Worthless TV or not, a little time on the couchis OK once in a whileI spent Monday night following a murder investigation involving three shooters. The death was ultimately caused by a bullet that ricocheted into the victim’s brain. So much for observing TV Turn-off Week.Most people are like me — their living rooms are centered on the electronic box that streams a bluish strobing light and very little value. But even so, I’m not really advocating turning off the TV for any particular week of the year. Sure, I think it should be off during family meals, when it’s time for an uninterrupted conversation or for a peaceful rest. Other than that, I don’t mind having it on. I’m not alone either: 283 million Americans feel they can’t last the week without their TV fix.It’s not that I couldn’t handle it, but I don’t see the harm in television that a lot of Turn-Off advocates do. I guess you could say I am an advocate of moderate viewing.I realize that watching television promotes obesity (by being the only activity second to sleeping that requires the least amount of calories.) Excessive TV viewing also encourages violence, as proven in a 32-year study, and reduces reading performance. It probably encourages lower self-esteem in women because most on TV are perfect.But without TV, a couple of my co-workers wouldn’t be able to argue over various national sports figures they see on television broadcasts. And how many of us looked forward to discussing "Seinfeld" episodes every Friday morning throughout the 1990s?I realize people with children have different issues: even kids’ programming is full of foul language, disrespect for elders, mischievous behavior and just plain shallow ideals.One Web site in favor of TV-Turn-Off Week offered these quotes from children who experienced a week without TV."I had a great time, and my only question is: If this is so great, why don't we turn off the TV for the other 51 weeks of the year?" — Benjamin Loxley, second-grader, Lewisboro, New Jersey"I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week." — Drew Henderson, second-grader, Donora, Pennsylvania.Even for us adults who don’t have attention span issues and who aren’t suckered into products through commercials, watching TV is still a big time waster. But I waste just as much time lying in bed daydreaming as I do wasting time in front of the TV. What about time on the phone or computer? Reading isn’t that much different from watching TV in the way that it stops me from doing housework or other "useful" activities, too. I just figure we are all owed a little wasted time in our days. Productivity isn’t meant for every waking moment (unless you’re my mother, and in that case I send out apologies for my behavior).Without TV, I wouldn’t have just learned that crabbing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and I wouldn’t have been able to get teary-eyed over a romance that would have taken me two weeks to read. TV inspired me to play "Little House on the Prairie" and detective games with my sisters when I was little. … But then again, it also made me beg for toys my parents couldn’t afford and showed my big sister how to karate kick me across the yard.So, even though I am not endorsing all this TV-Turn-Off business, I still think moderation is the moral of this episode of "Room with a View." Enjoy "The Simpsons," "Sesame Street," "Everybody Loves Raymond," or "Forensic Files." Just give your eyes a break and don’t let too much of your time be absorbed into that electric box in your living room.