It has been a while since I submitted any information to the newspaper on any subject, so I would like to thank all those who were aware I was recuperating from surgery for their prayers and concerns. The worst seems to be behind us now and the experience is not one I would wish on anyone - even an enemy.

The experience did have an interesting side effect.

The recuperation period confined my activities for a prolonged time and I found myself watching a “whole bunch” of television. It was truly an education which bordered on the discomfort of the surgery. It made me aware of how marketing organizations use the television media to affect (or inflect pain upon) our citizens.

My efforts to understand what exactly was going on defy my ability to quantify it. Have you ever noticed, however, that if you are watching a movie on television, the further you get into the movie the more frequent and longer the commercial breaks become? There were periods where I’m sure the movie lasted four minutes or less between commercial breaks which were nearer five minutes in length. These are not exact numbers since I didn’t use a stopwatch, but there was plenty of time to get to the refrigerator and the bathroom without missing any of the movie. It seemedas though the station was using any means possible to get a person hooked on a story so they could inflict the abuse of multiple opportunities to buy the latest creation at only $-! My experience leads me to believe television commercials strain one’s patience when one is confined to days of minimum activity and television is the primary source of entertainment.

(Sometimes reading a book doesn’t fill a need.) There seems to be no end to the number of times cable television shows exactly the same commercials and if you think changing channels is an escape … sorry!!

More than once I changed channels in the middle of a commercial only to find it just starting on the next channel. It is hard to believe it is not a conspiracy by the networks who believe you have no where else to go.

And, for all those promises of movies on multiple channels - no where do the commercials tell you they can and do frequently run the same movies back to back, and the next week you can see the same movie on another channel. Or how about the commercial wherefour P.A.L.S. (People Against Lousy Service) jump out of an airplane without parachutes to get the word about their product to their customers more quickly than if they had used parachutes.

Are they in anyway suggesting this to a new generation of skydivers? And, they fail to explain what happens to the fourth jumper - we see only three land. Maybe he (or she) is the one that didn’t survive the stupidity of the commercial.

Even CNBC (business news) offered no relief. They just provided further proof that commercials can “kill” one’s enthusiasm for television anyway. They have an added attraction, however, in their ability to prove, and then disprove that our nation’s economic woes are no where near over. Trying to be fair, I guess they interview a guest who assures you that the economy ison its way to recovery and NOW is the time to invest in the stock market. Before you can reach the telephone to call your stockbroker (assuming one has some money to invest) another guest is telling you the entire world’s economy is falling apart and your only hope is to buy gold - at over $1,300 an ounce.

I’m not buying gold, just shocked at how many varying views the investment community has about our future.

Just to add to the shock value in between commercials, the regular news channels add their handful of confusion by interviewing a Democratic senator or representative about what legislation is going to pull the economy out of the pits, and following that interview with a Republican who has an almost opposite view. Then they start interviewing potential presidential candidates for 2012 to remind you once again that no one really has a clue except the very powerful wealthy “kingmakers” who control the networks and banks and politicians and ultimately you and me.

My conclusion to this experience is “try not to find yourself looking to television for a means of filling your free time.” It is my opinion that too much television is much like the old Asian water torture where one is placed under a constant drip until they lose all touch with reality. Surely the advertising departments must feel that they will eventually wear you down to the point you buy their product

Have a Merry Christmas.

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Editor’s note: Leo Lynch, a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. He is a retired industrial engineer and former Justice of the Peace. He can be contacted at prtnews@ nwaonline.com.

The opinions of the writer are his own, and are not necessarily those of The TIMES.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 12/22/2010