In a whole other country, in a whole other time, this Idiot Box, was noted by none other than the now much despised/or/revered John Fitzgerald Kennedy. One of the Kennedy Campaign issues and which the tricky dicky Republican Nixonites denigrated was what Kennedy called Television -- "The Vast Wasteland." Because, far-seeing as ever, the Kennedy position was that this medium (medium cool), this instrument of communication should be used as a medium of education, elucidation, teaching and community social participation -- for the betterment of the community, not strictly the welfare of the advertiser. In other words, something missing --"social responsibility" granted with the FCC license to use a public air way. Nixon, like the typical brand of Republican exploiters of our current era, (and many of you know who I am expecting to hop on my comments like harrassment in the 1st degree) felt that there should be absolutely no public television, no funds spent for elucidation, education, or community socialization or anything but advertising revenue spent to help shape the consumer, shape the modern kitchen and appliances, frigidaires, and automobiles, Chrysler, Chevy (GM), and Ford. In the US this was a battle. To own all the appliances and cars foisted upon us through great psychological tools developed by television advertising and exploitation streams of money, it was soon determined that women should be educated to help the economy have money to further exploit. Oh, sure, I am simplifying a little but the old bra-burners and those educated women looking for equivalent jobs (still looking) did not realize they were the ones primarily being exploited. So now you still have governmental control shaping your society, and we have economic exploitation shaping ours. Just wait until your version of Ted Turner, or BlackEntertainmentTelevision or even Learn a Skill on Television starts producinjg a distributing really needed information in your part of the planet. (Maybe it will be you.) The trick is now to keep all the exploitation xbox people want to have channeled into the bucky fuller approach of learning a living (see Late Buckminster Fuller sites all over the globe and the geodesic dome, to see a little of his vision.) The major problem is population! You know that, of course. So do I. That is the key to our survival, as well as the survival of other life on the planet. I enjoyed your post. The commercialism still is here, the shaping of the consumer mind, but we now have a few educational programs that are outstanding and expensive. We need a new charismatic and brilliant Carl Sagan to help build a newer version of Cosmos (did you see the original?) which still is one of the finest assemblages of an assessment of mankind I have ever seen, and educational beyond anything most similar and prior, like Jacob Bronowski's "Assent of Man" series. (Jacob died too soon to really learn that many 'animals' are capable of abstract thought, and it is a shame he missed that because he was left thinking we were the annointed supreme beings -- a very flawed perspective.) There are a few (Many) good educational and important english language productions still available. "The power of Myth" is one, and one could only imagine what the Chinese could have done free from their oppression! We may soon see. (Well, your childrens children will see! And in your own booming nation, too. Granted. the Vast Wasteland Kennedy so clearly recognized and worked to change is still with us in your Idiot Box. I was spoiled, I learned to read well before there was television in my part of the US. Being deprived now with several hundred channels of TV thankfully, I have never ever seen "American Idol" nor been enmeshed in the survivor messes, except the discovery channels versions, going it alone. In my real scientific working life I was confronted with these kinds of adventures often enough. I guess I do not watch enough TV, seldom more than say 5-10 hours a week. (closer to 5) Pretty out of it huh? But I surf for info. Nice posting. Your Mason Dixon line is different from ours, and TV has homogenized the language here as it will there and maybe I will understand it spoken more clearly. Eventually!