Investigate this

    If you follow the country’s economic condition closely you had better sit down.
    If you have a heart condition, just quit reading this.
    The Federal Communications Commission — the one that’s part of the federal government and funded with our money — announced Thursday it will sponsor the No. 38 Yates Racing Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for three races this year.
    The FCC will use the car driven by David Gilliland to help educate the public about next year’s plan for broadcast television stations to cease broadcasting analog airwaves and begin broadcasting only in digital. 
    Translation: If your TV uses an antenna you’re screwed.
    The conversion has made little sense and will force poor or older folks on tight, fixed incomes by Feb. 18 to buy a digital TV, cable service, a satellite dish or get a digital converter from the government.
    Or go back to listening to the radio.
    We all can’t afford to run out and buy a digital TV that, most likely, was made in another country.
    If you need to educate people about the change wouldn’t it make more sense — frugal cents — to run ads on television? Call me crazy, but the market to be educated apparently watches TV, don’t they?
    And we — the taxpayers — will shell out $350,000 for this boondoggle race team sponsorship and perhaps another $100,000 on track signage.
    The sponsorship will be active this weekend at Martinsville, Va., and at races near Phoenix and Homestead, Fla.
    FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in the press release that he believes “this sponsorship is an extremely effective way for the FCC to raise DTV (digital television) awareness among people of all ages and income levels across the United States who loyally follow one of the most popular sports in America.” 
    Hey moron, most NASCAR fans watch races on television and unless the No. 38 does surprisingly better that it has in the last 31 races (the car is 27th in points with only two top-10 finishes) it’s not going to get much on-screen exposure.
    Yates’ car will carry the message: "Are you ready for digital?"
    No, Mr. FCC, or you ready for a lobotomy?
    Maybe you’ve been spending too much time listening for dirty words being said on broadcast radio or TV to realize we are in a financial crisis.
    For more information on the big switch, go to DTV.gov.
    That stands for “Digital TV” and not “Dupe the Viewers.”