I'm writing code while the CNN idiots are chattering about nothing behind me. They're talking such nonsense that it doesn't interfere with my concentration. It's relaxing. 

If you understand how programming works that means they're not saying anything my cerebral cortex needs to focus on, and I have no expectation that they will say anything I have to listen to with my intellect. I can focus fully on the program runtime environment.  

In the rebooted system I'll have Nate Silver and people he listens to, talking behind me. I won't be able to write code while that's going on. (Or write a blog post.) 

Will Nate's live video stream come via the settop box or via the FIOS connection? Who cares? The net effect is exactly the same. 

I'll be doing that for sure in 2012. We're almost there now.  

PS: It's been a long time since I've watched cable news. I watched the World Series (love the Giants), and now I'm "watching" election returns. Only thing notable that's changed is the political ads appear to new fears about China. Maybe the Koch Brothers are preparing for World War III?