Let me Check my...

Do you know somebody who owns a Blackberry? I'm sure you do. They're popular. They're high-tech, useful and have a qwerty keyboard. Awesome, huh? But did you ever stop to ask yourself why you know somebody who owns a Blackberry? I don't mean why you know the person, but why you know what type of phone they have. After all, do you know anybody who owns a Samsung off the top of your head?

You know why you know? Because they won't shut the Hell up about it. What is it with people who own Blackberries? Is there something in the contract where they have to name-drop at every chance? They can't answer their phone, they have to answer their Blackberry. Oh ho! Oh, I'm sorry. I thought it was a FU&*%NG phone! Yeah, it's a neat little gadget, but it's a phone! Stop calling it by it's brand name. You do realize that the rest of us don't give two craps, right?

And while we're on technology... Who's idea was it to combine phones and cameras? Is there some synergy there that I've missed? Did Motorola have a bunch of extra parts laying around for digital cameras and phones and they just figured they could MacGyver them together? Was there a prototype held together by chewing gum?

But, I digress. The point here is really just that we're so obsessed with our technology and status symbols that we feel the need to advertise them to other people. How insecure are you that you have to point out all the expensive crap you got just to one-up somebody else? "I own a Lexus." Oh? Really? You own a Toyota Camry with an "L" on the front? How much is that "L"? An extra $5000? I hope you enjoy that investment.

Don't buy in to the brainwashing and advertising. Products won't make you happy. Status symbols are exactly that, symbols, not status. The only real happiness to be found is within yourself. Once you reach out your hand and grasp an items in this world that can be devastated, destroyed, lost or stolen... well, you've sold a small part of yourself for temporary and very dangerous instant gratification.