Apparently Time Warner cable subscribers might have to start paying for FOX in the very near future. My FOX channel keeps showing a banner at the top of the screen listing shows that people will be missing (aka anything FOX shows) like Bowl games, House, etc.

A helluva lot of people said that about TV when cable first came on the scene too.

And the people who felt so strongly about it didn't get cable...until their free channels received such poor reception (conspiracy) that they had to at the minimum get basic cable.

Paying for radio is dumb to me. When I get tired of the music and radio shows on free radio, I either put in a CD or turn it off completely. Those who wish to have XM/Sirius can enjoy it---I don't want everything else to keep crumbling because so many people want to pay for this stuff (usually stuff that they aren't going to use but a few stations from--just like using only 6 channels on a 600 channel cable system).

That's a scare tactic. These have been used so many times it's not funny. You do mean paying extra like it's HBO, right? Cause if you have cable you're already paying for it...

Sirius XM is great for people who are on the road all the time, and for businesses. If you're just in your car a normal amount of time though, I think it's an absolute waste of money. Like DrPhil said, there's a concept of CDs.

Free tv is already gone - the digitalization saw to that. Before that happened, my parents' house got 7 channels, including all the main networks. After it was put in place, AND after buying the converter, I could only get 3. I HAD to get cable because the signals didn't come over the mountain and were that weak.

And the last thing I want to do is watch TV shows on any sort of computer. I can make it through a SNL skit on youtube and even that is pushing it.

I have also noticed that a lot of new rental cars have Sirius XM (or something like it?).

See! That's the conspiracy that I was talking about ealier. Most of this stuff is being forced upon us.

And if people keep using the U Scans at the grocery store, cashiers will be gone too, just like Full Serve gas stations. We think we have choices and options but it's all just a conspiracy, truly.

You're obviously not from NJ.

When I first moved to New York, I had no idea about the gas pumping rules in NJ. I went to a gas station and started for the pump but the pump guy started fussing at me to get back in my car. I had no idea what was going on so I left the station altogether. Now I LOVE it!!

Should I stock up on gallons of water, cans of nonperishable items, and get my rifle ready? :eek:

I don't use U Scans too much because I'm lazy and don't like being put to work when I'm spending money. I will U Scan at 24 hour grocery stores where the cashiers are unavailable or if I'm in a rush and the lines are long. I hate it all the same.

I only know of 2 full service gas stations. The victims of city living. We should do a "where are they now?" for the gas attendants of yesteryear. :(

Yes, paying extra like HBO. I don't have Time Warner. We are satisfied enough with our package provider, though I agree that the it's expensive. We need a fast internet connection bc my husband sometimes telecommutes, and we both watch cable stations probably 4x as much as we do the networks. He loves the HBO shows and I love A&E, Discovery, Animal Planet, and a bunch more of the specialty channels. So we just made the best choice for us.

We don't have expensive hobbies, and whenever we buy new electronics (like replacing my 4-year old laptop for various reasons), we usually try to sell the older version (he saves boxes and packaging) and try to recoup 1/3 to 1/2 of the older item's original cost to put towards the new item. So before we get new phones, mpg players, etc., we check to see the going price and sell-ability of used items we have, before committing to making a new purchase. Of course, I cringe when I have to spend $100 at the grocery store (I load up when chicken breast is on sale for $1.99 a pound), so we weigh our costs carefully.

Not to totally take the thread aside, but I am a firm believer in decluttering and selling items you no longer use or when you need to upgrade. We have sold DVDs, CDs, tech books, and donated clothing and furniture to the Salvation Army for the tax deductions. So much of the stuff is still in amazing condition, and someone else will be able to get things at a bargain. It's also a way of being green.

Off - off topic.....

Maybe it would be better if every U scanner came with a microphone so you could shout into them "I need a price check on an item!!!". I think that it would make it more fun!!! :)

I love the self-checkout! And if it had a microphone, i would love it even more!!!!

I like the self checkout, because many times i've had items marked wrong (like lower than they should be) and you don't have the cashier asking for a price check to change it. Like everytime I go to Albertson's and buy a case of water, it charges me the price of 1 water bottle ($1 something) instead of the price of a case ($5 something). That's not something you'd get away with w/ a cashier lol

I like the self-checkout but I worked at Target for so long that I'm a speed demon at the check-out lanes. I was a Jewel once and used it and the attendant said that I was way faster than most of their cashiers!

I hope it wasn't sarcasm. :o

ETA: To stay on topic. I don't pay for most of my TV watching anyway, muahahaha.