Looking for some Liberty

The trek through IKEA is rather stressful.  They've laid out the place like a course that they want you to follow.  Rather than go up and down rows based on my needs or desires, they would prefer that I follow their meandering course so that I pass every single thing they are selling.  Imagine if all stores and places were like that?

What if YouTube didn't allow me to search for videos that I wanted?  What if I had to do things there way instead of mine.  Okay, actually, they seem to be changing YouTube to force me to do thing that I don't want.  Maybe they took a page from Apple or Microsoft and decided that it's their way or the highway.

But I digress....as much as they will let me.

I just want some liberty.  We talk about freedom, but we really don't seem to have it.  Maybe Rousseau was right.  Stay inside the lines, have your quarter for your shopping car deposit, no substitutions with your combo meal, no you can't have those channels with that cable package.  I grant that none of these things is really that oppressive..... but they kind of are.

I don't think freedom is about doing whatever you want.  I do think freedom should not allow you to harm others, or even bother others.  If I believed that you should do whatever you want whenever you want without regard to anyone, then I wouldn't mind those annoying people on the bus whose crappy music bleeds out of their earphones.

No, I just want freedom from the people who could so easily give it to me.  I want to choose the channel I can watch.  If nobody wants a crappy channel, then it will go out of business and free up advertising dollars for someone else.  If I want to quickly blast through IKEA without checking out every piece of unpronounceable furniture, that should be my right.  If I want to have multiple names on my YouTube account, leave me alone.

A Vicious Circle

These tools won't fix television

 

There are too many cable channels.  I said it.  I know, for most of you out there, that's blasphemy.  You all want as many channels as you can get.  If cost weren't a factor, probably a lot more of you out there would agree.  It sounds good, but let's look at this critically. 

Way back, I was so happy that we would have a channel devoted to Science Fiction (I like it so much that I have to capitalize--if you don't like it, write your own blog).  Then we got a channel devoted to cars and auto racing.  If it weren't 24 hours of NASCAR I would probably like it more.  There was so much promise, where did it all go wrong?

Basically, there are lots of great ideas for specialty channels, as they have come to be called, but there have been a lot of bad ideas too.

I used to look forward to some TV programs.  Now, I think that if I miss it, I can see it another time.  Maybe the problem isn't too many channels, but too many choices.  The problem is, that too many choices has led to too many channels.

A twenty-four hour reality TV channel means that not only is there too many mediocre shows being broadcast, but that too many mediocre shows are being made to fill the need.  Can anyone say vicious circle?

Now, I am not advocating a return to the 13 channel universe--I remember those days all too vividly.  I am advocating a return to quality over quantity.  When will it start?  Cynically, I say never.

How to Organize a Bookstore

I wonder why a bookstore can't do a better job of categorizing its books.  They usually have all the standard categories, (fiction, non fiction, cooking, selfhelp...) but that just doesn't cut it any longer.  In this age of thousands of TV channels, each with their own specialty, people want (and seem to need) and respond better to narrower classifications.  That has to be the reason behind the Game Show Network, and the All Reality TV Network. (okay sometimes there can be too much specialization)

I think bookstores should, at least, add a few categories.  It wouldn't necessarily increase the number of books, but would make finding some of them easier.  I am always happy when I go to a bookstore and find that they have separated the fantasy from the science fiction.  If only my local library could separate both of them from the general fiction area I would be happier.

I don't think what I am proposing is so hard, or so radical.  They do a lot of other things to make life easier for customers (self checkout, price scanners, loyalty points, computer screens) so why not go one, lest costly, step further?

For a start, I would love to see the already noted separation of fantasy and science fiction. (and would be even happier if they put all that vampire stuff somewhere else, but if that's what's selling....well, they're not going to put it in some deep dark corner are they?)  I say this despite the fact that fantasy is what is selling these days and what dominates this section of the bookstore.

What about having a section devoted to books that were made into films? (and not books that were written after the films--because that is definitely not the same thing)  I think people would be surprised to find out how different (and usually how much better) the books were from the films.

Of course this idea will be somewhat blurred because of all the aforementioned vampire and fantasy literature which is so quickly being turned into movies, or huge budgeted properties on cable TV.  Regardless of how much of that I won't read, I stand by my assertions.

Which categories do you think they should have.  I welcome your comments.

Changing Cable Packages

If you needed proof that I have given up....look no further.  Today, I changed my cable channels.  I opted to reduce my sports channels in favour of movies.  Even if they do play hockey this year, I won't be watching it on TV.  Actually, I could still watch Hockey Night in Canada (but that's an institution) but there is no guarantee that I would.

Last time there was a lockout we were treated to one year of poker, followed by several years of poker.  As it turns out, it was pretty good to watch.  It's popularity is still quite strong, and I am sure there will be more poker on TV during this lockout.

I generally like it, but I don't love it.  The problem is that they tend to over show some TV poker moments.  I think I have see the one with Daniel Negreanu vs. the loose cannon in pink shirt more than 15 times.  That is probably 13 more times than I needed to see it.

Maybe this time they will find a new sport to showcase.  I suggest Australian Rules Football, or Hurling, or at the very least, bring back the Red Bull Air Race.

As for me, I will do my best to catch up on the movies I have missed.  I'll let you know how it works out.