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The Importance of Television

I have no intention of pontificating on the impact of television on humankind. Before TV, people went to movie theaters to get motion pictures from around the world. Before that, they attended plays and other theatrical productions. Before that, they played with sticks and rocks (known today as golf).

Enough on that.

Last Sunday, after Dawn and I were fortunate enough to watch Donald Trump speak at CPAC, Life, Liberty, and Levin, and Steve Hilton, our living room TV died. It wasn't necessarily unexpected as it was exhibiting turmoil prior to its final Swan Song. But, still, dissappointing.

The TV was purchased six years ago at Costco. Neither Dawn nor I were happy with a TV that only lasted six years. If it made it to ten years, then that would be acceptable. Nonetheless, it's time for another television and defining the television's mission given what's now know.

In particular, with regards to mission, the living room TV must not have a screen glare. The windows on the back wall of the living room create an obstructive glare on the screen during certain times of the day and while watching programs with dark scenes. The desire is to find a screen that doesn't reflect light from the windows on dark portions of the picture.

Let it not go unsaid, as well, the unexpected cost of replacing a 70" television. A like-for-like replacement will cost one-third of the original TV price, which is good news. Even a 75" TV (the largest TV that will fit in the space) will cost half as much as the six year old, dead TV.

Fortunately, the finances required to replace the living room television can come from a most generous source: our local casinos. Yes, thanks to the giveaway incentives by a couple of our local casinos, we can earn enough to completely pay for a new, high-end television for the living room.

As an aside, Dawn has requested a larger television for the loft (currently 55") in order to turn it into a home theater room. That will require a larger TV and new couches.

As far as contributions from the casinos go, the first week of March yielded $100 in giveaway cash and an additional $220 in cash earned in blackjack. It also provided $100 and $50 in Visa and Best Buy gift cards, respectively. Finally, last week also delivered $355 in free play casino chips that will be converted to real money through blackjack at the end of the month.

Each week in March will deliver at least $100 in cash, $100 in Visa gift cards, $50 in Best Buy gift cards, and between $350 and $400 in free play chips. My average for converting free play chips to real money is about 1.5 times the value. In total, I expect to have at least $3,000 in buying power by the end of March.

Can that buying power stretch to two new televisions and new furniture for the loft? Doubtful. But, I'll see what I can do. Perhaps the loft can wait for the April incentives.

Aside number 2: Some of the incentive giveaways include a couple of $100 Amazon gift cards and ones from Albertson's, Target, or Macy's. I need to also update my office environment with a new standing desk, desk attachments, and chair in order to accommodate my work-from-home situation. This too will be another $700 or so in expenses.

Entering week six on the backyard construction. The foreman believes we can get it almost completed by the end of the week. We'll see.

That's it for last week.

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