you click “Buy Now” you get “We’re sorry, but that ticket is no longer available at this price, the fare has increased by $100. However, if you opt for our credit card, you are instantly eligible for a $100 bonus.” Expedia tell you “only 3 tickets left at this price”, and if you go back the next day, the price goes up and “only 1 ticket left at this price”, but if you delete the cookies in your browser, the price goes back down to what it was and still “only 3 tickets left at this price”.

It’s remarkable to me how, these days, big-time corporations act with all the finesse of small-time hoodlums. I mean, I know that capitalism is all about profit, but back in the day a company had to at least PRETEND it was interested in your well being to get your dollar. These days, the pretending is only in the advertising, and if you spend even one minute trying to actually use the product you quickly get the real picture.

It sort of reminds me of the Bush administration when they figured that the war for the “hearts and minds” of the Iraqi people was really a public relations failure, because they just hadn’t figured out the right advertising message, never considering that the depleted uranium shells and cruise missiles landing on weddings might be sending a pretty clear signal. Obama is much the same, though cleverer.

Today I saw an eagle fly directly overhead with a crow clutched in its talons, and a pack of crows in hot and noisy pursuit! In these parts, eagles are pretty cool. They catch their own fish and they don’t steal from other birds. On the other hand, crows are bullies and thieves, and flocks will often be seen tormenting an eagle in the sky. I always wondered why eagles never seemed to give payback, but apparently even eagles have their limits.

It’s funny because even though the US uses an eagle as the national symbol, I have no doubt he’s just a black bird in disguise. That raven, he’s a trickster.