Digital TV

Unless you live in a cave in Aghanistan, and probably even if you do, you have heard about the government mandated switch to digital TV coming up in the near future.

Our local TV stations have been running incessant announcements as well as scroll bars during the shows about it. I really wish they would stop. There cannot possibly be anyone left who watches more than 5 minutes per month of TV who was not heard about it. Plus, as I understand it, it is only going to affect people who do not have cable or satellite. What's that, maybe 1 percent of the population?

Moreover, I hate the way government has mandated this change....again in usual way, forcing people to spend money to come into compliance with some law. If digital TV was so great, don't you think the people and the TV stations would eventually make that switch anyway?

As for myself, I have an old-fashioned (not digital, not high-def, not flat screen) TV that I bought about 10 years ago. Since it is connected to cable, it will supposedly keep right on working. But there is a small part of me that wishes it wouldn't. There is so little stuff on there that is really worth watching and of course I can definitely do without the advertising.


So Sayeth The Shack

The Forgotten Holiday

In October, it's all about Halloween. Costumes, decorations and candy fill the stores. Then, as soon as Halloween is over, BANG! its Christmas! The trees are up, the music is playing, the decorations are out and the toys are on sale.

Now just wait a minute here!! What ever happened to Thanksgiving? It is now totally skipped over in the rush to the retail commercialized frenzy that originated with the birth of Jesus.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. I love the music, the decorations, the gathering of families and the giving of presents. But everything in its own time, and let us not overlook Thanksgiving, which is an important holiday in and of itself.

Of course, Thanksgiving, like many other holidays, is all about food. But beyond that, it is about giving thanks. After all, that is the name of the holiday. In this day and age it is easy to skip over the act of giving thanks, or thinking of the things that we have to be thankful for. Most of us are more prone to complaining about what we don't have than being thankful for what we do. I blame the media for this, especially TV and the advertising that goes with it. Advertising makes us dissatisfied with what we have and who we are and leaves us yearning for the products that will make our lives so much better, whether we really need them or not. It doesn't take much TV-watching (aside from the news) to make you realize that your life sucks; that everybody else has more money, a nicer house, a nicer car, is better looking, and is getting way more sex than you are. On the other hand, watching the news can really bring you back to earth. My wife hates watching the news because it depresses her. I, on the other hand, see the problems of so many other people and I realize how good I have it. I might not have tons of money, a big house, a nice new car, the latest cell phone, etc. But I'm healthy, I have a decent job, a loving wife, two teenage kids that have done great in school and aren't into drugs or in jail....and I can come up with lots of other things. My life might be pretty mundane overall but there is plenty to be thankful for. And while each one of us is in a different situation, we all have something to be thankful for.


So Sayeth The Shack

Leno And Letterman Not So Great?

I find it odd that the late-night talk shows were the first to be sidelined by the writers strike. If these guys were really good comedians, seems like they could come up with their own material. Heck I could probably get up there and do it. (I'm a great comedian...just ask my kids...if they don't laugh at my dinner-table jokes I deduct money from their allowance).

As for the other shows, I am surprised that they don't have the whole season written ahead of time, so that everyone knows what will happen.



So Sayeth The Shack

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