Pulling the Plug and Unhooking the Cable on Cable TV

It's official. I canceled the cable. I returned the cable box and remote control yesterday. Comcast is going to charge me more than I thought I would have to pay to keep the Internet and for now the phone, but I figure I will still save nearly $90 a month.

But I did discover I will have an unexpected bonus: not only will I save money but I will also save energy. According to a recent New York Times story,

Those little boxes that usher cable signals and digital recording capacity into televisions have become the single largest electricity drain in many American homes, with some typical home entertainment configurations eating more power than a new refrigerator and even some central air-conditioning systems.

So goodbye dear old cable TV box. This is the first time in over 30 years--so long that I can't even remember when cable TV came into my life--that I will be cable-less. So far, I can honestly say I don't miss it.

All the World is a Twitter

Can you keep up with Facebook, MySpace, Eons, LinkedIn and more? I do not think I can. However, I just signed up for Twitter, but I doubt I will remember to post on the fad-driven keep-it-simple social networking Web site.

I sort of had to get on Facebook since my boss charged me with serving as an administrator for our nonprofit's presence. I was already on LinkedIn but have no real idea why except my daughter-in-law suggested it.

Eons is probably more my speed since it is for Baby Boomers and I am certainly one of those.

Who knows what will come up next but according to Twitter I was thinking about going for a walk. That does sound healthier than sitting at the computer wasting time.

Live Free or Die Hard

I so rarely go to the movies these days but trudged along yesterday with the guys for the new Bruce Willis action movie, Live Free or Die Hard. Short on plot; long on action just like a summer movie should be. Salon.com has a review if you want more details, but I wanted to write about a scene in the movie that I’m still thinking about this morning.

You know the Mac guy from the Apple Computer ads? Justin Long’s his name and he plays a geeky computer hacker-type Bruce is charged with delivering to the FBI to avert an attack on all U.S. technological systems: transportation, Wall Street, etc. by cyber-terrorists. In between fending off the bad guys and trying to save the day, Bruce listens as Apple Guy gets all philosophical on him and says, “It’s all controlled and manipulated,” or something like that. I wasn’t taking notes. They were watching the news as the terrorists hacked into broadcast feeds to deliver their evil message.What Apple Guy was referring to was what we are fed as news by the corporate media.

And I thought, maybe he’s right. Maybe if we watch enough of stories covering Anna Nichol Smith and Paris Hilton or Ann Coulter’s screeching, we won’t notice what’s happening that really matters. Could TV be the “opiate of the people?” And are we getting what we deserve?

The New Garden Fence

You most likely do it without thinking twice. Despite their protestations to the contrary, men do it at least as much as women, although women are better at it. It can help some overcome awkwardness and develop social skills. Your immune system benefits from the endorphins stimulated and stress is relieved. And here’s the kicker, cell phones are the conduit.

Did you guess? I’m talking about gossip and “mobile” gossip in particular. I came across this article entitled, “Evolution, Alienation and Gossip, The role of mobile telecommunications in the 21st century” over on the Social Issues Research Centre web site.

With the advert of cell phones, we can gossip anytime or anywhere. Now, I have to question this “benefit” to relieving stress a bit. What about the innocent bystanders who must endure a certain degree of stress when subjected to the cell conversations of others?

But I’ll accept that this technology allows us to maintain closer relationships and connections. So go ahead and whip out that cell phone. It’s good for you.

The Next Y2 Scare

Maybe this one will be the Big One. You know the one where the experts really do get it right in their dire predictions of turmoil and consternation. I’m talking about of all things Daylight Saving Time (DST). If you’ve been living your life and not paying much attention to the news lately, you might have missed this threat. Or maybe you were watching Anna Nichol Smith TV.

Anyway, DST will change this year. It starts on March 11, the day before my husband’s birthday. Meetings, calendars, travel arrival and departure times, bank transactions, cell phone peak hours, and other various and sundry time sensitive matters could be in trouble. CNET News has a good article to fill you in on the details. Me, I’m not going to sweat this one either.