Replace all that TV time?

The mostest fun thing about getting rid of TV has been filling in the time. I already mentioned renting DVDs and VHSs from Facets in Chicago, which has replaced the "sitting" time. I must admit that I have also have my computer in the middle of the house, facing the living room, which is a great advantage. I think the next best choice would be right in the living room, facing the TV, and that connecting it to the TV would be a very nice luxury. I have my old collection to relearn and enjoy.

Oh, I know an argument that my brother makes, and I should mention. He never watches anything twice. I would argue endlessly (don't argue with my brother, though) that the reason is because what people watch is so boring. If you have something worthwhile, you can watch it again and again until you have it memorized like scripture.

Computer video is everywhere by now, although usually in the form of short clips, so it's not as relaxing as TV, and I could imagine a family fighting over the clips, so it might not replace TV quite yet. The great advantage to that is that it's not as mindless.

Occasionally there is something on TV, so a short cable subscription would have it's advantages in building a collection of V'S/DVD disks/tapes. I've done that in the olden days, and I must say that I am much pleased to watch those old tapes I thought I might listen to. If your aim here is not to save money, I would keep a cable subscription with the object being to record a personal collection.

More yet to say on the computer. I think a text reader is essential to have, and cheap for what it does. I do not really like reading long pages on the computer. The only way to go is with a textreader. Encarta has its own texreader and I would say use it. As far as I'm concerned, it's essential to have. I use www.nextup.com, which reads anything you can put in the memory (cut, copy). The nice lady or man, depending on what you choose, sounds nothing like the old textreaders, and for a few more bucks, can sound very close to live indeed. Text reading has developed in the last few years to a must, I insist.

This is getting too long, me fears, and I think I should break it down into smaller pieces. Look for related topics in the next few days.