Feb 17

Am I the only one in Calgary who doesn’t have cable TV?

by in Postcard from home

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Home: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

I know that I am not literally the only person without vast channel selection. I know also that many people choose to have no TV. At many points in my life I have made the same choice.

Now I’m in between worlds, televisually speaking.

At the beginning of 2010, I cancelled our cable TV but kept the machine going on the analogue signal and the rabbit ears on top of the TV, with some tinfoil for an extra boost.

I get about three channels reliable. Sometimes to watch House and Lie to Me, I lie on the bed with my foot touching the end of the tinfoil, for better reception.

I got NetFlix and I like it, but it’s pooey to see how many things are on their list but greyed out with a “not available” message. Do other people get to watch those shows? Or does the whole NetFlix customer base get the bait and switch feeling?

The price is right, I like NetFlix, but why do they show us lists of things we can’t watch?

Anyway, with analogue TV and three channels, I pay attention to the TV listings. Bones, tonight, 10 p.m. Be there or be square.

green Christmas cactus with pink flowers in a terra cotta pot on a green tray, indoors

Cactus blooming after Christmas and before Easter. Photo by Jill Browne, February 14, 2011, Calgary.

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