\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0It all started with a photo in the Journal of a kid camped outside an electronics store in Albuquerque. He literally was camped out, determined to be the first to purchase his own version of PlayStation3.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0All of that reminded me of the time a few short years ago when armies of people gathered around a building, armed with cots, PJs, reading material, sleeping bags and electronic gadgets. They snaked around the Krispy Kreme outlet, hoping to be among the first to consume some of that artery-clogging nutrition when the store opened early the next morning.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0We wonder whether the PlayStation guy is a close relative to the Krispy Kreme types. But perhaps we should have more respect and admiration for the doughnut types, for their moment of glory is over. At least in Albuquerque, the Krispy Kreme stores just recently closed.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Or are the doughnut-PlayStation types all related to a distant cousin of mine whom I ran into several years ago as we entered a Raton movie house to watch one installment of the Star Wars trilogy. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This is the 13th time I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen this movie,” my cousin said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153and each time it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s like watching a new film.”
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0One could easily see why not much of the flick has rubbed off on him, as I noticed him dozing shortly after the opening credits.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0So the fascination for electronics and movies in which things go zap and pop in the night is clear. And maybe it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wise to throw in a doughnut here and there.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The PlayStation3, by the way, is a high-resolution, high-powered, high-tech, high-priced game console that hooks to a TV set. It features anything from games for kids to the kind that whet one\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s appetite with the more violent shoot-em-ups. Sony shipped only a limited number, increasing the demand. All the consoles shipped to the Las Vegas outlet quickly sold out.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0According to a store employee, many of those pricey units aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t intended for use by the buyer, but for resale on e-bay at a tidy profit.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0So covetous are people of the PlayStation3 phenom that two armed men in Hartford, Conn., tried to rob a line of people waiting for the new game system. The hold-up men weren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily interested in acquiring the game, just the money they knew people in line were carrying.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Electronic gadgets such as the X-Box and Game Boy are already showing up on the Letters to Santa Claus, which the Optic will be printing later this month.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Compare those requests with the quite modest supplications to Santa of a few decades ago. The writers of letters back in 1934 obviously led Spartan lives. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s take a peek:
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0A set of roller skates sold for 89 cents; a tricycle went for $5.98 and a girl\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bike was $40.95 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d all available at the local Wards store. Forty bucks plus for a bike was a fortune, in a community whose residents felt affluent if they earned a dollar an hour.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Skates, dolls, gloves and candy were the most-requested items for little girls of that era. Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a sampling:
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Genoveva Garcia of Railroad Avenue, Tomasita Trujillo of Blanchard Street, Isabel Sandoval of Sapello Street, Emma Rael of Perez Street, Corrine Vigil of Railroad Avenue, Tomasita Salazar of Tilden Street, Margaret Ortiz of New Mexico Avenue, Fern Edna Valverde of Railroad, Feloniz and Rosita Pe\u00c3\u00b1a of Railroad, Aurora Lucero of Ninth Street, Gloria Maes of South Pacific, Mary Brown of Gallinas Street, Margaret Silva of Chavez Street and Marcella Trujillo of Rosenwald Avenue \u00e2\u20ac\u201d all of these begged and bugged Santa about their allotment of simple toys, and a bit of candy.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0And what did boys request?
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Leandro Crespin of South Pacific asked for boxing gloves; Joe Hidalgo of West National asked for a car with lights; Leo Montoya of Alamo Street sought boxing gloves; Edward Trujillo of Tilden asked for a BB gun and skates; Wilfred and Johnnie Sandoval of South Pacific asked for two-wheeled bikes; Louie Pe\u00c3\u00b1a of Railroad asked for a football; Frank Baca of Tilden asked for a wagon or truck; Johnny Lopez of New Mexico Avenue wanted a real watch; Joe Ludi of South Pacific requested a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Treasure Island” book; Charles Cox of Gallinas Street asked for Lincoln Logs and a typewriter; Amadeo Pe\u00c3\u00b1a of Railroad asked for a punching bag.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Probably the most altruistic request among the many letter-writers \u00e2\u20ac\u201d people who today would be in their 70s \u00e2\u20ac\u201d was from a resident of Sapello Street, Ismael Kavanaugh, who wrote, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Please send toys to others because of mutch cost.”
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Somewhere there must be a resident who can explain what a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Triangular Arithmetic” book was. Except for the usual clothes, gloves and hats the youngsters requested, the TA book was the most-requested non-toy item.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0The following requested such a book: Octaviano Ortiz, Charlotte Baca of Grand, Rafelita Sena of South Pacific; Margaret Ortiz of New Mexico Avenue, Dorothy Ortiz of South Montezuma Street, Natividad Chacon of Sapello Street and Margaret Silva of Chavez Street.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0If this were in fact a required school book, why didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t the state provide it free of charge? Did the students all have dogs that made a snack only of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Triangular Arithmetic” but left the other, less-tasty texts alone?
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Was it instead a comic book featuring Superman-type characters named \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Triangular” and his faithful Indian companion \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Arithmetic”? Can someone explain?
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0Another observation is the long-held belief, even in my generation, that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more fun to receive toys than clothes. Several Christmases ago, my grandson and namesake, at about 30 months, did the honors of distributing gifts in our household. As he tore open gifts addressed to him, any item of clothing got tossed into the air, as if it were wrapping, designed only to get in the way of the real prize \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a toy.
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0We still wonder how he learned that clothes under the Christmas tree don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t count.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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