PBS

About five months ago, I came across a really good program on the local PBS station. I forget what it was, but it was really interesting; something having to do with the history of sewers in Chicago I think.

Since it was actually entertaining, of course, it was being broadcast during the annual pledge drive. Just as I was really getting into this program, the host of the pledge drive came on and began his plea for money. These breaks in the program seem to last about five hours before the really good programming resumes.

Why is it that the only time PBS broadcasts anything really good, it’s always during a pledge drive? Whenever the pledge drive isn’t going on, PBS’s normal lineup of programming consists of two-hour, four part documentaries like “Nepalese Operas of the Late-17th Century” or equally riviting, “The Formation of Dew.”

They were giving out a really cool gift if you gave a sizeable donation and I wanted it. Of course, I would have donated to PBS anyway . . . . it’s simply what My People do. We're absolutely bonkers over donating money to PBS.

Like I said, this was five months ago and guess what I received in the mail yesterday? My really cool gift.

I don’t even want it anymore now.

Speaking of PBS pledge drives, I can give you an inside scoop here.

I once volunteered to work the phones for an afternoon during one of those pledge drives. I’m sure you’ve seen it - - - the jovial host is telling you what an absolute cretin you’ll be if you don’t donate while the phones are ringing away behind him. The camera pans to the volunteers who are smiling away, answering the phones as they ring and take pledges.

Here’s the scoop - - - Have you ever seen a pledge drive where the phones weren’t ringing away? That’s because most of the phone-ringing is caused by the volunteers calling each other. We were told to do that while on camera to make it look like lots of pledges were rolling in.

Mostly, we were telling dirty jokes to each other; thus the smiles.