thoughts from an empty head

This has been another edition of What Toast Said.

(What _____ Said concept shamelessly stolen Jeff Fecke, who shamelessly stole it from Duncan Black.)

OK, there are two reasons I will miss my TV. One is Keith Olbermann. The other is Rachel Maddow.

I love interviews like these for many reasons.

* Maddow has no qualms about having conservatives on her show. I’ve seen her hold her own against Pat Buchanan, which is a graduate-level course in debate in and of itself.

* Maddow is an adult. The interview above is priceless in displaying this, as Frum manages to have a grown-up conversation up until the end, when he suddenly drops into wingnut mode and starts throwing insults Maddow’s way. Maddow shuts him down quick, fast and in a hurry, and does so with a maturity that puts him in check but good. Debate the issues with her if you like, but can that CROSSFIRE-style BS in her studio.

I am eternally grateful for MSNBC finally putting her clips on the net.

So, I’m sitting here, watching yet another boring rerun of BATMAN BEGINS when the thought suddenly occurs to me: I don’t need cable.

Seriously, what would I miss? Another stupid reality show? More boring infomercials? Old movies I don’t care about? Crap sitcoms that haven’t changed since I started watching TV?

Oh, sure, you can make the argument that, being somewhat of a sports fan, I wouldn’t be able to watch the big games on my TV without cable. To which I say: that’s why they invented sports bars, especially the nice, quiet one around the corner from my apartment.

But surely I won’t be able to see the latest sci-fi epic when they come out on TV! I’ll miss all of them! I’ll have to run around with my fingers in my ears, yelling LALALALALALAICANTHEARYOU and living in fear of spoilers! To which I say: what are you, twelve years old? I now have to keep up with TV just so I can converse with everyone else - just to have something petty to talk about? Let me introduce you to this wonderful new concept known as “the box set”. Sure, I’d have to wait a while to see the shows I might like, but considering (a) the bastard networks usually cancel my favorite shows anyway (and I’m still pissed about GLOBAL FREQUENCY, btw) and (b) I know how to use alternate sources of procuring TV shows *coughtorrentcough*, what’s the difference?

But, how can I possible live without the most up-to-date news programs? How ever will I stay informed? To which I say: you sad, sad creature. Not to be too insulting, but how exactly are you reading this? Do you honestly believe that I can’t stay informed solely from the information flow that’s available on the internet?

Really?

So here’s my optimal setup:

* Netflix. I love movies, but hate flipping around the tube trying to find something to watch. To hell with that. I have a Netflix account and I’m not afraid to use it. I might even get a Roku later on just so I can watch the most recent episodes of HEROES.

* High-speed internet. I’m kicking Comcast to the curb, that much is given. The only problem is that most other providers in the area only sell bundles. Newsflash, doofuses: I already have a phone. I don’t need a landline. And I sure don’t need any other wowee-zowee packaged idiocies to get me to sign up. I’m thinking real hard about getting WiMAX, actually. High speed internet

That’s it, really. I’m sure I can build more into the concept when I’ve given it more thought. Right now, I have to find that copy of SPEED RACER that came in the mail over the weekend.

Holy crud, was today a big pile of meh. It started out so well, too.

Our building manager at work allows the hardy among us to ascend to the roof and watch the special shapes take off from the Balloon Fiesta. Of course, the temperature four stories up this morning was somewhere in the mid-40s, which meant that the hardy among us wore coats (no coat for me, thanks; having a jacket would been that I actually planned for today), but our spirits were undaunted as we munched on pastries and breakfast burritos and watched what Neil Gaiman once described as “the slow dance of infinite stars”.

Naturally, I took some pictures

and a video,

Up On The Roof

and then my battery died. I forgot to recharge the camera battery last night.

D’oh.

Still, not a bad way to start the morning. Too bad the rest of the day was one giant pile of suck. Boring doesn’t even begin to describe the soul-crushing plod of a march that was today. See, if there had been enough work to do, being bored wouldn’t have been a problem. The mail today, though, was very light, as it had been all week.

And I’d rather not talk about the Alison Krauss thing in the middle of the day. Suffice to say, I’m cleaning up my mp3 player as I write this.

I did manage to pick up a new book on the way home at Hastings, but the event that I eagerly was waiting for - the SNL Thursday night special - was still to come.

And come it did. And go.

OK, the debate was funny, and the bit with Bill Murray was hilarious, especially when you realize what a Cub Fan Murray is.

Then came the rest.

Wow.

Put it this way: Jon Stewart has nothing to worry about. Dull as dishwater it was. (Hall & Oates?!? WTF?!?)

Here’s a hint, SNL: the only reason why anyone cares about your show this month is Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. Run all the other skits you want, but know that most of America is waiting to see Fey don the glasses and make with the FARGO accent.

And she wasn’t there. What a disappointment.

Anyway, I’m cleaning up my feeds from the day, then after that, I’ll probably read my new book. In the meantime, I leave this for you to enjoy. Hopefully, Friday will suck less.

It’s a good thing I can watch these clips in the morning, because my laughing would wake up the neighborhood.