Does little Johnny really need that?

Just got back from doing some good ole' fashioned Christmas shopping. Crowded malls, long lines at the register, and those bell-ringing folks outside. Always a joy.

On my way back from the mall, I had to stop at Best Buy. I mean, it's on my way home so I HAD to go. But I tell you what, that store is one of the coolest out there. If I could pick one store to spend as much money as I wanted, it would be that one.

As I pulled up to the greatest store ever, I noticed a long line outside the doors, snaking around the front of the building. People in lawn chairs and on blankets were sipping coffee and singing Koom-by-Ah (ok, so they weren't singing). Curious as to what on earth these people were doing in the 30-degree weather, I read a sign next to the door. "Xbox 360 line," it said. So that's what these people were waiting for? A freekin video game system?!

This got me thinking. What has this society come to? We have people camping outside a Best Buy all night, some risking hypothermia, just to get their spoiled 10-year-old kid a video game for Christmas? Don't get me wrong, I've spent plenty of hours playing Tiger Woods Golf for Playstation 2, but this is a little extreme.

Technology is great and we are a better world because of the advances in the past 20 years, but it's like we NEED this stuff to survive. Does anyone remember what we did without cell phones? God forbid. How about before the Internet? How did kids ever do research for school? Before video games? What the hell did we do in our spare time if we didn't have digital cable, the Internet, and xbox? Must have been a boring life.

Oh, gotta go. My color-screen cell phone is ringing, I have to watch some Patriots highlights on my Comcast digital cable, and then I need to import some more songs into my iTunes. And once I finish checking my email on my high-speed Internet connection, I want to listen to the Dave Matthews Band show I downloaded earlier and upload it to my ipod.

What would we do without all this stuff?