Things I Miss About Cable

Maggie and I had pretty slow week with little excitement. We did go to dinner with the Plothows Saturday night at Johnny Carinos. The food was good, the wait was awful, the company was excellent. We then watched "The Others." I enjoyed it, and was able to cross another movie off of my "List of Films to See when I Get Home from Mission." I am still working through this list; in large part because a good portion of these films were recommended by sisters, and I have no desire to Kate and Leopold.

I have however been mulling over some of the things I miss most about cable TV. Here in no particular order are my most missed things about cable TV.

Sports Center

It may sound strange, but when ever I was feeling low on those two years of service to God when I was without even broadcast television all I had to do sing "Da-Na-Na-nanana"(guys know how the tune goes) and I felt better. While I miss Sports Center the most, it is really representative of all of the fine programming at ESPN: Baseball Tonight, NFL Live, Monday Night Football, PTI, and even to a lesser extent Around the Horn.

Alton Brown

I am a foodie. I love to cook, and I love to eat. Alton Brown's Food Network show Good Eats taught me how to do both better. I miss being able to know how the denaturing of protein strands in eggs will improve the texture of my next omelet.

The CNN Crawl

I miss being informed on all of the useless crap that is happening somewhere to someone, but more than that I miss reading it at the bottom of the screen while remaining oblivious to the news broadcast with pictures and live video filling the majority of my television. Reading the crawl was like reading the newspaper headlines, only I was watching TV so I looked, and felt, much lazier.

The Daily Show

One of the few newsmen I really trusted is lost to me now that I live in a land of broadcast television. He asked the questions you really wanted asked, and actually held people accountable for what they said. The sole consolation I have is that the Bush Administration is ending, and so are the Daily Show writer's days of being able to phone it in and still produce an amazing show...unless Palin is elected VP then a whole new era of comedy begins.

The History Channel

I still have PBS which is a great source of documentaries and high culture, but during the afternoon when I want to learn about Hitler's obsession with Little Debbi Snack Cakes, or what a true marvel of engineering the battery operated pruning shears are. PBS can only offer me children's programming. I have developed a renewed respect for Sesame Street in my 20s, but alas even Grover can not fulfill my need to watch 10 hours of programming on the men who tamed the island of Guam at 2 o'clock(in the afternoon or the morning).