Feeding the Habit

So, for the past three months I've been without access to cable television (Yea, I know. Woe is me...). It's been a difficult time. I suppose I have an addiction to a constant stream of information and stimulus that may or may not be healthy. I don't think it's adversely affected me. I mean, I would much rather be out with my family and friends, performing, going to concerts or other cultural events, or even riding my motorcycle than sitting at home vegetating to Fear Factor. But, I would prefer the option of tuning in to MSNBC, CNN, or even the Discovery Channel during the interim. No matter how flawed they might be, they are providing information to the community that should be considered and processed.

Since I've been sans-cable and sans-satellite, I have been able to find marginally adequate alternatives such at Netflix and Hulu (I still can't find any Mythbusters episodes!). However, I have to give the most credit to a website called Live Times - The Live News Chat Blog. On this fantastic site there are links to live streams of MSNBC, CNN, Current TV, Al Jazeera, BBC News, and half a dozen other television news organizations. Although it isn't perfect, (The feed frequently has pauses and hiccups that disrupt the programming, although that may be due to overloading the household bandwidth.) this site has allowed me to hang on to some sense of connection to the world. I still feel like I know a little about what's going on out there.

So I offer a big thanks to the folks over there at Live Times. Thanks for keeping me in the loop.

peace.

The Countdown has Ended

Not Keith Olbermann...

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Tonight I was at my new job finishing up my shift when I decided to have a quick glance at cnn.com to check on the happenings of the day. Nothing was out of the ordinary really (good to hear about Rep. Giffords, by the way), until I saw an article about Keith Olbermann. "Wait. Keith's on MSNBC. What's this?"

I supposed deflated was the best word for it.

Olbermann has been a foundational voice in my journey towards political maturity. I was first introduced to his show during the 2004 presidential election. My friend Mark and I would watch slack-jawed at the audacity and precision of Keith's perspective on the day's political events. Jon Stewart described him in his Nov. 2010 interview with Rachel Maddow as a "voice in the wilderness" during the early period of MSNBC's shift towards liberal and progressive commentary. For me, he articulated and illuminated thoughts on bureaucracy and policy making that I had never considered or explored. And even though it has become more difficult for me to watch 24-hour cable news due to my growing distaste for the amplified effect of opposing ideologies (I can't stand Glenn Beck OR Ed Schultz because they're both obnoxious.) I've always made sure to check in on Keith from time to time in order to restore my sense of progressive ambition.

I will truly miss his voice and his show. I hope he finds a new forum from which to continue inviting us into his world.

Thanks Keith.

peace.