OHMIGOSH – Two blogs, two days in a row! I’m on fire!
When I moved into my new apartment, I knew I MUST have internet, but cable TV? I wasn’t so sure. I couldn’t remember the last time I turned on the TV to watch something specific, something I was looking to watch. Every once in a while, I would turn it on while cleaning up my room or just before bed to watch Law & Order re-runs. So I decided, what the heck, why do I want to pay for a service I don’t even use? I decided not to subscribe, even though I have never lived in a place that didn’t have at least 70 channels.
I’m about a month and a half in, so far, I don’t miss it. Over the holidays, I rented several movies from Blockbuster and racked up quite a rental bill, so I decided to subscribe to Netflix. That way, I can watch instant movies AND get unlimited DVDs (2 out at a time) in the mail. I can even catch up or start watching TV shows I didn’t have time or access to. Maybe I’ll get tired of this and end up ordering cable TV, but I’m content with what I’ve got now.
Since I don’t have cable TV, I don’t watch TV for news. Most of it is all teasers and crap stories, anyway. I usually listen to American Public Media’s (APM) Marketplace for my news. It is described on the APM website as “hosted by Kai Ryssdal, award-winning Marketplace is public radio’s daily magazine of business and economics. Airing weekday mornings and evenings, it boasts the largest audience for any business program in the U.S. on radio, cable, or network television.”
I like it because I can download a podcast (a digital recording) of each episode and listen when I have time. When I have time, I usually get ready for work in the morning or while driving to or from work. Sometimes, episodes pile up on me, and sometimes, I listen to the podcast on the same day it was published. I do not like driving because I always feel like I could be doing something better with my time, but this helps keep me entertained during traffic or while blow-drying my long hair.
Certainly, not all of the stories are interesting to me, but even when they aren’t I usually learn something new. The two following stories have perked my ears over the last couple episodes. Neither of them are very long, so don’t be afraid to click the link and read the whole text.
How to pick a great wine from the seller – This story is about a book “Drink This: Wine Made Simple” by Dara Moskowitz. Dara talks with Marketplace’s host about how to pick a wine and mentions specifically: “there’s essentially no correlation between price and value [with regard to wines].” This is something not many people know and I sometimes forget! I still have yet to find my favorite wine, but I like some of the things the author suggests in the interview to help you find out.
Divorced couples aren’t the half of it – While wrapping up 2009, Marketplace has been doing a series on business or finance stories that haven’t made the major headlines, unlike health care reform, recession, and Tiger Woods. “This year will record the lowest divorce rate since 1970…Today’s low divorce rate is part of a steady decline that has now lasted 30 years. Yes, you heard that right, divorce has been falling for the last three decades.” I am nowhere near getting married, but I found the details of this story pretty interesting. you have to click the link to read the rest.
So now the theme of this blog is outed. The song Now and Forever – Richard Marx, is a nod to those who have made it to the only other option for a ending a marriage (a.k.a. ’til death do us part).
