A Kinder Gentler Television, In the News, and Enjoy

A Kinder, Gentler Television - Ah, how I long for the "good old days" of television!

I am an ardent movie and television viewer. I watch a lot of television at mine office. I enjoy the offerings from Netflix. I generally use Roku to feed the 39" Vizio LCD HD TV and Onkyo surround-sound system. This provides an excellent viewing environment. I must, however, be ever-vigilant in order to ensure clients who enter mine office are not subjected to undue vulgarity!

Four months after an appeals court struck down the Federal Communications Commission's broadcast standards, a new study shows that profanity on broadcast television has risen nearly 70 percent in the past five years.

The study by the Parents Television Council, which compared the first two weeks of the networks' 2010 fall lineup with the first two weeks of the 2005 fall lineup, found that profanity increased 69 percent.

The study also reported that harsher profanities are now being used, and it added that the "greatest increase in the use of the harshest profanities" took place during the 8 PM Eastern period—often known as the "family hour"—and at 9 PM Eastern. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the indecency policy the FCC uses to monitor offensive language is "unconstitutionally vague." Conservative groups at the time expressed concern that the ruling would lead to an increase in TV foul language.

Since the survey was taken, profanity, vulgarity, nudity, and sexuality have continued to escalate. An excellent example of this is the television drama, "Damages." It premiered on July 24, 2007 on FX and aired for three seasons before moving to the DirecTV channel Audience Network in 2010, where it aired for a further two seasons, concluding with the fifth season. As the series progressed, the incident of vulgar speech, nudity, and sexual situations increased dramatically.

The incidence of filth in this series is a great measure of what has become commonplace in television programming. Sadly, such filth has become de rigeur, and gone forever it seems is decency in television programming. Fortunately, Netflix and other resources offer a great wealth of programming from the past. Unfortunately, most of the television programming produced during the last several years is unacceptable by my standards, and this means that a good many series that otherwise would be entertaining and enjoyable are eliminated from my viewing queue.

In the News - They walk among us!

Global-warming "Proof" Is Evaporating

San Francisco Considers Banning Butterfly Releases at Weddings and Special Events

Electric Car Owner Arrested For Stealing 5 Cents Worth Of Power From School

Two Million Facebook, Gmail and Twitter Passwords Stolen By "Criminal Gang"

Enjoy - Relax and enjoy these images and videos!

Friday Update: Chromecast Has Arrived!

Chromecast Has Arrived! - When Google announced Chromecast, I immediately pre-ordered one from the Google Play Store.

Later that day, I decided I needed at least two units and tried to add another unit to my order with Google. The Google Play Store, however, showed the unit as out of stock. I ordered a second unit from Amazon.com.

Monday, I received a message from Google indicating that the Chromecast I had on order there would be delivered on Friday, August 9.


Yesterday, I received a message from Amazon.com stating that the Chromecast I had on order was expected to ship in late October!

I was very surprised and very displeased.

Yesterday, I received an email coupon from Google. I redeemed it and was credited with three free months of Netflix. Since I was already a subscriber, Netflix credited my account.

At $35, Chromecast is a bargain. At a net cost of $11, it is an incredible bargain!


Today, the Chromecast I ordered from Google arrived.
It took less than 60 seconds to unbox, install, and setup the Chromecast.

I easily cast tabs from the Google Chrome browser on my HP graphic workstation. I cast YouTube videos form my Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone. I cast Netflix from my ASUS Google Nexus 7 2013. All casts took place quickly and without issue. The Chromecast is an amazing device.
I received an email from Amazon.com today stating that their previous email was in error, and the Chromecast I have on order there should arrive late this month. I am eager for it, since the unit I have been using here at my office must follow me home today!

The Survey

The Survey - Yesterday afternoon, I was relaxing in my office. It was just after 3 PM. I was watching the pilot for a television show that seemed promising. "Hart of Dixie" stars Rachel Bilson as New Yorker and new doctor Zoe Hart. She accepts an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work in his medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. She arrives to find he has died and left half the practice to her in his will.

It had been a particularly busy day, and I was lounging in my office chair. "Hart of Dixie" was streaming from Netflix(r) via Roku(r) and my wireless 6 Mb/sec Internet connection. The video was displayed on my 39" Vizio LCD HDTV, and the audio was playing through my Onkyo(r) surround-sound system. I had the audio volume set fairly high. The Roku(r) remote control was nearby—ready to pause the streaming should I need to answer the telephone.

A woman entered my office. She held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. I assumed she was a peddler of some sort. She began talking. I could not hear her, because of the volume level of the television program.

I paused "Hart of Dixie" and said, "I was unable to hear you. Please repeat what you said." She said, "Is the owner or manager in?" The following conversation ensued:

ME: That is always a possibility. What is this regarding?

SHE: I'm doing a survey and...

ME: I am not interested in participating in a survey. Thank you.

SHE: It won't take long.

ME: It will take considerably less time, actually, since I do not wish to participate in your survey.

SHE: All I need to know is where you get your telephone, Internet, and TV from.

ME: Prepositional sentence-ending is a terminological inexactitude up with which I shall not put.

SHE: What?}

ME: Precisely.

SHE: So where do you get your telephone, Internet, and TV from?

ME: Have a nice day.
At this point, I resumed the streaming of "Hart of Dixie."

SHE: (I could not hear her above the audio of "Hart of Dixie.")

I ignored her, and she departed mine office. I completed watching the pilot and enjoyed it. I spoke of it to Laura and suggested that she might wish to begin viewing episodes following the completion of the program we currently watch, "Raising Hope."

Welcome to the Jungle!

Welcome to the Jungle! - Each day, I find myself increasingly less surprised by stories in the news. Yesterday, it was the two teenage girls who drugged the parents of one in order to gain unsupervised access to the Internet. Apparently, the parents routinely disabled the Internet connection at 10 PM each evening.

I am often told I have a very active imagination. I am, however, incapable of imagining what appeal the Internet could possibly offer that would allow these girls to rationalize their actions.

Today, I encountered the following:

"Cops Kicked Out Of Denny's For Being Armed"

- Apparently, a Denny's manager told two cops they must leave their guns in their car or leave the restaurant. It would seem to me that having armed LEOs would be welcomed. Subsequently, the Chief of Police issued a ban on officers eating at Denny's.

"Potheads Could Soon Get Weed From Vending Machines"

- The vending machines would require a fingerprint scan to verify the identification of the patient, which is then linked to a prescription on file. This signals the decline of our society directly and to a degree unequaled by anything else I have encountered recently.

"Second Trooper Suspended Over Roadside Cavity Search"

- This story is genuinely creepy.

"Connecticut Town To Burn Violent Video Games"

- This absurdity invites no comment.

"Woman Finds Bike Lost 50 Years Ago Swallowed By Tree"

- It is simply astounding that the bike was able to successfully elude detection for 50 years.

"Inmates Sue Beer Company, Saying Booze Made Them Do It

- They walk among us.

Jewel Thieves Pop Up At KFC"

- Perhaps these Mensa rejects relied upon Apple Maps.

"Woman Honors Her Dead Cats With Tattoos"

- Great Scott!

Woman Accuses Ghost Of Stealing Her Résumé"

- Really?