I woke up this morning to the realisation that I’ve been on my own for ten years.
Ten years without a TV that is.
Ok, it’s not quite ten years, but give me any reason to reference Don McLean’s “American Pie” lyrics, and I will.
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
Two things happened ten years ago. Actually rather a lot (more) happened ten years ago, but I’ll spare you the details except to say I had a fixation with jacuzzis and champagne. (Which all went out the windows of my exclusive inner Sydney Penthouse when I became an internet millionaire, I hasten to add…)
Seriously though, one, I moved into an apartment where the TV reception was so bad that watching it was pointless. The property manager refused to make amends, so I gave the damn teev away. I think I can count two occasions I’ve actually missed it since…
And, two, I discovered God the internet. I still vividly remember the day I landed on Yahoo!, and said to myself, “Right, how do I replicate this? How do I also become an internet millionaire?”
If I’d never have clicked the view source button on my browser while perusing Yahoo! (with a smile on my face might I add, I always smile when I’m visiting Yahoo!) then none of this would ever have happened… you wouldn’t be reading disassociated today.
Well maybe that’s not quite correct…
The real truth is simple and clear however: TV SUCKS. Sitting about daydreaming has to be better than watching some of the drivel that passes for entertainment on TV. At least you’re using your mind somehow. Nah, let’s watch Big Brother instead…
There is one definite exception however. TV is great for children, especially young kids. The harried parent can plonk the kiddies in front of the Wiggles, or something, and buy themselves 30 minutes 20 minutes 15 minutes ok, maybe ten minutes breathing space.
TV is great for entertaining, and hopefully occupying and distracting, those young attention spans. In that context some would call it a boon.
Some argue that teev is great for unwinding after a stressful day, or while you are laid up ill. Hmm, maybe, but therein lies the beginning of an addiction to TV. “Just five more minutes, ok…?” Better not to set off down that path in the first place.
What did people do 100 years ago to unwind or convalesce? They didn’t watch TV…
Then again they didn’t have blogging, or internet millionaires, either. Now that would have seriously affected my plans for world domination…
Damn.
Back to decoding (or at least attempting to) Don McLean’s lyrics then…
Oh in there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
TV is addictive, but I find blogging can be too :)
I mostly use my tv to drown out the neighbors - its not too bad at that LOL
I know that song from when it was new (eeeekkk) Never much cared for it, probally as Ive heard it many many many more times that I needed to…but I think its supposed to be about some plane crash that killed some music personalities? Maybe Richie Valens was one of them? Or is that all an illusion created by my parents psychedelic rock of the time? LOL
Cheers!
Some would say we’ve been alone for 30 years, ever since the King left da building…
Steve n I are in HK now. Do you have any message for your MIL ;P
@Kurt - yes…. but blogging is more interactive, and requires more thought effort than TV IMO ;)
@Lavender - The Big Bopper or something? Or was that Richie Valens? I don’t hear “American Pie” much (not quite JJJ playlist material… ;) so get a kick out of it when I do :)
@Mandi - yeah sure, tell her, “wei liang liu, gum fai hui bien doh a?” From Steve :))
for visiting.
Good luck !
oh shoot..actually TV has taken over my life! haha.. with shows like Heroes, Lost, Supernatural and of course the English Premier League.. i no have life.. haha.. perhaps i should do what you did.. still, there this new addiction slowly but surely taking over though, Blogging!
Ello again, got curious and fired up more brain cells.
American Pie is about the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens & The Big Bopper - all three being on the same plane after a gig in 1959 - although I rush to add that that song is NOT that old! LOL
Have a great weekend
reminds me (somehow) of the very end of rocky horrow show…
and crawling on the planet’s face
some creatures called the human race
lost in time, lost in space
and meaning
(btw love the reference to god / internet - briliant)
@gmttzy - I think I know you from MBL :)
@ruki - I think being addicted to blogging is better than being addicted to TV. ;) The English Premier League seems to have a few fans in Malaysia??
@Lavender - ah yes so the Big Bopper was someone else (er, thought he was Richie Valens…) Actually I remember seeing the movie/biopic “La Bamba” about Richie Valens, and there’s the scene where Buddy Holly is saying something like “come on, get in the plane…” and I could almost feel the cinema audience willing him not to!
@Candy - actually Rocky Horror is something I haven’t seen! I know the “let’s do the time warp again” thing though :)
That post was a good read, and I completely agree with you; TV sucks.
I admit when I was young, TV good keep me entertained for hours. But come on, how hard is it to keep a kid entertained?
The only time I ever watch television now is as a last resort - that is of course, my internet is down. The internet dominated Television, and there really is nothing TV can do for me that the Internet can’t.
Someone knows some Cantonese. Did the supervisor teach you to speak so fluently?
Well interestesting, what did you just say, but we really can live without TV. Wait that TV companies comes to internet..
@Luke - I have a few DVDs on hand for times when the net connection goes down. We have a fun time huddled around the lap top watching movies!
@Mandi - no, cat got the super’s tongue :)
@BD - I read somewhere a lot of people have swapped TV time for net time. There isn’t time for both…
I haven’t missed t.v. either. Now when Lost comes back this fall, I will have to take time for that. And Jericho, if they bring that back. Otherwise, eh, I can take it or leave it.
I agree that being addicted to internet is better than t.v. At least you are using your mind in some way.