Defenders of Daybreak OT thread

[Knightfall]

"Singles Awareness Day?" That's just...SAD. (Was that an intentional acronym?)

Johnathan

That was... funny!

I'm not up for that SAD, SAD day. Too commercialized. Here in Alberta we have a day called Family Day which was on the 16th of February. It's a 'real' holiday, allowing people to have the day off to spend time with, well, family.

My sister treated me and my Dad out for dinner. Family Day is uber cool. An excellent reason to move to Alberta. Heh.

Cheers!

KF72

 

[LightPhoenix]

The behavior that bugs me is the commercial sponsored guilt layed on with a trowel that says "Buy or you don't really love him/her!" Bleagh.

On a similar vein, the ones that really get me are the diamond commercials. One I watched flat out said that women will love their diamonds more than they love their significant others! Someone needs to put a muzzle on these people, seriously.

Diamonds aren't even that valuable! They're just the perfect instance of artificial inflation of a product. I can't wait until our knowledge of chemistry and geology is good enough to create diamonds... I mean, it's just carbon matrices, right?

 

[Wolfspirit]

"Singles Awareness Day?" That's just...SAD. (Was that an intentional acronym?)

Yes

Though on commercialism and diamonds, yeah, diamonds are the text book monopoly example. A combination of inflated low supply and the "diamonds are forever" philosophy coupled with the negative connotations of reusing a diamond mean they cost a lot more than they should.

Of course, if / when the diamond market ever falls out, there probably will be some new incredibly expensive custom associated with relationships / marriage.

Man, I'm cynical at 4AM

 

[orchid blossom]

I have no desire for Diamonds, or jewelry at all really. I keep saying, forget engagment rings, get me an engagement stereo! That I can use. I just can't fathom spending upwards of a thousand dollars on a piece of jewelry.

Get me a simple, silver engraved ring and a great stereo, and you'll still have spent about half of what you would have on a diamond.

 

[Piratecat]

The other day in Sagiro's game we found several sapphires worth roughly 15,000 gp. Now there's your Valentines Day present.

 

[Pielorinho]

On a similar vein, the ones that really get me are the diamond commercials. One I watched flat out said that women will love their diamonds more than they love their significant others! Someone needs to put a muzzle on these people, seriously.

Although, to be fair, the song "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" is a triumph of crass, cynical protofeminism. Take it as something between a self-parody and a fun showtune, and the sentiment is great.

There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer
Diamonds are a girl's best friend
There may come a time when a hardboiled employer
Thinks you're awful nice, but get that ice or else no dice

He's your guy when stocks are high
But beware when they start to descend
It's then that those spouses go back to their louses
And diamonds are a girl's best friend

Obviously, run far away if you meet a romantic partner with this attitude. Scream while you run. But the song still cracks me up.

Daniel

 

[Seule]

Diamonds aren't even that valuable! They're just the perfect instance of artificial inflation of a product. I can't wait until our knowledge of chemistry and geology is good enough to create diamonds... I mean, it's just carbon matrices, right?

They already can, it's just that DeBeers (the diamond monopoly people) are trying as hard as possible to squash them. I've seen some scary stuff on the Internet about it. When someone came up with a process for creating diamonds under pressure that have very slightly different chemical signature due to some gasses used in the process, DeBeers started giving away the (very expensive) machine for detecting the difference to diamond evaluators for free. Plus all the blood diamonds they sell, the massive stockpile they maintain to keep prices artificially high, and all the international corruption, bribery and murder they sponsor to maintain their monopoly.

I refuse to buy diamonds on principle.

The full story was on Wired, but I can't find it there anymore. I can find this exerpt elsewhere though:
http://www.fif3.com/howto/archives/001982.html

Edit: Found the link:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/diamond_pr.html

--Seule

 

[KidCthulhu]

The whole "you should spend two month's salary on an engagement ring" rule that you'll read in bridal magazines? Made up by the DeBeers marketing people. I remember telling PirateCat that if he spent two months salary on a ring I'd beat him silly.

But I must admit I love my engagement ring. Sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Pkitty has nice taste.

 

[the Jester]

Sapphires sure are pretty.

I think they're my favorite gemstone, personally.

 

[Pielorinho]

Funny -- sapphires are what I got for MY wife's engagement ring.

Twice.

Stupid insanely-losing-valuable-things-self!

Daniel