Television brings the world into our homes, but at what cost? Oh, sure, there are the funny things, like two recent commercials, one where the boy gets his braces stuck in the window blinds and the paramedics cut the blinds with his braces still attached as they take him to the hospital (God only knows what they're advertising ... we were laughing too hard), and the Meineke ad where the guy is asking for help picking out a pet ..."Should it be the goat, the dog or the snake?" And the other guy says, "What goat?" as the snake curls around with a big lump in it. Pretty darned funny (and on this one, we remembered who paid for it ... wow).
It's the other stuff that should concern us all. The news is bad enough, but the sitcoms, soaps, reality shows, even the so-called "funny stuff" are enough to put you in a blue funk. The "experts" are always telling you what your children should or should not watch on TV ... maybe they should extend their suggestions to adults, as well. We haven't seen a correlation between the shows adults see and their reactions to them. When ordinary people watch soaps and take on their problems, somebody should yell, "They're FAKE, people." Most movies and TV shows are NOT REAL, but the reality comes when they make you stressful, anxious, and upset over what's happening to these FAKE people and situations. It's why so many movie stars complain that their fans think their characters are really themselves ... sort of like asking someone on Grey's Anatomy to cure their ailment. Or people commit crimes, smoke, take drugs, because "they saw it on TV." A prominent Reno judge told Maizie that many people that he sees in court, particularly young people, don't realize that when you shoot someone, they're dead ... D.E.A.D. Not like TV, where two hours later, the same actor shows up in another show. They sob, "Geez, Judge, I didn't know ..." Pretty sad state of affairs.
If your life is stressed out and unmanageable, turn off the TV (or movies, or video games), take a rest, and let them, and their writers, solve their own problems. You might find you're all right after all. Think about it.
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Flu Shots will be given this Saturday at the Senior Center (at the corner of Roop and Beverly) from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. We've heard there'll even be a "drive-thru." Kids, adults, seniors ... everyone is welcome. Stay healthy.
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Ron Saunders tells us about "a man who caught a cab, and the cabby said, 'Perfect timing ... you're just like Bill.' 'Who?' asked the man. 'Bill Smith. There's a guy who did everything right. Like my coming along just when you needed a cab. It would have happened to Bill every time.' 'No,' said the man, 'there are a few clouds in everyone's life.' 'Not Bill's,' said the cabby. 'He was a terrific athlete, could golf with the pros, sing like an opera baritone and dance like a Broadway star. He had a memory like a steel trap, remembered everybody's birthdays, knew all about wine, had perfect manners, and could fix anything that faced him.' 'You must have known him pretty well,' the man said. 'Oh, no, I never actually met Bill,' replied the cabby. 'Then how do you know so much about him?' 'I married his damned widow.'"
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Lot of new laws came into being on Oct. 1, including AB178 that bans the sale of incandescent light bulbs in Nevada effective 2012. That should be interesting, since the new curlicue light bulbs (and it says this on the bulbs) CANNOT be used in enclosed fixtures (like in your kitchens or bathrooms, showers, etc.) So, is there something out there that can be used instead? Just asking.
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St. Peter's Episcopal Church is celebrating its 140th Anniversary on Oct. 19. Congratulations to them, and thanks for being an integral part of our community for so long (and we'd like to put in a plug for Father Jeff to be the new bishop, but then he'd have to move, we hear, so we're ambivalent on that one ... rats).
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FYI ... Did you know that if you store the word ICE ("in case of emergency") in your cell phone, and list the people you want called in an emergency, police, firemen, and paramedics can access that information and notify those people in case you're in trouble. Good idea.
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There is a Muscle Powered Kids Bike Safety Rodeo & Multi-Use Path Rally on Saturday at the Carson Wal-Mart at 9:30 a.m. Ages are 6-10, helmets are required and there are prizes for all. A parent or guardian must accompany the children. The Mile High Jazz Band will present "Autumn Jazz" at Comma Coffee tonight at 8 p.m. General admission is $5, and if you want to learn to dance, come at 6 p.m. with an additional five bucks. It's fun. Happy natal days to Kurt Garrett and Dave Hamlin ... lookin' goooood.
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Speaking of dancing, the final gala of "Let's Dance, Carson City," will be held Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the BAC Performance Hall. All their hard work will come to a peak at this event. Call 883-1976 for details, and see how the "two left feet club members," have become accomplished dancers. C'est magnifique. "Applause for Paws," (a wonderful cause) the Shakespeare Animal Fund party, takes place Friday at Circus Circus at 6 p.m. Call 342-7040 for reservations. This is a non-profit charity that was founded to "help seniors, disabled and others on low or fixed incomes pay their pets' life-threatening medical bills." Arf, meow, and thanks.
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Mollie Sanders strikes again: "Grandma and Grandpa were motoring from Washington to Florida, when they stopped by their son's house in Kansas. Grandpa happened to look in the medicine cabinet and discovered some Viagra there. The father asked if he could have one. 'I don't think so, Dad. They're very powerful and expensive.' 'How much are they?' asked the father. 'Ten dollars a pill,' the son replied. 'I'd still like to try one,' the dad said. Later the next morning, the son found $110 under the pillow after his parents had left. He immediately called them on his cell phone, and said, 'I told you the pills were only $10, not $110.' 'I know,' said Grandpa, 'the $100 was from Grandma.'"
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And welcome to fall ... it feels just like winter.
• To reach Carolyn Tate or Maizie Harris Jesse, e-mail carolynandmaizie@yahoo.com.