I read this somewhere before, and perhaps it bears restating. Maybe we need to set up a web site with a Hippocratic Oath of sorts for things we WILL NOT DO, like creating software and standards that take away freedoms. Perhaps a "Hall of Shame" as well for those who break the oath?
It's not just the processor. Hard drives have serial numbers, too. Keying (for example) a piece of media to a HD ser# would prevent space-shifting just as well.
I just had a talk with my father a few monents ago about all this. Our decision? Switch to Linux, and don't buy ANY online content. Starve them for revenue. Playing music or movies on my PC is a neat trick, but I sure as hell don't need it. I read somewhere that Vivendi is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Fine with me. I won't have my PC neutered.
This literally was my last show. Sometimes I'd watch SG-1 beforehand, but that was only because I had to have the TV on to program the VCR, and so I'd sometimes decide to watch that as well. When LEXX was still on sometimes I'd stick around to watch that, but only because Farscape was on before it. Otherwise the TV was always off, literally. I have a 36" Sony VEGA, so it's not for lack of a good picture--it's just that other shows seem to be garbage. I even stopped watching Enterprise mid-season; I watch for entertainment, not for their writers to preach to me. You'd think the marketing types at Sci-Fi would have the brain cells to know this: bracket a really good show with other shows for which you're trying to get viewership. But then again, why should their marketing people be any different from the marketing people I have to work with, people for whom I have absolutely no respect. At this point, I'm done. I can't think of any reason to watch anything else. I'd rather read, go out, or work/play on the computer.
I know a few cops, most of which work (and live) in poor, high-crime areas. One (yes, a real POLICE OFFICER) was complaining that they are constantly locking up the same kids on drug charges and that they should just legalize them (with age restrictions, etc., like alcohol). I can't help but sympathize, because he and people like him are directly on the "front lines" so to speak with respect to it, as opposed to working in a nice cushy suburban department with a high tax base. His reasoning was that the problem of drug violence will never ever end until the money is taken out of it. He asserted (I think rightly) that drug dealers exist simply because there is money to be made. Honestly does anyone think dealers do what they do for any other reason? He felt that if they could be acquired at, for example a pharmacy, for a nominal cost there would be no incentive for dealers to exist, no more drug-related shootings, etc. With respect to driving, he felt that the number of people DUI on alcohol would always far overshadow anyone driving high.
If the customer is publicly traded, I'll bet that the shareholders would very much like to know why the company is spending $10,000 more than they have to.
I work in IT and depend on its continued growth for my livelihood. I'd have to be out of my mind to give money to an industry hell bent on damaging that growth.
Have you looked into RCN? It's another cable/local telco company that offers cable modem service. I know they're here and there in Delware County, at least...go and check it out. A friend of mine has it and he says it's way better than Comcast.
I live less than five miles to the north of the state where this piece of work lives, and I can never understand why the people there keep re-electing him. "Oh, but he gets things done for Delaware." Talk about a selfish and shortsighted attitude!
I really want to know if there is anyone out there in DE who has decided to VOTE AGAINST THIS GUY. Just what is it going to take for you people? Just how much restriction does this guy have to place upon you, upon everyone, before you decide that you've had enough? I don't mean just about copyrights, but about EVERYTHING. Dollars to doughnuts, if there's a bill that takes away some right, or places some restriction on the population, THIS BOZO VOTES FOR IT. Damn it all to hell, what is it going to take???
It's all relative, friend. We bitch about what affects us. If I was a Palestinian in the West Bank...well, there's a REASON for the 2nd Amendment (and yes, we DO exercise that right).
Anyone in Ireland care to weigh in on the DMCA-like state of affairs? If I was to leave the US, that would be my first choice (and it's small, which makes it easier for geeks to become a strong voice)...
Let me preface this with the statement that I'm not a cop-hater. I have several friends who are cops and others who are 9-11 dispatchers.
That said:
PA is (AFAIK) the only state in the Union that absolutely forbids local police officers from using radar or laser devices to watch people's speed (well, they can USE them, but then are forbidden from writing any tickets on what they may find). We could debate the why's for it forever (and indeed people here do), but I'd like to point out some effects of this policy:
- It often takes two officers instead of one to set up a "speed trap". Of course, it depends on the road (i.e. if there is a natural hiding place), but generally, using VASCAR means that the officer is visible. Also, since there are two big, honking, WHITE LINES on the road, every local knows (or should know) what they're for. Hence, people know where speed can be enforced (if state troopers work in your area, none of this applies, of course). One way to beat this problem is to use two officers, one hidden (like on a bike, trust me, I've seen it) and one in a car (or two cars, I've seen that as well). The point is, now we're paying two people to do this job, so it's less financially attractive (though a VASCAR stopwatch costs a hell of a lot less than a radar gun):)
Add to that the increased time and effort involved, and the fact that most locals won't speed there anyway (like I said, lines are a BIG hint). Also, local cops are often paid overtime for this sort of thing. I won't debate the morality of the overtime, since our cops really do get paid pennies and need every bit of it that they can get (the guys I know fight over overtime and night shift differential, trust me). The point is the cost to the municipality. Kinda removes much of the temptation to frivolously watch people's speed, unless there really is a good reason. Consequently there is a lot of use of the "Your speed" displays. We don't have to pay someone to stay there all day, and they really do get people to slow down (huh, go figure).
I like this arrangement; I think the main reason to enforce speed laws is to make sure the traffic speed is safe for that particular stretch of road (duh!). But I've seen a lot of small towns in bordering states set up speed traps seemingly just for the hell of it to try to rake in money in an area where the speed limit is (IMHO) arbitrarily lowered. It's much harder to do that in PA, if you as a driver are alert. IMHO the major reason we pay our cops is for them to show a presence (i.e. be a deterrent), and to do something about a problem if one shows up. By showing a presence I mean things like:
- patrolling our storefronts - patrolling our schools, especially when kids are entering or leaving - patrolling our neighborhoods - responding to an emergency (I've heard plenty of 9-11 horror stories, heh) - and most importantly, varying all this, so no miscreants can predict where our cops are, so they don't know that the officer won't roll around the corner just as they're trying to pick a kid off the street. Sitting on the side of the road with a radar gun or other timing device for four hours doesn't accomplish that!!!
Exist? Sure it will. But will it exist in its current form?
Right now, we can watch as much TV as we want, with little or no restrictions. If the Valenti types can turn it (and the Internet) into the "pay-per-use vending machine" that they want so bad, I wonder if people will watch nearly as much TV as they do now.
I remember once seeing a ST:TNG episode where Data remarked that TV had fallen by the wayside somewhere in the 21st century. Naaah, I thought (and still do), that's never going to happen. But, if watching TV becomes too financially costly, or too restrictive (Mr. Valenti: viewers can and do get insulted), I do expect people to do what's in their best interests. Maybe that will mean that we find other ways to entertain ourselves and watch TV less. I think that would be a Good Thing(tm).
Of course, this assumes that those who provide content (as if we were mindless zombies who couldn't decide what to eat for dinner if they didn't tell us...oh, never mind), if they are so monumentally stupid as to make TV that restrictive that droves of viewers turned it off. I would rather expect that they are looking for a "pain equilibrium point" where the restrictiveness and costliness boosts their profits to just below most people's breaking point. I sincerely don't believe that they want millions of people screaming "No more!" as that would cut into profits, but I don't for a second believe that there is anything other than that concern. So, expect watching (or recording, etc.) TV to become more painful. The question is, where is your breaking point?
Who cares if MS does? For myself, I'm running Win2kPro, and I loved XP Home SO MUCH that I wiped the HD and put WIn2k on instead. I ordered Lycoris last night and already have Mandrake...One way or the other, Win2k is the LAST MS OS I'll buy.
You know, I own two HP laptops (one with Win2k and one with Mandrake), and I'm going to meet a friend tomorrow night where (among other things) we were going to discuss their products since he wants to buy a laptop for himself. I'm seriously considering bringing this up and recommending that he NOT buy anything from HP.
Yes, when companies do something immoral, I DO get offended.
Re:Wanna hurt the MPAA/RIAA'? End Media Addiction
on
Borrowing ROMs
·
· Score: 1
You forgot: write prose.:)
A while ago I started writing a book. It's 160 pages so far, and it's a fictional story in the medieval fantasy genre, since that's what I enjoy. It's also taking up nearly all of my spare time, but I enjoy it. I've found that my TV is OFF for 24*7-1 hours a week (1 hour for Farscape). I don't watch any DVDs anymore--at all--so I haven't bought any--at all. I haven't rented anything in YEARS. I'm also involved in a sport, but the point I want to make here is that writing is an option.
If you're interested in writing, take a look at www.hobgoblin.net. I was looking for resources on writing, and I came across this one. Visit your local bookstore and pick up a book on writing; there are LOTS of them. Then, sit back, dream up a story, and work on it. You might find that you enjoy it a LOT more than watching the latest Holywood piece of garbage...
Tigana (Actually reread it; it's really terrific) Reave the Just and Other Tales Fantasy Masterworks: Conan vol. 2
(I read these three books in the past two weeks)
I'm trying to write a story as well...
The following are true:
- I haven't seen AOTC (though I've seen all of the other Star Wars movies, even that steaming pile of you-know-what called Episode I). I consciously decided that seeing it wasn't worth giving the movie studios any more money.
- Except for Farsape, I watch very little TV (sometimes Discovery, TLC, or the History channel, but not that much anymore). It feels strange considering a 36" VEGA as a 234lb. paperweight, but I feel better off without it.
- I have three bicycles (road, hybrid, and mountain) and I ride them more.
Let's face it, most of the movies Hollywood is putting out are garbage anyway. Maybe some of the trolls may snicker, but at least I'm making an effort at entertaining myself.
BOY have you gotten me wrong. Allow me to enlighten you:
I DO pay taxes
I DO have registration, etc., yada, yada, yada. I don't even have anything hanging from my rear view mirror, as it's illegal in PA (I have some friends who are cops, and one mentioned it).
I even have a very good job, doing something productive.
I ALSO VOTE. I vote for people who want to lower taxes; I vote for people who want to ease restrictions in general. I've been told that I'm more of a libertarian than a conservative (if you don't live in Delaware County then you can't understand, but EVERYONE here is registered GOP). Basically I think that the government should be in the business of leaving people alone, as long as they don't hurt others.
I'm the son of immigrants who came from a country that had been overrun by the Nazis. Ask me sometime about the town where the Germans killed ALL (and yes, I do mean *ALL*, there's even a memorial there) males in one of the towns, from age 0 on up. Consequently I consider personal liberty with the utmost seriousness.
It's cases like these that warrant educating people who think laws like the DMCA are unjust about jury nullification. I can see convicting the guy on counts of piracy since he sold pirated games, but I can also see refusing to convict him for selling or installing mod-chips.
It tends to vary from state to state, but here in Pennsylvania our constitution gives us the right to jury nullfication (no surprise, since William Penn wrote most of it and jury nullfication once saved his father in England).
We should be trying to get on juries in cases like this so we can do something about it.
Re:This is the worst thing the RIAA could do
on
RIAA to Sue You Now
·
· Score: 1
Excellent point.
A word to the RIAA: If you sue someone here in Pennsylvania, you had better PRAY I don't get on the jury. That's because we have Jury Nullification here (no surprise since our Constitution was mostly written by William Penn, who's father was saved by jury nullification). If I get on the jury, you don't win. Period.
I once bought a d100 for DnD. It's about the size of a golfball, and is actually made of two layers; the inner layer is white and has the numbers printed on it in black. The outer layer is clear plastic, with round flat areas for each of the 100 positions. The edges of the flat spots are rounded off and blend into the overall curvature of the "die". Inside it has weights (ball-bearings?" that lend it weight (the die is hollow). When you roll it, make sure the surface is COMPLETELY level or it will just roll forever (or at least off the end of your table). It was too cumbersome to use so it sits in a desk drawer.
IMHO the ONLY reason to have a digital TV is for watching movies, or maybe sports. Who needs a super-duper-ultra-high-resolution-so-you-can-see-t he-pockmarks-on-their-faces television to watch a crappy sitcom??? This, of course, assumes that the movies are actually worth watching. I dunno, maybe now that I'm past 30 I'm officially old, but, all of the movies I like, I've already bought. Anyone who thinks I'd repurchase my entire library for higher resolution needs to buy some perspective. Doesn't Hollywood have a clue? When even AOTC is so crappy that I'd skip seeing it, maybe they need to seriously take a look at the steaming piles of you-know-what they're putting out. Add to that that they actually want to restrict digital TV; they should be bending over and kissing our a$$es to buy their movies. That's how much the quality has suffered.
The whole issue has started making me wonder what the value in TV is anymore. I once saw a bumper sticker at a local bookstore near me. It said: "Fight prime time. Read a book." I always like to read, and I've started writing again. The behemoth tube that I paid $2300 for and weighs 234 lbs. has been off far more than on since then, and I don't miss it.
Okay, warning to those over-sensitive hyperventilating types: this is going to look like a flame. Take your medication before freaking out; this is just what I perceive after living three miles from NJ for the last 25 years...
I used to work in Camden a few years ago. Since then, ALL of the coworkers I hung around with that lived in NJ have left for DE. I can think of several reasons why I wouldn't move to NJ (I live in PA):
- HIGH property taxes. And I don't mean a little high. My aunt and uncle in South Orange pay $12k a year. Not twelve hundred, twelve thousand. That's a new car every two years, folks. BTW, my friend in DE pays $1,200 a year by comparison. We pay $2,800.
- Is it me, or is every damned thing in NJ illegal anymore? Take your pick. If it isn't breathing or eating, it's probably legal in PA and DE and illegal in NJ (though DE is catching up quickly). Geez, folks, what isn't regulated to hell and gone there?
- Paranoia about traffic speed. Ever been to Pennsauken? 'Nuff said.
I could probably go on but it's time to get some work done (sigh).
Never forget...we are country of "terrorists"...it depends on both perspective and motivation
Our top story tonight, royal security sources tell us that a radical terrorist group in the Americas, has struck once again at key royal economic interests in Boston Harbor."
"Our source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that terrorists, using small rowboats, carried out a cowardly surprise attack against a large tea shipment. The source reports that the terrorists were beaten back and that the vessel sustained only minor damage."
"However, we at BNN have received unconfirmed reports that all of the tea in the harbor was, in fact, destroyed by the terrorist attack. Only one royal commander reportedly managed to escape from the vessel, and is now leading a manhunt to track down and destroy the terrorists responsible for this attack."
Slashdot Mirror
I read this somewhere before, and perhaps it bears restating. Maybe we need to set up a web site with a Hippocratic Oath of sorts for things we WILL NOT DO, like creating software and standards that take away freedoms. Perhaps a "Hall of Shame" as well for those who break the oath?
It's not just the processor. Hard drives have serial numbers, too. Keying (for example) a piece of media to a HD ser# would prevent space-shifting just as well.
I just had a talk with my father a few monents ago about all this. Our decision? Switch to Linux, and don't buy ANY online content. Starve them for revenue. Playing music or movies on my PC is a neat trick, but I sure as hell don't need it. I read somewhere that Vivendi is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. Fine with me. I won't have my PC neutered.
This literally was my last show. Sometimes I'd watch SG-1 beforehand, but that was only because I had to have the TV on to program the VCR, and so I'd sometimes decide to watch that as well. When LEXX was still on sometimes I'd stick around to watch that, but only because Farscape was on before it. Otherwise the TV was always off, literally. I have a 36" Sony VEGA, so it's not for lack of a good picture--it's just that other shows seem to be garbage. I even stopped watching Enterprise mid-season; I watch for entertainment, not for their writers to preach to me. You'd think the marketing types at Sci-Fi would have the brain cells to know this: bracket a really good show with other shows for which you're trying to get viewership. But then again, why should their marketing people be any different from the marketing people I have to work with, people for whom I have absolutely no respect. At this point, I'm done. I can't think of any reason to watch anything else. I'd rather read, go out, or work/play on the computer.
I know a few cops, most of which work (and live) in poor, high-crime areas. One (yes, a real POLICE OFFICER) was complaining that they are constantly locking up the same kids on drug charges and that they should just legalize them (with age restrictions, etc., like alcohol). I can't help but sympathize, because he and people like him are directly on the "front lines" so to speak with respect to it, as opposed to working in a nice cushy suburban department with a high tax base. His reasoning was that the problem of drug violence will never ever end until the money is taken out of it. He asserted (I think rightly) that drug dealers exist simply because there is money to be made. Honestly does anyone think dealers do what they do for any other reason? He felt that if they could be acquired at, for example a pharmacy, for a nominal cost there would be no incentive for dealers to exist, no more drug-related shootings, etc. With respect to driving, he felt that the number of people DUI on alcohol would always far overshadow anyone driving high.
If the customer is publicly traded, I'll bet that the shareholders would very much like to know why the company is spending $10,000 more than they have to.
I don't smoke either, but YIKES! You can't smoke on YOUR LAWN??? I'm looking to buy a house, and I think I'll stay in Delaware County, PENNSYLVANIA.
I still haven't seen AOTC.
I work in IT and depend on its continued growth for my livelihood. I'd have to be out of my mind to give money to an industry hell bent on damaging that growth.
- "Fight prime time. Read a book."
Have you looked into RCN? It's another cable/local telco company that offers cable modem service. I know they're here and there in Delware County, at least...go and check it out. A friend of mine has it and he says it's way better than Comcast.
I really want to know if there is anyone out there in DE who has decided to VOTE AGAINST THIS GUY. Just what is it going to take for you people? Just how much restriction does this guy have to place upon you, upon everyone, before you decide that you've had enough? I don't mean just about copyrights, but about EVERYTHING. Dollars to doughnuts, if there's a bill that takes away some right, or places some restriction on the population, THIS BOZO VOTES FOR IT. Damn it all to hell, what is it going to take???
Grrr... I think I'll go bite someone.
It's all relative, friend. We bitch about what affects us. If I was a Palestinian in the West Bank...well, there's a REASON for the 2nd Amendment (and yes, we DO exercise that right).
Anyone in Ireland care to weigh in on the DMCA-like state of affairs? If I was to leave the US, that would be my first choice (and it's small, which makes it easier for geeks to become a strong voice)...
That said:
PA is (AFAIK) the only state in the Union that absolutely forbids local police officers from using radar or laser devices to watch people's speed (well, they can USE them, but then are forbidden from writing any tickets on what they may find). We could debate the why's for it forever (and indeed people here do), but I'd like to point out some effects of this policy:
- It often takes two officers instead of one to set up a "speed trap". Of course, it depends on the road (i.e. if there is a natural hiding place), but generally, using VASCAR means that the officer is visible. Also, since there are two big, honking, WHITE LINES on the road, every local knows (or should know) what they're for. Hence, people know where speed can be enforced (if state troopers work in your area, none of this applies, of course). One way to beat this problem is to use two officers, one hidden (like on a bike, trust me, I've seen it) and one in a car (or two cars, I've seen that as well). The point is, now we're paying two people to do this job, so it's less financially attractive (though a VASCAR stopwatch costs a hell of a lot less than a radar gun)
Add to that the increased time and effort involved, and the fact that most locals won't speed there anyway (like I said, lines are a BIG hint). Also, local cops are often paid overtime for this sort of thing. I won't debate the morality of the overtime, since our cops really do get paid pennies and need every bit of it that they can get (the guys I know fight over overtime and night shift differential, trust me). The point is the cost to the municipality. Kinda removes much of the temptation to frivolously watch people's speed, unless there really is a good reason. Consequently there is a lot of use of the "Your speed" displays. We don't have to pay someone to stay there all day, and they really do get people to slow down (huh, go figure).
I like this arrangement; I think the main reason to enforce speed laws is to make sure the traffic speed is safe for that particular stretch of road (duh!). But I've seen a lot of small towns in bordering states set up speed traps seemingly just for the hell of it to try to rake in money in an area where the speed limit is (IMHO) arbitrarily lowered. It's much harder to do that in PA, if you as a driver are alert. IMHO the major reason we pay our cops is for them to show a presence (i.e. be a deterrent), and to do something about a problem if one shows up. By showing a presence I mean things like:
- patrolling our storefronts
- patrolling our schools, especially when kids are entering or leaving
- patrolling our neighborhoods
- responding to an emergency (I've heard plenty of 9-11 horror stories, heh)
- and most importantly, varying all this, so no miscreants can predict where our cops are, so they don't know that the officer won't roll around the corner just as they're trying to pick a kid off the street. Sitting on the side of the road with a radar gun or other timing device for four hours doesn't accomplish that!!!
Right now, we can watch as much TV as we want, with little or no restrictions. If the Valenti types can turn it (and the Internet) into the "pay-per-use vending machine" that they want so bad, I wonder if people will watch nearly as much TV as they do now.
I remember once seeing a ST:TNG episode where Data remarked that TV had fallen by the wayside somewhere in the 21st century. Naaah, I thought (and still do), that's never going to happen. But, if watching TV becomes too financially costly, or too restrictive (Mr. Valenti: viewers can and do get insulted), I do expect people to do what's in their best interests. Maybe that will mean that we find other ways to entertain ourselves and watch TV less. I think that would be a Good Thing(tm).
Of course, this assumes that those who provide content (as if we were mindless zombies who couldn't decide what to eat for dinner if they didn't tell us...oh, never mind), if they are so monumentally stupid as to make TV that restrictive that droves of viewers turned it off. I would rather expect that they are looking for a "pain equilibrium point" where the restrictiveness and costliness boosts their profits to just below most people's breaking point. I sincerely don't believe that they want millions of people screaming "No more!" as that would cut into profits, but I don't for a second believe that there is anything other than that concern. So, expect watching (or recording, etc.) TV to become more painful. The question is, where is your breaking point?
Who cares if MS does? For myself, I'm running Win2kPro, and I loved XP Home SO MUCH that I wiped the HD and put WIn2k on instead. I ordered Lycoris last night and already have Mandrake...One way or the other, Win2k is the LAST MS OS I'll buy.
Yes, when companies do something immoral, I DO get offended.
A while ago I started writing a book. It's 160 pages so far, and it's a fictional story in the medieval fantasy genre, since that's what I enjoy. It's also taking up nearly all of my spare time, but I enjoy it. I've found that my TV is OFF for 24*7-1 hours a week (1 hour for Farscape). I don't watch any DVDs anymore--at all--so I haven't bought any--at all. I haven't rented anything in YEARS. I'm also involved in a sport, but the point I want to make here is that writing is an option.
If you're interested in writing, take a look at www.hobgoblin.net. I was looking for resources on writing, and I came across this one. Visit your local bookstore and pick up a book on writing; there are LOTS of them. Then, sit back, dream up a story, and work on it. You might find that you enjoy it a LOT more than watching the latest Holywood piece of garbage...
Wind
Recently read books:
Tigana (Actually reread it; it's really terrific)
Reave the Just and Other Tales
Fantasy Masterworks: Conan vol. 2
(I read these three books in the past two weeks)
I'm trying to write a story as well...
The following are true:
- I haven't seen AOTC (though I've seen all of the other Star Wars movies, even that steaming pile of you-know-what called Episode I). I consciously decided that seeing it wasn't worth giving the movie studios any more money.
- Except for Farsape, I watch very little TV (sometimes Discovery, TLC, or the History channel, but not that much anymore). It feels strange considering a 36" VEGA as a 234lb. paperweight, but I feel better off without it.
- I have three bicycles (road, hybrid, and mountain) and I ride them more.
Let's face it, most of the movies Hollywood is putting out are garbage anyway. Maybe some of the trolls may snicker, but at least I'm making an effort at entertaining myself.
I DO pay taxes
I DO have registration, etc., yada, yada, yada. I don't even have anything hanging from my rear view mirror, as it's illegal in PA (I have some friends who are cops, and one mentioned it).
I even have a very good job, doing something productive.
I ALSO VOTE. I vote for people who want to lower taxes; I vote for people who want to ease restrictions in general. I've been told that I'm more of a libertarian than a conservative (if you don't live in Delaware County then you can't understand, but EVERYONE here is registered GOP). Basically I think that the government should be in the business of leaving people alone, as long as they don't hurt others.
I'm the son of immigrants who came from a country that had been overrun by the Nazis. Ask me sometime about the town where the Germans killed ALL (and yes, I do mean *ALL*, there's even a memorial there) males in one of the towns, from age 0 on up. Consequently I consider personal liberty with the utmost seriousness.
It tends to vary from state to state, but here in Pennsylvania our constitution gives us the right to jury nullfication (no surprise, since William Penn wrote most of it and jury nullfication once saved his father in England).
We should be trying to get on juries in cases like this so we can do something about it.
A word to the RIAA: If you sue someone here in Pennsylvania, you had better PRAY I don't get on the jury. That's because we have Jury Nullification here (no surprise since our Constitution was mostly written by William Penn, who's father was saved by jury nullification). If I get on the jury, you don't win. Period.
I have one of those d30's too. Never used it...
Man: "Oh no! I need a new windshield! But where do I get one?"
He remembers that he hasn't watched a TV commercial in the last five years.
Man: "What do I do? I have no idea where to get one! Woe is meeee!"
(let's assume that he has lost his trusty PHONE BOOK)
later on...
(typing into Yahoo!(tm) search box)
+windshield
(TONS of websites reviewing and offering windshields come up, including ones in his local area that will even install them at his house.)
Man: "I'm saved!"
(a true story, minus the cooky dialogue)
Moral: Commercials?! Who needs stinking commercials?!
The whole issue has started making me wonder what the value in TV is anymore. I once saw a bumper sticker at a local bookstore near me. It said: "Fight prime time. Read a book." I always like to read, and I've started writing again. The behemoth tube that I paid $2300 for and weighs 234 lbs. has been off far more than on since then, and I don't miss it.
I used to work in Camden a few years ago. Since then, ALL of the coworkers I hung around with that lived in NJ have left for DE. I can think of several reasons why I wouldn't move to NJ (I live in PA):
- HIGH property taxes. And I don't mean a little high. My aunt and uncle in South Orange pay $12k a year. Not twelve hundred, twelve thousand. That's a new car every two years, folks. BTW, my friend in DE pays $1,200 a year by comparison. We pay $2,800.
- Is it me, or is every damned thing in NJ illegal anymore? Take your pick. If it isn't breathing or eating, it's probably legal in PA and DE and illegal in NJ (though DE is catching up quickly). Geez, folks, what isn't regulated to hell and gone there?
- Paranoia about traffic speed. Ever been to Pennsauken? 'Nuff said.
I could probably go on but it's time to get some work done (sigh).
Our top story tonight, royal security sources tell us that a radical terrorist group in the Americas, has struck once again at key royal economic interests in Boston Harbor."
"Our source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that terrorists, using small rowboats, carried out a cowardly surprise attack against a large tea shipment. The source reports that the terrorists were beaten back and that the vessel sustained only minor damage."
"However, we at BNN have received unconfirmed reports that all of the tea in the harbor was, in fact, destroyed by the terrorist attack. Only one royal commander reportedly managed to escape from the vessel, and is now leading a manhunt to track down and destroy the terrorists responsible for this attack."