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"Necessity first mothered invention.
Now invention has little ones of her own, and they look just like grandma."
- EB White

Our TV died. Dwayne carried the 200 lb. behemoth to the city dump last weekend.

Now would be an almost perfect time to justify that fancy new flat screen, if it weren't for the fact that we just agreed to wait till we have the cash.

I would love to categorize "new flat screen" the same way I would say... a new washing machine, but I can not.

Even in today's world, a TV is not a necessity. It just really looks like one.

And, when I feel tempted to cave because I can't watch O'Reilly after dinner, I try to remind myself that White wrote what he did back when women were trading perfectly good washboards in for shiny new Whirlpools, and that it was just as true then as it is today when families are ditching perfectly good box TVs for flat panels, because they "take up less space."

Men and women, especially the American variety like Dwayne and I, often find creative ways to disguise their greed as need.

So, it will likely be Christmas, at least, before I can listen to Megyn Kelly debate cases. Sniff. Sniff. But, in the meantime, Dwayne and I are exercising our ability to be content in "whatsoever circumstance."

We're also playing a lot of cards.

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