(Lack of) Cable update

You may recall I touched on this subject about a year ago. Today, the whole Fox vs. Cablevision thing in New York makes me want to revisit how awesome it is to be free from cable. To date, I'll estimate that I have now saved $680 since my decision last summer to not get cable when I moved into my house last June (17 months, times $40 a month...and that's a low estimate I think).

For the most part, I don't miss it. Though I'll tip my cap to Hulu, SouthParkStudios, and my workplace having cable, for making it a lot easier. Otherwise, all hail the $30 HD antenna you can get from Best Buy or any similar store, which allows reception of all network stations with crystal clarity. What an age we live in.

In bad economy, too much hubris a major turn-off

It's amazing how some businesses have the moxie to continue to charge draconian prices, or even raise them, in this economic climate. And when I say economic climate, I don't mean the one that's portrayed in the media (super-horrible worst thing ever), but the realistic one (kinda bad; not terrible, but certainly not helped by aforementioned media sensationalism).

I feel cable companies are the best example. It seems they are just begging people to yank it out of their homes. I've said this before about movie theater prices ($10 per person in this era where you could buy the DVD and watch it in high-definition forever for about that much), and it's almost stunning the amount of hubris it takes to price yourself out of a market and assume no one will leave you because they simply MUST have cable. Well not me. I recently bought a house and for the first time in over 5 years, was faced with the decision of whether or not to pay the current rate of over $50 a month for cable. I said no.

I know where technology is going. So much is online now - ABC, Fox, CBS, and NBC upload most of their prime time shows, and even some of my favorite cable shows like South Park, Rescue Me and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, are also available. Not to mention everything people put on Youtube. And there's Netflix. In fact, I think the only thing on cable these days that can't be worked around, is a live, cable-televised sporting event. And for that, I submit just any bar or restaurant.

One of my friends has canceled his cable service in the past few months. I have 9 friends so sure it's a small sample size, but hey, counting myself that's 20% of people I know that have said no to cable lately.

I think the backlash is delayed a bit, but in the not too distant future we're going to see record numbers of people cut down on this entertainment expense, from companies that either simply don't understand their market, or have the heap of arrogance it takes to ignore it.

They're as good as money

Regarding the state of California giving "I.O.U.'s" to people because they are broke - Is anyone else reminded of Dumb and Dumber, when Lloyd and Harry spent all the money in the suitcase, but made it all right by filling it up with I.O.U's?

It would be nice to have that kind of job security

I am convinced that in these down economic times, the best way to feel safe in your job is to be way overqualified, and way underpaid, for your current position, to the point that it would be downright foolish for your company to let you go. Now that's job security!

PS: If my employers are reading this post, I'm definitely not talking about me.