Synthetic Diamonds
 

Sendin out the sympathy on that. Out of respect, I am thinking there will be no dinner party invites from me being sent your way. I think she would faint seeing my house: two music studio rooms and a great room that exists solely to feature 3/4" Straightwire speaker cables (displayed prominently in front of the fireplace).

It turns out not to be as much of a chick magnet as you would think.

Synthetic Diamonds
 

The 4C issue really seems to be a gimmick and diversion for the real factor - size does matter.

A D quality, flawless 1/3 carat diamond is a 1/3 carat diamond and makes the girl look like she married a real chump. A 2.25 carat rock still looks like a big rock (assuming its not dull yellow) and appears that way unless you've got a f**king magnifying glass to examine the carbon inside the diamond.

I'll admit that my wife's comment to me was 1 carat or more - otherwise forget it.

Synthetic Diamonds
 

You should have gotten Audioquest - that's a chick magnet.

Televisions
 

Several of the high-quality digital projectors have fallen significantly in price. I was ready to spend $4k on a tv, and ended up getting a $1k projector with a custom screen. It's _so_ elegant (hangs from the ceiling behind viewing area, components on low shelf in front of screen) and the picture quality and is awesome.

The only drawbacks are that it takes a decent amount of set-up to get it right, and that you can't use it with bright ambient light.

It does 800x600 resolution native, which is enough to make all resolutions but 1080i as good as they can. 1080i looks great, still, but it's not displayed in true 1080i.

www.infocus.com

mmm

Power outage
 

Now they are reporting that the Niagra Mohawk powergrid is overloaded. I.e. not an attack of some kind.

Synthetic Diamonds
 

In an effort to remain carefree and happy, I have decided to change people's statements to better suit me. This one, to me, now reads: "I'll admit that I dated a girl whose comment to me was 1 carat or more - otherwise forget it. Needless to say, she is not now, has never been, and will never be my wife."

Synthetic Diamonds
 

That's 'cause that shit's a frickin' *man* magnet, MM.

But it was a nice try, all the same.

Power outage
 

No kidding about the power outage in Toronto. Delgado and Wells have been sucking the big one since the all-star game.

buh-dum-bump

Bow-chicka-bow-bow

str8

Is it Friday yet?
 

Obviously I forgot my password (and yes, did all the stuff to get it, but this was easier.)

Can we make it Friday now?? Any takers?

Synthetic Diamonds
 

Actually, average it out. Assume that pleasure is a useful function in itself. She'll wear the ring every day for the next several decades, and will at least occasionally pause to think "that's really pretty" or "I remember the day we got engaged." This excludes the external value of the compliments she receives first from family and friends, then occasionally from new acquaintances. Compare this to the HDTV, which will be obsolete or a decaying piece of crap in 15 years, and will cause you a shooting sense of agony every time you look at it when Joe Next Door buys something new that makes your TV look like a Bobby Brady transistor radio.

SD, you just got hosed.

Diamonds (big ones)
 

I was recently the recipient of a rather huge diamond engagement ring. I had mixed feelings (about the diamond, not the man).

On the one hand, I was happy to receive it because it's pretty and sparkly and huge. On the other hand, I thought of all the cash and felt guilty, even though the proposal was a surprise and I had never lobbied for a ring.

At about the same time, he also gave me an executive Costco membership card (you get a rebate at the end of the year) and, putting the two facts together I realized that my (now) husband had bought the ring at Costco, yes COSTCO, and he got the card so he could get the rebate.

Of course I asked him about it and he reminded me that everything is super-sized at Costco and informed me that he had also booked our honeymoon trip there and did I mind if we brought along 24 of our friends? At that moment, I realized that I was about to marry exactly the right guy.

And now I get to go to Costco whenever I want and buy rolls and rolls of toilet paper.

Is it Friday yet?
 

If you like, I could reset it for you...

Synthetic Diamonds
 

That must be some ring. Somehow I managed to get on an e-mailing list for a company that sells high end stereo components (http://www.revolutionhometheater.com/). I could assemble a surround sound system out of their catalog that cost more than my house. Hell, you can drop $30k and only get a pre-amp. They sell power strips (okay, uninterupted power supplies with a power "conditioner" that removes interference from the line) that cost more than my entire stereo system.

All of which is to say that electronics can get pretty stupidly expensive too. I can't imagine creating / living in an environment where the ambient noise was low enough to tell the difference between a $3000 and $30000 pre-amp. Not to mention it would get blown out by some power outage hitting the entire east coast.

Is it Friday yet?
 

Welcome back.

I emailed it to your justice account. PM me for more info. e/o

Synthetic Diamonds
 

Translation:

Actually, average it out. Assume that pleasure is a useful function in itself. She'll wear the ring every day for the next few months (at least) and then will sell it after the divorce and spend the money on outfitting her boy toy, who will hang around for perhaps five years, and will at least occasionally pause to think "that's really pretty" or "I remember the day I got the boy toy; I'm so glad I married a guy who was enough of a sucker to drop a load of cash on a ring." This excludes the external value of the compliments she receives first from family and friends, then occasionally from new acquaintances. Compare this to the HDTV, which you or she will have smashed in fury during the final days of the marriage, and which will cause you a shooting sense of agony every time you have to go over to Stinky Joe's who lives Next Door to watch the game on a TV that looks like a Bobby Brady transistor radio.

This may be too labor-intensive.