Put TV back in MY house?!

“....Actual thoughts.

I am a news junkie.

I have prided myself on the fact that I banned TV from my house in 1991.

No TV = creative imagination reactivated?

But now with us on the verge of war, how can I live without it?

Could this be true?!

I subscribe to a couple of major news magazines as well as keeping tabs on the internet and listening to NPR news morning and evening.

Religiously.

I always thought these news sources would be enough.

Does a world crisis justify my reverting back to moving picture mind candy?

Is TV a poisonous addiction better done without?

Should I stick with beer and NPR?

Is there anyone else here who considers TV mindless, instant self-gratification?

Would you go without TV if you could?

Am I just suffering ancient phantom withdrawals from the tech age?”

“Mel, I have T.V., internet, and one news mag. subscrip., and I listen to NPR. In my opinion, NPR, has delivered the best and widest range of news on this so far. Stick w/ beer and NPR.”

“I burned my TV when I was 17 and have never owned one since. However, last week was one of the rare times when I wished I had a TV.

The video clips on the internet and the brief moments in front of a Kinkos TV were not enough. I saw footage of the planes crashing and the towers collapsing, but on the internet and after it happened.

All in all however, I think it's best not to have a TV. The "boob" factor has been scientifically proven. Basically your brain waves go flat when you watch a TV, or something like that. However I watch movies on the DVD player built into my computer. So at times I do the boob.

99 percent of the time, NPR (on the radio) and the news you get on the internet is sufficient for any normal person. NPR is excellent.”

“I am another TV hater - hello my name is HOI and I am 6 years free from the addiction to the tube. I will admit that I did look at a TV that was brought into the office on Tuesday the 11th but I have no particular craving to ever get one for myself. Just say no to mind candy.”

“TV is just like the internet?there?s valid uses and then there?s crap. What do you do when you surf onto a crap site that is a waste of time? Leave. Same go when you change the channel and there is a crap show on. Change it or turn it off. Mel, I know as well as you do that you are a very strong woman. If you have the resolve to get the TV out of the house you have the strength to use one in moderation and with mental responsibility. Everything in moderation, right?”

“Today, video images of explosions; tomorrow you'll be watching
"The Young and the Restless." Go back before it's too late Mel.”

“But then again, John here's your chance to reclaim the living room and possible buy that 32 inch TV you've been wanting.”

“If I had my druthers, we'd have no TV in my house. However, my kids enjoy watching it in moderation. I agree, there is good stuff on there I WAANT them to see..Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Animal Planet, History Channel..

On occassion, I even let them watch Nickolodeon and play video games.

Mel, I think the key here is moderation and supervision. Advances in technology make both fairly esay to do! (V-chips and timers on TV to limit watch time)

When I retire to my cabin in the woods, there will be no TV. Sorry kids!

Tex”

“Oh, you should have seen me.

I spent the first two days after WTC glued to the TV out in the trailer.
At least all regular programing had been cancelled.

TV admittedly does have some worthwhile programing, but the other crap is insidious.

First you find yourself doing a little surfing.

Then you find yourself checking out the shopping channel.

Next you're into sitcoms.

AAAGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!

No, Sol, NEVER TV upstairs in the bedroom.

We get that house addition done, TV may come back but it's going to be in the room that I'll never go into.

That might be the new upstairs bathroom where John could go to close himself up with his coffee and a magazine.

I never have been too fond of the aroma of intestinal gas mixed with french roast.

That will keep me out of the room, permanently!”

“There you are, you elusive little minx!”

“Don't do it mel!!!

TV SUX......your brain!

Getting married, 20 years ago, brought TV into my home life.
I had a stinky little B&W that my brother had unloaded on me.
I didn't bother watching it until THAT woman came into my life!!!
AAARRRGGGGGHHHHHH

Now the kids have been TAKEN by the alien thing and they are no longer mine!!!

Back away from the TV......and .......RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“"I am the slime from your video!"

FZ”

“Can't stop the slime, people
Look at me go”

“I dig FZ logic.........”

“Where's the Toxic Avenger when you need him?”

“Mel, you may bring the TV into your house, if when you watch it you have adult supervision.


Now, where are you going to find an adult?”

“The footage of the second plane crashing into the tower and of the building collapsing was interesting, but when it comes to information I would say stick with NPR.”

“Since you have the internet, try streaming media for NPR news. Here is a link to one:

http://www.kuow.org/”

“TV is an addiction. Even more so when you are not used to it. Think of it like alcohol for your mind. I keep up with the net, NPR, and newspaper. It's amazing how much free time you have when you ditch the boob tube.”

“Mel, I have a tv but we only get one channel so I never watch it. Not even the news. I did when the terrorists struck but within 24 hours, I had enough. I haven't watched it since. The papers and radios have been enough. Don't waste your time and money. That is just my opinion, of course. :o)”

“It helps when you only get one channel.

I'm fortunate in that respect.
Unless we get satellite TV, one station is all we'll ever get, for now.

I feel like a pervert peeking in a window!

Hey, thanks Guys!

Thanks Sgt.
I'm going to go check out the streaming video.

Sounds like my kind of place!”

“I've been without TV for 3 years, I think. A pretty easy antenna problem I've never really sought to resolve. And like you, Mel, I've been debating doing the "fix." So far, I haven't. Will see if the resolve continues.”

“mel-
You ARE a pervert whether peeking in a window or whatever!

I could disappear for days and my kids would never know......unless ALL the TVs would miraculously go bust at once.
I keep prayin' fer divine intervention.”

“Ka-BOOM!

THOU SHALT NOT HAVE TV!”

“Sure we have a T.V., and we watch it almost everyday. I call the thing a "time theif" one minute it is 6:00 in the evening and you still have enough time to get some things done. The next it is 9:00 and you don't have time to read one chapter in your book before bed time.
Anyone else have the feeling that after watching the tube for a while you have been hypnotized? And maybe even want to buy some item that you have never heard of because you watched to many commercials?
And maybe the media and advertisers make most of our decisions for us, and tell us what to wear and what we have to buy in order to seem successful to the neighbors?
Or am I just a weirdo who thinks that T.V. is ruining what little time people get to spend together.
Free me from T.V.!!!”

“Along those lines, I also think that the tube is at least patially responsible for the increasing number of overweight/obese people in the U.S. and other countries as well. It also afeects the socioeconomic balance of income groups. Advertising is a persuasive medium to make folks think that they need what they don't. Food advertising portrays food as a new and exciting thing. In reality food is what we need to survive.”

“You should get a TV to watch the news, especially if they decide on a nuclear strike of Bishop. I am all for unplugging the plug in drug but right now would be a good time to have news when you want it. You can't beat CNN for fast, up to date news coverage with visuals. By the same token, if its anything like the sh!tty news coverage during the Gulf War, we just get a bunch of sanitized computer graphics anyway, so why bother.”

“I like tv. I love the travel channel, the Food Network, Discovery, A&E, and yes, even a sitcom now and again. I use the tv to follow the news as well as the internet. I learn things from these channels, and sitcoms make me laugh. It's a way to de-stress yourself too.”

“LH, I would much rather de-stress by taking a hike - even a hike at night in winter on icy trails is better for my stress than anything that I have ever seen on the tube.”

“I used to sling cable for a few years. Working sales and installation and I began to hate it after a while. I began to see what a bunch of crap cable was for the price that they were charging.

Granted I got free cable and also purchased some huge black monolithe made of plastic and glass that towers in the corner of the house. I nolonger have cable but I did just recently upgrade from my old speaker wire antenna "rig" to a set of 14$ bunny ears. Its my electrastat dust cleaner nowadays!!

Cable to some brings the world into their living room. There are a boat load of people out there that don't do anything but watch TV all day long. And we pay for it!!! I have seen it all from the lowest income to the highest. And those that look as if they could bearly afford anything, lived in subsidize housing, with RTO written on every piece of furniture would pay the most. $80 month easily!!! WHY? I guess because they can.

I have a hard time justifiing the cost of it for the time spent in front of it.”

“So far the coverage on the net - MSNBC live video, CNN, and the Fox Network have done pretty well keeping me up to date.

I still have my face glued to the monitor, and the thing disconnects all the time, but I can still get most of the news, minus the pictures.

For the other stuff like the Iron Chef, The History Channel, and the Learning Channel, when I go down to LA to see my Dad, I watch it at his house.

Once in awhile, I even see some good old horror flicks on the movie channel....
Ted Turners Classic Movies....
I forget the exact name.”

“The internet is just interactive TV. You can gain or loose a lot from both. You just have to know how to handle it. I say, why shun TV? Why shun technology and revert to the old ways. Technology has helped to advance mankind and I don't want to go backward.”

“I may have to hook up the tube again. It goes along with the CABLE MODEM I want to get. Course, just cause it's there, doesn't mean we have to turn it on...”

“Some T.V. is good but Hollywood just insults ones intleij itntuly ones mind.”

“I'm not afraid to say it...I have a TV and love it. My wife works a stressfull office managment job and her form of relaxation is TV. It is super quality time together. We laugh, discuss issues, even cry (news), and we get educated. While I prefer actual interaction on the net I do agree with Deathmarch that they are basicly the same. The net just has more freedom but it does have a lot more crap than TV.

Besides, how could I give up my daily Sienfeld?”

“"...religion is the opiate of the people"

He had it wrong, it's TV.”