Plasma TV Blog

I promised myself this was the year I was going to really figure out the black box of computing. Since the year began everybody I know has upgraded their choice of laptop or bought some kind of MP3 player, and I’m pretty much clueless when it comes to the whole technology thing. Was it always like this? It seems that recently all these IT schools are the place where young people are heading instead of doing a BA or MA at a regular university.

It is amazing how things speed up and you can just get lost. My son Heinz stays up all night “chatting” on his computer. I heard him telling the mailman that he met a girl from Uganda online. In my day that sort of thing was out of the question.

There is one new thing that Heinz showed me which looks pretty easy to figure out. It’s those new plasma televisions. Once I get my raise at the plant I’m going to get one and hang it on the wall in the den. Right where my ex-wife’s picture used to be. Oh Yeah.

I was watching a movie the other day with my girl friend (as in friend who is a girl but whom I have no relations with, except a little when drunk) and needless to say she was impressed with the quality of the image. Now if only I could impress her with the quality of my image I’d probably stop dying inside every time she says I’m just like one of the girls…. Anyway, the thing was that with all the recent noise the movie writers guild or whatever has been making about getting equal credit as the directors we realized that the cinematographer or DOP, as they say in the biz (my friend told me, she went to film and photography school) has been getting the shaft and is just enduring it quietly, cause he ain’t a whiner like them writers. Look, if I wanted to give a writer credit I’d read a book, but when it comes to flicks all I care about is the image quality. ‘Is it going to look awesome on my Plasma TV?’ is what I ask.

My friend especially is choked about the unfairness of the whole thing. She obviously likes photography, still and film, and aspires to one day work in film. So as the writers complain about the director getting credit for the story so should the cinematographers demand their share of credit for the overall look of the film, the lighting, the mood. Would Sleepy Hollow have been the tenebrous film it was without the same awesomely creepy cinematography. Johnny Depp didn’t save that film on his own!

Haven’t been able to catch decent sleep as of late as I had an insomniac past couple of days, but my plasma TV has been there with me lulling me to sleep with late night infomercials for tomato slicers and pyramid schemes, and I guess there’s been some sort of subliminal message implanted in my brain while I slept cause now I’m toying with the idea of possibly embarking on a small business venture. I don’t think I’m being serious about the whole thing but I find myself trying to think up clever new business schemes when my brain goes into idle mode. Also been reading some small business articles and inventor’s biographies like Alba Edison’s and John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich.

I probably won’t be venturing into the exciting world of small businesses just yet, and probably once I start sleeping normally again and away from late night infomercials I’ll forget the whole thing, for a while at least (hey, never say never right?), but at least I have the knowledge that I too can dream and that knowledge is power. Plus now there is an extra, lone, magazine in my bathroom that is not about sports or a plasma TV catalog, although I should probably donate it to my public library because the next time I read will probably be in 2017 and by then the articles will be grossly outdated and besides, those lazy librarians need some cataloguing to do.

I was watching my 50inch plasma the other day and I saw a commercial from a travel agency offering all inclusive holidays to Kos. Kos is an island off Greece and it looks amazing. The commercial showed some really spectacular scenery, beautiful blue waters, pure white sand and loads of beautiful women in bikinis. This looked absolutely awesome on my plasma.

I love this tv. Ever since I purchased it, I haven’t left the house. Usually my friends come over every weekend to watch some sports event and watching porn is like a dream come true! No pun intended. I think over the next few months I am going to save some more money and buy a PS3 because I think that would be wicked to play on the 50 incher! Most of my friends don’t make as much money as me so I guess they are a little jealous, but I enjoy drinking beers and hanging with them on the weekend to watch some sports.

Protect your assets. In my neighborhood, I learned the hard way not to let your neighbors see too much. After moving, I had a ton of stuff stolen when I was out of the apartment (including my plasma TV and stereo). I thought I was lucky, though, because I have a friend who was actually home when someone broke in and had a look around. He obviously didn’t know she was home, and he didn’t get too far, only grabbing the bracelet she had left on the table in her hallway. Her shrieking actually scared the guy away. It makes me think, though, that 1) society is falling apart, and 2) you have to take it upon yourself to defend that which you care about. So, I decided to start studying martial arts, and I invested in some ninja gear. I had to buy a uniform for the class, of course, but then I went ahead and got a wood “bokken”, which is a sword used for training.

Now, I am waiting for these guys to come back. I would love to be there next time. I know it probably sounds like some kind of macho crap, but even just a few months of studying has given me a new outlook. You can’t wait for others to help you. Help yourself.

I recently had a near-death experience. I was at a friend’s place in Newton, checking out his brand new plasma TV and having a few beers. We were watching the Celtics get pummeled again and getting pissed in the process. After a bathroom break between the third and fourth quarters, I walked into the living room, turned to throw a dishtowel at my friend who was talking to his girlfriend on the phone, and knocked his TV off of the stand. I caught it as it fell, but the cord was sliced on the corner of the metal stand in the process. Before he had the opportunity to break my neck, I was out the door with it, down the block, and handing it over to a guy in a white lab coat who said it would just take a few hours to fix.

Actually, it was under warranty, but I didn’t realize that at the time. He ended up just replacing the cord, which didn’t cost much, and I had it back at my friend’s the next day. It wasn’t a good day: money was wasted, my friend (and his girlfriend) think I am an idiot, and the Celtics are still terrible.

When I started thinking about redecorating my place, I started looking through my girlfriend’s architectural and business magazines for ideas. I also watched a few episodes of Extreme Makeover and Queer Eye, and I was ready for action.

We started by throwing out as much of my out-dated gadgetry as possible and replacing it with newer, higher-end stuff. This included getting rid of my 1980s-era Montgomery Ward CRT TV and getting a wall-mounted plasma screen, and replacing my giant old stereo and stereo speakers with MP3s from my laptop and reflecting speakers. This alone added an extra room’s worth of space to my cramped apartment. Then we hit carpeting, the sofa, and finally, the closets.

All in all, I didn’t spend too much, and my place really does look great. Minimizing not only the amount of stuff you have, but also the size of the stuff you are going to keep makes all the difference in the world.

I was recently at my friend’s electronic store in Sydney and he was telling me how he was planning to open an internet site over the next few months. His biggest concern was how to get targeted visitors to his website. He has been in business for many years now and his store has been quite lucrative. His biggest selling items are plasma TV’s which have seen a huge increase in sales over the past few years. These days, more and more young professionals in Sydney are holding off on marriage and children and therefore have a lot more disposable income. This has seen the sale of electronic goods increase recently with many young couples decking their apartments out with the latest in plasmas and stereo equipment.

I suggested my friend run a campaign letting his current customers know about his new website and maybe offer some kind of prize for those who sign up as a member on his site. I know if he was offering 50 inch plasmas as a prize, then I would certainly be signing up. His plan is to offer product reviews, price comparisons and pictures of latest models on the site and also the ability to purchase through online shopping.

About two weeks ago I won a substantial amount of electronic goods through an online competition that I had entered. The total prize value was approximately $30,000 and included a plasma screen, PS3, stereo unit with amplifier; several surround sound speakers including subwoofer and a notebook computer. You can imagine my disbelief when I came home yesterday only to discover someone had broken into my house and stolen everything! I couldn’t believe it. Luckily, I remembered that included in the prize package was a guide on asset tags. I quickly found the paperwork and discovered that all of the products I’d won had in fact been labeled with asset identification tags that included a barcode, number and security hologram. You might be thinking well why not just scratch it off? Well, apparently if you tamper with the tag it will leave the i.d. number embossed on the product.

I guess now all I have to do is wait to see if these assholes who stole my stuff try to sell it at any of the local pawn shops, or second-hand electronic dealerships. I guess this could be hopeful thinking as they have probably set-up their own apartment with these items. When the police came to investigate I was adamant that it had to be someone from my street. When the goods were delivered to my house, it was quite obvious to see what items I’d won. It just seems too coincidental that I would be robbed only days after winning these great prizes. The Police said that unfortunately without any proof it would be impossible to randomly check my neighbor’s houses.

Plasma technology these days just seem to be getting better and better. I was recently reading an article that students from Collins College are looking at ways to better improve the quality of DVD images on the larger size plasmas. These days watching a DVD movie on a 50 inch plasma isn’t quite a sharp or clear as the smaller 42 inch screen. I personally have a 30 inch screen which I absolutely love. The sheer cost of a 50 inch screen has kept me from purchasing one. I think the most impressive thing about the plasma screen is the fact that it can be mounted to any flat space in a room. Ideally I would love to have one on my bedroom ceiling.

When I first purchased my plasma I almost broke it because I didn’t account for the weight of the screen when I installed some screws into my wall. As I mounted the screen the screws simply bent downwards and created a hole in my wall. I decided to buy some brackets instead and this proved a much smarter and safer option for keeping my plasma suspended. I still have dreams at night though of waking up only to find my plasma screen smashed on the floor below. As I have home and contents insurance I guess it wouldn’t be so bad. Then I could upgrade to a bigger and newer model!