Island of misfits?

[eridanus]

But a TV? Ok, well i guess one's entitled to get attached to an old TV, but that would just seem a bit weird to me.

As someone who doesn't have cable, or even a TV, I must be really pitied. I'd cry if I actually cared.

People don't put the same values on the same things that you do. I spent a lot of money on a super-efficient fridge. My parents wonder why I don't have a stainless steel side-door fridge with water through the door but I don't particularly value that.

Of course, you know your dad.

(Oh yeah - I think attachment to an 11 year old car is kinda weird too. Spend a little already! )

 

[azanon]

As someone who doesn't have cable, or even a TV, I must be really pitied. I'd cry if I actually cared.

Heh, well I dont have cable or satellite either, to be honest. I use an antenna and pick up local HD OTA transmissions (if you dont know, digitally received images are perfect, all/or none, not snowie like regular OTA). For movies, i rent from netflix. The only TV shows i really like are on the main networks.

But no TV? Not at all? Do you get a newspaper? It doesnt matter though. Maybe you just dont like TV. My dad likes TV; he watches it 2.5 hrs+ a night as i said, he just refuses to spend money to enjoy it to its fullest.

People don't put the same values on the same things that you do. I spent a lot of money on a super-efficient fridge. My parents wonder why I don't have a stainless steel side-door fridge with water through the door but I don't particularly value that.

Like i said initially, he likes TV, evidenced by how much he watches it. So that's not it. He would like an HDTV too, but that old problem of actually having to spend $$ to get one is once again, a stumbling block for him.

He sure knows how to make the $$$ though!

 

[ladelfina]

25" regular (non-HDTV) TV everynight

Boo hoo hoo!

Can I just count myself in among those who, with $2million in the bank, would not

watch a beautiful HDTV at night, complete with Dolby digital 5.1 sound on a 2 thousand dollar speaker/sub system.

?


My mom is probably a lot like your dad; she refuses to spend much on herself because a) she thinks she should leave as much as possible to her kids and b) she's just a reeaal Yankee and that's how she's made. She doesn't want/need all that "crap" (tho' she would never use the word "crap"--too vulgar!)

Just thank your lucky stars, azanon, because if he were not that way, he probably wouldn't have instilled in you, even on a subconscious level, the qualities that you have that allowed you, too, to RE (if I can go by your description here that indicates as much...). I know for a fact my mom did that for me by her example.

he just refuses to spend money to enjoy it to its fullest.

Maybe he enjoys it more knowing he spent diddly-squat on it!!!

 

[eridanus]

Like i said initially, he likes TV, evidenced by how much he watches it. So that's not it. He would like an HDTV too, but that old problem of actually having to spend $$ to get one is once again, a stumbling block for him.

Maybe he has what's been described in other threads here. He's so used to saving that now he can't change his habits, even though he was saving for the express purpose of spending it later. Have you tried taking him to lunch and then surreptitiously taking him to Best Buy afterwards? Plied him with brochures?

 

[brewer12345]

Oh, for an "ignore poster" button...

 

[azanon]

Fair enough comments, ladelfina.  That doesn't mean i have to understand it!  And you're right, a lot of the reason why i do save what i do (15% of gross) is because of the way he is/was.

I guess everyone just has to find what level of spending makes them happy.  I'm taking a more balanced approach;  somewhere right in the middle of the average spendthrift American and the extreme, unibomber type (lifestyle i mean), saver as is typical here.

 

[azanon]

Oh, for an "ignore poster" button...

Does anyone else know what a gummint is, since this dumas refuses to tell me what he means by it? I'm curious. Is it actually a word, or just another thing brewer pulled out of his ass.

 

[eridanus]

Does anyone else know what a gummint is,

"government"

 

[HFWR]

Well, it's all relative...

I'm certainly no brazillionaire, but I do have a 50" DLP HDTV, and a modest surround sound system, because that's something I enjoy.

I don't have a McMansion, and I haven't yet installed marble/granite/hardwood etc. in my humble by today's standards home. Would I if I had more dough? Maybe...

The difference, I suppose, is that I can stop ANYTIME!!

Even as a tech, on hourly, there's still sometimes not-so-subtle pressure to keep up an appearance. Many of my "peers" have bigger homes, fancier cars, blah-blah-blah; don't mean chit to me, because I'm one of them there misfits, and proud of it.

 

[azanon]

"government"

OOHH!!  Yeah, that's it!    So brewer's trying to speak ebonics, lol.  At least I now know what i'm supposed to be.   I'm not sure how i'm a flunkie still, though, lol.

 

[HFWR]

Gummint is more a "good ol' boy" term, sort of like "bidness"...

 

[azanon]

Ive heard it said that way phonetically here before, but it would be considered ebonics here; to say that nicely.

 

[ladelfina]

Eridanus is almost there.. Don't just 'ply him with brochures'.. buy him the G*D* thing!

What are you, a cheapskate or something?

Whenever I visit my mom I end up scoping out something ratty and I go out and replace it, bring it home and set it up for her. Half of the reluctance is that, at a certain age, one just doesn't have the energy to research new purchases, either... or deal with setting them up and whatnot.

Would she ever have bought a computer? No, but she makes occasional use of the one I got her. Her all-time favorite, though, is the personal copier, since now she doesn't have to run down to the library or the Store 24 or whatever to make one copy.

Christmas is just around the corner!


---
p.s. I put "gummint" in the class with "revenoo-ers" -- kinda white trash / southern

 

[azanon]

Eridanus and you are probably right about that.   Ive said that before too on these boards about him.  He's saved so long I think he forgot what the purpose is for, and, yeah, it might not even be worth the hassle for him.

I'd offered to help him set this stuff up before, but, honestly, I cant really afford to buy items this expensive for him (with my money).  I get him reasonable gifts of course (got him a 100 dollar Kloss radio last year), but we dont make enough to buy 2K dollar+ flat-panel TVs for my parents.

.........

p.s. I put "gummint" in the class with "revenoo-ers" -- kinda white trash / southern

Do you live in the south?  I can assure you its ebonics talk here.   It right along side with the letter "R" said "R-ruh", Milk pronounced Murk, Police accented as PO- lice, etc.

 

[Andre1969]

I'm sure this will be debated, but Ebonics has its roots from the south, so that's why there's a similarity. My Granddad was a good ol' boy with a 6th grade education from Nof Cu-lie-nuh, and he'd say things like "gummint"

 

[brewer12345]

Ive heard it said that way phonetically here before, but it would be considered ebonics here;  to say that nicely.

Funny how the guy who thinks everyone is racist is only too happy to fault someone for a supposed use of "ebonics, to say that nicely."

Az, I've pulled things out of my ass that had more intelligence and charm than you could aspire to. Drop dead, you backwater bureaucrat *******.

 

[azanon]

Maybe we can all be as pleasant as you obviously are someday, Brewer.

 

[azanon]

I'm sure this will be debated, but Ebonics has its roots from the south, so that's why there's a similarity. My Granddad was a good ol' boy with a 6th grade education from Nof Cu-lie-nuh, and he'd say things like "gummint"

We could do that, but someone would just end up getting offended. I say that future tense cause i'm not counting Brewer. He's obviously residing in left field.

 

[brewer12345]

**** you, Ass-anon.

 

[REWahoo]

Azanon & brewer12345:

I remind you the purpose of this forum is to discuss FIRE related topics. We all stray off-topic and Dory and his henchpersons moderators generally give pretty wide lattitude to almost any discussion. However, when such discussions revert to the exchange of insults and name-calling, then you are going down a road we don't travel on this forum.

Please cease and desist.

 

[ladelfina]

we dont make enough to buy 2K dollar+ flat-panel TVs for my parents

Then I humbly submit that you don't make enough to buy them for yourselves.

(ahem)

 

[azanon]

I'm not even offended anymore.  When someone discredits themselves so severely by their behavior and words, why in the world would i give it any weight?   Exactly..... I don't.

 

[justin]

I'm sure this will be debated, but Ebonics has its roots from the south, so that's why there's a similarity. My Granddad was a good ol' boy with a 6th grade education from Nof Cu-lie-nuh, and he'd say things like "gummint"

There's a lot of differences in dialect even among regions within the South. I've heard "gummint" from many a white person's mouth in VA/NC/SC. Including relatives from the NC mountains. Black people use it too. But I assumed Brewer was using it to poke fun at reticent gummint-fearing good ole boys.

 

[azanon]

Then I humbly submit that you don't make enough to buy them for yourselves.

(ahem)

LOL.  Maybe i should buy everyone on this forum one, kinda like Opera did with the pontiacs!    

Everyone gets an LCD!

Seriously, my dad probably does think I can't afford it either.  I guess he'll (and you) just have to be frustrated and perplexed how i continue to succeed fiscally, month after month.  

I wonder why you guys hoarde.  You wonder why i enjoy my money.  We can just wonder at each other!

 

[HFWR]

Father forgive us for what we must do
You forgive us, we'll forgive you
We'll forgive each other 'til we both turn blue
Then we'll whistle and go fishin' in heaven...

John Prine