Truths, Half-truths, and Sea Stories

At the gym today at 6:30 AM, I worked out on a treadmill. Now these are some of the latest machines, with cable TV monitors on them. I hadn’t considered before how much I enjoy NOT hearing the sound – I never bring headphones. But you can’t escape advertising! Sometimes it is subtle – the Nike workout pullover, a Pure Fitness, t-shirt, the Polar watch display so you can monitor your fitness. Or the big banner running news feeds and “colon-cleanse” 800 numbers.
You drive anywhere and the billboards are driving around with you. Television, radio, and internet all inject a little entertainment into the middle of hawking cars, gold, credit-repair, or local casinos. Crazy.
At home, I retreat to my humble abode, which itself is an advertisement — I continually get flyers offering to repair or upgrade my home or the landscape. My home screams for a remodel. My bank screams for me to save more money -that I don’t have – with it. I wonder if I can turn the sound off on those things?