The Triumph of Consumerism, Part 954,875,463,571

Why is this man, apparently a Californian named Scott Bourne, so very, very happy? Did he win the lottery? Evict Bush from the White House? Discover a cure for cancer? Win the Super Bowl, perhaps?

No, he bought an iPhone.

Admittedly it's probably a pretty cool gadget, but the word "loser" comes to mind whenever stories - or, better yet, photos - are published of consumers spending days queued up for the chance to buy something that everyone else will have purchased over the next several months (possibly in an improved, upgraded second-generation form) anyway.

It ain't worth it. And it's a shame that those with the time and energy to do something like that don't put it into more productive and socially-worthy activities instead... like evicting Bush from the White House, discovering a cure for cancer or, indeed, winning the Super Bowl.