My familial duties at the hospital outrank my blogger duties, so you got paucity when you were expecting a veritable torrent

Above, looking southwest at Aventura Hospital, Aventura (FL) from Biscayne Blvd./U.S.-1 & N.E. 209th Street. August 14, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier

I've received a lot of emails and phone calls -on my new Samsung smart phone that I'm still treating like a baby and still trying to understand- from friends and folks I know since Friday, all wondering what the hell happened to the blog posts they were expecting to see this past weekend.

Posts about the dual Broward School Board resignations of Dave Thomas and Jennifer Gottlieb; the possible role of Beachside Montessori Village in Hollywood in the latter; this week's official State redistricting meetings in Davie on Tuesday and Miami on Wednesday; plus a review of the Dolphin low-lights and some thoughts about the Miami Herald's abysmal news coverage -or the lack thereof- on a few selected subjects.

Well, I've spent a lot of time the past three days over at Aventura Hospital visiting with my father, who needed some medical attention.

Having spent so much time over there since his stroke in November -it happened in the first-half of the Dolphin-Titans ballgame- since he was there for three weeks, and he's had two more multi-day visits this year alone, I've come to know the hospital, it's adjacent garages and the TV station lineup there like the back of my hand.

Above, Aventura Hospital looking south into Aventura (FL) from U.S-1/Federal Highway at the Miami-Dade County/Broward County line. August 14, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier

Aventura Hospital, Aventura (FL). August 13, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier

It turns out that since my last visit there, the geniuses at the hospital, in their quest for even more revenue, latched upon the crackpot idea of getting rid of their former TV sets that allowed patients and family/friends to watch most cable TV stations, and now want you to pay to watch Fox News, ESPN, TNT, USA, TCM, CNN or anything else that most people watch pretty regularly.

They've reduced the offerings to whatever you could get with an old non-cable, non-satellite TV.

Well, to be honest, actually less than that, since they also don't offer Channel 33 or 39.

Just the 4 English-language VHF stations and 2-3 of the Spanish-language UHF stations, plus a hospital channel.

To quote some family members visiting patients I heard over the weekend in the elevator discussing the matter: "it really sucks!"

Let me tell you, Sunday afternoon TV in South Florida, when there's no college football or basketball or NFL on the tube is positively brutal with a capital "B," with the hours and hours of infomercials just waiting there to rot your brain.

If you're looking for a real TV wasteland, early Sunday afternoons in South Florida like yesterday's was as good as you'll get, though I recall a few weekends in Washington, D.C. that were like that as well, which is usually was when I'd walk over to Georgetown if the weather was nice or Metro it if it wasn't to see a new foreign film or hang out at Washington Harbour.

But despite all that airtime, there's absolutely no time available for a dynamic Broward-oriented public affairs program focused on public policy, government and politics?

Really.

Not when there's a bed, skillet set or exercise machine that still needs to be sold!

Looks like my father will be getting out today so I will try to get cracking on those promised posts later tonight if I can, though FYI, it's more likely that I'll attend the redistricting meeting in downtown Miami first thing Wednesday morning at Miami Dade College, than the one out in Davie on Tuesday night.

Info below from MyDistrictBuilder:

· August 16 in Davie: Parking and Driving – Google Maps - RSVP

· August 17 in Miami: Parking and Driving – Google Maps - RSVP

· August 17 in South Miami: Parking and Driving – Google Maps - RSVP

· August 18 in Key West: Parking and Driving – Google Maps - RSVP