Low Definition TV

So this is the damn plasma TV I bought. It's a 42 inch Pioneer Elite and I got a great deal on it.

If you are one of the few lemmings who has yet to move to the world of HD television, let me give you some advice. Don't get rid of your 35 inch clunky big tubed television just yet. That's what I get for not reading Consumer Reports that closely. Sure, now I know what brand of tuna fish tastes the best. But, there are a bunch of little quirks about HD flat panel TVs that are worth mentioning in the spirit of "Don't Let Me Happen to You."

Don't get me wrong. If something is broadcast in HD, both the picture and the sound are phenomenal. Desperate Housewives looked terrific. 24 was explosive. The Fox baseball game of the week was amazing: you could almost smell the grass on the infield. But, Turner Classic Movies is lost to me. The main problem is that you have to keep adjusting the screen size to match what you are watching if the particular network is not HD. If you leave non-HD images in a wide screen mode, the resulting aspect ratio gives you an image equivalent to having Lasix surgery with a Ginsu knife. And, if it's an old movie on TCM that was shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, the screen is surrounded with these two gray side bars that are very annoying. If you stretch out that image, Emeril starts looking like E-T: the Extra-Terrestrial.

Who knew? I'm just glad I kept the old Mitsubishi 35 inch for my bedroom. Now I have TV sets devoted to eras. Anything produced before, say, 1995 gets viewed in my bedroom. The living room is for the later years. Just what I wanted: an apartment sorted by Hollywood era. Of course, I add to the mayhem by having two different services in the house: Time Warner Cable in the living room and DirectTV in the bedrooms.

I am going to listen to the radio more.

But, last night, I did enjoy the HD rendition of American Idol. Thank God Sanjaya is gone. I don't think the warranty covers him. Bon Jovi was the guest mentor last night and he was heralded as one of the great bands of all time. Huh? Frankly, I have heard enough of the sputtering washing machine better known as Blake Lewis. Jordin Sparks had her first horrendous week. Rock is not in her comfort zone. And she made matters worse by apparently using Red Vines as hair extensions. They are mixing in the votes from last week's telethon to knock off two folks this week. I am thinking that Chris Richardson can now book that adenoid surgery for tomorrow morning. For the other, I am waffling between Lakisha and Phil. Actually, since George and Laura Bush made a taped appearance last night, I think they should have been added to the numbers offered for dial-up. Insert Jeff Foxworthy show joke here.

Dinner last night: chicken with spinach, Kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes.