Tainted gov making Illinois a national joke
You see Blago bouncing around at that press conference, smirking and cracking wise about enjoying the limelight these past few weeks, and you think:
This guy runs on spite.
You think he cares if he's casting a cloud over the Obama inauguration, if he's turning Illinois politics into a national punchline? Please. He's gonna fight-fight-fight, and if you don't like it, tough (bleep).
When Roland Burris first tossed his hat into the pick-me-Blago ring, I thought, oh yeah, I remember him. Didn't he lose the Senate primary to Paul Simon about a quarter-century ago? Didn't he also lose primaries for governor and mayor?
I didn't think Burris actually had a shot. But then again, how many of the other names that had been bandied about actually wanted Blago's endorsement at this point? It's like an ex-husband telling the former wife how she should redecorate the house, even as he's packing his boxes to leave. Why should we listen to THAT guy?
Programming Alert!
Starting Feb. 17, 2009, this column will be going all-digital.
How will this affect you?
Well, for many of you, nothing will change. You'll still be able to read the column by turning to Page 11 or by going to the Sun-Times' Web site and clicking on "Richard Roeper."
But for others, this page will suddenly go blank on Feb. 17.
Don't be alarmed, as help is on the way. Stay tuned. Over the next 90 minutes, I'm going take you through a step-by-step tour through the exciting new world of digital column transmission.
With all the warnings and promo spots, with all the messages scrolling across the bottom of your screen, with those full-on specials explaining the switch to all-digital, one can understand why the average viewer has a headache by now.
For some reason, most TV stations seem determined to make the process seem more complicated and much scarier than it really is.
New York Times headline: "The Digital TV Transition: More Confusion"
The article quotes an analyst who says the transition to digital is "possibly one of the worst understood consumer education programs in modern times," and notes that an Ohio company has hired Joe the Plumber -- yeah, THAT Joe the Plumber -- to star in a series of videos explaining the process.
Here's the deal. If you have cable or satellite TV, you're fine. If you're using an antenna, you're going to need a digital tuner.
What is the percentage of households still using the ol' rabbit ears or rooftop antenna? The Washington Post says "about 14 million U.S. households watch television over an analog signal." (There are many more analog TVs out there, but most homes have more than one TV.) Those are the homes that will be affected by the switch to digital.
The government is offering $40 vouchers to cover most of the cost of converter boxes, which range in price from $40 to about $90. You get the box, you hook it up, you should be good to go. (Although we're already hearing reports of some consumers expressing dissatisfaction with their converter boxes, whether it's because they're receiving fewer channels or having trouble hooking up the devices.)
Who's most likely to have an analog TV this late in the game? The elderly. The poor. The technologically challenged. Some folks might need help installing the box; lend a hand if you can. I don't need converter boxes for my TVs, but if I did, I'd probably need your help installing them.
If you are in need of a converter box, government officials say you should order the coupons now -- like RIGHT NOW -- to ensure they'll arrive in time for you to get them before mid-February.
If you already have a cable or satellite, if you don't rely on rabbit ears to receive your signal, at ease. You don't need to do anything.
Thanks for watching this special show.
As we head into the new year, I think there's one thing we can all embrace for 2009, whether you're black or white, rich or poor, man or woman, a Howie Mandel fan or not, and that is:
We should all hate the damn Yankees.
They are the Mr. Potter of sports teams, and they are trying to buy another World Series championship, and they are more mercenary than De Niro and Skarsgard in "Ronin."
I hope they lose 90 games in '09.