"spread awareness about the pitfalls and dangers that lie in the extended and unnecessary use of, and exposure to television, computers and computing equipment"

I agree wholeheartedly. Technology has a pervasive impact on our lives, and anything which has a pervasive impact on our lives clearly needs to be stopped.

It only seems logical to do the same thing for printed words, electricity, running water, and many other insidious technology that we are clearly *addicted* to.

Turn off the tech, people! All of it!

Question is, will the tech let itself be turned off?

less hack attempts from a certain node in CA land then!!

SHAWley not

Daily.

Fix!

I'm not giving up my sunday morning "Mariokart Wii" session for anyone.

And if that makes me a sad bastard,

I DON'T CARE!!

Now please FUCK OFF and stop telling ME what to do with MY LIFE, YOU MAPLE -SYRUP SUPPING BASTARDS!

Does this apply to pacemakers??

In all seriousness, I do agree with the idea - a fair few too many people I know are living an overly sedentary lifestyle, and when the suggestion of doing something outdoors is aired to them, you can see the disgust in their face at the very notion of stepping outdoors and in amongst that green stuff that comes out of the ground. I live with one person who's addicted to TV, and one of my best mates is addicted to Guild Wars.

I used to be the same; I could once be found spending from dusk til dawn playing Heroes of Might and Magic, and eventually, raiding in World of Warcraft. I admit - I got completely addicted to it, and it was only when confronted by my missus with a pretty stern ultimatum did I give it up. Cold turkey is hard but fast, and it was only about 2/3 days after I gave it up that I realised that there's a whole world out there to see and experience.

So, er... yea! Go outside! Go sniff trees, pat dogs, climb hills, jump streams and be chased by bulls. It's better that going pale through lack of sunlight!

Why couldn't they have chosen a Monday? I hate Mondays....

Don't you mean Vitamin D? Unless they're intending that you spend the time not playing on your Wii eating carrots and oily fish.

Paris. Because she has more ideas on what you can do with a carrot than most.

are required to cease swearing in front of our Moderatrix.

Grooowwwlll.

I don't need to fire up the computer after setting up in the afternoon for the first dance song (DJing Saturday at a wedding, so laptop is needed, and seeing as my boss who took the booking neglected to check for special requests etc I MIGHT have to go online somewhere to obtain said requests). On work grounds, my phone (Tmobile MDA) is also staying on - I'll just have to check my email using that instead :)

Friday night I'm watching a flim on DVD with female company, tho once that goes off we can amuse ourselves for hours on end...

Penguin pic cos isn't linux about working around restrictions and stuff? hehe.

You expect me to be able to figure out what day of the freaking week it is?

Jeezuss!

Saturday/Sunday. Same issue! Same place, both days!!!

BTW... Sarah Bee.

I always had the sneaking suspicion thet SOMONE was spying on me! NOW I KNOW!! Pasty Beast indeed! I'll have you know I suffer from a rare genetic condition that turns me whiter than white. I'm sure you've heard of it before. It has had a well known and loved (now generally reviled and ridiculed) sufferer. (OWWWW!! <grabs own crotch>)

... on the first weekend after GTA IV is released???

Not likely! I must have my addiction fed!

And, after 6 hours of playing it already, I am feeling the need to speed in my car; shoot the b*stard in front of me in the queue; not shave and put on a strange Russian Accent...

BTW: I've spent 6 hours playing, and another 2 watching the TV... on GTA!!!

How F*cking Awesome is that!

Yes... I'm a sad bar-steward...

Helicopter cos thats what I'm stealing next! :D

No.

Vertigo!

You should see how pale I get when any further than 3 floors off the ground.

(Not to mention the nosebleeds!!)

OK when I fly though! But only if there's an aircraft involved.

...needing to do this periodically to clean out the inter-tubes?

I live in Japan where more and more people only have contact using email. And worse of all email on cellphones. I hate typing with one finger and I prefer meeting people in real life. Meeting in real life is not favored here since that is not risk free.

Lots of Japanese feel safe using email because the moment you say something they don't like they can ignore you forever. Meeting in real life comes with this thing that most Japanese people hate: risk. Risk of having to confront somebody with a different opinion as yours.

And the Japanese government is wondering how to stop the demographic evolution here. No wonder anti conception pills are not paid back :)

For those people I think the shutdown day would be not a bad thing. I would prefer it that they called it the "meet someone in real life day".

"Go outside! Go sniff trees, pat dogs, climb hills, jump streams and be chased by bulls."

Fair enough, but do not under any circumstances mix up these instructions. Sniffing bulls, jumping dogs and climbing streams can be very dangerous, so much so that you'd probably be better off indoors in front of a games console.

I fully expect the government to issue the appropriate health warning in the next few days.

But Saturday's the Doctor Who day!! Have these people no compassion?

I'm all for Sunday though, nothing on tele on a Sunday until Top Gear starts again.

It's called iplayer, the next day ;)

If you put your Sky Plus on standby (which merely changes the colour of the LED from green to red, and has precious little effect on power consumption) it will still record any programmes in your Planner. Does that count?

But that's technology! Besides, MythTV records it for me anyway. Go the penguin!

Not in our house (with a Wii, 2 PS2s, 2 desktops, 1 laptop, 2 DSs, 3 PSPs, 2 mobes, 1 EV-DO USB stick, 3 routers, 4 satellite dishes, 9 satellite boxes, several XM satellite radios, 2 home theatres, a HF/VHF ham radio station, 50+ assorted radios, etc.)

Unless, perhaps, if there is a power failure. But even then I've got battery back-up for some of it. And solar panels.

does that mean i wont have to wear my tin-foil hat on saturday :)

we can but wish......

mines the one...... Hang on i won't be needing it, cos i'll be out getting cancer in the sunshine for a change :)

illuminatus;p

Jeffy,

do you by any chance work in an old folk's home??

I wish i could, have to have my mobe by me all the time for work, curse it.

Looks like its every PC, laptop and TV in the house on then. While I listen to my mp3 player of course.

Those books were likely typeset on a computer and printed by an electronically-controlled press, so maybe you shouldn't read them either.

If you want maturity, hop on over to Slashdot...

"If you want maturity, hop on over to Slashdot..."

Whew! Thanks for the laugh! I nearly wet myself I laughed so hard. Best sarcastic comment of the year!

Let's see... May 3...

Sorry, gotta work and stare at 6 monitors.