“I have many fans! Oh! And one small air-conditioner.” ― Anthony T. Hincks

Good morning and welcome to our visit for today, Tuesday, February 20, 2018. I've watched some of the Olympic winter games, but, I've just not been able to get into them this year. Maybe it's because the USA has not done that well. I know of folks who say if you are not interested in watching because your country is not being featured, then, that means you are not a true sports fan. Really? Sign me up for that one. Please. I get the same guff from those who belittle viewers who leave the NASCAR race because the drivers they support are knocked out. People who do that are not real motorsports fans. Really? Sign me up that one too. Please. I can watch whatever it is that I want to watch without regard to having to report my reasons. Or, at least I thought that was the way it works. Not meeting some commentator's definition of what constitutes a true fan is not on my radar screen. If I want to switch from the Daytona 500 to the national tiddlywinks championship, (if there is such a thing), then that falls into an area that is between me, myself, and I, and the TV remote that cannot be pried out of my fist of fury death grip. I was just trying to liven up the script here and have no idea exactly what kind of grip that might be. But, I think you get my point. For instance, I don't care if I ever see LeBron James play basketball. I know he is a great player but I don't care to watch his games. The kneejerk from the enlightened world: You must be a racist. In the same way, you must not be a true fan of sport if you choose not to watch the Olympics. You can't be a true fan of NASCAR if you ever switch the channel. Period. That kind of stuff is not only ridiculous but it may point to why some folks get sick and tired of being sick in tired of trying to follow some of the events being televised. That's my take on this particular matter and now you know. And, you can skip over it, change to a better blog, or find out where the next tiddlywinks championship is being held, and, I will not be casting any stones of condemnation for the choices you make. Got it? Good.

Add to that, due to my age, the fact that I am pretty much beyond any category desired in terms of attracting viewers. That's okay with me. The stuff about seeking the younger audience is real. It makes a huge difference in advertising results. I read about one of the most popular shows in terms of total audience versus a less popular show. The ad revenues for the most popular was much lower than the less popular show. Why? The less popular show was doing well with the 18-34-year-olds. That is the holy grail for those who put together programming. Don't get me wrong. There's a market for us over the hill folks too. But, it is hardly a blip by comparison. There's a reason we get all the hearing aid promotions while watching reruns of Matlock. We understand. In that setting, we are the target audience because the others don't watch. The others spend the big bucks and that's why they want to reach them. I don't have a problem with the way the system works. I'm just glad there's enough of the gray economy to pay for the airing of shows we do want to watch. It means we have to try to be good at operating the remote because let's face it, seeing that dude off of Jeopardy selling burial policies about eight times in an hour-long show, well, it's enough to either make you want to buy one or find a place to hide. I choose to work on my remote skills just for that reason. What say you?

There's somewhere around 328 million living here in the USA, more than double the total in 1952. While the over-65 is a growing metric, it still reflects only around 15% of the total population. Based on the math I was taught, that leaves a whopping target audience of 85% who may be more inclined to be induced by slick advertising. I don't feel bad about being in this minority group. You hear people say, "Well, it does beat the alternative." I cannot say that because the alternative is to be finished up with my sojourn here on earth and to be at home in heaven. We are clear on this transition. The Apostle Paul gave insight into the instantaneous transformation when he, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote, "Now we are confident and are pleased rather to be absent out of the body, and to be at home with the Lord." (2nd Corinthians 5:8 as rendered by the Berean Literal Bible) We had a preacher friend who used to say that while he really did want to go to heaven, he would just as soon it not be today. He likely meant that in a positive way, but, from my viewpoint, I'm more than satisfied with God's perfect timing on this certain event for me. There's an old southern gospel tune, "I've Got More to go to Heaven for than I had Yesterday'. It was recorded by many different groups. It has these words to close out the final chorus, "There'll be a lot of friends a-waiting When I walk through the gate And I've got more to go to Heaven for Than I had yesterday." Okay. That will do it for today. Have a great one and may God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.