Hearkening Back

When Susan and I move next month, we are planning to leave our televisions behind. Part of that decision is that they are older. Part of it is to reduce the volume of stuff to move. One of the things I am looking forward the most to is not having cable television. Lately I've been sucked in to programming (namely on the SciFi, Animal Planet, History and Comedy Central channels) when I should have been writing, studying or packing. So the move is something like a "practice what I preach" opportunity. (As an adult, I alternate between tolerating and railing against the boob tube.) Find stronger opinions than mine at the Kill your Television web site. Rather than release lead and mercury into whatever space I'd be weilding a sledgehammer, I've turned two old TVs into fish tanks...

So what will I do with my time? I'll try gardening, home improvement, internet ideas and reading... These things I already do and actually enjoy more than commercial programming. For example, I liked this piece in the New York Times by its editorial observer Verlyn Klinkenborg about reading aloud. Reading aloud is fun. I just need to find some people who agree with me. I bet there are a few in New Haven!

And what about other screen entertainment? Movies? Internet? We will still be able to do that, but on my desktop computer. I think the screen is bigger than our TV's anyway. And shows I really want to see? I guess I'll have to try out BitTorrent for size. In the mean time, I've got some packing to do!