Trying to Make Dad's Day Pay

best buy wall o' tvs
Originally uploaded by elevatedprimate.

My father is a simple man. We were probably the last people on earth to replace a rotary phone with a touch tone. We didn't have an answering maching until just before I started college and my Dad just discovered how awesome cds are a year ago when he got his first cd player standard with his car. He still scoffs off the thought of replacing the VCR with a DVD player (that's partially because my mother has an addiction to "General Hospital" and records it every single day). So, shopping for him is a no brainer - get a couple of cds and he's a very happy man.

Retailers, of course are trying to make this a big deal with a big payoff - saying our dads need that plasma tv, the iPod, and the turbo barbeque grill. There was even a Father's Day promo at a local furniture store chain that threw in a free grill with the purchase of a recliner (because we all know that Dad is synonymous with couch potato and grill master). But in the end, I know from my own experience - that buying the gadgets for Dad isn't really practical - they sit there collecting dust. Guys just want something they can use and enjoy - and it doesn't have to be big. A couple of cds and my dad will gleefully sing off tune.