I don't get spun up that much about any of them, except for maybe education:

Third parties - vote your conscience.

Gay marriage - I don't really care.

Illegal immigrants - I work and serve with many, and I'm glad they're here.

Melting polar ice - everyone should cycle more and drive less.

War in Iraq - at this point, it doesn't really matter how and why we got there--we're there, and it would be disasterous to leave the country chaotic and unstable in response to idiots who don't have clue one about the consequences of immediate troop withdrawal.

Torture - logical consequence of war's dehumanizing effects.

Year in review - don't care.

Kerry - don't care.

Katrina - showed how so many of our government programs have created segments of society who have an appalling sense of entitlement and precious little individual initiative.

Conspiracy -

NCLB - work within the system to bring about meaningful change.

Free medical insurance - we're there already, at least for those who meet cryptic and arbitrarily determined conditions.

Cut taxes for rich - don't care.

Flat tax - don't know much about it, but it sounds like a good idea.

Raise taxes for rich - don't care.

Govt spending - isn't that what governments do

Abortion - until we decide when citizenship begins (and therefore the constitutional protection that citizens can't be deprived of life or property without due process) I don't anticipate much progress on the issue.

Removing religion from public life - clear violation of the first amendment.

Nancy Pelosi -

All of them!

Our family doesn't have a television, Cat, so thankfully I am able to avoid those hot buttons.

Hang in there, Arbi.  It's been five years for us now, and we don't miss it anymore.  In fact, it would be difficult to fit TV back into our schedule, even if we wanted to.  The biggest benefit has been this:  We're able to have regular FHE, family scripture study, and family prayer, and can't use that tired old excuse of "we never have enough time."  That's what it took for our family, anyway.

For the record:  We still have a Game Cube, DVD player, projector, and screen.  That way, we can have family movie nights and family Nintendo nights a few times each month.

Cat Herder wrote:

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Couldn't vote because I didn't see the issue of when the online TV guide does not match what is actually being shown on the channel, or when DishNetwork has arbitralily given the show the wrong rating and as a result our filter has it blocked...

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Spot on Cat.  The same thing drives me crazy.  I've actually seen G rated films get an R rating on the dishnetwork.

As for the rest of you anti-tv nuts.  I feel your pain.  I'm probably addicted to TV.  I have proposed getting rid of it a few times but the wife vetoed it every time.  I think she would leave me.

Cat Herder wrote:

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Mrs. Cat Herder just informed me that should we ever ban TV in our household, even though we kind of know deep down inside it would be probably one of the best things we ever did, there would be sheer anarchy, revolution, and total and utter destruction as a result.

I shudder to think what the withdrawal symptoms would feel like and the associated pain. For example, we've been telling the three kids to get off the Playstation for the past 20 minutes, and finally Mrs. Cat Herder had to go over there and physically shut the contraption off... now the three are noisier and more cantekorous and obnoxious then they were when playing Lego Star Wars II!

Little does Mrs. Cat Herder suspect that as soon as she goes to work in 1/2 hour, it will be my turn at Lego Star Wars II!

Actually Cat, Mrs. Cat Herder knows full well that is where you are going to end up... please, tonight just make sure the kids have some dinner before bed!

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Mrs, Cat Herder is right.  I wonder how many conflicts and wars have been avoided due to TV and video games.  Pre video game era if someone upset you, you tried to kill them by beating them to death with a blunt object or tactical nuke.  In the video game era if someone makes you mad you beat their a%$ down on X Box Live!

Ah the playstation....Honestly honey, I didn't know the baby had taken off his diaper....I'm sorry, I must have been errrr busy cleaning or something... (reality, I was kicking but on playstation and not paying attention.)  My high school spanish teacher coined a new Spanglish word for playing video games.  He called it Mesmerizar.  When he asked us what we did over the weekend, all you had to say was "Yo mesmerizo!" and he knew you played video games all weekend.

Yo mesmerizo!