Thursday, January 30, 2014

No Escape from Sports and Television

A couple of regular readers have mentioned that they are looking forward to my detailed analysis of the Super Bowl this week. Sarcasm notwithstanding, it's hard to avoid the news that the Denver Broncos are one game away from NFL championship. The whole state is awash in Broncomania. Even the company where I work is having a "sports attire" day on Friday. I can hardly contain my excitement. Of course, along with any celebratory event at the office, there is a sharp reminder to adhere to the dress code. We don't want anyone taking fun too far.

Actually, the Super Bowl has little effect on me except it might be easier to get around during the game. Perhaps we could go to a movie or something.

Just because I'm not interested, however, doesn't mean I can escape from it. Thanks to the ubiquity of TV, I am exposed to all kinds of non-stop sports.

It's not enough that Americans have more than one television per person at home. Or that we can watch anywhere using our mobile communication devices. There are screens in every restaurant, waiting room, bar, and everywhere else you can think of.

A favorite eatery in Lodo has a TV on literally every wall, sometimes more than one, so that no matter where you sit, you can't help but see "the game" or whatever's on. Last time I was there, I counted 13 from the booth where I sat. Basketball, soccer, and hockey were on view, along with a broadcast of American's Funniest Home Videos for balance. It was notable only for the absence of American football.

Even the nice restaurant where I took my boyfriend, Clyde, for his birthday, had a big screen with ESPN on the wall. I watched one man ignore his wife and kids repeatedly so he could check the score. Shaking my head in disgust, I missed what Clyde was saying to me.

On my weekly early morning visit to Village Inn, where it's just me and a bunch of old guys eating breakfast (yes, yes, I'm one of the old guys ...) the server, Regan, knows to sit me as far from the television as possible. But still I am never out of view of highlights from last night's game.

My favorite Indian restaurant has a TV in the corner where they used to show Bollywood music videos. It provided the perfect festive atmosphere in which to eat Indian food. But they have switched over to the usual whatever sports thing is on.

This isn't just an American thing. Waiting to board a plane in the Tokyo airport recently, we were practically forced by the placement of a big screen in the boarding area, to watch sumo wrestling. Man oh man, you can really see a lot of sumo wrestler details on those giant, high definition TVs.

At least at Annie's, on East Colfax, they show old movies sometimes instead of sports so that Clyde and I can guess who the actor is instead of what team is playing.

Clyde suggests having those little individual TVs like they do on some airplanes which you watch using headphones, viewing without disturbing others.

Actually, that already happens at my gym. Some of the exercise equipment has individualized screens where you can change your own channel and watch what you want. It can make a 30 minute cardio session go a lot faster. And even if you don't have your own TV on the treadmill, just look up. There are 10 hanging from the ceiling to keep you entertained while you work out. Never fear, the locker room has a couple too, in case you go too long without screen time.

Friday, January 24, 2014

Surfing the Stratosphere

I remember staying up all night with my friend John listening to the radio. This would have been in the mid to late 1970s. We didn't just listen. We ran the tuner up and down the AM frequencies and counted how many distant stations we could find from far away.

In a smaller town like Scottsbluff, Nebraska, there weren't a lot of radio stations so the airwaves weren't cluttered with local stuff. At night, there was nothing between us and the sounds which stirred our imaginations from places such as Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and Denver.

In those days, AM radio was pretty diverse. There was music, of course, news, and talk shows, as well as advertising and weather. The Omaha stations featured farm reports and something about hog futures. Sometimes the smaller town stations had a hospital report where you could actually hear a list of who was in the local hospital that day. HIPAA regulations hadn't yet been invented.

One of the Chicago stations had a great late-night review of the newest porn movies and a psychologist who answered all kinds of questions about sex. Boy did I learn a lot on those nights. In the 70s, I found sex to be a thrilling and exciting subject.

About this time, cable television was starting to catch on. We got it before larger cities because we needed it. Scottsbluff's two local stations couldn't carry all the national network programming, but cable enabled us to get ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates from Denver, as well as Channel 2 which in those days was known primarily for Blinky the Clown and reruns. Cable fixtures such as MTV and CNN were still a few years away.

In the late 70s, John's parents sprung for HBO. We didn't care that this radical new pay channel showed recent movies with no commercials. We were more interested in the R rated movies and seeing naked boobs. Yes, I know what you're thinking, but for me it was just a phase. That obsession kind of replaced the radio during sleepovers.

Nowadays, it's easy to log onto the internet and listen to a radio station from anywhere in the world. Not that I ever do it. It doesn't seem like such a big deal now when it's so easy. But I remember that magical feeling of awe when I was a kid, listening to sounds from far away. Just because we couldn't yet surf the net doesn't mean our imaginations were stuck in Scottsbluff. We were surfing the stratosphere.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Finally, BillsWeek Takes on the Pot Issue

I've had my mind on a lot of things lately. Ongoing issues with my house. My rapidly aging car. The fact that I, myself, am rapidly aging. It's actually been quite easy for me to forget that events of major historical importance have been happening all around me.

In case you weren't aware, marijuana is now legal here in Colorado for the first time ever.

The governor calls it a great social experiment. News outlets report that after just a few days, supplies are running low. Trendy restaurants are integrating it into recipes.

Conservatives, meanwhile, bemoan what's happening as the very downfall of society. One confusing Fox News discussion (according to the Daily Show, where I get my news) equated teen use of marijuana, text messaging, and the deterioration of civilization.

As a proud Coloradoan, what effect has the legalization of weed had on me?

None. Absolutely no effect at all.

In spite of the very downfall of civilization, I still trudge to work, stand in line at the supermarket, sit in traffic, and otherwise go about my day. I have yet to see anyone in Colorado more stoned than before.

In contrast, I daily see people driving under the influence of cell phones: swerving between lanes, driving at unsafe speeds. What do conservative pundits have to say about that?

I have noted with amusement the proliferation of green crosses around town, signifying an establishment selling medical marijuana; places with subtle names like The Clinic, Alternative Medicine, and Natural Remedies. There is also Discount Medical Marijuana for your more budget minded pot consumer. 

And as of this month, the non-medical retail shops are appearing with big neon marijuana leaves on upscale office buildings.

I voted for legalization. It makes sense to me to put revenues in state coffers rather than those of far away drug lords.

But I have no plans to take advantage of this new freedom to imbibe. I just go around every day like usual, watching carefully for drivers on cell phones.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

After Hong Kong, Denver Seems Kind of Small

Ever since my extensive four day trip to Hong Kong in November, Denver is looking rather small.

Our highrises are shorter. Our light rail trains, though plenty cool, are not subways. We don't have those space-efficient double decker busses.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

The mile high city seems positively huge when you're driving inbound on I-25 after visiting Wyoming, for example.

Hong Kong, much bigger than Denver, is actually quite small compared to other Chinese cities that most of us have never heard of.

These considerations are important if your self-worth is tied up with where you live. And mine is.

Denver is the biggest city and the urban hub for a huge geographical portion of the United States.

Because I believe Denver to be superior to most other places, I believe myself to be superior also, simply by virtue of my being  smart enough to live here.

I have it on good authority that others feel the same way about where they live. New Yorkers exemplify this more than most. They believe absolutely and without a shadow of a doubt that they live in the greatest city in the world, and all others are inferior.

I enjoy the occasional opportunity to voice my opinion to these folks that the greatest, most vibrant city in the world is --- London. Hey, I like Denver, but I'm not stupid.