Public TV and radio

         I was just thinking over the weekend how much my weekends are enhanced by public broadcasting.  I love Car Talk and The Prarie Home Companion.  My husband loves Red Green and I like Kentucky Afield.  Weekends are almost defined for me by public broadcasts.  When I listen to NPR, I learn things that are applicable to my work and the world around me.  My kids grew up with Seasame Street, Reading Rainbow, Arthur, Wishbone and Clifford. 
    I know that funding of public radio and TV is on the chopping block right now.  I'm not sure if our tax money should go to support these broadcasts, but I know my life has been enhanced by them.  (Yes I am a financial supporter and I did contact my representatives about my wishes)  It's all a matter of budgetary choices and I'm not privy to the whole picture.
     On the other hand I'm planning on getting rid of my direct TV.  It costs almost 40$ a month for the basic package and I don't believe it's worth it.  Mainly I watch the large networks and I can get those for free.  Other shows can be watched on DVD's.  I try to relegate TV to a small part of my life anyway.  I know that I'm probably in the minority in my choices though.

New Technology

   Yesterday I went into the AT&T store and bought a new iphone.  I did this even though my blackberry works just fine.  That really goes against everything I believe in.  (Waste not, want not, use it till it wears out)  It's the way though now with new technology.  My two year contract is up, so I qualify for a new phone.  They had good deals on the iphone 3 too.  I'll be starting a new job and I need to be able to acess information easily.  My old palm wouldn't update anymore, so I was sucked in.  I put it off too, because I hate the learning curve involved with any new technology.  But I work with a great group of people and I know they will help me to learn what I need to.  And my daughters should be able to help too.  So I got an iphone 4 yesterday (the 3 did not have enough memory for my needed apps)  I'm a bit awed by the thing.  It can do alot of things.  I just hope I can get it to do what I want it to.  I hope my thought processes follow those of the apple engineers.  Sometimes I feel like an old dog trying to learn new tricks.