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Will America's Favorite Technology Go Dark?
Ant wrote to mention that MSNBC is reporting on the upcoming proposed digital television switchover planned for the end of 2006. From the article: "That's the date Congress targeted, a decade ago, for the end of analog television broadcasting and a full cutover to a digital format. If enforced, that means that overnight, somewhere around 70 million television sets now connected to rabbit ears or roof-top antennas will suddenly and forever go blank, unless their owners purchase a special converter box. Back when the legislation was written, New Year's Eve 2006 probably looked as safely distant as the dark side of the moon. But now that date is right around the corner and Congress and the FCC are struggling mightily to figure out what to do."
Back in 1996, when the digital television transition was first proposed, media analyst Gary Arlen observed wryly that "it will be easier for Congress to take away Social Security than television sets."
They can take my TV set out of my cold.... oh wait, let me see what ad-free dvd movie to watch first...
Expect congress to push the date back or be swamped with rednecks bitching about their TV.
Like the brave Ithacans who faced down the deadly cyclops, these legislators are facing down the awful realities of trying to legislate technological progress. And like the Ithacans, they are getting their heads dashed against the rocks and eaten.
Delays will make them look weak. There is no room for weakness in the analog-digital marketplace.
Personally, I would find it hilarious to see the aftermath of all this.
Just imagine: millions of rednecks and fat bastards on welfare with too many kids marching from over the hillside a la civil-war front-line style, raising rabit ears over their heads, pulling their circa 1970 TV sets in their little red Radio Flyer wagons, screaming some indiscernible southern hick yella-belly gibberish that amounts to "give us tv or give us death", the ground trembling as they aproach, the stench overwhelming even though they are downwind, their tattered and soiled clothes barely covering the numerous warts and rashes, legislators running in horror, asking "why allah, why oh why?!?!"
Yeh, that would be funny.
If congress delays this, they saying that they are delaying freedom and liberty to all.
Don't you get it? We need High Definition 5.1 Channel 24 bit Audio to TRULY be Free. If we don't hold true and resolve with integrity, with the NTSC terrorists could take control of our antiquated ANALOG signals and broadcast terrorism to all coners of the globe.
Yes, the only way to be truly Free is to have digital television & a PIMPED SUV to put it in..
Consumerism. Whether you like it or not.
That means if the TV sets go dark on new year's eve 2006 the US is expecting a baby boom in autumn 2006.
Well, of course, one could refer to any number of faith-based initiatives. Take your pick from among: trickle-down economy, privatization, social security reform, "debt doesn't matter", "charity works best through the church" and preemptive cultural reconstruction on the national level in Iraq will succeed.
But TV should be a no-brainer. It has been a reoccurring comedy theme on the Le Show show by Harry Shearer for years that this isn't happening on time. Dubya is going to tell every trailer park in the red states that their rabbit ears ain't gonna work no mo? Get real. Take that to the bookie and put me down for $100 too.
Hmm.. I haven't seen anything about that on the news.
https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere
Oh the travesty! Imagine the horrors: families talking with one another, people reading books, or [gasp] exercising. How will America's youth compete in the global economy of tommorrow if they don't get the recommended daily allowance of One Day to Live, When Desperate Housewives Attack, or Oxy-Clean infomercials?
This one gang kept wanting me to join cause I'm pretty good with a bo staff.