My Rant About Cable TV

When I grew up we had a tv in the living room and every Saturday morning my brother and I would see who could be the first to wake up in order to control the three channels we had.... the news, the cartoons, or the home interior/exterior rebuilding channel. Of course we were fighting over the one and only cartoon channel, but we had to have something to fight over... and back then tv was free and there were no remote controls You actually had to get up to change the channel or turn the volume up or down. Then came six channels - 2 cartoon channels so now it was really important to be the first one up because we also had the remote to fight over... nevermind the other one would just get up and change the channel - we would scream and yell at each other until our very wise mother told us to get the hell out of the house and go play in the street or throw quarters at cars. (I said she was wise, never claimed her suggestions were safe)

Up until 3 days ago we had three tvs in the house... now we have one. I pay 65$ in order to even watch the local 3 channels that were free when I was 6. What else do I get for my 65$... I get the same cartoon channel on 4 different channels all in English, then I get two of the same cartoon show in Spanish. Then there are the 45 info mercials trying to sell me shit (yes shit) that not I nor anyone else needs. In order to lose weight - you eat fewer calories then you burn, throw in some exercise for good measure and off you go... but that takes determination and work and we want the remote control to remove our bellies since the remote control put our bellies there in the first place.

There is one channel that actually plays soccer games with English comentators that I can almost understand. Two channels that play soccer games in Spanish. The home make over shows that play on two channels and one in Spanish... and I get all this for the very (un) reasonable price of $65 a month... I'm thinking today I'm pulling the plug on that horse shit - there are better things to do with $65 a month, like playing a board game with my kids, actually having a conversation with them about their day and their homework, taking them to the park, or taking them on an actual hike, picnic adventure when it isn't 105 degrees outside.

Which means - yes another change for my family to adjust to, but let's be real and clean out the bullshit... as far as music and radio - that is a whole nother rant... we don't have radio either, but I do have a collection of cd's that are acceptable to me for the developmental level of my children... sometimes their friends think I totally suck, sometimes, most times my kids are happy for the structure and limitations.

So stand up, change something, anything, but don't let the rest of the world dictate to you and your family what you need, don't need... or how to grow your family in their best interest.

Peace,
G