Here are 9 things I prefer to watch. How about you?

This image was under the headline. It’s not nice to call people ‘things.’ Anyway, there are only 5…

By now, you know from all the unending coverage that this is an election year, and a biggie.

Except that it isn’t. The election everyone is so worked up about is next year — in fact, at the end of next year, And the result will depend — to the extent that it is influenced by reality in any way — will depend on what’s happening then, not what’s happening now.

So, when The Washington Post wanted me to read something headlined, “9 things to watch as the 2024 presidential campaign heats up,” I responded this way:

Here are my 9:

1. My grandchildren

2. The seasons changing

3. The AL playoffs

4. The NL playoffs

5. The World Series

6. The last 3 next year, too

7. Detective shows on Britbox

8. My diet and workout routine

9. Pretty much anything but football.

I didn’t have room to elaborate, because that used all 280 characters that Twitter allows.

If I’d had more room, I would have of course mentioned my kids and all the other people with whom I choose to spend most of my time. They’re all way more interesting, and enjoyable, than, say, Vivek Ramaswamy. And I’d have explained that I don’t just watch English murder mysteries. I also enjoy Scottish, Welsh, Swedish, German and French detective shows. And I would have mentioned books, but you don’t “watch” books; you read them. And I’d have put quotes around “diet and workout routine,” to be more honest about it. But there just wasn’t room.

Anyway, what are your favorite things to watch rather than campaigns for next year’s presidential election?

 

9 thoughts on “Here are 9 things I prefer to watch. How about you?”

  1. bud

    My dog
    Other people’s dogs
    Cats
    Wild animals
    College football
    The NFL
    Football movies
    Football highlight shows
    Pickup football games

    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      Good list.

      Mine would have been longer, if they had used a number greater than nine. I didn’t have room for “Paint dry” or “Grass grow”…

      I will say this, though, about next year’s election…

      I wouldn’t mind some more coverage of people who SHOULD be getting coverage, but are not. I saw a bit of that this morning in The Boston Globe. A member of the editorial board wrote about a board meeting with Asa Hutchinson (which took me back a bit). He made the case for why this guy needed to be on debate stages, and on the (neighboring) New Hampshire primary ballot:

      If he doesn’t make the debate stage, it will be not just the GOP’s loss but the country’s as well.

      Hutchinson is a serious, principled conservative, one whose focus is economic and fiscal issues, smaller government, and a traditional internationalist foreign policy. That is, the type of Republican New Hampshire has traditionally gravitated toward.

      He makes a strong case that as a former US attorney under President Reagan, a fiscally conservative US House member during President Clinton’s second term, director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and a Department of Homeland Security undersecretary for border protection for President George W. Bush, and two terms as governor of Arkansas, his experience uniquely meets the moment.
      “You look at the challenges we face in America, whether it is the fentanyl crisis we see in our cities, whether it is the challenge of smash-and-grab and the disrespect for the law, or whether it’s border security … or whether it is balancing a budget, I have done all that,” he said. “I believe in government as being problem-solving, and … I have something to offer for each one of those things.”…

      Wouldn’t it be refreshing to see such a candidate on the GOP stage…

  2. Doug Ross

    Binge watching Larry Sanders Show – in my not so humble opinion it is better than Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm

    College football – Colorado vs Nebraska will likely be the highest rated regular season game in a long time tomorrow as Deion Sanders went from an HBCU last year to beating the national runner up TCU last week and has 2 of the most exciting players in the country – his son at QB and another guy who played both ways at CB and WR and would be a first round NFL draft pick at both position

    NFL – bought the Sunday Ticket package since it’s on Youtube TV now, three fantasy football teams

    Baseball – -so much new young talent in the league and the pace of play rule changes have really helped. Attendance is up 9% across the league this year; completing my 40th season of a baseball fantasy league started back in 1984 when I would type in the stats every Tuesday from USA Today.

    NY Times Crossword puzzle daily – I’m usually good at finishing Sunday-Thursday but give up on Friday and Saturday if they are too hard. I’ve got a younger friend who typically does them all Sun-Sat in half the time I can — 6-8 minutes for Thursday. We teamed up for trivia contests and dominated the Pittsburgh base circuit pre-covid.

    Podcasts – I have a dozen I listen to while walking (Conan, Barstool Sports, Freakanomics, Rob Lowe, Bill Simmons)

    Kids, grandkid, and dogs = 7,8,9

      1. Doug Ross

        HBO Max.. it’s about 80 episodes across 6 seasons. Interesting to see what was allowed on TV back in the 80s. Also to see how many people have died since appearing on the show, including Shandling.

  3. Barry

    I watch old tv shows and movies- nothing current (things made in the last 25 years).

    I don’t have cable news channels so I only hear about politicians and catch some of their extremist comments in news articles or on 2 Sirius radio shows I listen to during the week.

    I spend my time on the lake with family – or travelling out of state.

    1. Brad Warthen Post author

      Last night, I was watching and enjoying “The Scarlet Pimpernel” from 1934. I hadn’t seen it in awhile, and it’s really good.

      I keep trying to think — was the Pimpernel the very first hero in popular fiction with a clear secret identity? I think maybe so.

      The first novel was written in 1905, according to Wikipedia. I had thought it was earlier, but that still beats out Zorro, in 1919.

      Of course, Zorro was more of an action hero, as we are used to today in the Marvel and DC universes.

      Those two had a lot in common, though. Their secret identities were almost identical — foppish dandies whom people could NEVER suspect of being the hero.

      Clark Kent would later be built on that concept, but not exactly like Percy or Don Diego.

      Sure, heroes before the Pimpernel would wear disguises occasionally — Robin Hood at the archery competition comes to mind — but not as a permanent alter ego. So I think he was the first…

      1. Barry

        My wife and I have been watching the Dick Van Dyke show most of the summer- usually a couple of episodes a week and sometimes on the weekend we’ll watch 4-5 shows.

        Of course I still watch 2-3 Columbo episodes a month. Also just finished a good book about the show called Shooting Columbo. Really enjoyed it as a Columbo fan and learning about how Peter Falk was a bit of control freak.

        Also been watching Leave it to Beaver some. I kid around with my 15 year old daughter about it and tell her to ask her friends at school what they think about Wally and Eddie. LOL.

        Fun fact- after Beaver went off the air- Ward Cleaver (Hugh Beaumont) had a stroke which limited him.

        Hugh was an ordained Methodist minister who remained active in his church. At some point, he ended up helping in local community theater in Los Angeles – but also in Aiken, SC helping direct some plays in Aiken. Hugh’s youngest son lived in Aiken. Apparently that connection is what got Hugh involved.

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