Yes, if you have the self control to limit your watching to what you regard as edifying then I suppose it's just a delivery medium for such edification. And if you are impervious to the onslaught of the subliminals that the television launches continuously, then good. I suspect that maybe you arent. But anyway, I am gatvol of watching doccies on sharks, and monkeys and lions now. I am sick and tired of going to the TV and being able to choose reruns of movies that have been shown already.

Just the other day, the news channels were reporting on a pretty big event that had just occurred. CNN, BBC Sky reported it from an angle. And then I watched a bit of Russia Today and guess what. A completely different angle but still with an American accent mind you. Now, you've got to decide who you think is giving the thing the honest complexion. And where do you get that opinion? Why, from the subliminals and what you have been conditioned to accept. So, way back when I first heard Frank Zappa's Overnite Sensation (70's sometime) I thought it was quite clever. But if you think of it, it is actually prophetic and a grave warning. And it goes unheeded.

As for the sport, I am an enthusiast. But I looked at a rugby game and a cricket match and I said to myself "what am I seeing that I havent seen before". So for the most part when I feel like watching a game, I wonder up to one of the schools on a Saturday and that is a heck of a lot of fun. I used to enjoy going to the fights but that is also just so dreary now.

But I think that everyone here who has lost their minds is worrying because they are watching rather than doing. And in many cases they are watching something that they wont care to remember. So what's the use of that? What will you remember about Saturday's rugby matches? Maybe that the Lions should really be able to nail the Kings a lot easier than they did because they squeaked it really ( I watched bits of the reruns). And that the Bulls couldnt beat a team who were so clearly oxygen depleted in the second half and still scored a try. So, what's new? What's educational?

I love watching Strictly come Dancing.

"What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture, preoccupied with some equivalent of the feelies, the orgy porgy, and the centrifugal bumblepuppy. As Huxley remarked in Brave New World Revisited, the civil libertarians and rationalists who are ever on the alert to oppose tyranny "failed to take into account man's almost infinite appetite for distractions". In 1984, Huxley added, people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us."

A good read, published 28yrs ago no less: http://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X

Mixerboy wrote: A good read, published 28yrs ago no less: http://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X

Good book that. But I still don't understand why ebooks are more expensive than their print equivalent.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

Mixerboy wrote: A good read, published 28yrs ago no less: http://www.amazon.com/Amusing-Ourselves-Death-Discourse-Business/dp/014303653X

Good book that. But I still don't understand why ebooks are more expensive than their print equivalent.

I agree, this was not the model proposed....I would say in 50% of the books I buy the e book is more expensive...... and u obviously cannot get it second hand either...

interest case around this is that I study law and the one book which has 420 pages (softcover) using a shed load of paper, glue, time etc was 475 rand ...the equivalent e book was 473 rand ..... 200 rand I buy the e book , 2 rand cheaper give me the hard copy please...makes no sense .......

but we digress

DaFiz wrote:
DSTV sucks BIGTIME... nothing can ever be as bad... :-\

At least there is a vague opportunity to discover a new venue to gig at on facebook ?

+100 and it's getting worse by the day ?

DaFiz wrote: DSTV sucks BIGTIME... nothing can ever be as bad... :-\

DaFiz wrote: DSTV sucks BIGTIME... nothing can ever be as bad... :-\

OK, not having had DSTV for over a decade, what I really don't understand is the advertising. Seems that whenever I do see DSTV somewhere (at a hotel or friend's house) they seem to be stuffing as many ads in as possible (even squeezing them into credits) - just as bad as the SABC and ETV. I thought the whole point of a pay TV service is that it is funded by users paying for it instead of the ads? I remember that was originally one of the selling points of DSTV. Now it seems they are trying to make money at both ends, which smacks of profiteering.

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

DaFiz wrote: DSTV sucks BIGTIME... nothing can ever be as bad... :-\

OK, not having had DSTV for over a decade, what I really don't understand is the advertising. Seems that whenever I do see DSTV somewhere (at a hotel or friend's house) they seem to be stuffing as many ads in as possible (even squeezing them into credits) - just as bad as the SABC and ETV. I thought the whole point of a pay TV service is that it is funded by users paying for it instead of the ads? I remember that was originally one of the selling points of DSTV. Now it seems they are trying to make money at both ends, which smacks of profiteering.

Fortunately there are no ads during a movie.
What gets to me a bit is certain topics on the history channel.....I love history but I don't consider stuff like ice road truckers, axe men,storage wars, etc, as history. They sell it as "history in the making"... It really sucks ! ?

IceCreamMan wrote:

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: I still don't understand why ebooks are more expensive than their print equivalent.

I agree, this was not the model proposed....I would say in 50% of the books I buy the e book is more expensive...

Studies show 1/3 are more expensive than their print equivalents. The explanations/justifications for it generally ring hollow (take it from someone who has spent time in the book world).

interest case around this is that I study law and the one book which has 420 pages (softcover)

My wife tells me that Caltech makes all of its textbooks available as ebooks for free. How 'bout that? She's in educational publishing, btw and there is a fairly profitable industry surrounding it (and a lot of governmental inefficiency), so it's unlikely to change soon. But change it will - there are free textbook projects underway (I know that the Shuttleworth foundation is backing at least one).

This might help putting things in perspective

http://www.upworthy.com/this-dude-just-used-jelly-beans-to-convince-me-to-live-my-life-to-the-fullest-2?g=2&c=upw1

Attila Barath wrote: This might help putting things in perspective

http://www.upworthy.com/this-dude-just-used-jelly-beans-to-convince-me-to-live-my-life-to-the-fullest-2?g=2&c=upw1

Really interesting, thanks

I watch quite a lot of TV and have absolutely no shame about it.
I work hard to earn a living and like spending my free time relaxing, crafting or learning.
I'm a learning junky.

Most of the TV I watch is either delightfully entertaining fun for relaxing (including sport); or documentaries for learning.

There does seem to be a "value" system associated with the medium of information delivery though.
Watching a TED video on your laptop is currently regarded as very cool.
Getting the same information from an exhibit in an avante-garde gallery is even cooler.
Getting it from an old paper book is also cool.
Hearing it from a visiting lecturer in a foreign accent in a building with ivy is uber-cool.
But getting it on TV is uncool.

It's just knowledge. Don't judge the medium.

However. If you are wasting time on anything you should fix that.
And if the only way to end the addiction is by abstention then that's also a good idea.

I think TV has got a greater chance of addiction than other mediums because it is just so easy.
So it does require special care.

We didn't get DSTv until my kids were quite old because I had seen too many kids stuck in front of cartoons all day and unable to pull themselves away.

So I really do get the point. It is a dangerous drug that needs to be handled with care.
But there is a more balanced view.

Might as well. Final season of the only thing worth watching!

Los cuates de Sinaloa en Breaking Bad on Vimeo

Wizard wrote: I watch quite a lot of TV and have absolutely no shame about it.
I work hard to earn a living and like spending my free time relaxing, crafting or learning.
I'm a learning junky.

Most of the TV I watch is either delightfully entertaining fun for relaxing (including sport); or documentaries for learning.

There does seem to be a "value" system associated with the medium of information delivery though.
Watching a TED video on your laptop is currently regarded as very cool.
Getting the same information from an exhibit in an avante-garde gallery is even cooler.
Getting it from an old paper book is also cool.
Hearing it from a visiting lecturer in a foreign accent in a building with ivy is uber-cool.
But getting it on TV is uncool.

It's just knowledge. Don't judge the medium.

However. If you are wasting time on anything you should fix that.
And if the only way to end the addiction is by abstention then that's also a good idea.

I think TV has got a greater chance of addiction than other mediums because it is just so easy.
So it does require special care.

We didn't get DSTv until my kids were quite old because I had seen too many kids stuck in front of cartoons all day and unable to pull themselves away.

So I really do get the point. It is a dangerous drug that needs to be handled with care.
But there is a more balanced view.

+ 1000

Post of the month. ?

Tokai SA wrote:

Wizard wrote: I watch quite a lot of TV and have absolutely no shame about it.
I work hard to earn a living and like spending my free time relaxing, crafting or learning.
I'm a learning junky.

Most of the TV I watch is either delightfully entertaining fun for relaxing (including sport); or documentaries for learning.

There does seem to be a "value" system associated with the medium of information delivery though.
Watching a TED video on your laptop is currently regarded as very cool.
Getting the same information from an exhibit in an avante-garde gallery is even cooler.
Getting it from an old paper book is also cool.
Hearing it from a visiting lecturer in a foreign accent in a building with ivy is uber-cool.
But getting it on TV is uncool.

It's just knowledge. Don't judge the medium.

However. If you are wasting time on anything you should fix that.
And if the only way to end the addiction is by abstention then that's also a good idea.

I think TV has got a greater chance of addiction than other mediums because it is just so easy.
So it does require special care.

We didn't get DSTv until my kids were quite old because I had seen too many kids stuck in front of cartoons all day and unable to pull themselves away.

So I really do get the point. It is a dangerous drug that needs to be handled with care.
But there is a more balanced view.

+ 1000

Post of the month. ?

Agreed!

To each his own... TV used to be a large part of my existence, for many of the reasons mentioned already. In my case I have just gravitated to spending more time doing instead of watching -after what feels like a lifetime of doing the exact opposite... Honestly, I'd rather venture into nature than watch nature on TV. I'd rather go for an hour run, sometimes twice a day, or a good mountain bike session rather than watch people doing the same on the screen. I used to love watching aeroplane programs, now I spend most of that time flying them myself. Activities that I used to reserve for weekends due to time constraints, can now miraculously be included into almost every day. Reality TV or reality, I choose the latter...

You can watch and learn but you can also do and learn. Establishing personal balance is up to the individual. In all fairness, my laptop has taken over some of the TV's duties. Be it for entertainment or educational purposes, but I find I am wasting significantly less time this way as there are no ads and rubbish programs to distract. Whatever media I interact with follows a focussed decision. No more simply watching something for the sake of filling the void or because I have 'nothing better to do'. Life is too short not to not have something better to do... I have so much more time available to focus on healthy things since I got rid of the TV sets... Now I decide if I'm going to do research, practice skills or watch a series for entertainment once in a while. When I feel like a movie, I get off my @$$ and go to the cinema or rent a dvd. No time wastage in between. Granted, I have to watch sports with friends and family, but this has some benefits in itself... I am no longer subjected to programs that are repeated thousands of times with the fair amount of nonsense in between...

It is nice to have the sport- and music channels readily available and a PVR makes some kind of sense to me but for the largest part I am more than happy to do without TV at this stage of my life.