The the future of television advertising is the end of the television advertising, in my life at least.

Due to a bookkeeping error, the satellite bill did not get paid on time. Quite rightly, the company cut our service. I had advanced warning, but rather than whip out my credit card to keep the programs coming, I went to the library and borrowed a couple of DVDs and a couple of books instead.

After this brief vacation, if it was MY house and MY decision, the satellite would be gone for good.

First the DVDs. Star Trek Voyager, I am not ashamed to say. Episodes I have seen before, but my routine in the workshop is turn to Spike in the late afternoon, and watch them again. But this time I was watching without the excessive advertising, especially for slasher movies and today's version of Big Time Wrestling. It was GREAT! And I suspect there has been some frame-chopping to create more advertising time (the picture often seems a bit jumpy) no chopping on the DVDs. And because I was watching through the DVD player, the sound was better too! And none of those foolish little pop-up ads during the program that ofter obscure credits or captions.

I suspect Blockbusters and Netflix will be getting my business, once I have exhausted the library's supply.

I may even upgrade my PC connection so that I can download movies.

And I read a book! I have a touch of insomnia now and then, and at 4 o'clock in the morning, you get ads and you get infomercial after infomercial on almost every channel but TCM, TWC and RFD. And I have to keep fiddling with the sound to keep from disturbing my partner in the next room. Although they deny it, those commercials are often much louder than the programming. The book was quiet, and I wasn't channel hopping in a vain attempt to stay ahead of Nutrisystem and Billy Maise.

I read a page or two every night before I go to sleep anyway, but I was actually reading whole chapters, and able to follow the story line.

That one little bookkeeping error has open my eyes to what I have been missing - and what I have been getting too much of. So when the box came back on, I vowed to boycott - I have reduced my favorites list to stations (four of them) that don't have commercials and The Weather Channel, which can be pretty essential. I will retire with my book in the evening or spend more time on the computer. And when I have a say in the matter, that satellite system is history!

Learn more about this author, Pat Gray.
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