Monthly Archives: November 2021

Program Interruptions

As I sat watching the Thanksgiving parade, waiting for The Hampton University Band, I was becoming frustrated by the frequent interruptions for the numerous long commercials. To top it all was when the commercials were over the hosts would talk and talk, mostly about nothing. I just want to see the parade, not listen to hosts and commercials. I guess the number of minutes allotted to the parade versus the amount of time allotted to the hosts and commercials, the commercials will be first in minutes allotted, hosts will come in second and the parade a very poor last. But that is just my thinking.

               I remember that back in the day it was much different than it is today. My wife would say ‘things change…stop thinking about yesterday’. I cannot because I then thought about my military assignment to Germany. I watched a lot of German television and one of the German’s favorite programs was the western program named Bonanza. This was the 1970s and even then, commercials were long although I didn’t know it. German television had their commercials either before or after a program. A program was never interrupted for a commercial or two or three. Watching German television made me realize that Bonanza was twenty-five or thirty-five minutes long with the rest of the hour left for commercials. While watching German television you could tell where a commercial was to be placed in the program.

               Anyone that is old enough to remember the good old days remember the college and pro football games halftime shows. Most of the time the halftime shows were better that the games. The entire halftime show was aired without commercials and not many commercials were shown during the game. Watching a football game was great without a lot of talking experts and commercials.

               I guess I am selfish, want my cake and eat it too. I know the television companies must, as they say, pay the rent but I think it is too much. I also know the hosts get very good pay checks and they must talk, tout, and set themselves up for better positions. All of it, in my opinion is at the expense of me watching what I pay the cable company to see. It is great when I record a program and, as I watch the program, I fast forward past the commercials.

               Yes, I miss the good old days when I can watch the marching bands doing their intricate formations, seeing a very short commercial, and rarely see the announcer/host. I enjoyed watching the parades (like the Rose Parade for one) and see each part, every float and marching band. I didn’t know it then but those were good days. Now it’s all about the money and I must suffer through the things they think make their money. I just hate the program interruptions especially when my mind gets into a program, and it’s jerked out for a commercial or I miss parts of a parade because of the same thing. Give me the good old days.

I Remember

It is ludicrous that people are still hating, riling, and believing stupid rumors about wearing masks and getting COVID vaccine. This have been going on far too long for anyone to still have an argument against it. After millions upon millions of people have taken the vaccine and only a handful of people developed an adverse effect from it there should not be a wait and see attitude.

               I am an old man now and I still remember seeing pictures and news clips of people in iron lungs to help them breath. I also remember going to school, on a Saturday, to eat the sugar cube to eradicate people having to be in an iron lung. It worked. Only people in my age group and older can remember the iron lung. There was not much fighting about the vaccine and the iron lung is a thing of the past.

               I remember getting measles and chickenpox (among other ailments) were normal diseases and sooner or later you knew you would catch it, just like everyone else. Then vaccines were developed for that and now it is seldom that anyone catch the diseases. Now everyone can walk around with the knowledge that there is not anyone around them with it.

               I remember when I was a child, I heard about the Tuskegee experiment. I did not understand exactly what that was but later in life I fully understood. The implications of the experiment still affect Blacks today because the story of the experiment is passed along, I would imagine, forever. There were other experiments on people especially those ordered by Hitler in Nazi Germany.

               I remember seeing the Television news, reading the daily news, and seeing the internet about what those that do not take the vaccine or wear masks say. Like, along with the vaccine shot the government have a tiny tracking capsule mixed in the serum. There are many conspiracy theories going around and far too many people are believing them with little or no proof. Here is one; a six-year-old child have a heavy menstrual cycle after getting the vaccine shot. The truth is the person is forty-one years old, not six years old.

               I remember when my daughter registered for a school season, I had to show proof of many different immunizations that she had to have before she was allowed to register and go to school. This was not only for her protection but also for the protection of her classmates and, in turn, the classmate’s family. The same thing applies for this vaccine.

               It is said that it has not been out long enough to prove it works. My response to that is to ask the multimillions of people around the world if it works. Then the naysayers say they made the vaccine too fast to be any good. I say, why wait for half the world to die before there is a vaccine? If a family does not want the children of that family to take the vaccine, homeschool them. That way the family does not have to take the children to a school that they disapprove. There is also no fuss and no fight.

               I remember a lot of things that can be added here but these are only some of the highlights and a little of what is on my mind. I have my three shots and I wear my mask when I am out among the public. I truly wish others thought the same way. When they catch the COVID I will remember them when they are gone.