In America the cable television providers have "bundles" of channels that frequently include stuff you'd never want to order, except that you're being given "such a great deal" on the rest ...
And so the very little bit of decent content funds the rest of the slop that you're meant to endure.
This is why I not only refuse to pay for cable television in America or any offerings from streaming providers, but also why I want to see an end to the mandatory-by-bullying BBC licence fees back in the UK.
When you understand that you're funding people who actively hate you, then it's pretty easy to stop giving them any funding.
There are plenty of decently made older movies and television shows you can still find in shops on DVDs, and you can purchase a fairly hefty stack of them for what it costs to take a family out for a night at the movie theatre.
Not that we have those nights anymore because of The Rona ...
We hardy ever watch TV at all, there is so much stuff freely available on YouTube and elsewhere, why paying for extra channels with (mostly) horrible content?
As for corona, I'm going to write a post about it when I feel a bit better (we had the funeral yesterday), we've had "a record number of infections this week!", yet everything stays open, including cinemas and hardly anyone takes any notice of social distancing rules when there are no police around.
Hospitals and IC units empty, how serious is the virus really? I heard that the average age of the deceased is higher than the average life expectancy yet the government is suddenly obsessed about saving the elderly in the last stages of dementia in the nursing homes, while some politicians not so long ago were calling for euthanasia pills. It's mind-boggling!
The Rona itself in America appears to be a "nothingburger" outside rest homes, retirement communities, hospices, hospitals, prisons, public services, and confined spaces.
But everyone's meant to behave like OMG IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US.
Depending on the state and city, you may be under no lockdown at all or under something so severe you'd think there were People's Liberation Army troops outside your door.
South Dakota: the gold standard in libertarianism with individuals being sensible about exposure.
Florida: not so bad outside the cities, but just a little bit stupid.
Miami: politically motivated mass stupidity in an emergent police state with the occasional frisson of rioting.
It's actually the rioting (aka "mostly peaceful protesting", to use the present Orwellian turn of phrase) that's the bigger problem.
Other than finding a new house, my next biggest problem involves getting proper dental care and some routine medical stuff done.
That's trickier than it should be not because of The Rona but because of all of the overly paranoid stuff going on in order to prevent liability lawsuits.
I've been to places that have signs boldly proclaiming that by entering these places, the owners aren't legally liable for whether you get The Rona.
It's utterly pointless, it's like saying that the owners aren't legally liable for anyone getting beriberi because they're not taking their thiamine whenever they visit.
I heard it's the worst in Australia where they even can confiscate your mobile and you can't leave the country without permission, I mean WT*?
But I could see that it's a bigger problem in some countries due to more people with chronic conditions, because of the unhealthy diet/lifestyle. I mean some British guy on Twitter posted a photo of the dinner his wife made: mashed potatoes, some (red) meat and 2 vegs. That's what we normally eat too, but also fish and chicken, while watching some American YouTube channels I get an impression that they hardly eat any vegetables at all.
As for the dentist, my appointment keeps getting delayed (this time because of the funeral), I hope I'll be finally able to have a check up in a couple of weeks!
In America the cable television providers have "bundles" of channels that frequently include stuff you'd never want to order, except that you're being given "such a great deal" on the rest ...
ReplyDeleteAnd so the very little bit of decent content funds the rest of the slop that you're meant to endure.
This is why I not only refuse to pay for cable television in America or any offerings from streaming providers, but also why I want to see an end to the mandatory-by-bullying BBC licence fees back in the UK.
When you understand that you're funding people who actively hate you, then it's pretty easy to stop giving them any funding.
There are plenty of decently made older movies and television shows you can still find in shops on DVDs, and you can purchase a fairly hefty stack of them for what it costs to take a family out for a night at the movie theatre.
Not that we have those nights anymore because of The Rona ...
We hardy ever watch TV at all, there is so much stuff freely available on YouTube and elsewhere, why paying for extra channels with (mostly) horrible content?
ReplyDeleteAs for corona, I'm going to write a post about it when I feel a bit better (we had the funeral yesterday), we've had "a record number of infections this week!", yet everything stays open, including cinemas and hardly anyone takes any notice of social distancing rules when there are no police around.
Hospitals and IC units empty, how serious is the virus really? I heard that the average age of the deceased is higher than the average life expectancy yet the government is suddenly obsessed about saving the elderly in the last stages of dementia in the nursing homes, while some politicians not so long ago were calling for euthanasia pills. It's mind-boggling!
The Rona itself in America appears to be a "nothingburger" outside rest homes, retirement communities, hospices, hospitals, prisons, public services, and confined spaces.
ReplyDeleteBut everyone's meant to behave like OMG IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US.
Depending on the state and city, you may be under no lockdown at all or under something so severe you'd think there were People's Liberation Army troops outside your door.
South Dakota: the gold standard in libertarianism with individuals being sensible about exposure.
Florida: not so bad outside the cities, but just a little bit stupid.
Miami: politically motivated mass stupidity in an emergent police state with the occasional frisson of rioting.
It's actually the rioting (aka "mostly peaceful protesting", to use the present Orwellian turn of phrase) that's the bigger problem.
Other than finding a new house, my next biggest problem involves getting proper dental care and some routine medical stuff done.
That's trickier than it should be not because of The Rona but because of all of the overly paranoid stuff going on in order to prevent liability lawsuits.
I've been to places that have signs boldly proclaiming that by entering these places, the owners aren't legally liable for whether you get The Rona.
It's utterly pointless, it's like saying that the owners aren't legally liable for anyone getting beriberi because they're not taking their thiamine whenever they visit.
I heard it's the worst in Australia where they even can confiscate your mobile and you can't leave the country without permission, I mean WT*?
ReplyDeleteBut I could see that it's a bigger problem in some countries due to more people with chronic conditions, because of the unhealthy diet/lifestyle. I mean some British guy on Twitter posted a photo of the dinner his wife made: mashed potatoes, some (red) meat and 2 vegs. That's what we normally eat too, but also fish and chicken, while watching some American YouTube channels I get an impression that they hardly eat any vegetables at all.
As for the dentist, my appointment keeps getting delayed (this time because of the funeral), I hope I'll be finally able to have a check up in a couple of weeks!