February 11, 2005

• Plasma

  
  

  So amidst all this baby stuff, buying a practical family car, life insurance and new home to accomodate the increased number of pitter-pattered feet running around… I thought, “Darn it.  What should Daddy get for himself?”  Answer: The new home’s Plasma Screen Package, which comes with this nifty Sony KDE-42XS955, 42″ screen.

  
  

  When I first purchased it, I was initially going through “Buyer’s Remorse” after seeing 70″ screens in stores, for thousands of dollars less.

  
  

  But as I did more research, that remorse quickly turned into excitement.  Sure, you can get a lot more screen for your money going with a rear-projection, LCD or DLP TV and they have gotten a lot smaller from the traditional big screens.  But there’s no getting around that they’ve all got a big ass in the back. 

  
  

  None matches the slimness and crispness of a plasma.  Being able to see the image from all angles whether standing up or to the side of the screen.  And it’s the only one you can mount on a wall.  

  
  

  My only initial hesititation was that since a lot of newer homes have built in recessed niches for an entertainment center, a wall mounted plasma would be nestled 3 feet back into the niche.  But now they can mount it on an “articulating arm” to pull it out from the wall.  It can also turn 180 degrees towards another room (say if you’re cooking in the kitchen and following a recipe from Alton Brown), tilt down so the kids don’t have to crane up their necks and then push it back flush to the wall when you’re done… so getting a plasma was pretty much a no brainer besides the dough factor.

  
  

  In doing research, I discovered plasmas can only go up to the 70″ range (which begins to go into the tens of thousands of dollars), so when I saw an 84″ plasma screen, I dropped my mouth thinking, “What the heck?”  Until I enlarged the image and realized they had put together four  42″ plasma screens.  

  
  

  See?  Now, I think this is cheating.

  
  

  Was the TV the most practical purchase ever?  Hell, no.  But do I deserve it?  Hell, yes. 

  
  

  I’ve always been so practical with my dough that it came to a point where I never got to enjoy it.  I lost so much in the ’99 tech boom from over-saving (stashing 80%-90% of every paycheck, since I had no living expenses working/living at a HS dorm school) that I never got to enjoy a single dime.  So after that, I did a little re-evaluating in my savings plan to incorporate having more fun with my cash. 

  
  

  I figured: since I don’t go out, eat out, do drugs, drink or smoke — that’s already thousands in savings a year I can put into stuff like the plasma screen.  Just as long as I continue to keep no credit card debts, pay off my mortage every other week (to shave off a decade in payments), contribute to a Roth IRA every year (when applicable) and stash 40% - 60% of every paycheck for future investment properties, everything should be gravy.

  
  

  The only problem is: That “paycheck” may not come at all in some months.  Like this past month, where I grossed $11.74 for the entire month of January.  Big paydays have to last for who knows how long.  So after this, no more frivoulous spending (subliminal message: pool table) for awhile because… baby needs a new pair of shoes.  But then again, if I book a pilot this season…          

  • 6:01 pm
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