sonoronos
2007-01-16, 17:34
This being a new year, I'm sure that some of you on this board made the obligatory New Year's resolution(s). Some of you have decided to lose weight, skip sweets, shred credit cards, take dancing classes, or learn a second language. However, the most important new year's resolution I made was simple: Do not buy a single electronic gadget in 2007.
I encourage others to follow. As fellow gadget enthusiasts, you must all understand the hopelessness of this resolution. After all, abandoning the sacred act of gadget-buying in the year of the N880 and the Apple iPhone is going against the countless threads of the intricate spiderweb of society. It is a monumental struggle.
So here is a list of things that I thought of that one could spend money on this year besides gadgets:
1. If you live in a place with very cold winters (like I do), treat yourself to a nice down-insulated winter coat. My personal favorite is the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL, which is cleverly made, well-constructed, and looks great. It weighs half that of the equivalent offerings by Marmot and The North Face. It also comes with a lifetime warranty - you couldn't say the same about an iPod, now could you? For those of you who are uber-rich, the next step up would be the Feathered Friends Frontpoint jacket, which has similar features to the Mountain Hardwear jacket but is a few ounces lighter and has taped seams for better waterproofing.
2. Get married. Let's face it, the "Latchkey Kid" of the 20th century has grown up, changed his name and now prefers to be called "Latchkey Relationship." Now once you find love, you check off that box and now you're buying gadgets together. You forget anniversaries and birthdays, but can instantly name the date of the next CES. But how long is that shiny new Apple Powerbook you bought and named together going to last? Probably until the next Apple "unveiling." Diamonds and wedding vows, however, are said to last forever.
3. Give to a charity or tithe to church. Why give your hard earned money to the corporate machine? They exist just to take your money . If you attend church regularly, tithe away. If not, then give money to any number of upright, well known charities. Start up a scholarship fund. In the US, it's all tax deductible too, so now you really have no excuse!
4. Open an online stock brokerage account and invest. I like Scottrade, since I just do market orders and each trade costs significantly less than the other discount brokers. After all stocks can gain in value, but all consumer goods will do is end up on ebay for 25% of what ya bought them for!
Anyone else have any other ideas?
I encourage others to follow. As fellow gadget enthusiasts, you must all understand the hopelessness of this resolution. After all, abandoning the sacred act of gadget-buying in the year of the N880 and the Apple iPhone is going against the countless threads of the intricate spiderweb of society. It is a monumental struggle.
So here is a list of things that I thought of that one could spend money on this year besides gadgets:
1. If you live in a place with very cold winters (like I do), treat yourself to a nice down-insulated winter coat. My personal favorite is the Mountain Hardwear Sub Zero SL, which is cleverly made, well-constructed, and looks great. It weighs half that of the equivalent offerings by Marmot and The North Face. It also comes with a lifetime warranty - you couldn't say the same about an iPod, now could you? For those of you who are uber-rich, the next step up would be the Feathered Friends Frontpoint jacket, which has similar features to the Mountain Hardwear jacket but is a few ounces lighter and has taped seams for better waterproofing.
2. Get married. Let's face it, the "Latchkey Kid" of the 20th century has grown up, changed his name and now prefers to be called "Latchkey Relationship." Now once you find love, you check off that box and now you're buying gadgets together. You forget anniversaries and birthdays, but can instantly name the date of the next CES. But how long is that shiny new Apple Powerbook you bought and named together going to last? Probably until the next Apple "unveiling." Diamonds and wedding vows, however, are said to last forever.
3. Give to a charity or tithe to church. Why give your hard earned money to the corporate machine? They exist just to take your money . If you attend church regularly, tithe away. If not, then give money to any number of upright, well known charities. Start up a scholarship fund. In the US, it's all tax deductible too, so now you really have no excuse!
4. Open an online stock brokerage account and invest. I like Scottrade, since I just do market orders and each trade costs significantly less than the other discount brokers. After all stocks can gain in value, but all consumer goods will do is end up on ebay for 25% of what ya bought them for!
Anyone else have any other ideas?