I feel so good today because I took my television to the dump where it belongs.

[garybeck]

Personally I've decided to tune in, turn on, and drop out. I can't take it anymore. Why torture myself? I know what they're going to say already. It only makes me angry and nauseas to watch it. I mean very angry and very nauseas.

I'm trying to do my part by drawing attention to the problem of election fraud, voter purging, and the electronic voting machines, through my website and blog... but i refuse to watch that other stuff anymore. We threw our TV in the garbage today and it felt sooooooo good!

-garybeck
http://election.solarbus.org

[Betsy Ross]

1. I hope it was dumped in an electronic recycling bin. eom

[garybeck]

2. it was. And I had to pay, which I gladly did. n/t

[EFerrari]

3. I've been waffling for months.

Still watch docs and even old Brit sitcoms -- but never the propagandists. Life is much too short for that.

[SCDem]

4. I've been without since February

Been tempted to tune back in and get cable - but then it just means I would watch more crap.

Congratulations on your unplugging!

[Sequoia]

5. You should've given it to me, mine's broken.

Mine's a big old one from the tube days. 1980s and held up pretty good.

[arthritisR_US]

14. I have a couple I could send you. n/t

[Sequoia]

23. Oh, you now those shipping charges are horrid.

I'll just check the newspaper's bargin box. Recycled TVs !!

[TwilightZone]

6. No offense, but there are other things on TV other than politics.

The Discovery Channel, for instance.

National Geographic.

The Science Channel.

Lots of stuff.

Just block out cable news and the networks, and you'd be set.

[garybeck]

8. not worth it

even if you can manage to avoid politics, you still have to deal with commercials. and if you have kids it's easier to have no tv, than to try to manage what they can and can't watch. and, it's so easy to sit down and zone out, I end up not doing other things that are better. there's plenty of video on the net if I need a fix.

[TwilightZone]

9. Are you going to get rid of the internet because it includes right-wing websites?

;)

[garybeck]

12. no

i have much more control over what i see and what i don't on the net. and the commercials are much easier to ignore.

[TwilightZone]

17. As I'm sure you knew, I was joking.

And I agree with you about the commercials on the web. The combo of Firefox and Ad-Block are my personal weapon of choice.

[garybeck]

20. yes I did,

i'm sort of in the habit of reacting to sarcasm with a serious reply, making it seem like I didn't get the sarcasm. It works wonders when the sarcasm had bad intentions. When the sarcasm had good or neutral intentions, like in your case, my tactic is pretty useless. Sorry.

[TwilightZone]

22. No need.

My initial post was kind of snarky, so it was deserved. :)

[Dora]

7. Congratulations!

I've given up the idiot box three times now, and it's been six years since we've had a television in our home.

I love living a tv-free life. It does take some getting used to, and our friends always forget we don't watch it. You'll come to see how dependent people are on television as a source of something to talk about. I've killed many a conversation by saying, "No, I didn't see that. No television."

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

[garybeck]

10. Actually several of our friends don't have TV.... nt

[Dora]

18. Well, then. You'll be able to keep your friends. We weren't so lucky! nt

[Dora]

19. Well, then. You'll be able to keep your friends. We weren't so lucky! nt

[Sal Minella]

11. Gave mine away more than 20 years ago and counting, and have never been sorry.

The YouTube vids and DU and Kos and Common Dreams and The Progressive and the daily e-mails from newspapers and The Nation etc. will keep you informed.

Then when you happen to be someplace with a TV running, you'll wonder how on earth you ever stood the advertising and/or the stupid, stupid programming.

[conscious evolution]

13. Great move

Killing your TV is probably one of the best moves you can make.
It will take a while to get used to not having it but in the long run you will benefit from its absence.

[Evoman]

15. I couldn't get rid of my tv....how else am I supposed to play my PS2?

I would say I watch about 4 or so hours of tv a week. But video games...man, I can spend hours.

edit: I have a DS so I guess I could play that.

[garybeck]

21. ditch the PS2

how many hours are you wasting away on that thing, when you could be doing to help make the world a better place?

[Evoman]

24. Keeping me from "making the world a better place" is the reason why the world is still in one piece.

The PS2 should get a medal.

[northsongs]

16. Congrats on losing the TV

Reminds me of a song by Toad the Wet Sprocket...

Burn your TV in your yard, and gather round it with your friends.
Warm your hands upon the fire, and start again...

[Odious justice]

25. Stuff white people like #28

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/01/26/28-not-having-a-tv/