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TV America　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Since World War II television has developed into the most popular medium in the United States , with enormous influence on the country's elections and way of life. Virtually every American home -- 97 million of them in 1994 -- has at least one TV set, and 65 percent have two or more.

　　Three privately owned networks that offered free programming financed by commercials -- NBC, CBS, and ABC -- controlled 90 percent of the TV market from the 1950s to the 1970s. In the 1980s the rapid spread of pay cable TV transmitted by satellite undermined that privileged position. By 1994, almost 60 percent of American households had subscribed to cable TV, and non-network programming was drawing more than 30 percent of viewers. Among the new cable channels were several that show movies 24 hours a day; Cable News Network , the creation of Ted Turner , which broadcasts news around the clock; and MTV , which shows music videos.

　　In the meantime, a fourth major commercial network, Fox , has come into being and challenged the big three networks; several local TV stations have switched their affiliation from one of the big three to the newcomer. Two more national networks -- WB and UPN -- have also come along, and the number of cable television channels continues to expand.

　　There are 335 public television stations across the United States , each of which is independent and serves its community's interests. But the stations are united by such national entities as the Public Broadcasting Service , which supplies programming. American taxpayers provide partial funding for public television, which is watched by an estimated 87 million viewers per week.
Among the most popular programs is " Sesame Street ," a children's show that teaches beginning reading and math through the use of puppets, cartoons, songs, and comedy skits .

　Beginning in the late 1970s, U.S. cable companies have offered services to selected segments of the population. Programs broadcast by the Silent Network come with sign language and captions for the network's audience of people with hearing problems. In 1988, Christopher Whittle founded Channel One cable network, which provides educational programming -- along with commercials -- to about 40 percent of American high school students. In addition, the convergence of the computer, TV, and fiber optics has raised the possibility of interactive TV, which would allow viewers to select specific programs they wish to see at times of their choosing.

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LIVE YOUR DREAM THROUGH OVERCOMING OBSTACLES AND NEVER EVER QUIT

by Craig Lock

　　A collection of thoughts and quotations compiled by Craig Lock (in 1994)

　　 "What you ARE is as important as what you do."

　　 "Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you're saying." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

　　 "People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it." - anon

　　 "Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford

　　No matter what path you are on, people (often well-meaning) will not understand and will criticise you. Are you strong enough to handle the critics?

　　Passionate people, who live their dreams, embrace what they love and never give up. They overcome many (and often seemingly insurmountable ) obstacles on the path to success in pursuing their life vision.

"Obstacles cannot crush me; every obstacle yields to stern resolve." - Leonardo Da Vinci

　　 "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal."

　　- Henry Ford

　　 "We who lived in the concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof, that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: The last of his freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way." - Viktor E. Frankl in his book, 'Man's Search for Meaning'

DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL

　　You've failed many times; although you may not remember.

　　* Didn't you fall down the first time you tried to walk? (What would you have done, if your dear mom had given up on you ever walking as a baby). No, she waited patiently for you to take those first tentative steps.

　　* You almost drowned the first time you tried to swim, didn't you?

　　* Did you hit the ball the first time you swung a bat? Heavy hitters, the ones who strike the most home runs, also strike out a lot.

　　Now for some examples of famous achievers , who refused to quit...

　　R.H Macy failed 7 times, before his store in New York caught on.

　　English novelist John Creasey got 753 rejection slips before he published 564 books.

　　Baseball legend, Babe Ruth struck out 1,330 times; but he also hit 714 home runs.

　　So don't worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss, when you don't even try.

　　Abraham Lincoln didn't quit. He once wrote:

　　 "The sense of obligation to continue is present in all of us. A duty to strive is the duty of us all. I feel a call to that duty." - Abraham Lincoln

　　 "The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped out from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, 'It's a slip and not a fall.'" Lincoln spoke these inspiring words after losing a senate race. He never quit...and so won't I.

　　Will YOUR name be mentioned some day as not being a "quitter", who overcame almost insurmountable obstacles?

　　Will YOU quit, whatever you are doing...if you really believe in your "unique calling" - a tribute to the power of persistance and faith?

WILL YOU SAY, I WILL UNTIL?"

　　"Every man has his own destiny; the only imperative is to follow it, no matter where it leads him." - Henry Miller

　　 "It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man strumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is mar red by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly , who errs and comes short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

　　 Theodore Roosevelt

　　P.S: Thanks, Abraham Lincoln and President Rooseveld for being true inspirations to me!