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Billion Dollar Handout To Upgrade TVs

Posted by kdawson on from the if-we-can-send-a-man-to-the-moon dept.

db32 writes "SFGate has the story of the cutoff date for those rabbit ear antennas that some of us grew up with (Feb. 19, 2009). Now while the story of analog vs. digital TV has been beaten to death, still I think there is something more here. 'The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration... said it is setting aside $990 million to pay for the boxes. Each home can request up to two $40 coupons for a digital-to-analog converter box, which consumer electronics makers such as RCA and LG plan to produce.' Beyond my disdain for most TV to begin with, I am blown away that with all of our current problems — homelessness and crime on the home front, war fighting and terrorism abroad — our government is seriously going to spend this much money on upgrading peoples' televisions."

13 of 663 comments (clear)

  1. Somewhere in a NSA memo... by HungWeiLo · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure "TVs" are code-named "Urban Pacification Devices (UPD)".

    Ancient Romans had government-subsidized gladiator matches. Americans have Fox-subsidized American Idol. Same difference.

    --
    There are a huge number of yeast infections in this county. Probably because we're downriver from the bread factory.
    1. Re:Somewhere in a NSA memo... by powerlord · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ancient Romans had government-subsidized gladiator matches. Americans have Fox-subsidized American Idol. Same difference.


      Does that mean that next season we'll see the smarmy british Judge face off against a pack of vicious lions?

      Heck, it might actually get me to watch that drivel.
      --
      This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
  2. Terrible by CODiNE · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's terrible terrible indeed, and I'll be signing up for my 2 vouchers as soon as I can.

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    Cwm, fjord-bank glyphs vext quiz
  3. Re:Kill your TV! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Every time I see one of these posts, I am reminded of the following Onion article: Area Man Constantly Mentioning He Doesn't Own A Television.

  4. It's amazing you're still happy... by raehl · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are you going to try and prove to a happy person that are, in fact, just as angry and boring as you are? What's the point?

    How are you going to get any happier if you don't take happiness from others?

    --
    paintball
    1. Re:It's amazing you're still happy... by Have+Blue · · Score: 5, Funny

      When will people stop saying this? If I take your happiness, you still have it. That's why it's not theft, it's happiness infringement.

  5. Why all the fuss? by networkzombie · · Score: 4, Funny

    I thought the new Futurama episodes were going straight to DVD?

  6. Re:yes, but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    But how are we supposed to ignore our social problems without TV?

    drugs

  7. Re:Yeah, this is chump change... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    The fact that a reasonably educated westerner can't figure out the resource allocation to accomplish the basic goal of feeding 600 million Americans is why Communism fails, and why government screws things up.
    A reasonably educated westerner would at least know that the USA only has a population of 300 million.
  8. Re:Yeah, this is chump change... by JoGlo · · Score: 2, Funny

    A reasonably educated westerner would at least know that the USA only has a population of 300 million.

    North AND South America?

    --
    Will those of you who think that you know what you are doing, get out of the way of those of us who know what we are doi
  9. Re:Yeah, this is chump change... by glittalogik · · Score: 5, Funny

    While the previous replies hold true, I think that was just a typo. /. has already established beyond a shadow of a doubt that even reasonably educated westerners can't find the Preview button.

  10. Re:Citizens of USA called Americans by EtherealStrife · · Score: 3, Funny

    As a citizen of the United States, I prefer Californian.

  11. Our Government at work by AnalogDiehard · · Score: 2, Funny

    Senior citizen: Senator, I cannot afford to get my prescriptions on my Social Security check.
    Senator: Sorry, that's the breaks. Medicare only goes so far. Here, have a digital to analog television converter. That should make you feel better. Have a nice day!

    --
    Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10