...and now from our sponsors

What is it about this area that drives me nuts? I had to go back to Arlington today, and drove right through my ex-boyfriend's neighborhood. It's always like a horrible flashback when I do that. Remembering the stop sign that had "STOP 'N FUCK" spray-painted on it for most of my third grade year, which was also the stop sign that we used to drive through with no lights on the wrong side of the road at night in high school. (It was at the top of a very steep hill-- what were we?? stupid??) Well, with all my driving, I got lost and ended up driving by a ton of high schools (mostly in a town we used to refer to as "Useless") and I saw something that could be one of many reasons why I get so down driving around here. It was the sign for a high school, with the name on it, and the flashing lightboard announcing junior varsity volleyball and all that, but next to the school name was a corporate logo: a Pepsi logo. So what's that all about? Here's your diploma, sponsored by the refreshing taste of the #2 soft drink in the world! And probably one of those school cafeterias you see on the news where water isn't available, only drinks from the Pepsi company and foods from its subsidiaries. Why do I even give a rat's ass about corporate-sponsored education? I don't know. I've just about given up on the American education system after deciding that I don't want to be a part of it. But something about a multi-national corporation dipping its fingers into how people learn just seems so wrong!