Okay, so I read through all of this and it occurs to me that the big gripe over mod-cons shouldn’t really be about who uses what, but rather whether they are being used as a convenience or a status symbol. I’ve got a computer at home, mostly because I can’t use the one I have at work to f*** around like this. I WORK at work. I don’t have a cell phone because if I’m that GD important, someone will send a helicopter filled with black-suited agents in search of me; and if I ever meet anyone with chronic road rage, it will be my pleasure to point him toward the nearest horse’s ass who is talking on his cellphone while (somewhat) driving his status-symbol automobile. As I happen to live some 20 miles from my place of employment, a motorized vehicle of some sort isn’t a convenience - it’s a necessity. Air conditioning is highly overrated - I’ve got one, but if it wan’t for my wife, it would eventually crumble to dust from disuse. Kitchen gadgets are fine, but I don’t go out of my way to ensure my kitchen is outfitted with the latest technology. My coffee maker still works and when it finally gives up the ghost, I will spend five minutes in a KMart or WalMart selecting it’s replacement - doesn’t have to be fancy - just has to brew coffee then keep it warm 'til I drink it all. Can opener seems to be about the nearest to a necessity in there, but I still carry a “John Wayne” can opener on my keychain that I got from eating C-rations in the U.S. Marines years ago (before the introduction of the “convenient” MRE). So, maybe what we all need to do is just reflect a bit on what the difference is between “MOD-CON” and “FLAUNT-TECH”.