This actually makes quite a bit of sense to me. I even tried an experiment once. I thought about something a couple of years ago that I hadn't considered since I was quite a bit younger. A remote controlled helicopter. I knew their expense was great, and the complexity of operation quite vast. It shouldn't be too dificult to resist.

I figured if I could examine these remote controlled helicopters in detail, and resist the urge to buy one, I was home free. I could beat this gratification quest. I studied up on them for some time. Then I started looking at prices for a beginner's solution. Into the thousands of dollars for a TOY. I succeeded in resisting for a while. Then a manufacturer produced a product they call the Raptor, which is a decent quality helicopter at one-half to one-third the price of other solutions. They claimed it to be easier to operate, but still challenging enough to maintain interest. The price was unseen in this area previously.

I was vanquished. The wife conceeded, and I purchased one. It's a great gadget, but I can't help but feel that I've lost more than I gained. It's like I set a precident to cave into myself whenever I want something.

I can honestly say that one product which I have no regrets for purchasing is the empeg. Expensive, but well worth it. It's something that I use several times a day, rather than once a month or even less.

Oh well. I have a feeling the "next big thing" on the horizon for me will either be a Tivo or X-Box (Replay is just too expensive). The wife is already defensively positioned against the Tivo ... but she's beginning to cave on the X-Box due to the fact that the Soul Reaver series of games is appearing for that platform. I think we'd get more use out of the Tivo ... but that would give us an excuse to "do nothing but watch TV day and night, don't you think we should have a social life, Greg?"

Alas, I still feel like a whipped servant boy to my desires. Maybe one day I will conquer this economically debilitating disease.

Greg