"How do you tell a 10-year-old the telly is being turned off?" Let me tell you what my parents told us when our first television needed expensive repairs.

1. They were sick of the violence on TV. (This was 1958.) 2. My little sister's health was being harmed by the violent programming, etc. 3. My parents were tired of us fighting over what to watch. 4. Grades were going down.

While we didn't enjoy hearing this, we knew that it was true and that it was our parents' role to raise us as best they could in a home that was as nice as possible. So we accepted it. I haven't had a TV since, and I love not having it.

As for Christmas, I think one of the best things to do is to make music. How about it?