The History Channel now

[J. A. EARLY]

Was watching the History Channel the other night with a series about Civil War battles. There again, in a new production were both armies shooting left-hand guns with the lock on the left and carrying their weapons on the wrong side. The actors portraying the 1st Virginia Infantry had to make those old soldiers turn over in their graves. Hat cocked sideways like a rapper, uniform for a man twice his size, Lieutenant standing in front of his men firing instead of behind the lines, smoking cigarettes, etc. No historical advisors or like you say they just ignore them. It was too much to take so I turned it off.

The channel is mostly crap now.

[B. Dudley]

TVs can be like pools or boats. Don’t own one, but have a friend who does.

[Tom Flanigan]

Reality shows are really garbage. Especially the couple of wilderness survival shows I watched. I can't watch them anymore. They are incredible phoney. I take three trips a year to the Rockies in Colorado to catch the greenback cutthroat trout which only exist above about 12,000 feet. I spend five days alone on a high peak that is 13,300 feet. I take no food and forage for edible greens and eat brook trout for five days that I bring to altitude with me. I know all about survival in a hostile environment and what I need to do to stay out of trouble.

I watched one show that where the "survivalist" stated many things that were dangerously wrong. I couldn't believe it. What he said could get someone in big trouble.
The guy knew nothing about survival in an area far away from the nearest human. I turned the show off when he made a big deal about catching a brook trout. He took the live trout, bit the head off and then ate it whole. What utter nonsense. I'm sure he was at a low altitude location with many people filming. The fact that they put a jerk like that on and called him a survival expert really got to me. Horrible!! It still pisses me off when I think about it.

[stumpstalker]

Quote: "Wow! That’s quite a statement. You have never bought a TV?"
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Mike:

That’s right, never bought one, don’t have one in my house; but, probably will if a house-mate comes in here and buys one for his own room. Huge surcharge, but not impossible, if he wants it put in a common room.

I did once own a TV. Was then renting an apartment in Boston. Girlfriend living across town bought a second color TV and gave me her old black and white. Turned it on one time only, to watch Reagan give his Evil Empire speech. The next time I tried to view something it no longer powered up.

So, we set it up in a friend's backyard as a target for harpoon practice. Had the satisfaction of “breaking the target”, that is, seeing the hand-launched pole smash the plastic screen and continue on through and out the back-side of the unit, all done with a panache rarely achieved since.

Hey, it has been said that the things you like to do between the ages of 13 and 23 are the things that keep you happily occupied the rest of your life.

Books I have never read; others that at this stage in life can now be satisfyingly re-read; there is internet; collections to putter over; fishing tackle to be overhauled; old house forever in need of some sort of maintenance; talk radio to listen to, all of which leaves little time or need for TV watching.

And, as Brian implied, there are always friends who have Netflix available at their houses.

[Richard Flanders]

Good for you Russel. I have bought TV's but only have a wall antenna so get 3 network channels, two of which are absolutely useless, so my TV time is very limited. I do play movies on it though. There is so little of value on cable, why bother... and I can't afford it any way. For everyone's info, all the Alaska "reality" TV shows are pretty much 110% BS on every level. Ice Road Truckers, the Bering Sea fishing stuff, the gold mining, the folks living in the wilderness - total garbage and grossly over dramatized from beginning to end. I'd have to say though that the one that is the least over done are the Bering Sea crabbing shows. That is officially designated as the most dangerous job in the US. Those boats get overloaded sometimes and just disappear w/o a trace in violent storms.

[todd allen]

I settle down every day after work, open a beer, and watch the Virginian Series.
It's the best thing on TV. That, with some extra butter, microwave popcorn, I'm a happy camper!

[Bill Murphy]

I watched the show, but don't know what to comment since the thread has gone so far off subject.

[todd allen]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

I watched the show, but don't know what to comment since the thread has gone so far off subject.

Threads go off topic. That's why they're called threads, and not Laser Beams.

[Bill Murphy]

I think I understand that. However, I thought I may have something to add, since I actually watched the show.

[B. Dudley]

I don’t think we are all that far off topic. Go ahead, what are your thoughts Bill?