It’s still crap, only wider

Against all logic, I am now the proud owner of a high-definition television. It is about the size of a highway billboard, and delivers programs I would never otherwise watch with amazing clarity. Yesterday, for example, we were viewing the Daytona 500. I’ve gotten through my life so far without ever caring about this event, but since it was mentioned by the guy who sold us the TV, we decided to tune in.

The Daytona 500 looks good in high-def. You can see all these belogoed cars roaring around the track almost as if you were there. Around and around, for quite a long time. The race itself still seems pretty pointless, but the picture is amazing. Hey, if they had a show about paint drying, I’d watch it too — as long as it was in high def.

It’s too bad they don’t have high-def writing. Wouldn’t that help revitalize a dying pastime? In addition to being able to count the pores on Rob Lowe’s face in a lame series like “Brothers & Sisters,” we’d also get a full 1080p worth of nuance and conflict and clever dialogue. But I guess that technology is still a long way off.