dilemma: noun. A situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive. Late latin, from greek, di- meaning two, and lemma meaning proposition or assumption. Example: Starting tonight, NBC will run The Apprentice opposite Fox's 24. Normally, this would not be a dilemma for people with foresight enough to pay the extra four bucks to get DVR with their cable service. But what if you said to the cable guy, "Hey why do I need to spend four more bucks when I already have a VCR, and I know how to program it?" And then the cable guy shrugs because he knows how wrong you are, and also that he will be back, at a price, and with a lot more inconvenience to you. And then on a night like this, when you need the VCR, you suddenly realize that the damn thing won't work with a cable box unless you tape the thing you are watching. In other words, you can't tape one show and watch another. It would make sense for you to be able to do that, but I'm now informed that you cannot. Which is a real pisser. So the only solution, until the cable guy can be recalled, is to watch 24, and then tape the CNBC re-run of The Apprentice on Wednesday. Synonyms: bind, catch-22, difficulty, fix, impasse, jam, mess, perplexity, pickle, plight, predicament, problem, quandary.

Posted by: annika at 06:34 PM | Comments (20) | Add Comment
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1 Are you fucking kidding me? The (very lame) Apprentice in the same sentence as 24? I'm waiting for the punch line............. And the fact that you are going to have to watch the network employing Keith O. is a whole another story.....man is that guy a jackass. I apologize for the tangent......glad you are going with 24. Good choice!

Posted by: Blu at February 27, 2006 06:49 PM (QExPp)

2 Olberman is the biggest a-hole on two wheels. How are you holding up in the rain Blu? It's nasty out there.

Posted by: annika at February 27, 2006 06:52 PM (fxTDF)

3 Ah, rain, I can hear it tapping on the roof. We've only had an inch and a half this year. As for not being able to reconcile one's cable box with the remainder of your onboard technoshit, it's just another indicator that the BF is long gone.

Posted by: Casca at February 27, 2006 10:15 PM (2gORp)

4 Ever hear of TiVo? You can watch one and tape another, or tape both. This is not brain surgery. I'm spending today and tomorrow in Sacto; bringing water wings.

Posted by: shelly at February 28, 2006 03:25 AM (BJYNn)

5 My monday night delima is that last night was the final episodes of one of my favorite shows. Monster House. (the only reality show I ever liked, except Iron Chef) I was real bummed out, The list of shows I watch has shrunk to about four. If it were not for News shows, occasional history or discovery channel shows and football, I could just throw out my TV and not iss it. The sitcoms all suck, reality bites, I got tired of LOST leading me around to nowhere. I do watch the scifi network shows on friday night.

Posted by: Kyle N at February 28, 2006 03:32 AM (vhHoW)

6 Annika, Shelly is right, god that wasn't too hard to say, TIVO is the bomb. I have the 3 banger satellite dish and hi-def box with 150 hour capacity. Record two shows whilst watching a third that has been recorded. IT is a life expanding device. NO commericials, what a concept. It takes 38 min to watch 24, it made the olympics only hellish and boring not unwatchable. And you don't have to sit down at any particular time. The Shield, 24, slings and arrows, my name is earl, (no reality TV for me), L word, Huff, Dead like me, entourage, Deadwood are all possible without any stress about missing an episode. Annika, spend the money!

Posted by: Strawman at February 28, 2006 08:59 AM (0ZdtC)

7 I think you'll enjoy this year's the Apprentice. That Russian guy is something else!!

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at February 28, 2006 09:02 AM (Wz2Gp)

8 Err, "this season of the Apprentice."

Posted by: Amy Bo Bamy at February 28, 2006 09:02 AM (Wz2Gp)

9 oh I love The Shield, Strawman, but I always miss it. FX is always screwing with the schedule. When's it on now? 2:45 am every other Thursday night?

Posted by: annika at February 28, 2006 09:45 AM (Ck8DD)

10 Man, Annie, it was pretty ugly last night...and now I'm hearing about tornado warnings! And, of course, my heat went out. Try finding a fucking HVAC guy today! Fuck me. Stay dry and safe!!!

Posted by: Blu at February 28, 2006 10:07 AM (QExPp)

11 ANnika, I think the premier night is Sunday at 10pm repeats Tue at 10pm & 11pm, Friday at 11pm, It is a great show and with Forrest WHitaker this year even better.

Posted by: Strawman at February 28, 2006 10:48 AM (0ZdtC)

12 Well, if it's a cable-ready vcr (and most are these days) you can swap the vcr and the cable box so you CAN tape one show and watch another. The cable runs into the VCR "in" or "ant" jack, then from the VCR "out" or "tv" jack to the cable box, then to the tv. Your vcr is a "pass-thru" device. Set it to record the channel and time you want, but select "tv" on the "tv/vcr" button, and the entire cable signal (not just one channel) passes on to the cable box. When I was in the Navy, we chained DOZENS of vcrs off of a single cable this way, to make tapes to send out to the troops during Desert Storm (the 1st Iraqi War for you youngsters).

Posted by: OldSalt at February 28, 2006 04:34 PM (MbBI/)

13 Hey thanks Old Salt!

Posted by: annika at February 28, 2006 05:09 PM (fxTDF)

14 Actually, there ARE other solutions. Reading a classic, doing something creative, getting together with a friend, etc.

Posted by: will at March 01, 2006 04:28 AM (GzvlQ)

15 "The list of shows I watch has shrunk to about four. If it were not for News shows, occasional history or discovery channel shows and football, I could just throw out my TV and not iss it. The sitcoms all suck, reality bites, I got tired of LOST leading me around to nowhere. I do watch the scifi network shows on friday night." Sounds like you are on the right track, Kyle.

Posted by: will at March 01, 2006 04:31 AM (GzvlQ)

16 "Actually, there ARE other solutions. Reading a classic, doing something creative, getting together with a friend, etc." Bite your tongue. ; )

Posted by: annika at March 01, 2006 07:13 AM (fxTDF)

17 Here's your solution: Don't watch crappy "reality" shows like Apprentice. Problem solved.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at March 03, 2006 08:04 AM (1Vbso)

18 1st Gulf War? Ha! We used to watch 16mm movies projected on the side of the mess hall during the Viet-Nam War. BTW, Our favorite reality show is The Amazing Race and my wife is in like shock at how boring the 1st (2) episodes were the other night.

Posted by: Drake Steel at March 04, 2006 01:00 AM (MIaSv)

19 Oh, there is absolutely no contest here. 24 rules! Oh, and so does DVR...it is SOOO worth the $4/mo. Then you can tape whatever you want, watch it whenever you want, easily fast forward through those silly ads and pause it, staring at Kiefer's nice face whenever you wish. Heheheheheh

Posted by: Merri at March 08, 2006 04:43 AM (f289O)

20 Or his bum... lol

Posted by: annika at March 08, 2006 07:07 AM (fxTDF)

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