One of these days my buddy John Cave Osborne is going to make it out to L.A. and we're going to hit a Laker game. The occasion might even merit a t-shirt with his picture on it, perhaps the one of him and the pink pillow. Ok, I probably won't make the t-shirt. You can blame my laziness on having given in to the collective, I am a member of the instant gratification society.

Instant gratification is our unofficial motto. We want everything now and if not now than in mere seconds from now. Instant gratification means that we carry and use our cellphones everywhere so that we can call people at a moment's notice. No more wandering through stores or stopping at gas stations in search of a pay phone. No more worries about carrying a dime or a quarter for that call.

Remember when it was a big deal to make a long distance call. Long distance calls were expensive and we were only too happy to see Ma Bell compete with MCI, Sprint and other providers of cheap long distance services. Cell phones helped to kill that.

The proliferation of email helped to change things too. Email came along and changed written correspondence in a profound way. The speed with which it flew over the net made sending a letter by post seem quaint. Type, point, click and send and off it went.

Cell phones helped change email as well. The evolution of the smart phone made it possible to check your email on the move. You weren't tied down to a desk any more. You didn't have to wait until you got back to the office or until you got home to see…