America's Desperation and Common useless products.

They go hand in hand. There, I said it. Someone finds a common item, colors it in with polka dots, marks up the price, and sells it. Take bookmarks for example, which is the item that inspired this rant. Anybody can make one. In fact, you could use virtually anything as a bookmark! Tissues, gum wrappers, index cards, or heaven forbid we just dog-ear the freaking page! And yet, millions of people have and will continue to fork over more than a dollar for one! Just because it has a holographic design or a smiley face on it does NOT make it any more effective as any other scrap of paper that would have willingly and cheaply taken its place. And if that wasn't bad enough, people are selling $70.00 silver plated bookmarks online. What is the point?! It just means that if you start reading a book, you have to go searching all over the house trying to find a special metal clip because anything else is just not good enough for you.

I suppose I could delve into my opinions on non-alcoholic vodka, the rotating ice-cream cone, or the bottle opener ring (ok that actually looks pretty nifty)... but I'll save my breath.