(no subject)
I'm back from a bland weekend at the homestead, where nothing out of the ordinary occured (sp?).
As my High-Q scholarship money has finally arrived, I have been contemplating the many ways to spend it:
Option 1-- $300-$350 + savings
The benefits to this particular venture are many. For one, my current 19" TV sucks worse than a dime-store whore. As it lacks an integrated tuner, a VCR must route the cable signal in order for me to pick up all the available channels. On top of the reception being terrible, the size presents a draw back. If I ever move into an apartment or house (not of the frat variety, thank you very much) I am going to need a larger TV for a living room/den area... because 19" just isn't enough, 29" or 32" would be ideal. The last benefit to Option 1 is the sale of my current, bad TV to others within my building who do not have TVs to watch. I can easily make a cool $50 on that piece of crap, thus serving as a rebate for a larger, better-equiped TV. The leftover cash would be deposited in my savings account to acrue (sp?) about 27 cents each month in interest until I need to spend it on whatever.
Option 2-- $300-$400 + savings
A variation on the well-versed Option 1. Instead of purchasing a new TV, I invest in a different sort of TV watching technology: morphing my PC into a media center-style machine with a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) setup. I've done something similar before, and because I am good with computers, I already know the general scheme behind such a reconfiguration of my computer's hardware. Software presents a problem, however, as I have no idea what kind of software I will need to obtain the digital programming guides that allow DVR's to record broadcasts without the constant attention of the user. I would end up needing a high-quality video capture device, the appropriate software, and a large, firewire external hard drive as there is no space within my PC to accomidate another, larger one. The money left over from Option 2 would serve as a safety net if I happened to break/lose any parts or otherwise foul-up the modifications to my computer... that and go into my bank account to serve my future purposes.
Option 3-- Spend it all/Save it all
This is by far the most reckless/conservative of all the options. I could very easily run out to a video game store and buy half the crap I lay eyes on and walk away with the video game center of my brain having multiple orgasms. The other hand presents a very boring, dull, listless, but otherwise smart alternative: save it. I don't know what's going to occur down the road and I may need the cash to help bail myself out of any possible trouble. The likelihood of me picking this option is slim to nill.
Option 4-- Steady downward spiral
This is probably what will happen regarless of whichever option I decide to follow... sadly fatalistic, I know. Basically, this would entail placing most or all of the $800 into my checking account and simply lose track of it all as I spend thoughtlessly on one or many of the following: Music, Coffee, Cigarettes, Food, Movies, Concerts, Video Games, and so on. Option 4 offers long-term, small rewards but no instant satisfaction.
Well, I think it's a tough call. I really am not sure which option to go with... if you have any thoughts as to which one is best, or if you have any ideas of your own, please give me your input. It will be taken under consideration.
Now it's time to study French to hopefully lessen the pain of getting bamboo shoots shoved under my finger nails... I mean, take a French test.
As my High-Q scholarship money has finally arrived, I have been contemplating the many ways to spend it:
Option 1-- $300-$350 + savings
The benefits to this particular venture are many. For one, my current 19" TV sucks worse than a dime-store whore. As it lacks an integrated tuner, a VCR must route the cable signal in order for me to pick up all the available channels. On top of the reception being terrible, the size presents a draw back. If I ever move into an apartment or house (not of the frat variety, thank you very much) I am going to need a larger TV for a living room/den area... because 19" just isn't enough, 29" or 32" would be ideal. The last benefit to Option 1 is the sale of my current, bad TV to others within my building who do not have TVs to watch. I can easily make a cool $50 on that piece of crap, thus serving as a rebate for a larger, better-equiped TV. The leftover cash would be deposited in my savings account to acrue (sp?) about 27 cents each month in interest until I need to spend it on whatever.
Option 2-- $300-$400 + savings
A variation on the well-versed Option 1. Instead of purchasing a new TV, I invest in a different sort of TV watching technology: morphing my PC into a media center-style machine with a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) setup. I've done something similar before, and because I am good with computers, I already know the general scheme behind such a reconfiguration of my computer's hardware. Software presents a problem, however, as I have no idea what kind of software I will need to obtain the digital programming guides that allow DVR's to record broadcasts without the constant attention of the user. I would end up needing a high-quality video capture device, the appropriate software, and a large, firewire external hard drive as there is no space within my PC to accomidate another, larger one. The money left over from Option 2 would serve as a safety net if I happened to break/lose any parts or otherwise foul-up the modifications to my computer... that and go into my bank account to serve my future purposes.
Option 3-- Spend it all/Save it all
This is by far the most reckless/conservative of all the options. I could very easily run out to a video game store and buy half the crap I lay eyes on and walk away with the video game center of my brain having multiple orgasms. The other hand presents a very boring, dull, listless, but otherwise smart alternative: save it. I don't know what's going to occur down the road and I may need the cash to help bail myself out of any possible trouble. The likelihood of me picking this option is slim to nill.
Option 4-- Steady downward spiral
This is probably what will happen regarless of whichever option I decide to follow... sadly fatalistic, I know. Basically, this would entail placing most or all of the $800 into my checking account and simply lose track of it all as I spend thoughtlessly on one or many of the following: Music, Coffee, Cigarettes, Food, Movies, Concerts, Video Games, and so on. Option 4 offers long-term, small rewards but no instant satisfaction.
Well, I think it's a tough call. I really am not sure which option to go with... if you have any thoughts as to which one is best, or if you have any ideas of your own, please give me your input. It will be taken under consideration.
Now it's time to study French to hopefully lessen the pain of getting bamboo shoots shoved under my finger nails... I mean, take a French test.