Posted On: Tuesday - September 22nd 2026 6:17PM MST
In Topics: TV, aka Gov't Media Media Stupidity
We've got no new news here. It's just some memories and a rant. I was thinking of family political leanings over the years and the influence or lack thereof, of TV.
I feel very blessed that my Dad was an arch Conservative from at least before I was born. Who knows how this blog would read otherwise?!
The story is that during the 1964 Goldwater v Johnson Presidential election my Dad did not give up hope until the very end of the election returns. It didn't look good. My Mom said he kept on saying "Wait till they get west of the Mississippi!" (This was before you had to wait for next week or Christmas time.)
My Mom was most definitely not conservative other than in the social sense, which was still a pretty good thing. However, she was pretty mum about it her leftist leanings, as Dad led, dominated, and ended any and all political discussions. He was gung-ho enough that he even promised gifts for us kids if the R guy won the election. It was probably stuff that I wish I still had today to sell on ebay. Dad was obviously very influencial.
My wife was a different story. "Women should stay out of politics" she told me, until about 10 years back. Then, she asked me to help her register to vote. We both HATE HATE HATE paperwork and bureaucracy, so that's something we got* ... ;-} "OK, I will if you promise to vote for Trump." "Well, I don't know, maybe I ..." No. That wasn't good enough. I didn't help, so she wasn't registered. 8 years later she was giving money to the Trump campaign, at one point to the tune of $47** a day! (Yes, that was a mistake and yet another problem with autopay, and she got it straightened out prontomundo.)
How'd she come around? It wasn't due to any lecturing or direct influencing by me, as she didn't want to hear it. It probably came from my talking to our son about things over the years, back when he was keen on listening to everything. (They unfortunately become teenagers for a while.) Things must have sunk in slowly. Alas, no "You were right"s are ever forthcoming including even after her bout with the Covid... PanicFest.
Back to that critical and tragic election of 1964, I think back, and I remember the family could not have had a TV then. That must have been on radio or at some friends' house. TV usage was very minimal in our household, until those teenage years of ours. Long afterwards, I realized that my Dad would rather have us at home rather than raising hell and getting in trouble with certain friends. That was a wise move there, but the TV was definitely not on during the daytime except for certain sports events.
Because it's been 27 years since I've been hooked up to TV, it's weird for me to see homes in which the TV is on, in the evening, especially in the daytime other than Superbowl Sunday, and, most weirdly, day and night. What do they have on all day? It's CNN or Fox news, I gather. The stories drag on for weeks or months, always with a few "new developments".
Fox is the "Conservative" channel, and CNN is the lefty channel, something for everyone.... yeah...right. Were I to be forced to watch, I'd choose Fox, but, either way, having that idiot plate blaring out for hours cannot be anything but a bad thing. How can one help but be brainwashed and under the influence after years of this?
Now the young people don't have the idiot plate on much, at least with input from the old network signals. The new way is, they watch and listen to people whose purpose in life is to be an influencer. I don't like this way very much either. Influence me, I dare you. Change my mind.
PS: The image above of "snow", video static, if from an old post here, TV force-feeding in the lobby. There's been some good news on the force-feeding since then. Airport terminals finally have gotten rid of them, from what I've seen. They need all the monitor space for showing connections (at the hub) or current seating zone or status of stand-by passengers. No more CNN all over the place with plug-ins too high to reach. Yea!
* Old musical reference there. Chime in if you caught it.
** That was 47 for Trump-47.
Comments:
Adam Smith
Tuesday - September 22nd 2026 9:17PM MST
PS: Good evening, again, Mr. Moderator!
See. I told you I was sleepy.
(Dyslexia is a helluva drug.)
Lol... ☮️
See. I told you I was sleepy.
(Dyslexia is a helluva drug.)
Lol... ☮️
Moderator
Tuesday - September 22nd 2026 8:01PM MST
PS: Wait, how far away IS Mr. Alarmist anyway? It should be early Wednesday morning for him. Change my mind.
Thanks for checking in, Adam. I think it will finally cool off for "the duration".
Thanks for checking in, Adam. I think it will finally cool off for "the duration".
Adam Smith
Tuesday - September 22nd 2026 8:00PM MST
PS: Greetings, Achmed! (And friends!)
Hope all is well in your world on this late, late Tuesday afternoon... (Early Monday morning, Mr. Alarmist. 🕉)
I agree. (Kill. Your. Television.)
Otherwise, I'm mostly just checking in.
Seeing how you're doing.
All is well here. Had an inch of rain last night & good lightning.
Looks like beautiful weather coming up this week.
Been part busy, part lazy. (Three parts daydreaming.)
Kinda tired. Not much to say, so...
Cheers! ☮️
Hope all is well in your world on this late, late Tuesday afternoon... (Early Monday morning, Mr. Alarmist. 🕉)
I agree. (Kill. Your. Television.)
Otherwise, I'm mostly just checking in.
Seeing how you're doing.
All is well here. Had an inch of rain last night & good lightning.
Looks like beautiful weather coming up this week.
Been part busy, part lazy. (Three parts daydreaming.)
Kinda tired. Not much to say, so...
Cheers! ☮️
Good afternoon, gents. I am six hours ahead of the US East Coast these days.
Lysdexia is a tcihb.
Hate to say, but I watch TV, mostly for the laughs and drama… they call the the news.
🕉