As you all know I like in the country on a ranch/hobby FARM –lol- The only internet and television access is via satellite. Up until recently they did not offer local stations. Last week I called to add local Fort Myers stations.

While on the phone the woman explains to me that there is one channel, channel 49 that is part of the local package, however in order to access it it would require them to install another dish. I told them that it was crazy to install ANOTHER dish (that would make three on my roof) for one channel and I asked what the programming was… “News? Sports? PBS?” She said she wasn’t sure. I asked her to place me on hold and check because I didn’t really want another dish. She came back and said she still had no info but that it was added to the local package and was totally free, everything. She quickly rushed me into making an appointment for them to install the free dish for channel 49.

The guy arrived and installed the dish. He pointed it in another direction from the other dishes. I asked him about it. He didn’t know but said that it couldn’t be installed on the current dish because it was a whole OTHER satellite.

He left. I came in and decided to go see what channel 49 was all about. I turned on the TV and tuned in. It was a Christian show. I then clicked the guide to see what else was on and it was ALL RELIGIOUS CHRISTIAN network! I almost passed out.

I feel like I’ve been had. In hindsight it makes me wonder if the lady knew what it was but just didn’t tell me. How could she not know the programming for a channel that required a separate dish? I feel a bit invaded. Am I overreacting? How would you feel?

DV

Absolutely brilliant.

The funny thing is if it was fundamentalist Muslim religious programming being installed free to peoples homes it would have made headline news on the Fox network and the front page of CNN.com.

The funny thing is if it was fundamentalist Muslim religious programming being installed free to peoples homes it would have made headline news on the Fox network and the front page of CNN.com.[/b][/quote]
Freedom of religion in the US means freedom to be a Christian - don't be fooled in believing that Freedom of Religion means you get to the same treatment as the Christians there is no separation for church and state.

Just look at our national holidays...


opps religion, politics and America all bad topics for this early in the morning much less in polite society....You would think I would know better.... But where is the fun in that?

Mel

Voitenko = Doesn't care much this morning about offending people :)

The funny thing is if it was fundamentalist Muslim religious programming being installed free to peoples homes it would have made headline news on the Fox network and the front page of CNN.com.[/b][/quote]
Exactly.

When I was first hit the web with my femdom sites I was (and still might be) listed on sites as a cult. This was an adult paysite.

One morning I turn on the TV in bed, drinking coffee, flipping through the channels and I see this guy selling HOLY WATER on the TV as a cure all. I couldn’t believe it. I watched in shock. I have clients who have been sued by fcc, fda, etc. for endorsing products that couldn’t pass their test. Here’s this guy on an elaborate stage, neatly manicured, rolex, lol- you know the type, holding up a bottle of water and proclaiming its powers.

Amazing. Truly fucking amazing.

Ohhhhhh I forgot about this til now…

I built my first site in 1995. I had a links page of resources. Anyhow, one day I go in, using for my own personal links list as well, I click and the link takes me to the 700 club. I go back and notice that every link on the page was changed. It blew my mind. I got goose bumps. I never knew what happened.

I'm free to be an atheist. I speak of it publicly. I always have. No one has ever treated me less because of it. Some of my best friends are Christian. Most Christians I've met - Jehova's Witnesses included (well,especially) - have been more than willing to sit down and have a conversation on the topic of religion with me.

I would bet you that atheists tend to look more down on Christians than Christians look down on atheists. My personal experience is that atheists tend to have a huge "Holier than thou" attitude.

Not once in my adult life has my not being an atheist had a negative consequence for me.

Our national Holidays? Which ones? Christmas and Easter? The entire western world celebrates those Holidays. I grew up opening presents and searching for Easter eggs. Most of us did. I've been an atheist since the age of 14 but my daughter celebrates those Holidays too. I really like those holidays.

Of course, there's separation of Church and State and no it has never been total and it it never will be as long as anyone believes in religion. Of course there are countless court cases on this subject and Jefferson's concept of separation of church and state has been used to interpret them.

I don't get what the problem is. The dish was free, the programming is free - can't you just not turn to that channel?

The "Christian" station in Atlanta has shows on it which aren't considered "religious", BTW.

When do you think your countrymen and women will be electing their first openly atheist President?

Do you think that'll be before or after your first openly gay President?

Peaches it’s about violation. Why should I have a THIRD dish on my roof for a channel I don’t watch? Why do I feel like I’ve been tricked? Get it?

Peaches it’s about violation. Why should I have a THIRD dish on my roof for a channel I don’t watch? Why do I feel like I’ve been tricked? Get it?[/b][/quote]
No, I don't get it which is why I wrote "I don't get what the problem is.". :awinky:

Just have them remove the dish or remove if yourself. They don't get anything out of it installing it in the first place, what would be their reason for "tricking" you? :unsure:

I think I'm missing part of the story. How have you been violated? They installed a dish without your permission?

From what I gather, you permitted them to install a dish for one unknown channel. It could have been anything. It might have been a cooking channel, a NASCAR channel, a news channel, a Libertarian party channel, or any other possibilty. Chances are it was going to be something you weren't interested in.

What if the channel had turned out to be the all bisexual channel. Would you still have felt tricked?

Hell, I would look at it as a ggod thing, knowing the way sattalite TV is growing, I seriously doubt that dish will only receive one channel for long.

As for the all Bi Sexual channel, where can I get that, might be interesting.

Right after they elect a jewish president.

BTW -- who is the top gay candidate for Prime Minister in Australia next election? Are you voting for him or her?

I think I'm missing part of the story. How have you been violated? They installed a dish without your permission?

From what I gather, you permitted them to install a dish for one unknown channel. It could have been anything. It might have been a cooking channel, a NASCAR channel, a news channel, a Libertarian party channel, or any other possibilty. Chances are it was going to be something you weren't interested in.

What if the channel had turned out to be the all bisexual channel. Would you still have felt tricked?[/b][/quote]
I gues it was just the way it went down. Like some kind of secret. I guess I feel like I should have been told what channel it was and given the choice to wait all day for installation and have another dish on my roof. That's all. Really no big deal. I'll take it down and not tune in.

I just didn't like the way it went down and it freaks me out knowing they have their own satellites. Damn they already have their own cable network.

Right after they elect a jewish president.

BTW -- who is the top gay candidate for Prime Minister in Australia next election? Are you voting for him or her?[/b][/quote]
No openly gay candidate yet, though I would love to see it.

However we have had an atheist Prime Minister. He also happens to have the distinction of having held the world record for the fastest consumption of two and a half pints of beer.

I'm not kidding.

That's pretty cool :okthumb:

Has Australia had a female PM yet?

That's pretty cool :okthumb:

Has Australia had a female PM yet?[/b][/quote]
No, not yet.

I don't see it happening anytime soon either.

No, not yet.

I don't see it happening anytime soon either.[/b][/quote]
We might beat ya there. Hillary for president in 2008.

We might beat ya there. Hillary for president in 2008.[/b][/quote]

I'd vote for her.








Last edited by Joe Sixpack at Feb 12 2004, 06:58 AM

Me too.

Me too.[/b][/quote]
Me three!

Panama has a woman president.

Heading out for meeting all day. You all have a great day!

Me too.[/b][/quote]
Would LOVE to see a discussion between you and MikAI on that subject!! :P

In helsinki, there used to be a local channel run by some 'young' guys. Gonzo type programs all day long (reruns, and reruns of the same shit the guys made themselves).. and during the night, they had hardcore porn. :)
So, the channel came quite popular. Then the Helsinki cable company pulled them off the air because porn was a no-no.. the channel slot was empty for like 9 months, I just recently checked it out and there's a 100% religious channel there. Hehehe.. funny.

carry on.

Ask Gonzo and HP if they've been to the famous Gold Club lately - used to be a strip joint - now it's a church. :P

Why's that? they already have a country that you live in and a governmnent that you pay taxes to!!

Colin i'm willing to bet we've very similar views... :okthumb:

I am with Diane - I would be pissed because they did not furnish me with the information that I asked for. It is just the principle of the thing. However, I have learned to overcome my curosity, with searching for the facts. The object of the whole exercise is that Diane (and others) did not want to take the chance of missing out on something good, after all it is free....

I am just real lury of things that 'are free. They would have never touched my roof until I knew the answers to my questions. Whether it came from them or searching elsewhere for the answers. They should have been able to answer the question.... period. I am sure if it was a real selling point - they would have had that answer. That alone would have made me curious to get the answer.

I think the answer to what is on cable channel 49 (if you knew that was the channel) - might have been found on TVGUIDE.com.

I still can't figure out how the dish could be turned the totally opposite way, it's got to face the southern skies to get a signal...

It's Dianna :)

I found it kind of odd that they couldn't supply me with the information but how many times do you get support or sales that are clueless? You are right tho, maybe I should have investigated myself but I had no idea THAT would happen.

Edd- right on! I totally agree and share most of Colins views about that agenda. That's why I'm seriously looking to get the hell out of here. I say that all the time. One day I will.

I don't understand why you feel tricked.
You were told numerous times that the lady on the phone didn't know what the channel was, yet you asked them to install the dish anyway.

If a mechanic said to you "we can put this big ugly thing on your car, we're not sure what it does - but hey, it's free!" would you let them?

If I was in Dainne shoes..... I would have been pissed, huffed and puffed, stomped my foot for two days...... and then let it go...hahahaha

I have learned not to sweat ' the little things in life. However, I am not grown up enough, not to let it get to me at first..... just a little. Stomping your foot, and yelling for a minute - sure seems to take a lot of steam out of things.., hahahaha

Okay, kids ... if this is a local independent station, then they may not send a satellite feed of their broadcast at all - the antenna is set to a different direction simply to pick up their regular broadcast signal. That, or maybe the signal comes directly from gawdamitey his/her/their/its own self ... :)

That being the case, if DV called the national call center for Dish Network, they probably didn't know what the station's format was - I know that DirectTV only knows that they are ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Warner, and "other."

If I thought that a company I was doing business with was trying to evangelize me, I would stop doing business with them immediately. If they came out and installed one, they'd come back and remove it, too.

You know, it's funny.

I just had a vision of what this thread would look like if DV had complained that she had a new dish installed on her roof that broadcast nothing but speeches from Greenpeace, PETA, NAACP, United Nations, UNCC, ACLU, etc., etc., etc.

The number of people who would have their drawers in an uproar would increase substantially.

Just a silly personal observation ...

Even if it had completely been your decision to have the thing installed?
They didn't force it on her; it was a free unknown add-on and she had complete control over whether to accept it or not.

It's got nothing to do with the programming and everything to do with the fact that she allowed someone to drill holes in her house and install a third dish without knowing what the hell it did.

It could have been broadcasting signals to an FBI satellite reporting all of her portable telephone calls for all she knew, but she told them to do it anyway.

Even if it had completely been your decision to have the thing installed?
They didn't force it on her; it was a free unknown add-on and she had complete control over whether to accept it or not.[/b][/quote]
Well ... I have to admit I would have found out what the channel was before I had it installed, because I would have suspected something exactly like what she got.

That being said, I don't want a business trying to sell me on their interpretation of god - whoever/whatever their idea of god might be. If they came out and installed a dish that only got evangelical xtian bullshit, IT WOULD COME DOWN one way or the other.

If I'm at the local farmer's market and one of the local churches has a bake sale, I'll buy something even if I don't really want it. Even the fuggin Southern Baptists - when I lived in the city that included the Nation of Islam (who make a simply decadent (bean curd?) pie). If a member of that very same church puts his little fishy (crescent/star of david/pentagram) on his advertising material, I will go out of my way to find an alternative, even at greater cost or inconvenience.

It's got nothing to do with the programming and everything to do with the fact that she allowed someone to drill holes in her house and install a third dish without knowing what the hell it did.

It could have been broadcasting signals to an FBI satellite reporting all of her portable telephone calls for all she knew, but she told them to do it anyway.[/b][/quote]
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiight.

It's got nothing to do with the programming and everything to do with the fact that she allowed someone to drill holes in her house and install a third dish without knowing what the hell it did.

It could have been broadcasting signals to an FBI satellite reporting all of her portable telephone calls for all she knew, but she told them to do it anyway.[/b][/quote]
"...everytime I turn on the TV hes there...everytime I turn on the radio hes there....hes stalking meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

It's the GOD channel, beamed direct from heaven :blink:

good point KK...

I've got directTV.. and when I had HDTV added.. i paid $50 for them to bring me a new new oval dish.. with a triple LNB... so that it can access three different satellites... some of you may have HDTV with only a dual LNB.. but you may not be able to access all of the HD channels.. b/c you need the third LNB.. the new dish also had a built in modulator so that I can hook up 4 recievers to the system.. which is also very nice...

also.. DirectTV offers the NFL, NHL, and NBA packages.. so you never miss your favorite team.. which dish netword does not have license to do... (damn I sound like a commercial)

When you have a bizillion trees, you get whichever service can get a signal. For me, that's Direct. The poor Dish guy tried REALLY hard too, :rolleyes:

Of course, when you have a bizillion trees AND a metal roof, you end up with the dish up on a pole in your front yard and no matter how many flowers you plant around it........well, it ain't pretty. :(

I'd be using Dish Network now if they had the NFL package ... looked into changing last year when Murdoch bought DirectTV.

NFL package is a must at our house...

peaches.. yeah that does suck.. lol..

I've heard that dish network had a more compressed signal and the picture was not as clean as directTV..... again. only heard this...

good point KK...

I've got directTV.. and when I had HDTV added.. i paid $50 for them to bring me a new new oval dish.. with a triple LNB... so that it can access three different satellites... some of you may have HDTV with only a dual LNB.. but you may not be able to access all of the HD channels.. b/c you need the third LNB.. the new dish also had a built in modulator so that I can hook up 4 recievers to the system.. which is also very nice...

also.. DirectTV offers the NFL, NHL, and NBA packages.. so you never miss your favorite team.. which dish netword does not have license to do... (damn I sound like a commercial)[/b][/quote]
DirecTV kicks ass over Dish network!! :okthumb:

I guess he DOES work in mysterous ways

:yowsa:

That's a good bet

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiight.[/b][/quote]
I agree with Carrie. Hell, I really like the UN and I LOVE the ACLU and I don't dislike Greenpeace any more than the Church. PETA though .. :snipe:

Now, wait a minute, Colin. I don't disagree with the idea behind what Carrie posted.

I just happen to think that a lot of people would get their panties in even more of a knot than DV's seem to be tied in if it was something they personally disagreed with, that's all.

Oh, probably true. But not you and I. :stout:

Oh, I'd like to say you're right ... but I'd be lying. The born again bozos annoy the fuck out of me. If I was in DV's position, there would be a customer service rep someplace that would have a story about a real asshole he/she got on the phone today, until that dish was gone.

FYI - I greatly admire the ACLU. Greenpeace means well, but they are too far off the mark most of the time. The PETA folks truly annoy me - and there are a lot of folks who hate PETA who think just about like them.

I don't care if the idea you are pushing is that man is equal to the snaildarter, so we a) should protect them at all costs, or B) have no more obligation to care about the environment than they do, you are still an ignorant fuck who should go live among the animals.

The funny thing is if it was fundamentalist Muslim religious programming being installed free to peoples homes it would have made headline news on the Fox network and the front page of CNN.com.[/b][/quote]
So far, the fact that many public schools are teaching Muslimism hasn't...