Way back when our lad was just a tot, we suffered a scare that changed our
ideas on child-raising forever. One day, determined to get the hell out of the
house and enjoy the sultry Florida afternoon, we packed a yummy picnic lunch,
gathered some friends and playthings, and went to fetch the young laddie who
was parked in front of the television. "C'mon, pal! Let's go to the park!" we
urged, expecting to be met with beams of approval. "No!!!" he howled, "No park,
I wanna watch TV!!!" The tortured protests that ensued were unbearable. Sheer
parental torture. We did indeed go to the park -- had a blast of course -- and
upon our return, made a decision that did not sit well with the rest of the
household. While the rest of the household was out for an evening visit to
gramma's, we hid the TV.
Anyone who has attempted a similar in-house rebellion knows that this tactic
is interpreted as an act of high treason in homes glued to the tube. So here we
are, six years later in Austin, household asunder (is there a connection to the
television uprising? You decide...). When lad spends only part of his year
here, he must grow accustomed to no cable, only broadcast channels, a very
restricted viewing window, and little to no Nintendo. The good news is that the
howling only lasts for a few days because we find enough fun stuff to occupy
our time.
In an interesting twist, we recently decided to try cable TV out for one
month, in honor of an overseas guest who is here on holiday. After all, what's
American culture without the 24-hour shopping network and God at the flick of a
wrist? Turns out, cable sucks. This much access to television sucks as much as
we remembered it did, and now we can't even get our favorite station KVR-9 from
the University of Texas. The only real upshot is that Xena Warrior
Princess is on more than one channel.
One thing you won't see on TV is an announcement for TV Turn-Off Week,
starting Mon, Apr 28. We decided to post this now because serious TV junkies
need some time to wean. If you'd like more information about the week, Carol
Toole of the Austin Waldorf School would be happy to speak with you.
288-5942.
Hood Walkers
Over 4,000 homes will be canvassed in the
East Austin Neighborhood
Walk, Sat, Apr 19, 9am-noon. Volunteers are needed to distribute important
community health resource information to the 78702, -04, -23, and -41
neighborhoods. Refreshments will be provided.
472-5575.
Grilled Meet
Meet the candidates for Austin City Council races, Places 2, 5, and 6, Mon,
Apr 21, and for Mayoral candidates, Mon, Apr 28 at the
Candidate's Forum
hosted by the
Austin Community Access Center. The forums will take place
at Carver Library, 1161 Angelina, 6pm and cablecast live on cable channel 10.
The forum is looking for a few good live audience members to ask searing,
insightful questions.
478-8600.
Buns in the Sun
Shake your sesame seeds over to Zilker Park for the annual
Bun Run,
Sat, Apr 19, 8:30am and Post-Race Party with Don Walser & His Pure Texas
Band. The run benefits the
Austin Sunshine Camps, founded in Zilker Park
in 1928 by the Young Men's Business League. The camp's original intention was
to bolster under-fed kids' immunity against tuberculosis with food, fun, fresh
air, and sunshine. The cause today focuses on kids whose homes are stressed by
economic disadvantage and family disintegration. The run provides 25% of the
organization's annual budget.
434-7460.
