Analog: Analogous to Dumb

I have a hero.  A loud, flamboyant man in interesting dress. He is neither Liberace nor Elton John.  His name is Matthew Lesko.  While his teachings are tailored to the common man, his motto has recently been adopted by our own government.  But instead of our politicians funding the hard-working entrepreneur, they are spending our money on covering up their own inefficiencies.  What else is new?

Point being, this switch from analog to digital television has been one of the most embarrassing gaffes of recent memory.  Three days ago,

Obama called for a delay largely because the federal program that subsidizes converter boxes for those viewers hit a $1.34 billion funding limit this month (AP Article).

They hit their limit?  Fine, I can handle that.  Now consider that an estimated 10 million people have not switched as of yet.  This has been a program running for almost two years!!  Think of five friends.  Now twenty (if you have that many), how many have rabbit ears coming out of their tv sets?  If you said more than none, you're lying.  Who are these people, more importantly...where are they?  If thirty years ago Mike Teavee could get sent through time and space using television signals, a la a Wonka Bar, surely there are citizens in these modern times smart enough to realize that life offers more than four channels.

Now as the Feb 17 transition date looms, the politicians are starting to get antsy.  Obviously, spending more money on cheesy commercials and ridiculously expensive coupons is the way to get the other five percent of the country on board.  Obama and the Democrats are pushing hard for a transition delay set back to June 12th.  I guess they believe that in five months they can "convert" the same people the last twenty-four months of spending haven't touched. 

 Luckily, the few Republicans left in the Senate were able to band together and block said bill.  I would like to say that the transition date will remain as scheduled.  But it's hard to see through all the static.