This one's for Rondi

On the heels of writing about not watching TV, I’ve been watching TV! I have been sitting on the couch, remote in hand, channel surfing. I surf because I am bored. I stopped on Oprah, briefly. Who are these chefs? Celebrity Chefs? What are those? Are these people I am suppose to know? I surf on.

I stop on Ellen. Ellen I know. I think one would have to be living under a rock not to know Ellen. However, she has a steady stream of guests that for some reason are worthy of TV airtime. Who is Zach? Why would I want to listen to what he has to say? Do I care that he has a funny hair do? Why would I? I don’t understand. I watched a little while longer because Ellen is funny. But who is Jonas and what has his brother done that he needs to be on TV? Am I supposed to know? I just don’t get it. I have enough trouble keeping track of my own friends and family. How do you people keep track of all these other people? I continue to watch and I must admit I do know who Clint Eastwood is and I would love to see his new movie Gran Torino. If you want to take me, let me know.

Later on in the evening I decided to have another go at it. I thought I would watch something intelligent, although I think that is an oxymoron, television and intelligent. I do discover a segment on CBC News World about lions in Africa. I stop and take in the mini documentary. I learn about Lion Guards and how one organization is attempting to save the lions. Now that was worthy of my time. Then I am slammed with commercials. Those major length advertisements are never ending. So I surf.

I stop on a show about overweight British women. Well, just two in particular. Some “Do Gooder” is helping these women to see the error of their ways. I am not sure why these women agree to examine their poop on international TV, but then I do not understand why anyone watches TV (with the exception of COPS and America’s Most Wanted – anyone want to start Canada’s Most Wanted with me?). Regardless, there they were, poop in a food container, discussing the output and what it might all mean. I would think after eating 26 slices of bread with jam and butter you would not need someone to point out to you what it means.

Despite my disdain for this misused invention I am not going to disconnect. By morning light I will have forgotten about the mystery Zach and the Jonas brother. I will avoid the TV for most of the day as I have some errands to do. I will, however, turn on the TV and briefly join the millions of you using the TV to avoid whatever it is we should be doing in that moment. Then a commercial will come on and I will forget why I am sitting on the couch and I will get up and leave. I will take The Baron out and feel better for it. I will not return to that comfy spot until Saturday night. Like I said the exception is COPS and AMW, which often makes me think of A&W, which in turn, makes me want a burger. Marketing at its finest!

Milestone Ahead

The end of the year is approaching. I would say fast approaching but time moves at the same speed all the time. Time is like that. The end of the year, or beginning of the New Year is a great place to drop a marker. Draw a line in the sand and set some expectations on what you may want to achieve in the coming months. I intend to do just that.

Of course, the fear, my fear, is that I will continue on as I am. Doing the things I do that lead me to the endless places of oblivion that have become my life. I say that without drama, it is simply the case of my being. I accomplish nothing and have the results to prove it. I talk the talk but I seldom get out and walk the walk.

It truly is a challenge, for me anyway, to change directions. I have come to believe that I need to force the change, as painful as that will be. Shear force of will to start the process and then as the change occurs the momentum will carry me.

So with the knowledge that the days of 2008 are numbered I race to beat the clock. I have a long list of things to move, change and discard by the eve of the 31st. I can see the top of my desk, however, my closets are still full. I’ll let you all know what the 1st holds.

Happy New Year to all and to all a good night.

Mind Numbing TV

I do not understand television people. I am referring to those that watch it; those that make it I get completely. I have not had a TV hooked up in quite a while. A few months back I changed all that and plunged back in. However, for the most part I watch DVD’s.

The other day I decided to sit back and turn on the old tube, I lasted about 5 minutes. I was watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, or so I thought. What I was really watching was advertising with clips of the Willy Wonka movie worked in. It drove me nuts, just as I was getting into the flow of the movie, more commercials. I shut it all off. I know where to go next time I find myself in the mood to watch commercials. How do you all do it?

That question is targeted to those of you that do not have PVR’s. I wonder how the advertisers that pay huge money for commercial spots feel about those things. All you PVR’ers fast forwarding through Tide commercials, how dare you! I predict a change for TV viewing in the coming years. Once we are all “digital” we will pay not for channels but for shows. If you like Two and Half Men then you will pay for that show. No commercials, just the show. How nice. A pay as you go sort of thing, turn on the tube, buy the show(s) you want to watch and off you go. No annoying commercials. I look forward to that day and when it comes I will hook back in. I must admit, however, that I will miss the Ikea commercials.

I need something new

I need to come up with a topic for this post. I have not put anything on this Blog for so long, it is getting crunchy. New, something new. Oh, I went to Metro about 2 hours ago after walking my dog and a friend's dog. I wanted some junk food; it is night time after all and I need my fix. I spotted new (well new to me) Ah Caramel cakes with a new flavour twist; Triple Chocolate! A new flavour of the Ah Caramel Cakes that I love so much. I was torn people. What was I to do? I wanted to try the new triple chocolate cakes, how could I resist? But the tried and true Ah Caramel, I new they would not disappoint. In a flash it came to me. Buy both. I did. I now have 24 Ah Caramel cakes in two flavours. If you want one, act fast, they are going quickly, only 16 left.

I do not think anything else is new. I do need a few new things. I need a new monitor for my PC. I need new jeans. I need a new approach. I also need to call the police about the drug dealers on the street. That, however, is not new.

Oh wait, this post is new!