I missed The Office this week. One of the few shows that I really look forward too and will actually plan things around. Wanna get together on Thursdays? Sure, so long as we're watching The Office! Despite my best efforts, no Office for me this week. Fortunately, NBC has heard of this thing called the "web", and posts full episodes the next day. It would have to do.

Episode was great, btw - New lows for Michael and Dwight.

Commercials were interesting as well - New lows for Discover Card.

The ad starts out with "We are a nation of consumers... and that's OK".

Actually, no - I'm pretty sure it's not OK.


You see, Discover, we've become a nation of consumers. We used to be a nation of producers. This is a big part of the overall economic collapse we are currently facing. If foreign oil is the largest transfer of wealth in human history, then foreign plastic crap must be close behind. But keep on telling your target market that it is 'OK' - apparently some folks believe your advertising.

What's worse is their claim that you don't need to stop your spending on stupid stuff (as depicted in the ad by the people obviously confused with their shiny new toys). Just spend it on their card. Yeah, it's magic powers will somehow bring you 'prosperity' while you keep on buying 'lot's of cool stuff'.

Well. As long as it's cool...

This ad is an effort to tout the new features of the card. New online tools to show you how to pay your balance off in less than 30 years. Go ahead and add that to the long list of faux features - expense tracking (didn't know where your money was going, but now you can see who has your money) and spending pie charts (who doesn't like pie?). Because they care. Because they want to help you. Because they know that no matter what color the credit card is, you're very likely going to go out and charge it up, only to look for a magic pill later on.

This is not it.

No credit card has ever, or will ever lead anyone to financial prosperity.