Happy Festivus!

Things that will change--greatly--with the next generations

I've noticed a few things about the preferences of the next, younger generations, that are different--vastly different--from the way America and Americans are now. There will be big changes with the coming younger people. Whole economies will be turned upside down, if not eliminated entirely:

First thing I noticed is that they have vastly, vastly different preferences for ways to spend their time. Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to computers and television.

The younger the person, the less likely they are to watch TV, period. At least, they don't watch it on a television set.  Instead, they spend far more of their time--frequently all their spare time--on their computers.

That's a big change in and of itself.

A second part of that is that they don't need or want "cable TV." They wouldn't even think of paying for a TV subscription, let alone what it costs at present.

Those factors alone will bode hugely in change and changes for TV providers like Cox, Time Warner Cable®, Comcast, AT&T® and the like. They will have to transform themselves greatly in just a few short years. Big changes are going to come.

Second, or, in a way, thirdly, a big change is that younger people want and own fewer cars. As in none, in many cases. That will mean huge changes in transportation for our country, certainly.  Maybe more car poolers?  Mass transportation?  It seems likely.

Third, not only will entire industries be racked by change, with some, lots, maybe, even likely, entire cities and towns will also be racked by change. One city right now is going through such a change, with no optimistic outcome in sight.

That city is Branson, Missouri.

Formerly, millions of dollars were made, rather famously, on the idea of people driving or busing into that city in order to see the various shows, performers, singers and other acts at this Northwest Arkansas hamlet.

No longer.

Last Summer, the again famous "Shepherd of the Hills" show closed after decades of performances.

Branson seems to be next.

The senior citizens that formerly used to stream through the city have either seen enough of the shows or, worse, they're literally dying. From what I understand, the theaters down there are quietly for sale, behind the scenes. It seems they can be bought for fractions of what they were once worth. It stands to reason. The younger people don't want to and will not be going there for their entertainment. It's in no way their style entertainment.

Side note:  If the Walton family, of the Walmart fortune, know what's good for them and Northwest Arkansas, they would step up, pony in some big money---they can easily and well afford---and try to get set up an artist's colony-type arrangement in the town and area, much like Asheville, North Carolina has now. I think it could help the burg and that area transition to a better, newer, functioning, surviving, even thriving area and economy. If they don't or someone doesn't, I'd look for Branson, one day, and possibly, very likely one day very soon, to be a rather hollowed-out, sad and run down place of yesteryear unless they or someone very like them--Tyson Foods? someone--steps in.

We shall see, of course, on all.

"Her Tackiness" continues in her same vein

Sarah Palin, ever the person to prove how low class she is, goes off again:

Sarah Palin makes fun of Katie Couric’s post-CBS plans


Right.  


Make fun of Katie Couric.


If she were to just go by what Katie makes per year she wouldn't have touched this one.  Reportedly, Ms. "In Poor Taste" Palin has made, to date, from her book deals and speaking engagements, I understand, somewhere in the neighborhood of 13 to 20 million dollars.


Heads up, Ms. W. Trash, Katie makes 15 million a year.  And she's done that for the last 5 years.  And in case you never saw her, Ms. P., before that she was on a news show, too, and for that she put away 7 million a year.


But enough about money.


The circle of people Ms. Couric run with have EDGOOKASHUNS and are world travelers and, I'm imagining, the heads of multi-national organizations and non-profits and, hey, these are people who read magazines and books and they can even name them.


Unlike you, Ms. Palin.


So please, do yourself a favor--go climb back under the rock from which you came.


Or at least have the good sense to be quiet.

Bill Maher on Letterman last night--thank goodness for YouTube

I was sorry I missed this but there it is, thanks to the ever-present, unblinking YouTube.  What a great mix, too, Bill and Dave.  Thanks and a hat tip to The Immoral Minority Blog for bringing it to my attention.

The Tea Party:  "Corporate America's useful idiots."  So true.  If it only lead to laughter and not frustration and ultimately being maddening.

Next stop for the Winkelvoss twins? Lampooning on SNL

Did you see the latest news out today on the two Harvard Winkelvoss twins who sued Mark Zuckerberg for ownership of Facebook?  You can't miss it:

   Court: Harvard twins stuck with Facebook agreement

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal appeals court ruled Monday that former Harvard University schoolmates of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg can't undo their settlement over creation of the social networking site.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday that Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss were savvy enough to understand what they were agreeing to when they signed the agreement in 2008. 

Here's the main thrust that will get them lampooned (I mean, besides the fact that they're East coast all the way, tall, dark and handsome and went to Harvard.  Other than that...):

The deal called for a $20 million cash payment and a partial ownership of Facebook. 

I mean, come on.  This has SNL all over it:

"Waaaaahhhhhh... Twenty million dollars isn't enough!!!"

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

This one writes itself.

Even the name.  I'm sorry, WINKELVOSS?

The writers won't even have to get out of bed for this one, they'll be able to phone this one in.

Links:  http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/court-harvard-twins-stuck-with-facebook-agreement

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/

Notes on Keith Olbermann and his new gig

First, yeah, he has a new gig.

Keith Olbermann just signed a deal, apparently, with "Current TV" (ever heard of them?  I hadn't) so he'll be back on the air.

Second, it seems Keith had to get a dig in on MSNBC, right out of the chute, so to speak: 

"Nothing is more vital to a free America than a free media," Olbermann told reporters Tuesday. "And nothing is more vital to my concept of a free media than news that is produced independent of corporate interference."

That is surely a dig on his old place of residence--MSNBC.  It may mean because they were owned by GE or, more likely I think, because they were just bought by Comcast.

Third,  that whole thing about a "free media" and being "produced independent of corporate interference" is a bit of a hoot since Current TV is the " public affairs network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt."

Don't look for the Conservative and/or Republican sides to be espoused on this channel or show, ala' "Point/Counterpoint" like we used to see on the old "60 Minutes" program.  I'm not saying it should be, given the Fox "News" channel and all but it isn't that this station will try to show a balance on issues, either.

Next, there's this point:

Olbermann called the move to Current his "most exciting venture" in a decades-long television career that's included stops at CNN, ESPN, Fox Sports, and MSNBC (twice!). He described Current as "one of the fastest-growing television networks in history."


Yeah, right, fastest-growin television networks in history.

If you ignore the Spanish television channel, Telemundo it might be.  Maybe.  I guess.

More from the article:  Current is available in 60 million households. Gore, on the conference call, suggested that Current has a larger potential audience than MSNBC had when Olbermann launched "Countdown" in 2003. (MSNBC, however, was available in over 78 million homes then and 95 million now). Current is also available in 15 million households outside the United States.


Yeah. 
Finally, there's this:

Olbermann didn't hold back his political views on "Countdown," but he got into trouble in November after donating to three Democratic candidates in without alerting MSNBC's management. Those contributions led to a brief, November suspension that set the stage for his departure a couple months later.
Gore said that Olbermann, along with other Current employees, is free to contribute to political campaigns as long as the donations are disclosed.
As I recall, that was the rule at MSNBC, too, wasn't it, Mr. O?

Enough to make you at least smile, if not laugh.

Anyway, I'm all for him and Mr. Gore and the station.  Good luck to them.  I hope it works.

Unlike "Air America" on radio.

Links:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thecutline/20110208/ts_yblog_thecutline/olbermann-launching-primetime-current-tv-show-this-spring
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemundo

Online petitions

Okay, now I got sent a petition to "Stop the NBC-Comcast Merger" and it's oh-so-important.


Do we really think we're changing anything by signing and sending these things?

Really?