No TV for a while

[Andy Hamilton]

On Friday morning I turned the TV off after watching a little bit of breakfast news. I have not turned it on since, not even watched TV on the net. It is a little bit of struggle when I walk past the TV but the house is tidy, I have spoken to loads of old mates on the phone including one I have not spoken to in over a year and I have rediscovered Radio 4. Going pretty well but being a little hungover I do feel close to cracking.

[Mrs Moustoir]

Well done Andy! How long are you hoping to do without it....?

[Andy Hamilton]

Well done Andy! How long are you hoping to do without it....?

Dunno really, just going to see how I get on. A week sounds like a decent amount of time to see what difference it makes.

[Shirley]

I could give up telly no problem at all.... the rest of the family would lynch me though.

Now, giving up the computer - that would be a different matter all together and I can't even bear to think about it.

[Marc]

Well done Andy, keep it up lol :-)

I don't have one at all so not tempted.
There many better things to do with your time :-)

Good luck,
Marc

[eccentric_emma]

Keep going Andy! Its totally worth it and before you know it you won't even miss it. I've been TV-less for about 7 months now and when I go round other peoples houses and they have the TV on I hate it. Too loud, mostly crap programmes and everythings an advert!

[mrsflibble]

Well done, you're a braver man than I am... well, ok, I'm not a man but you get the gist.

[Irishpioneer]

Well done, we wen't without tv for many years and only got it back 4 years ago.............oh boy I wish we didn't have it now, the kids are growing and moving on so maybe it would be a good idea to try it once again??? Well done keep it up, we spend hours sat looking at a corner of our front room when we could be doing other things instead of letting life pass us by

[mrsflibble]

I use my TV time to multitask. I sew, crochet and paint in front of the telly. ok so I only sew, crochet and paint to stop me snacking but still..... I'm sure I had a point back there somewhere.

[Millymollymandy]

But Andy, you're missing the X Factor! I love telly!

[old tree man]

I could do without telly, but Jane is a bit of an addict,mind you when she is having a pain day the poor thing cant move anyway so telly is a godsend to her, but i also have to admit i would miss the odd film.

Russ

[Flo]

Isn't it odd that I'm old enough to remember growing up without a telly because they were so rare when I was a kid. Now it's almost an accepted as an essential piece of furniture along with a bed, a cooker and a washing machine.

I'd suggest you put it on freecycle and ask the licencing authority for a rebate when it's gone. You'd be amazed at what you can usefully do with the licence fee money every year.

[Andy Hamilton]

Don't get me wrong I love T.V. too, perhaps not the X-factor, big bother, come dancing, pop idol, I do anyone or anything like that. Thats the whole point really, I watch too much.

Hmm good idea Flo in fact I have suggested that we get rid of the telly to my girlfriend but she refuses as she would never give up neighbours.

[gigglybug]

I would love to do a week without TV, I even suggested it to my OH, has reply was "And do what???

[Annpan]

We have been without a TV for 2 years, I would hate to have one now. We do watch alot of DVDs on the laptop though.

I know I have posted these lyrics before somewhere but I really like the message - I have highlighted my favourite bits


One nation under god has turned into
one nation under the influence of one drug

(chorus)
Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V., it satellite links
our united states of unconsciousness
apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive
the methadone metronome pumping out
150 channels 24 hours a day
you can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching
T.V. is the reason why less than ten percent
of our nation reads books daily
why most people think Central America means Kansas
socialism means unamerican
and apartheid is a new headache remedy
absorbed in its world it's so hard to find us
it shapes our mind the most
maybe the mother of our nation
should remind us that we're sitting too close to...

(chorus)
Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is the stomping ground
for political candidates
where bears in the woods
are chased by grecian formula'd bald eagles
T.V. is mechanized politic's
remote control over the masses
co-sponsored by enironmentally safe gases
watch for the PBS special
it's the perpetuation of the two-party system
where image takes precedence over wisdom
where sound bite politics are served
to the fastfood culture
where straight teeth in your mouth
are more important than the words
that come out of it
race baiting is the way to get elected
Willie Horton or will he not get elected on...

(chorus)
Televison, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V., is it the reflector or the director
does it imitate us or do we imitate it
because a child watches 1500 murders
before he's twelve years old
and we wonder how we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than abhor the horror
T.V. is the place where armchair generals
and quarterbacks can experience first hand
the excitement of video warfare
as the themesong is sung in the background
sugar sweet sitcoms that leave us with
a bad actor taste while pop stars metamorphosize
into soda pop stars you saw the video
you heard the soundtrack
well now go buy the soft drink
well, the only cola that I support
is a union C.O.L.A. (cost of living allowance) on...

(chorus)
Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

Back again, "new and improved"
we return to our irregularly programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy breasted
beer and car commmercials
CNNESPNABCTNT but mostly B.S.
where oxymoronic language like
"virtually spotless" "fresh frozen"
light yet filling" and
"military intelligence" have become standard
T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn"
"crude oil" on a beach to "mousse"
"civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own army
is now called "friendly fire"
T.V. is the place where the pursuit of
happiness has become the pursuit of trivia
where toothpaste and cars
have become sex objects
where imagination is sucked out of children
by a cathode ray nipple
T.V. is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple
on...

(chorus)
Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation