"Most of the laugh tracks on television were created in the early 1950's. This means that most of the people you hear laughing today are dead." ~ Chuck Palahniuk

Good morning and welcome to Thursday, September 10, 2020. Time changes everyone. The other day the wife and I tried to stream some old-time television comedy shows and found them not to be as funny as they were over 40 years ago. Lucille Ball, a great comedic actress, well, her show seemed mostly silly in retrospect. We felt similarly about the Red Skelton reruns. We used to love these shows and they were must-see for us. What changed? We all know production values changed with better photography, lighting, and all the digital technology now available. But, that may not be all of it. There is also the choices available back then. There were not as many. We still enjoy watching old John Wayne movies. And, I even enjoy watching Groucho Marx on his quiz program, 'You Bet Your Life'. But, in the end, I suppose it is our sense of humor that does undergo change over time. Slapstick just isn't what it once was for us. I told the wife as we watched Lucy, "It's hard to believe she one all of those awards for her comedy show." I am glad to say this is not a universal problem. I still can appreciate and enjoy the writing and the delivery of the lines from the 'George Burns and Gracie Allen Show'. Maybe it's just the mileage. You know, as in me being past my 'use by' date. 

I don't remember the first time I actually saw a color television show. I do, however, well remember the first color TV we owned. It was in the Spring of 1966 and I was working in Alexandria, Louisiana, at the VA Hospital. We bought us a small color TV. On a time payment plan, of course. Prior to that, it had all been black and white for us. For the wife, it wasn't even that. She grew up without TV and her parents didn't buy their first one until after she was grown and gone. All we had with the one we bought was rabbit ears but there was a local station in Alexandria, KALB, Channel 5. It was pretty amazing to be able to watch TV shows in quote-unquote, "Living Color." I mention this because the color TV was great. When we first got it, we couldn't get enough of watching the programs that were in color. However, over time, it became less of a novelty and the payments lasted a whole lot longer than the great feeling of having it did. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

Now we busy ourselves with trying to figure out the best way to stream programs from our laptop to our big screen TV.  And, as they say, the beat goes on. I hear them talking about smart TVs and some that are really much smarter than others. I think perhaps the lesson of how all these amusements in life will fade is one that is best to know on the front end, if you get my meaning. I do hope you will have a blessed day. We have had some rain four out of the last six days. We are thankful for that. We continue to pray for family and others hit by Hurricane Laura. We continue to pray for a long list of those in hospitals and others dealing with great needs. God has given us the privilege of interceding on behalf of others. It's not a small privilege and unlike the 'things' of this life, it is a connection to who our unchanging and everlasting God is. Amen. .....More later.