I'm just so Fresh And Clean

The Invisible Hand guides us all. Today it guided me to Ebay, where The Sims 2 can be found for a mere twenty dollars (including transpacific shipping). How is this possible? Wouldn't it be in Thai? Why yes, it is, but there is a nifty patch that converts it to English. But it is a crime to buy software from Thailand. Why? Copyright laws or some bunk. They obviously aren't producing the game at a loss when they sell it there in Thai, and the middleman must be making some profit margin by selling it to Americans or there would be no incentive to do it at all. Its less than half the price to do it this way. Obviously, Maxis is incredibly greedy and is making over 200% profit off its product. Those bastards. Me buying it from Thailand is in no way hurting the company at all (buying it second hand means that it was still bought at its original retail price...only in Thailand instead of the US). They just want more money. Production costs like printing are not a legitimate excuse for saying it costs more in America; its the same game there and manufacture is probably done in some third world thats more cost effective than domestic production anyways. If the market really shows our every desire as consumers as Adam Smith said, let the underground market show that I want my game for a more reasonable price. When Satan himself charges 50$ after rollbacks, something is wrong.

Furthermore, since it seems that I won't be getting any electronic entertainment this weekend, I think I will begin work on my newest project: Duct Tape Shoes. More like loafers really, slip-on sorts of things. I have it all planned out. More to come.

Also, nearly all the animals in the New Orleans zoo survived, except a few otter and an alligator is missing. Check it out: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4223288.stm