[MagicWishMonkey]

Your dad would spend hundreds of dollars on a TV set every year and then throw it in the trash after a couple of weeks???

That sounds insane.

[rcurry]

Yeah he was a scientist and a total madman. He thought TV was unhealthy and made us read books instead. I ended up working at an investment bank.

He did teach me to how to brew beer though, so his Phd wasn’t a total loss for us kids.

[QuibbleQuota]

But why break his standards at Christmas time?

[whythre]

Because exceptions don’t form habits? I don’t get my kids presents constantly, but I will on Christmas. There is also a pretty clear difference between watching miracle on 34th street vs whatever schlock happens to be on.

[rcurry]

This.

[rcurry]

I dunno, I guess because he was my Dad, and that’s good enough for me.

[Talanes]

When did a "cheap TV" cost hundreds of dollars? Seems more likely it was something closer to an 80 dollar thrift store TV that returned to the thrift store in January.

[swinnipeg]

The 80s!

[sgerenser]

In the 80s (at least the late 80s) you could get 13” TVs at a thrift store or garage sale fairly cheaply. Probably B&W though.