Its amazing: there seems no question for these folks that the i phone is more worthwhile than a meal out. Not sure I'd choose one over the other, I'd ditch the meal and the phone. In fact I'm just about to ditch my old blackberry plan and get a pre-paid for $15/month. Really, I can wait to get home to look at emails. When the blackberry battery dies (any time now), I'll go back to a phone that just texts and phones... cost $24.
The Japanese electricity link was cool. It sounds a bit extreme: but they dubbed it "going back to the 60s". Heck I grew up in the '60s and don't remember ever feeling deprived and using a washboard... but there was no aircon, no microwave, no computers, no clothes drier, and for a while no TV. Hmmmm I was happy when they brought out Glad wrap (plastic wrap)...kept the ole sangers for lunch much fresher.