Digital TV (3) Feb 8, 2008
On February 19, 2009, TV stations will stop broadcasting analog signals, and the nation will go all digital.  For many old people (and me) who are scared of technology and new things, this is quite confusing.  I have a TV, and I get programming through a cable box.  I think it's digital.  But does that mean my TV won't work after the big switch?  What happens if I try to use my presumably analog TV when there's only digital programming?  Will I accidentally start a fire or a nuclear warhead countdown sequence?  I just don't know. 

Thankfully, the FCC's website concerning this transition is not only hideously ugly but also completely useless.  Maybe I'm stupid, but I can't get a single piece of useful information off this website.  Will I need a new TV?  Will I need a converter box?  Should I quit my job so I can read through all the crap on the website just to answer one simple question? 

Another website, Digital TV Facts, provides good simple information, and it doesn't look like it was written by a 7-year-old in 1994.  The answer to my question of if I need a new TV or not seems to point to "No".  Since I have a digital cable box, I shouldn't need anything else.  I don't get my programming over the air with an antenna, and I'm pretty sure that since I have that whole digital channel lineup thing and on-demand stuff, it's not analog. 

Kudos to the government for making this most likely expensive and unnecessary transition painful and cumbersome. #entertainment
Least worst Feb 8, 2008
I haven't voted since the presidential election of 2004, and my reasoning is simple:  Most elections come down to voting for the least worst candidate.  I don't feel that the best way to choose a person who will make significantly important decisions that effect my life, my family, my country, and my planet is to vote for the least worst among the choices.  And that's what elections essentially are.  You vote for someone because it's your civic duty to vote.  It's your right; your privilege.  There was a time when people weren't allowed to vote in our country.  Therefore, we must vote.  Candidate A believes X and Y.  Candidate B believes Y and Z.  I'll vote for Candidate A because he believes in X, despite the fact that he also believes in Y.  Oh well.  At least I voted. 

It's been claimed that my product comparison matrix method of choosing which gadget to buy employs the same methodology of choosing the least worst.  The rationale says that if I wanted the best possible product, I would just buy the one with the most features and the highest price.  And so by buying anything other than that "best product", I'm essentially choosing the least worst.  Simple. 

However, I disagree with this.  The gadget with the best features isn't necessarily the best gadget.  It might not be what I'm looking for, and it might not be the right time.  It all comes down to not only the right array of features, but also what features are most important to me.  In the end, I make a decision because I want the capabilities provided by the new gadget, not because I feel compelled to buy something.  It's about choosing the best option (implying it is in fact an option), not the least worst. 

So until I find a political candidate that doesn't make me feel like I'm choosing him/her out of desperation, I probably won't vote.  Oh, and I live in New Jersey, so unless I vote for a Democrat, my vote doesn't count anyway. #politics
Obvious financial advice Feb 8, 2008
I occasionally read snippets of financial advice online, and there's one thing that keeps coming up:  Make sure you look over your bank and credit card statements to check to see if you were overcharged or charged twice or anything like that.  To me, this is probably the stupidest advice I could possibly read.  Ever since I opened a bank account, I've always kept track of my finances.  I didn't know there was a choice.  Perhaps it's my unending cheapness, or maybe it's my general distrust of human beings, especially when it comes to my money.  My opinion is that if you're stupid enough to not track your finances, you deserve to have your money taken from you don't go crying to your mommy when something gets screwed up. #money