so what's up with monopolies?

i just got off the phone with at & t (isn't it interesting that we can't even say it's "at and t," because the ampersand is as much a part of our consciousness as the name itself. that's a whole nuther rant in itself!)

and having gotten off the phone with gary of service fame, i am now "bundled" and my address is corrected. whew. then damien called from the website service because i couldn't get into the email function, which they cheerfully recommended to me over and over but wouldn't let me in...

two hundred years ago "bundling" meant i got to spend the night with my intended husband while tied together with a board between us to insure that we merely chatted all night long.
however, in this brave new world, bundling means that i will now pay at&t not only for my home phone service, wiring contract, local long distance and long-long distance service but also will pay for my cingular wireless phone, my kid's phone and my internet access. sigh. and if i had a TV i could have TV service of six billion worthless channels FREE for a year.

one hundred years ago, this was called monopoly. it was a threat to the free market and to the idea that any joe with the necessary technology could start up his own little phone company. what happened to the trust-breaking, the monopoly-bashing that went hand in hand with protecting the little guy and giving everyone an even break? when did monopolies come back to be the best thing since sliced bread? (or is that sliced bacon?) you know it. i know it. it's not just the phone service. half the food companies in the nation are owned by one or two enormous congolomerates, often tobacco-originated conglomerates. mom and pop anything doesn't exist much anymore in walmart world, at&t world, microsoft world.

am i missing something? Bundling my services is simply putting me in complete bondage to one telecommunications company. if they decide they don't like me, down the road, i am SOL on all fronts except my husband's PDA...wow, sounds like there's a song in that one. (think "has anybody seen my gal" with an extra phrase thrown in)

I'm SOL, no MTV; they bundled but it's not for me
Because i have not got TeeVee, but they've sure got it all.

If i can't post, if i can't IM, if i can't call, i'll have to scream--
it's the only method that's not part of at&t!

So no PDA, there's no way I could let them have that, too...
Got verizon's share, so at least i dare to get myself on the web from there...

I'm SOL, if my bundle breaks; i hope they make no big mistakes,
or else i'll never communicate again--except by letter!
I'll never e-communicate again!

(think little foxtrot rhythm, tune...my, we are longing for times past. crank up the phone maysie, and see who's on the line. )