I love not having a TV. I don't miss watching shows, commercials are incredibly spastic and noisy to me when I happen to see them on others' TVs, and although I'm not curing cancer, I do feel overall that my life is more productive without a TV.
Except now. Except during the Olympics. Every two years for two weeks the whole world is uniting over and discussing the Olympics, except Thora Shannon. I feel that despite the Internet that I live under a rock, an Olympic-less rock. Because of dial-up, I can't watch the Olympics online, so I can only read about the stories after it's all over, and that's just not the same.
I haven't really watched the Olympics at all since I was sixteen or so, when I was still living at home. The TV was in our basement, and we would all go down and watch the current sport every evening. Every Olympics since then, including the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, which were centered only an hour from BYU, and in my hometown, nonetheless, I haven't watched them at all. I did go to Salt Lake and wander around pointlessly one day, but that was it.
I'm not an athletic person, and normally I don't watch sports at all. But I do like the Olympics - at least in memory. I don't know why; maybe because the competitors are the best in the world?
I wish that I could have TV, but only every other year, for the Olympics. And every six months for Conference. Of course, I would need Cable for both, the Olympics so that I wouldn't have the inane commentary that everyone is talking about, and for Conference because I'm not in Utah.
So enjoy the Olympics on my behalf. And if you're in Ohio, do you want to donate an analog TV to me, so that I can watch movies on it? Because I've been watching movies on Avram's parent's TV (it's not hooked up, so it can only be used for movies) and I don't think I can go back to watching wide-screen movies on a computer. I have to squint entirely too often for my comfort. I'm hoping with the change-over to only digital TVs will end up with a high-scale analog TV in our proverbial laps.
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Peppermint Bark Fudge
4 days ago
haha, I just said to Samuel yesterday, "I love watching the Olympics...but not enough to buy a TV."
ReplyDeleteI guess I could watch it online, but it's finals week and then we're going on vacation, so I guess I'm going to miss it. I did watch some things from last winter Olympics in Torino, Italy, because I lived in DT and we had a TV in our common room on our floor that was pretty much always on. If I was bored I could just wander in and someone would be watching it. It was cool, especially the opening ceremonies, because I was/am studying Italian.
I miss having TV during the Olympics and during General Conference. We do have one (attached to a DVD & VCR for kid's videos and homeschool stuff); we just don't have any reception or cable. Dial up takes care of GC but won't cut it for the Olympics. Oh well. Life goes on.
ReplyDeletehave you ever heard of freecycle? its a Yahoo! group. See if there is one in your area in Ohio. you post things that you want to give away and people post stuff that they want to give away and you respond to each other. We have recieved stuff like a couch and a dresser and given away a ton of stuff. The weirdest thing that I gave away was curtian rods! someone wanted them and I had some just sitting around... I see old Tv's pop up on there all the time
ReplyDeleteHeather
I'm not sure if the high end analogs will find their way into our hands so easily many of them can be adapted using a digital adapter that renders them capable of digital channels. Also they are still compatible with Cable and DSL so their is only the concern if you're trying to pick up channels in the air.
ReplyDeleteI for one like going to a stake center to watch General Conference. First it encourages me to dress up and I tend to stay more awake and listen to the speakers. Since I have moved to Utah and they often only show Priesthood Session at the stake centers I have fallen asleep during more conferences then I ever did before.
However in my opinion TV's are not required to be happy. Sure we watch a few movies now and then and but otherwise our tv is off most of the time.
Computers have taken over the entertainment field for us and i suspect more and more of the world. Music, videos, even old tv shows are available via internet. Most sans commercials and you have complete control of what you choose to bring in. Much better in my opinion.
On the Olympic note I remember as a small child staying up late to watch the Barcelona Summer games. It had been my goal to go to the Atlanta Summer games but that never happened. Then I had though oooh Salt Lake and what should happen but I go on a mission(Which ended up being much better than the olympics).
I really only watch the fencing and the opening ceremonies and that about does it for me.
Okay that was a long response.
Hey did you see the little Blog link banner I made for you on my blog?
We have a TV but only use it for watching DVD's. I'm kind of blushing though because I sort of forgot about the Olympics. Talk about living under a rock.
ReplyDeletei have watched them.. it was opening ceramony when i was still in the hospital so i watched all of that, nothing else to do really! then watched a few nights this week.. saw some gymnastics and synchonized diving which i liked both of them. Its just amazing what people can do! Porter likes to watch the mens gymnastics and then does his flips ( really a summersault) on the floor and makes us watch him. Its fun. I like to watch because it makes the world seem so close and small and conected.
ReplyDeleteIf you insist on watching movies on the computer get a wide screen so that you dont have to squit so much! but really a tv would be cheaper i think.. you could find one on craigs list or something cheap i am sure.