Now That's an Idea....

Check out this article. As you know I can live without TV so of course I'm drawn to such radical ideas. There's just not enough time in the day to do all I want. TV is a time thief! A few well-selected programs are fine and if I had cable I might watch more (HGTV, History, etc.) but for the most part I just don't need it.

Frustration!

So, I was quick to order the converter box coupons from the government for the 2009 changeover to digital TV. I got the coupons before they were in the stores, then I set out on the search. After trying several stores, only to find they were sold out, my coupon expired. I am so frustrated about this. One night I even waited in Walmart for an hour and a half till they would be getting their night stock out to see if there was a box on the pallette - no luck. I finally found a store that had them one day after they expired!!! Apparently they will not replace coupons and I can't get a real person to answer the phone, there is no email address for problems and the best I can do is the FAQ section which doesn't address this particular concern. So, if someone out there doesn't need a coupon and wants to order a couple for me, I would be very grateful since I don't intend to buy a new TV in the near future. If you have cable or just new TVs you probably don't even need a box. Not sure if you can even get the coupons now but the website is accessible from my post title - just click. Thanks

Spring is here - Turn off the TV

Elizabeth and friends don't even need Sesame Street today! Record-breaking temperatures - 93 degrees.


OK, if you've been hibernating all winter in front of the TV, now is the time to "get off your bloomin' ars" as Eliza Doolittle so eloquently put it. There's so much more to do and even the two Davids I hear about (American Idol) really aren't worth losing beautiful spring weather for - I'm sure of it. If you have nothing to do outside, feel free to drop by my house where projects abound.

Here's some TV trivia from Wayne Parker at about.com:

"The statistics are pretty alarming. Television has become the central focus in too many homes. Consider:

• The television is on for 7 hours and 40 minutes each day in the typical American home.
• The average American watches four hours of television each day.
• Fifty percent of all American households has three or more televisions
• American parents on average spend less than 40 minutes each week in meaningful conversations with their children
• 56% of American children between 8 and 16 have a television in their bedroom
• Only 1 in 12 American families require their children to finish their homework before watching television.

Finding ways to turn off the TV and tune into your family can have important results. Connecting with your children, enhancing your marital relationship and more can be possible as you create positive memories and experiences that don't involve television."

I will admit to deliberately watching the Academy of Country Music Awards the other night but a rare, planned event is different from the hypnotizing, time-wasting, endlessly noisy family-destroying junk that comprises most of commercial television. I also believe that if the TV is on in a household, it should be something the whole family can enjoy or at least not be offended or injured by. This factor alone would cut down considerably on viewing time. Decisions about what to watch should be jointly made and the viewers should be sensitive and considerate of the others in the house. So, that's my soapbox item of the week.