I am trying to make a decision here and maybe you can help me. I am deciding if I should buy a plasma TV or a car. I never thought I would see the day when both items cost the same.
Here's the choice: I can get a 42-inch plasma TV for about $3,000 or I can buy DaimlerChrysler's GEM electric car, which costs $3,500.
Both are cool and both would be fun to have. In reality I don't need either one, but as they say, he who dies with the most toys wins.
I don't know if you have seen the electric car from Chrysler, but it looks like a golf cart on steroids. It's street legal and runs about 25 miles on a single charge. Not exactly something I will be taking on vacation, but kind of fun to run around town in.
The TV can also double as my computer monitor and at 42 inches, the porn must look awesome (not that I am into that sort of thing).
Since I write for a magazine called DigitalTV, I guess I should go with the flat panel TV. But what happens if I buy the thing? I may never get off the damn couch.
Football season is here. Hell, set me up with a few cold drinks, some buffalo wings, and a package of Depends and I could live on the couch for days. At least with the electric car I will get out of the frick'in house.
What I really can't get over is that a TV and a car cost the same! What the hell is this world coming to? I love technology as much as the next person (maybe more), but does anyone really need a $3,000 TV? The really big flat panels run thousands more than that.
Now, I know you might be saying, "Who the hell needs an electric car?" You're right; I don't need one, but think about how I will help the environment. I can make a run to the store for some cold drinks and some wings in my new electric car and I won't be using any gas. Al Gore would be so proud of me. Then again, who the hell is Al Gore and why do I give a flip what he thinks?
I am not a tree-hugging liberal that would buy an electric car to help the environment. I would buy the car because it would be fun to drive and none of my neighbors has one. I could also buy a Hummer, but that's $60,000. The electric car is cheap and cool.
Then again, none of my neighbors has a flat panel TV either. How cool would it be to invite them over to watch the game on my big plasma screen? Of course I would hide the Depends when they come over.
I am stuck with what choice to make. You can email me with your thoughts. I would love to hear from you. In the meantime I will keep trying to figure out which would be the better buy.
My guess is that most people reading this magazine are going to say buy the TV. I am sure if I wrote for Road & Track, the readers would say buy the car. Anyway, give me your thoughts and I will let you know which one I bought.
Until then, remember the November book is right around the corner. That means your boss is about to start acting weird and starting to demand stuff. Keep your head down and try to make it through the book unscathed.
Talk to you next month...
Scott Jones is a former photographer, reporter, assignment editor, producer, executive producer, and Top 20 news director. He runs www.ftvlive.com and can be reached by email at sjones@uemedia.com.
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