KCET is no longer channel 28, at least on Time-Warner cable

late last night, i was confused when i saw a black, empty screen on channel 28, which, since childhood (at least in Orange County), was usually the former Los Angeles PBS station KCET. i thought it was a TiVO mixup, but today, even worse fears were confirmed, as stated in this press release (or programming alert?) issued by Time Warner cable:

"Beginning on or about January 17, 2011, KCET, which is currently made available to customers in an analog (or both analog and digital) format will be made available in a digital format only. KCET will remain on the Broadcast service level. Viewing on certain television sets may require additional equipment that can be provided by Time Warner Cable or that may be available for purchase from retail stores in certain locations. "

as we all know, KCET no longer carried PBS as of the first of the 2011 year. i was surprised to see just one other analogue cable 'dinosaur' on a local Los Angeles Yahoo! forum was noticing, let alone complaining, this recent development, that 'TWC drops analog KCET (ch.6)'.

what's worse is, even if we HAD digital KCET in Orange County, we would be forced to accept KCET's 24/7 Kids and Family channel, rather than their so-called "new" independent programming...which i was kinda digging, what with all the cool cooking shows (YOUR JAPANESE KITCHEN, RICK BAYLESS, ERIC RIPERT etc.), plus H.R. PUFNSTUF and LIDSVILLE!!?!

early voting experience in Orange County, CA

so, AlSto and i early-voted today...but that actually meant we voted early on the last possible day we could vote early in Orange County.

we went to the Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. D'OH! HUGE line. it really only turned out to be an hour wait, from arrival to when we gave our name. i'm sure many people got the same treatment: long line; requests for i.d. even though only first-time voters were technically required to supply i.d. as proof of residence (in fairness to the lady typing in our name, i'm sure she was just tired of asking over and over, "K-I-G...what? Could you slow down? Okay, one more time, K-I-T...??!"); broken equipment, etc. etc.

i did spend nearly the entire time chatting with a sweet older Vietnamese couple, and a librarian from the Placentia school district named Joy. the interesting thing was, to talk about 'meaningful' stuff with another person you barely just met, while trying to keep one's own political inclinations to oneself. i was, after all, in Orange County!

oh yeah, and we went by the Central Orange County Democrats' HQ on 2020 Chapman Ave. in the city of Orange, before we went to vote, to pick up a NO ON PROP. 8 lawn sign. all was pretty quiet there, but there were nice workers, in any case. and a man, sitting in a car, who AlSto was convinced was a cop.