No one can be that shallow! Can they?

On the way to download some pieces of legislation

Everyone has heard of the age old adage that money doesn’t grow on trees. Leaves, fruit, flowers and moss all grow on trees, but for some miraculous reason, money does not; unless you own an old growth forest in Tasmania ripe for logging.

That axiom serves to highlight the value of money and the importance of having a non-frivolous and spend thrift attitude and growing up without a lot of money, I have come to more than appreciate its maxim. For a long period and all of my youth, I lived by it and now, I’ll probably die by it.

Money is starting to progressively become more difficult to obtain. Of course there are the usual methods of working, saving, evading tax, claiming multiple welfare payments and for business owners, non declaration of GST revenue. But those avenues are open to only a select few in society, for the rest, you have to be more savvy and entrepreneurial in developing ways of sowing the seeds for the mystical money tree.

For me, I prostituted myself and a confession I am extremely ashamed. It occurred during a moment of quiet desperation and provoking despair when an opportunity presented itself, unashamedly and indecently. It stared directly into my consciousness, echoing the hollowness in my wallet and I took the plunge and allowed the vice of modern society to envelope me.

I gave my mind, body and soul to the evil that is Google Adsense. Even as I sit here, a shiver runs down my side knowing that I am worth 2 cents for every click I receive from the advertisements that usurped my innocence.

But it is the ads that send the greatest fears. Google Adsense purports to customise their advertisement based on the content of my beloved. Every time I log in, I am bombarded by advertisements telling me that I can “Find your soul mate” or ads that tell me how I “Can succeed with motivational quotes” or “Lay the foundation for a better life” or “Help positive thinking and personal growth” or my favourite, “Buy your Hermes Birkin online – now!”

It frightens me how a computer program can develop such insight into my mind and access my most intimate thoughts. But as any prostitute will tell you, you learn to become a being void pain, emotional attachment and regret, because after all of that, you’ll receive a nice little imbursement. I am still waiting for mine.

posted by tykang @ 8/07/2005 12:25:00 PM