Can't really call this sketch lost. I just did it. Enjoy regardless.

Between the PS3 launch/shoot-out and the Black Friday fist-fights I have two new reasons to be ashamed of my country.

PS3s are offensively expensive and have a laundry list of technological problems and short comings and (if reviewers are to be believed) only one game that's worth playing. And if you bought one of those things and you don't have an HDTV that's capable of displaying 1080i via HDMI, uh... What the Hell is the point?

Isn't that like buying a Ferrari and politely asking the dealer to remove the standard transmission and replace it with a nice little automatic?

Look... By the time you buy the HDMI cable, second controller and a game you've spent close to a thousand dollars right?

So pony up and drop a couple grand more on an HDTV.

Vizio makes an affordable flat-panel with a decent display. Or you could be a real man/woman and get the Sony. Because you're not really complete until you own the best right? Right? That's what it's all about isn't it?

So spend sheep! Spend!

And speaking of spending...

Is it really worth the savings to be crammed into a line full of credit card junkies at 5 AM outside of a Best Buy in Kansas?

Seriously. I'm asking. What's the attraction?

Sure you save a few hundred on a television or a toaster... But... So what?

All around us we can see examples of Americans paying extra for convenience. Anyone who's paid a dollar extra for a gallon of milk at a convenience store to save themselves the drive and the hassle of going to a big-box grocery store knows exactly what I'm talking about.

Think you're different? Do you own a car? How about a Tivo? Or an Ipod or a satellite radio? Ever eat at a restaurant?

Can't take the bus? Watch shows when they're on? Listen to music on the radio? Cook a meal?

See? You do pay for convenience. Just like me. (I love my Tivo and my Ipod has become a permanent part of my anatomy...)

So why do you all throw that concept away on Black Friday? You're not gaining anything in my estimation.

As far as I'm concerned that extra two hundred I'll ultimately pay for my new television is a convenience tax paid so that I don't have to get up at 3 AM and stand in line with a bunch of spend addicts who are just dying to trample me as they bolt for the plasma displays.

I know, we all like to save money. I do too. But some things are worth the extra money (like a college education and health insurance) and ultimately if a few hundred bucks price difference is going to deter you from making a purchase then you probably shouldn't be buying the item in the first place.

But what do I know? This is just my opinion.

Hope everybody had a happy Turkey day...