Technically Speaking

I’m not sure if you saw this article released by the Associated Press last week.

If you didn’t follow the link, basically the article said that a company has developed a new technology that would prevent television watchers from (1) fast forwarding through commercials (of pre-recorded TV shows), and (2) changing the channel during commercials.

Despite the fact that I don’t own a digital video recorder/Tivo device, nor in fact do I watch much television, I still resent the idea that a company thinks it should be able have that much control over our own televisions. Phillips Electronics, holder of the pending patent, admitted that the technology “might not sit well with consumers.” (Do you think they were able to say that with a straight face?) Instead, they suggested that individual viewers might pay the broadcaster a fee in order to avoid the locking mechanism “feature.”

Given the choice, I’d never purchase a television that included this “feature.” Ain’t gonna happen. And I certainly won’t pay for the possibility of avoiding commercials. If the media conglomerates try to implement this technology, I’ll be in the front of the line of people that get driven away from traditional broadcasting.

TV just isn’t worth it.

Well, we’re back, and we had a great Easter weekend. I didn’t get around to blogging at all, so I’m sorry to keep you in the dark. I know you were waiting with baited breath to hear what was going on in my life. Okay, not really. But I’ll post tomorrow with details of what’s been going on.

Until then, I’ll leave you with two things I’ve noticed recently, both to my dismay. First, I’m no longer blonde. My hair is undeniably brown (albeit light brown). Second, it may not matter for much longer, because my brown hair seems to be getting thinner on the top. This is not to say that I’m going bald. (I’m not ready to admit that yet.) I’m just saying that when I’m 75, my hair will probably look more like my Grandpa Smith’s than my Grandpa Pehrson’s — neither of whom made it to 75.

That was depressing.

Hmmm.. I’ll try again tomorrow.

I’m off to California for the Easter weekend. I hope you all have a great weekend wherever you are. I hope to be able to get a chance to blog while I’m in California, but we’ll have to see.

In the mean time, you can check out the new photos we’ve posted to the family photo gallery chronicling the Jentzsch’s visit in Salt Lake, Conference weekend, etc.

Happy Easter!

Maybe you remember Cole, our Ford-loving neighbor? This week he saw the rental car that the Jentzsch’s were using, a Chevy Trailblazer, parked in front of our house. (More on the Jentzsch’s visit in another post.)
Cole walked up the street and with as much contempt as a four-year-old could muster, he said, “Why do you have a Chevy parked in front of your house?”

Christina responded, “Our friends are visiting, and it is the car they are driving. It’s pretty cool, isn’t it?”

Cole thought about it and said, “Well, yeah. But it’s a Chevy!”

I guess his dad is trainin’ them while he’s young.

This is the time of the year that we all agree to live the same lie. Well, I don’t know that we agree to it, per se, as much as the lie is forced on us by the government.

No, I’m not talking about tax season, although that might be an interesting discussion. No, instead, I’m talking about daylight savings.

Last weekend was the time where much of the United States changes their collective clocks forward an hour. Somebody told me it was in an effort to conserve energy. Whatever.

You know, my body knows its a lie. When the alarm clock started blaring at 6AM (really 5AM, but since we’re all going along with the government on this one, we’ll just use DST times, instead of standard, or, um, REAL times) this morning, my body refused to wake up and get going. Nope. I couldn’t get up a minute before 7:30. It just wasn’t possible. Then I felt bad for sleeping in. Like its MY fault??

I sound really bitter, which isn’t true at all. In fact, I prefer daylight savings time to standard time. I just don’t like the SWITCH from standard to DST. It seriously takes me a week to fully adjust. It’s like jet lag without leaving home.

In any case, we’ll keep living the lie so we can have more hours of daylight in the evening, which will conserve energy, which will save the rainforests, effectually saving the world and making you a hero.

New party line: “Save the world. Support DST.”

Like I said. It’s all a lie.