TO: Sandra M
RE: [OT] The Boob Tube & Such; A Fisking

I read non-fiction books all the time and explore the blogosphere for hours a day, BUT my “weekend university” is C-Span’s BOOK TV which turns me on to authors and books my library gets for me each week. If a book is terrific, I buy it. I discovered Victor Davis Hanson on 9/15/01, and his talk that day in a Fresno bookstore surpassed whole semesters in college. — Sandra M

I get the same sort of information from the web. Without the commercial interruptions.

In CARNAGE AND CULTURE, VDH wrote about 9 great battles including the Battle of Midway and the battle of Rorke’s Drift. —

I look forward to it coming out on DVD. And….again….it will likely be without commercial interruption.

[Note: By the way. When I use the term ‘commercial interruption’, please, think ‘brain-washing.]

I watch the films MIDWAY and ZULU to help me visualize better, and the HISTORY channels do a pretty good job of recreations of these battles and two favorites of mine, which show in war as in real estate the importance in war of location, location, location. — Sandra M

Midway was ‘okay’. The only thing I remember from watching it in a theater was that my first daughter kept kicking my first wife in her belly, every time the sub-woofers of Sensaround Sound kicked in, i.e., any largish explosion. [Note: I was attending Infantry Officers’ Basic Course at the time.] Something akin to, “Who the hell is making all that noise out there. I’m TRYING to get some SLEEP!

The 300 Spartans at Thermopylae and the Romans who had been beaten back by Boadicea the warrior queen until they found the perfect spot in which to make a stand, as opposed to Spartacus with his back to the sea and idiot John Kennedy’s CHANGING the site of battle to the Bay of Pigs with the same problem. That’s what makes a militarily inexperienced Commander in Chief so dangerous.
— Sandra M

Glad to see you’re a student of history. I’ve got The 300 Spartans and Druids and a myriad of others in my DVD/VHS collections of over 3000 items. Along with Victory At Sea, A History of England and Why We Fight.

All of which are blessedly without ‘commercial interruption’.

For two years when I couldn’t read the printed page, C-Span saved my sanity and taught me what I needed to know to later run the Reform Party effort in my town, as well as civics, history, political science, economics and much, much more.
— Sandra M

Good for C-Span. Are they STILL without ‘commercial interruption’? I remember when TMC and others were without such. Then, somewhere in the late 90s, they began their own ‘commercial interruption’.

I never watch local or network news since I have to avoid stress and agree with Dr. Andrew Weil that watching late night news is bad for your health.
— Sandra M

Good for you. But I avoid stress by not watching television at all. You’ve taken the first step to ending your addiction.

Classic movies on TCM, and British mysteries on PBS. — Sandra M

I have my own extensive collection of ‘classic movies’. And A good collection of British mysteries as well. All without ‘commercial interruption’.

THE UNIT presents the Delta Force fighting terrorists…. — Sandra M

Oh God! Don’t get me started on Delta Farce. I knew one of the officers who trained them. He was never really impressed. He even commented that the unit, as a whole, failed it’s final “We’re ready for anything” evaluation.

Then they went into Grenada and took 50% casualties at the hands of the Cubans.

….so did JAG and currently NCIS. — Sandra M

Big whoop-te-do.

….I still watch LAW AND ORDER but have given up on two shows originally labelled as “Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century”. — Sandra M

And this means ‘what’ to me?

The original CSI and HOUSE which seems to have decided that House’s sadism towards subordinates sold better than the brilliant diagnostic skill modelled on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s genius professor, Dr. Joseph Bell, about whom PBS did a TV series with a young Doyle as assistant. Dr Bell taught medical diagnostics to the generations which made “Harley Street” a synonym for brilliant medical practice. — Sandra M

And this means ‘what’ to me?

My point is that after discovering that only I had watched Olivier’s superb KING LEAR on CBS, — Sandra M

I can get Olivier on DVD. Without the benefit of ‘commercial interruption.

I inquired of a bookstore owner and snobs at a Mensa party what they had been doing that night? Watching football and other unintellectual nonsense. I despise the ignorance of TV snobs. You’re better than that, Chuck. — Sandra M

First off. I’m not sure of the significance of a ‘bookstore owner’ to you.

As for dealing with Ms, Most Ms are like most other people. I know some who are junkyard owners. I’ve known some who worked on putting the F18 into the air. I’ve known some who are the chief pathologist at a major hospital. I’ve known some who were staffers on the state supreme court.

I’ve done things with them from arguing Constitutional Law with a professor of Constitutional Law from Denver University; the professor lost. Something to do with failing to consider the Dredd Scott Decision in her argument.

I’ve been involved in barroom brawls with them; Denver Mensa Best Bars and Derelicts, SIG Coord was a largish junkyard owner/operator. Their claim to fame was that they had been thrown out of every bar they’d been in. I think I caused them to be thrown out of one in particular. Found a guy swiping tips off of the tables and put him in an arm-lock, head-down on a table full of spilt beer.

They’re only human. Like everyone else. They may have more than the average number of synapses to rub together, but they’re still subject to all the foibles of humanity.

Sooooo…..

….look who’s projecting about being a ‘snob’.

Last night I watched a one hour biography of Sarah Palin, hosted by Greta Van Sustern on the Fox News Channel. It will be on again today at 5pm PDT and 8pm EDT. — Sandra M

Good for them. However, I’m learning more precise information about her on the web.

And, without ‘commercial interruption’.

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[Scientists have located the area of the brain responsible for gullibility, and they now have a procedure to remove that section. However, the television industry has suppressed all information on the research. And the researchers have been ‘disappeared’.]