Five Years Without TV

Oct. 31st, 2004: "Just now, X and i placed the TV and DVD remotes in a box, wrapped it in black tissue, tied with white ribbon, and sealed with candle wax. We both spoke our intentions for a November without video. [*]"

We have been without the TV ever since. We were already subscribers to Netflix and, after that November, we did go back to watching video. When Netflix started streaming, it picked up more of our attention share. Here we are, five years later. I easily average an hour of watching a day. Other than watching the Daily Show, though, it's uninterrupted watching. I feel the absence of video advertising has been a blessing to the household.

I get my news through the snippetsphere: RSS feed from the Mercury News of breaking news and local news, the BBC's Americas feed (which has coverage of The Americas not just the US), the local paper's feed, twitter & Facebook updates. We've paid for the digital edition of the Mercury News, which is the least offensive way to support the organization (no paper delivered): Christine, at least, likes the virtual print. Christine also watches Amy Goodman's news show and Frontline: i catch occasional snippets.

The times i've tried going back to video or radio news i find myself angry and frustrated: angry at inanity and bias (even NPR) and the squishy emotionality, frustrated that i can't find out what i want to know.

Like now, i want to find an eyebar diagram from the Bay Bridge for my dad. Off to Caltrans site: no mucking about with news sites and their quotes from miserable commuters.

***

One of the goals back five years ago was to take the time we were watching video and convert that into creative time: Nanowrimo. Didn't happen for me, although i had a rough idea for a novel about a young woman who had started a computer support business in coastal NC and had split up with her teacher boyfriend who had become conflicted with the Bible Belt mores of the area (discovering how living together was frowned upon, he lied and said they were married, which then caused strife between them: now half the town wants to know whether they're getting divorced, why isn't she wearing her wedding ring any more, etc). It was to have eight chapters corresponding to the wheels of the year, beginning with her first vacation since leaving school (i can't remember if it was on 1 Aug or 21 Sept). I was pretty committed to not having a dramatic build up and resolution, but to more reflect upon the continuing cycle of growth and change.

I sketch this out now because i want to test myself: do i want some creative challenge for November?

Perhaps the challenge is to simply become more aware of my watching habits. I am already quite aware of certain habits: i turn to the current suite of BBC crime dramas for a dependable escape. They're edgy enough that i can't be sure everything is going to be OK in the end (people disappear off of Spooks/MI-5 too often), but i know how i'm going to feel at the end.

Why do i choose to watch the things i watch? What need or desire am i trying to meet, and is it really doing that? What can i do about the dependability rut? Can i instead switch to listening to music? Can we start our audiobook listening again (it's the season for it)?

(no subject)

So today was a little frustrating. It started with my new backup drive complaining, and then problems seemed to migrate to the system's root drive -- probably because of aborted root drive mirroring. I seem to have made good progress in cleaning up the mess, but it's hard to feel good about as it was not time i expected to be spending.

Similarly, Mr M is not well and has made a variety of bodily messes in a variety of places. The kitchen was a wreck to begin with: some progress was made there. I think we're trying to get M a vet visit tomorrow. Christine has procrastinated and the dental office has closed: she needs to have a wisdom tooth removed that is now causing her pain.

Also, my patience was blown to smithereens by an hour and forty minutes of work phone calls. We have a situation where someone is being assigned to do X and really doesn't have the appropriate skills to do X. While my boss says it's not my job to manage getting X done, he and i both know that the other folks involved aren't going to make it get done. So i find myself explaining to the writer how to use Word. I am now going to see if Framemaker can import well styled Word docs.

I did take the wedding dress to the consignment shop. It's still in its coffin, i mean, sealed in its nitrogen filled box, but i did take it out of the external carton and the plastic lining bag, and pulled free the insert that covered the plastic window. So, i saw the dress before leaving it for the manager (who is sick) to consider. Christine bought a great dress for her sister's wedding

Oh curses: Our web server is down.

We did have a nice brunch, even if it was at 1:30 (Kitchen a wreck.)

We are going out to see "Where the Wild Things Are"

Also, Good and Plenty licorice candies and honey flavored candy corn (like Brach's) make a fun combination. I enjoy it. Not sure anyone else would.