So, yet another reason to be proud of our fine Democratic representatives.
Congressional Democrats stripped from President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan a local lawmaker’s bid to assure that American high-tech companies would get jobs funded by that plan.
I don’t know why we’d need to create jobs for Americans. Hell, only 100,000 people lost their jobs last week.
The “local lawmaker” in question is PA Republican Tim Murphy. I don’t know anything else about the guy, but I am rather chagrined to once again find myself agreeing with a Republican.
“From the iron mines to the manufacturers, to the mills, let’s use it to buy American,” the Upper St. Clair Republican said. “If we really are going to be serious about American jobs, we should require the billions in taxpayer funds go only towards American jobs and to buy products that say ‘Made in the U.S.A.'”
Sounds good. Just as good as President Obama’s and Chris Dodd’s rhetoric about Wall St. executives getting huge bonuses, all while working to block legislation that would allow the government to actually do something about it.
Nice to know we can still count on politicians to suck – no matter which side of the aisle they sit on.
Gail Collins does her usual smart and funny take on the transition to digital TV:
On Feb. 17, the nation’s TV broadcasters are scheduled to go all-digital, and Americans with unconverted analog televisions will get their reception cut off. Perhaps you are one of them. Perhaps you are in such a pathetic state of denial that you are not actually sure if you’re an analog person or not. Perhaps you think an analog is a rare burrowing creature found mainly in Australia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/opinion/31collins.html?_r=2&ref=opinion
January 30, 2009
House Is Expected to Pass Digital TV Delay in Regular Vote Next Week
By Michael Dinan
TMCnet Editor
Of course, in Britain, you have to get an annual TV license to watch TV over the air (a TV license is £139.50 – roughly $200 – if you have a color TV, and a mere £47.00 if you can live with B&W). And, yes, they do have trucks that drive through neighborhoods catching people watching “un-licensed”TV. I’ve read they’re quite serious about it.
My 87 year old father-in-law managed three without a problem. It’s hard for me to tell, since I’m pretty used to hooking things up, but is it really that difficult? I mean, really?
I imagine your father-in-law might be a little smarter than the average bear.
My father would never have television again if he were alone once this happened. Not that he isn’t smart, just old and declining. He lost his cable for several weeks when he had to be moved into a different level of care at his ‘home’ and didn’t notice. He just thought his baseball games were not on. Thankfully, eventually someone figured it out since it is just about all he has left to enjoy.
Luckily he has a place to live where he does get taken care of so eventually he gets his services and gets to watch his TV and work his xwords and hopefully will not freeze or roast to death. I hear many are not so lucky.
It is always difficult hooking stuff up. First there is the vocabulary problem. I remember one cable guy asking me if there was a splitter in the basement. Now, don’t laugh all you technically versed. How should I know what a splitter is never having seen, much less installed or had to consider what the hell a splitter does. I’m sure it’s as simple as knitting and purling but I think you can see the problem there. Then there is finding the right hole problem. All these things are labeled for the 20 year old with perfect vision. And, finally there is always the problem of figuring out which cable is meant to be stuck where.
The real problem is that the instructions make assumptions of knowledge and experience which are not necessarily accurate. And, as I am a real dope about this stuff, I fear that what I do will do more than simply not work.
Thanks for the article, Sue, with maybe a few holes for the sake of humor.
Worth note that it was something that may have needed to be done but it also reeks of another Bush-ilk inspired scheme to privatize and monetize something we had always gotten for free. Although we may have won the bronze in the race, it was still botched and needs to be completed.
Of course the people who suffer again will be those who are marginal in the scheme of things.
Well, if he has cable, then this DTV thing at least won’t be an issue for him. But I’d have to think that most people my age or older have dealt with hooking up a TV antenna. In fact, most of us have been through moving the antenna all over creation, hanging tin foil all over it, etc., to get a better picture. I can’t see this as being much of a challenge. We are the nation that defeated the Nazis, landed a man on the moon, and spread Democracy to Iraq, so it wouldn’t seem that this would be much of an obstacle for us. I could be wrong, of course, and often am.
People – whether due to poverty, declining mental and/or physical health or because our kinder, gentler society has given them a kick in the ass rather than a helping hand – who are unable to take care of themselves and/or their families is certainly another matter, and a shameful one at that.
Really?
Many Bay Area Comcast customers will soon need set-top boxes
In fact, most of us have been through moving the antenna all over creation, hanging tin foil all over it, etc., to get a better picture. I can’t see this as being much of a challenge.
Thanks to my new digital rig I am doing that almost every other day for the first time in decades and often with limited success. Then it all changes again not to mention the occasional dropouts when someone in the room moves.
The transition to digital didn’t “need” to be done, by any means. It does offer a lot of benefits, however, which may or may not be worth the trouble to any given individual.
It is interesting to think that many Americans have complained about getting a free (or nearly free) device to allow them to keep receiving free OTA television, while in Britain, they pay $200 a year for the same privilege.
Then again, one can always read a book.
pj, listen to yourself. Are we going to start in on the British and Canadian health care system next to argue against single payer? Be thankful for what we got, love it or leave it?
We are talking about the US of A, not Britain.
My first converter cost $25 with the coupon, hardly ‘nearly free’ and of course we the taxpayers took on the other $40 but Radio Shack racked up a whopping $60 sale. Now also start to multiply that if you have multiple sets in your home.
My dad used to read lots of books e checked out at the public library until his mind and vision and loss of driving privileges put an end to it. He still reads newspapers and magazines but those are going away, too. Still he can watch and hear the news on the TV and amaze me with an insight almost every time we speak.
I went the other day to get another new box ore two the Best Buy and they had one on sale that would have cleared at $10 w/out the $4 tax. They had a nice printed sign above comparing it to the more expensive model sitting next to it. I decided to pass when I read the ‘might get warm after extended use’ line. I also was looking for a new antennae (starts at $20) to see if I might clean up my reception problems but their entire rack had been stripped clean.
Sorry, pj et al. I thought I was on another more contentious blog. I get your points but I still have problems with what I look at as a privatization takeaway (ripoff).
I guess I am just sad and bitter that I saw next to no baseball games on the TV last season.
MSNBC 10PM show host poll:
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/msnbc/msnbc_looking_to_add_new_10pmet_show_106545.asp
I voted Seder first, w/ Stephanie a close second.
Most Republican governors have broken with their GOP colleagues in Congress and are pushing for passage of President Barack Obama’s economic aid plan that would send billions to states for education, public works and health care.
Their state treasuries drained by the financial crisis, governors would welcome the money from Capitol Hill, where GOP lawmakers are more skeptical of Obama’s spending priorities.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28949195/
This post from Dailykos says so much, so well:
And what if you don’t create wealth?
by Kagro X
Sat Jan 31, 2009 at 01:30:04 PM PST
SusanG’s had a piece earlier about how Wall Street regards capping bonuses as socialism. And it is. But so’s the bailout.
But I just had to comment on this quote from the NYT article she was writing about:
“On Main Street, ‘bonus’ sounds like a gift,” he said. “But it’s part of the compensation structure of Wall Street. Say I’m a banker and I created $30 million. I should get a part of that.”
So, say you’re a banker and you flushed $30 million down the toilet, which is the actual scenario we’re looking at. When can we expect you to pay a part of that back?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/1/31/145927/067/168/691402
A couple of weeks ago I saw a promo for MSNBC that ended with a slide showing their big 4 hosts (Keith, Rachel, Tweety and Morning Fucking Joe) plus Eugene Robinson. I think it was around inauguration time, so I’m not sure whether they just wanted a black face up there, or if they are grooming Robinson for something.
I voted for Stephanie, for what it’s worth. But only if Jim and Chris get to come along too.
If Kent Jones came along with Rachel, then Jim and Chris will be there with Stephanie. Garunteeeed.
BTW, Lawton Smalls will apparently make some appearances on BreakRoomLive !!!
GOD LOVES U. :priest:
DEAL WITH IT.
Nice story on the local news just now about Meals on Wheels volunteers going around this weekend helping to get isolated seniors hooked up for the digital. Seems like a lot of their clients aren’t there yet.
Sheesh! All this hullabaloo about the teevee. I haven’t watched it in more than 9 months! Not even Scrubs or Nova. I’m assuming I’m okay because I have basic cable but I don’t really care. I usually go to bed and read. Which is what I’m about to do. I’m fascinated with mushrooms lately. Wow!
Re 14:
Sam Seder is ahead! But will that leave Marc in the dust?? 🙁
marc is great solo.