The way it is

When the federal government decided how many gallons of water every toilet in America should use when being flushed -- resulting in annoying toilets that have to be flushed twice, accomplishing absolutely nothing -- I kind of thought that might be the breaking point. Americans would rise up as one and say, "Enough!" Didn't happen, of course. No matter what, we will go back into our "Oh, well, that's the way it is" mode and just take whatever they dish out. But maybe this is different:

So far, the focus on the digital TV (DTV) rollout has been the spread of high definition. About 30% of U.S. homes have digital HDTV sets, which receive the new channels. But nearly 20%, or more than 20 million homes, rely strictly on antennas to receive free over-the-air broadcasts. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) says another 14.7 million have at least one antenna-powered TV.

Legislators, broadcasters, manufacturers and consumer groups have known about this dilemma for more than a decade. But as the turn-off date approaches, all are concerned about confusion and a lack of awareness; the NAB estimates more than 60% don't know about the transition.

"This scares me politically. There is no anger that comes close to the anger of an American that cannot get television," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., said at a hearing last month.

Nah. We'll be sitting in front of our HDTVs, and they'll figure out a way to add another dollar or two to the phone bills to make sure the poor and elderly aren't left out, and life will go on. Go on to the next takeover and stop worrying about it, Claire.