Our Regular TV Exercise.....An Exercise In Futility?

The easiest exercise, believe it or not, is the casting of negative spotlights on what isn´t going right in the world, or perhaps in our lives in general; one that doesn´t require a gym or a treadmill; doesn´t require running a mile with our "walkmans" or Ipod shuffles in hand- no way. A cost-free cum stress-free exercise, that only requires one pair of eyes, one living room couch, one remote control and of course- how can we forget our beloved television sets? Because right now, the time has come to brace ourselves for the ultimate TV exercise.

Wonder what´s on the news channel today: "Government looking to improve healthcare (great) but -mind you, always a "but"-at the same time considering raising taxes!" Heard it all before, and quite frankly, my thumb is itching so bad, I just can´t wait to flip over to the Financial channel: " Threat of a global recession with slow down in world economy" If only that was all but "Inflation not ruled out". A stagnant economy and imminent inflation at the same time? It´s like the retail rhetoric "Two for the price of one!" with some financial experts even coining the phenomenon "Stag-flation". A dilemma for any government- Do you lower interest rates to counter economic decline, boosting consumer spending and confidence? Or do you hike interest rates to curb having too much money or credit in circulation? For any financial regulator it is like being offered death by hanging or the electric chair. My guess: Whoever is on the receiving end of making such a decision surely won´t complain of being spoilt for choice.

Money matters is heating up my brain at the moment, so I wonder what the latest news is with Crime, next channel please: " Over 20 knife stabbings within a week in the city of London! UK Home Office report shows annual figures of 60,000 deaths per year as a result of knife crime." And the main perpetrators? Who else but disaffected teenagers, with their ages ranging between 16 and 18, all going on a stabbing spree. Now what in hell´s name is the world coming to? Stabbing is so rife in the UK right now some budding entrepreneurs are seizing the initiative, setting up companies specializing in stab-proof vests making bullet-proof ones look so obsolete-Really weird . Only a fortnight ago, two French students (In their early twenties)-who came to London to study- were bound, gagged and stabbed-between them, 250 stab wounds. More gruesome, was the fact that their apartment was set ablaze to hide evidence. Burglary, was what we were made to believe the motive was, with only hand-held video games and laptops missing at the victims residence- Hideous.The British government to date has spent millions of Pounds in taxpayers money on television adverts which hasn't been in anyway shape or form productive. What use is national campaigns if it doesn't start at grassroot level. A level where these kids, majority from broken homes and divided families require mentors and role models? So much for government policies.

Enough bad news for one day, I think I could do with some comic relief. Wonder what the entertainment channel has in store: "Exclusive: Michael Jackson snapped in broad daylight in Las Vegas visiting a Barnes and Noble book store bound to a wheelchair in his pyjamas and slippers"- And that´s exclusive? Maybe it´s just me, but I thought the term "Exclusive" denotes exposing previously uncovered news. So what´s so special about Michael Jackson showing up in a book store in pyjamas when the same Michael turned up for one of his court hearings for child-sex allegations a few years back in the same outfit? If he could wear his pyjamas before a Judge, he´d surely have no problem wearing it before a bookstore clerk. Next channel please! Wonder what sports has to offer :" FIFA President, Sepp Blatter accuses Manchester United Football club of "modern day slavery" for not allowing soccer star Ronaldo move to Real Madrid Football Club."Interesting news, even more mind-boggling is the same player reportedly telling the Portuguese press he himself agrees he is been treated like a "slave". A "slave"? Call me cynical, but I doubt if there exists any "slave" earning £140,000 a week. And if earning that amount makes one a "slave" I would personally bask in captivity.

Really getting bored now, and my thumb could use some bandage at this point. But wait a minute, this is TV addiction we are talking about here, last channel please: "Employees of a reputable medium-sized firm plan a revolt as $400,000 worth of " free drinks" to be scrapped by the company CEO". A preposterous cause for a revolution if you ask me. We live in uncertain economic times and the threat of redundancies have made even the ugliest jobs in the world look beautiful at the moment. If I could have a conversation with those heckling employees I would ask them what they preferred: Half a million dollars worth of job positions being cut, or half a million dollars worth of "free drinks" going away? Don´t know about you, but I know my preference: Job security.

Finally, to all the TV addicts incorporated, there´s nothing wrong with flipping the channel; nothing wrong with passing a comment or an opinion-guided or misguided, provided it´s confined to the four walls of our living rooms. However, how effective has our TV viewing been in shaping or influencing the events around us- especially the things we can´t stand in our society? The guiding rule should be: Don´t just hate, but initiate or participate.

In a country where elections are free and fair, we can make a difference. If we don´t like the policies- be it money matters, combating crime, irrelevant media coverage, economic or otherwise- let´s turn off that TV, leave the comfort of our sofas and make our way to the polling booths. If we are employees of an organisation or establishment with appalling working conditions or less than impressive management styles, there are two hard choices: we either change the job or we change our attitude towards it. If we choose the latter, it would mean throwing our hats in the ring and applying for that vacant position where we can exercise our individual ideologies; leading by example not just precepts. If on the other hand there´s no room for a rise,perhaps due to "internal politics", we can make those "suggestion boxes" work overtime. Anything is better than resignation to apathy or inertia; any kind of positive exercise would be substantial....any kind but the TV exercise, which if not backed by actions is tantamount to an exercise in futility.

So let us please drop those remote controls, and for a change be in real control.