When we moved to Cumberland, Maryland, in August 2001, we decided not to go on the cable. Because Cumberland is located in the middle of the Allegheny Mountains, no cable effectively means no TV reception. So, for the past 4 1/2 years, we, too, have been a semi-No TV family. Now, we have a DVD player and VCR, but we control what comes on. (While I write this, my kids are watching “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)

Granted, I do miss watching college football games on weekends (although some friends do indulge me once in a while). One thing that really strikes me when I watch games on network TV (like CBS) is just how awful the new “comedy” shows have become — or, at least the advertisements are awful. I had forgotten just how obsessed Hollywood is with sex, but the advertisements are there to remind me. No, I don’t think I miss network TV (or Fox News, or CNN, or anything else).