20220204 : TV... entertainment...

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Last night, the TV remote hung for some reason and didn't work. When it was time to sleep, it didn't work to switch off the TV. The nurses tried for sometime. Tried the usual, which we all do - taking it closer, slapping it on their palm, opening and adjusting the batteries... It wouldn't relent. 

Then they did the next logical thing - try and find the "off" button on the TV. I have a "smart TV". It will outsmart anyone trying to find the off switch. It has no buttons on it. (Don't know if it's by design or they simply forgot to put it!)

Anyway it was fun!

Not their struggle, but the recollection of a similar scenario...

When I was in the hospital (just after the stroke), there was a TV in my room. It had a peculiar mechanism. All the buttons on the remote worked, except the "power" button. So you had to go to the TV and switch it on, then operate the remote. The "on" button was hard to find on the TV - it was somewhat hard to find at the bottom. And from what i saw as actions, it was like a kinda joystick to push for on and move up/down for other menu options.

After I figured out this puzzle, it used to be a big source of entertainment for me.

Whenever anybody new came to see me, I would make some indication with my eyes and whatever moved of my left hand, that I wanted to watch the TV.

Then the action would start. Trying the remote, slapping it on the palm, adjusting the batteries, etc. Then approach the TV, search around for the button, after finding it, how to operate it, etc.

Most of the time, the quest used to be forfeited.

It was rare that somebody would triumph.

It would be no fun to ask the person afterwards and I had to wait for the next new person to turn up.

I know, I know, it was a cruel prank. I used to feel a pang of guilt too...

But I had to find my own sources of entertainment. Even with the TV on, my vision was so bad - I couldn't see much.

So I had to do something.

If you have been one of the subjects, I apologise. But that is my defence - need for some form of entertainment/amusement....


And in case you were wondering what happened last night - easy peasy, 

The "Smart TV" was outsmarted.... 

They pulled the plug...

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