Entertainment, the Internet, and Your Health

Recently, I have had a bit of a scare. My vision started going. I could see little with my left eye and the vision in my right eye became almost as bad. This is partly due to age, partly to severe allergic reactions to my new neighbor's cat (I will be moving very soon because of the tiny little creature and her toxic dander-she loves to sit outside my door to groom), and, in large part to my excessive time on the computer.

I do not game, but I am a voracious reader and have spent long hours reading. Books are very expensive, so reading on line seemed a fine solution Also, I watched a bit of sports and a few short films. All for very little cost, so it seemed a great idea                                

Well, on top of my other problems, I seemed to have nearly fried my retina. Things are improving. I can now read large type and can use my computer to write a little, so long as I take long, long breaks.

My advice to one and all is simple. Find ways to entertain yourself away from your computer Use it for needed business and needed research. Take long breaks and find a screen glare reducer. Set your letters to a very large print.
 Computers are very useful, but please minimize your usage. Not being able to see is not a lot of fun.

Think Small when Seeking Entertainment

America, from the Super Bowl to huge Concerts, has become way to fond of huge spectacles. I am not sure why. Often, they are overcrowded and not that interesting. And then, there is the price.

For example, the rock band, The Who, has just signed to regularly play Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Tickets start at $70 and go up to $500. This for a band that has done nothing of not for at least 35 years. Still, I have no doubt that they will sell out.

It costs a small fortune to take a family of 4 to a big time sports event, even if you sit in the cheap seats.

There are alternatives, not as glamorous, but still vastly entertaining, at a much cheaper price. Most cities and towns have some local attractions, museums, concerts, parks, local theater groups. A lot of bars feature musicians who are every bit as talented as the big time stars.

A lot of towns have minor league teams that play fairly decent games, and most every town has high school athletics that are fun to watch.

The point is this. Do not buy into the hype. You can have a great evening of entertainment at a very low cost.

Sports and Politics

I have mentioned before my love of watching professional golf. I, on occasion, have mentioned my loathing of politics. Here is why.

This week there is a WGC tour event. Only the best players in the world are invited. For years, this tournament was played at the Doral Country Club in Miami, Fl. The course was redesigned by Donald Trump's organization and they now own the club. The old course needed redevelopment and improvement and Trump did a fine job, creating a difficult test for the best players.

Then, he ran for President and said some things that offended some people. Those people put pressure on the WGC and they folded. The tournament, stsrting this year, will be played on a course in Mexico city.

The course is short, poses few real problems for pro golfers and, in the high altitude will play even shorter. What should be a tough test for elite players is likely to be no more difficult that an average players Saturday round with his buddies. These players will tear the course up.

What has traditionally been a fine fascinating test, will likely be a boring, easy shoot out. God knows how low the scores will be. That is not what a top level tournament should be.

This is what happens when Politics and Entertainment (which is all pro sports is) get mixed up and, unfortunately you can see this in all forms of entertainment and all of the Arts. Keep Politics out of all of the rest of life, and keep it minimal even when needed.

The Future of Entertainment

I don't watch a lot of the spectacular events on TV and I don't go to big, splashy shows. But, I do see bits and pieces on TV news shows and on line and I am wondering, what's left?

David Copperfield's magic routine, the one where he makes planes and large building disappear, is no longer a surprise. I guess he can move onto entire cities, maybe the whole planet, but even that would grow tiresome to today's jaded audiences.

Super Bowl half time shows have evolved from marching bands to mini-rock concerts. Music award shows now have to include elaborate performances. Not long ago, Pink Floyd's elaborate shows were state of the art spectaculars. Now,any band playing in any small club, best have lasers and fireworks.

In many cases the shows seem to have morphed from performances into rituals, occult symbols all over and dances that would be fitting in the ancient Mystery Schools. And, guess what? All of this will become tiresome and audiences will demand more and more outrageous behavior. Can live sex acts at the Grammy Awards be next? The only thing past that would be sacrificial rites, live on stage.

Where will it stop? If you believe that human behavior cannot become so depraved that blood rites are don publicly, you should read a little history.

The Spectacular has replaced the Artistic and, in our current strange environment, nothing would surprise me. Well, one thing would. I would admit surprise if folks would make it clear that they want the Artistic to again take the forefront.