But some events are just so important that I have to watch them myself. Such was case with finals of this year's American Idol. The space shuttle Columbia crash in Texas earlier in year was another event that (sadly) I just had to watch. And I certainly did not want to miss thrill of seeing America's Cup sail into Switzerland.

Of course, I regularly turn on tube whenever a George Bush invades Iraq. Hopefully, this one will soon finish invading; my electricity bill is suffering.

The latest must-see event is Michael Jackson arrest, an event of such momentous importance that all news shows, gossip shows, comedy shows and just about everybody else is offering wall-to-wall coverage. It has been estimated that 37% of American population has been interviewed by media for their inside-knowledge of "the pop superstar's" personal life.

So I was most shocked when I flipped to a channel that was not helping me track down most fascinating intimate details and most intriguing and succulent minutiae of all things Michael Jackson.

"What?!" I demanded. "This is impossible. What is this trash?"

"That's Touched by an Angel," my wife offered. "It's one of your favorite shows."

"That's no excuse," I blustered. "The network should be hot on Jackson case. How could this be? I'm calling cable company to complain."

"But dear ..." my wife tried to interrupt.

"It's no use," I insisted as I dialed. "My mind is made up. Don't try to stop me."

"But dear ..." my wife tried to interrupt me again.

Yesterday I was checking my calendar. "Holy smokes! It's almost Christmas. I better check to see if Uncle Albert found a way to keep Christmas spirit alive all year."

So I put on my boots and buttoned up my jacket. I dashed out door.

I came back into house to put on a scarf. And some gloves. And a hat. And my long-johns. I filled up thermos with hot chocolate and dug out a pair of ear muffs. "Yup. That's Christmas spirit," I thought as I headed out once more, trying to keep my head above snow.

When I reached Uncle Albert's, I could tell something was different. I wasn't sure quite what, but I suspect it had something to do with large red and gold sleigh parked in his driveway.

"Say, Uncle Albert. What's with sleigh?"

"You like it, Happy Guy? That's part of my Christmas spirit," he enthused.

"It is?"

"Of course. Riding in a one-horse open sleigh. Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? All that shtick." he smiled.

"You think that's how to keep Christmas spirit alive all year?"

"That's just beginning," he said as he lit up a candle. "I've cancelled my electricity."

"But why?"

"Have you ever heard of a Christmas carol with electricity?" Uncle Albert asked. "No. You hear about Christmas carols by candlelight, about silver bells, boughs of holly, all sorts of nostalgic stuff from days when General Electric hired mice to turn wheels of power."

I looked around for a Christmas tree. "So why no Christmas tree? Is that too modern for you?"