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San Jose, CA - It won't be a merry Christmas for many of the recently
unemployed technology workers in Silicon Valley. Most will
have to get by with Mocha Lattes every other day and many may soon
be facing the reality of life without their Dreamcasts.
"Last year I tossed my spare change into the buckets for the
Salvation Army. This year I have to save every penny just so
I can hold onto my Dreamcast," said one recent dot goner.
Many of the newly unemployed have had to make the unsavory choice
between a PlayStation 2 or a Dreamcast and give up the dream of owning
both. More discomforting rumors tell of the jobless selling
their old PlayStations just so they can afford a new Dreamcast game.
 There
have also been reports that Silicon Valley pawn shops have stopped
taking Dreamcasts for fear that they won't be able to unload their
bulging inventories. One shop owner said he had 35 consoles
already and 20 copies of Seaman.
"One guy I know sold his Dreamcast to pay for gas for his Porsche. Now
he just wanders around his living room at night, mumbling incoherently. It's
really sad to see. I mean that guy is somebody's son," said
Carrie Hirot.
On the brighter side two local charities have been reaching out
to the Dreamcastless community. Dreamcasts for Humanity builds
Dreamcasts from discarded parts dug out of trash bins at various
semiconductor manufacturers and uses volunteer labor from local workers. "I
was Dreamcastless for 4 months, and when Dreamcasts for Humanity
built me a new one, I was in tears. The caring of my fellow
man was overwhelming."
Another group, CastAways, has set up game rooms throughout the valley
so that if only for one night a week the Dreamcastless have a place
to play. "It's really a rewarding experience to see these
people get a nice cold Mountain Dew and a game of Sonic Adventure
2. To know I'm a part of this makes me feel warm inside," said
one volunteer.
One Dreamcastless person at the CastAways group wrote a poem about
his experiences:
No dot com
No Dreamcast, gone
Silent staring TV on.
No job pay
No games to play
Wherefore art thou CastAways?
Oh, dark night,
Oh, colors bright,
Sonic bring me nearer light.
Oh, dark soul,
Oh, game control,
Seaman speak and make me whole.
Oh, fun day
What can I say?
You complete me CastAways.
Please remember these people as you play Skies
of Arcadia this holiday season.
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