home esoterica Feature Articles by binnallFeature Articles by binnall Original binnallofamerica.com Audio the United States of Esoterica merchandise contact

Khyron

The K-Files

11.29.06

Welcome to the latest installment of The K-Files.

For Khyron, my little vacation last week was more than just Thanksgiving dinner and Coast to Coast AM. Like many Americans, I was on the prowl in the early morning hours for hot deals and rare electronics. If you decided to skip the crowds associated with the Black Friday deals, then I commend you. Me, I was smack dab in the middle of the craziness.

Though instead of walking away with some sweet deals, I found myself leaving with a renewed disgust towards our culture of consumerism.

You'd better get ready, 'cause here come The K-Files...

:: Special Report::

The date, Sunday, November 19th; the time, 1:15 am—as usual, I was listening to the Saturday into Sunday edition of Coast to Coast AM. Host Art Bell was talking to guest Dr. James Canton regarding future trends. Though unlike weekends past, that morning I was not listening to the radio in the warm comfort of my bed. Far from it. Instead I was struggling to hear the interview over the chattering of my teeth as I sat enduring the frigid Minnesota air in a lawn chair outside of a Target store. I was one of over 70 people waiting out the night to be among the first to own a Nintendo Wii videogame console.

Hardly a newcomer to the waiting in line scene, a year prior I was sitting in nearly the same spot in front of the same store on the same chair for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (side note: in a strange event of synchronicity, I was number 17 in line to get the Wii…the same number I was for the Xbox 360. Moreover, 1 + 7 = 8, which happens to be my numerology digit. Coincidence?). Now, at the risk of sounding hypocritical, I must say that this lining up at retail stores thing needs to end!

I will be the first to admit that the thrill of it is indeed exhilarating. To be honest, I didn’t even really want the Nintendo Wii. I was there mostly for the fun of it and to provide moral support to a friend. But to be honest, after about 5 hours, when Coast to Coast was over and I couldn’t feel my frozen toes, I had an epiphany…

…Waiting in the cold in front of Target for a videogame console is friggen stupid.

Yup, I can nail down to within a few minutes the exact moment that I officially had enough with feeding into the retail hype machine that has captivated so many. Sure, I got my Wii—and now don’t have to worry about purchasing it on EBay from some wannabe entrepreneur at an inflated price—but at what cost?

I had some fun talking games with those waiting around me, but it troubles me now in retrospect that I place so much importance on owning the latest and greatest in technology. Could my life really be so shallow that I must resort to urban camping expeditions for videogame systems? Apparently so, as not but 6 days later I found myself waiting in front of a local Circuit City store for a $500 HD TV I neither needed nor wanted.

It was early Friday morning. My stomach was still full of Thanksgiving dinner and, as with a few days earlier, I was listening to Coast to Coast AM to help pass the time. It’s unfortunate that I wasn’t at home where I probably should have been, as what little of the interview with Lloyd Pye regarding the Star Child skull that I heard was quite interesting. No, instead of happily digesting as I drifted into sleep, I was instead waiting in that damn cold just as I had previously vowed not to ever again. Though after the markedly worse experience I had that second night, I can officially say that I am done with waiting in line.

Black Friday has always been a pretty serious event (I would know, considering I worked that day when I was employed at Best Buy for a brief period a couple years back), but what I saw that night even sickened my worn heart.

Arriving at the store around 2 am, there was already a massive line of people. All decked out in their sleeping bags and tents, they were definitely in it for the long run. Feeling discourage, my brother and I drove over to Best Buy. What I saw there would make George A. Romero vomit. In the worst display of rampant consumerism I have ever seen, the Best Buy parking lot had been transformed into a make-shift shanty town of tents, tarps, and million dollar motor homes. All for some cheap DVD’s and off-brand electronics at discounted prices.

As I came home that morning empty handed and disgusted, I went to sleep disappointed in society. What have we become? Waiting in line for deals has become a new hobby. As made evident by the people who ate their Thanksgiving dinner in a parking lot, shopping has become the focal point of the holiday. For me, these ‘deals’ are something that I am no longer thankful for.


:: Dead End ::

 

Well, that's all for this week. I trust you enjoyed your trip into this shadowy nether-realm known only as the K-Files.

For the latest updates on the world of Khyron, bookmark http://www.khyron.net/. With content updated regularly, you're sure to find your fix for all things entertaining and paranormal. As always, feel free to send any questions/comments/suggestions to KFiles@khyron.net.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next  K-Files, arriving sometime next week. Later.

~Khyron, 2006.

Khyron

Check out Khyron.net

K-Files Archive : HERE

Discuss The K-Files @ the USofE HERE