Crap on the Telly

No, no, no, that is not an instruction, command or request, thank you! Rather it is a comment as it seems to me that there are increasingly more and more so called 'reality' programmes on all channels in recent months, the autumn schedules have brought even more. I have not the slightest desire to watch dysfunctional idiots of whatever age, gender, sexual proclivity, creed, colour, physical or mental disability disporting themselves in my sitting room via the medium of television and so called entertainment. These attention seeking displays are vulgar, often coarse and not remotely for anyone to aspire to but many others do so. Why? I'm not going to give the moral and intellectual idiots of these shows any further publicity although unfortunately they are seen as role models by many and something which to aspire - 'I've bin on tele' or 'Yeah, I'm a sleb'.

Enough, enough. There is a bright side to this increasingly overflowing sewer of mainstream so called programming, it frees up evenings for other things instead that are far more enjoyable as well as rekindling the art of conversation and sociability with ones fellow men (and women!). Last night, for example, we went out for dinner with friends, nothing special, just a local restaurant that is inexpensive, the food good, the atmosphere comfortable and the staff friendly. By about 2230 hrs we said farewell to the owner and hus wife then we all returned to our place for coffee and a further natter, what could be better and more enjoyable?

The previous evening Jane and I turned the box off after the early evening news as there was nothing in the schedules that seemed remotely watchable, let alone entertaining or amusing and played Scrabble for the evening. "Oh my God" I hear some say, "how utterly boring". Well, horses for courses, whatever floats your boat, chaque un à son gout (as we're in France) and similar expressions come to mind of course but that was our choice for the evening. Not just 'ordinary' Scrabble either - no, not 'Strip Scrabble' nor the 'bonus points for rude words' variety either but Super Scrabble, two hundred tiles instead of one hundred in the standard game as well as other new features all making for one round that can last well over an hour. Naturally we must consider the local folk so we had a few glasses of an cheeky little Bergerac white to help the thought processes along nicely.

Tomorrow we are off to play Canasta with friends for the evening as well as supporting the local viniculture economy again!

So life goes on here, very pleasantly and leisurely without the need nor desire to have the intruder in the corner of our sitting room raising blood pressure and engendering acute 'Grumpy Old Men' attacks.

Try it for youselves sometime, you never know you might even get to enjoy it ...