Thankful for AFN

I can't remember if I've posted anything about Armed Forces Network (AFN) or not, but I'm going to again if I have before.
We do not have cable, or Skynet, or even any fancy stuff on appleTV, what we do have is AFN. Since AFN is funded by the government, we do not have to be bombarded by commercials, political ads and mudslinging nonsense.
When we first got here, my daughter and I were amazed at the commercials, some little more than high school communications class productions. Some were funny, some were informative, some were horribly done, but all were without bias. Unless you think it's OK to text and drive, not install child safety seats correctly or think that the hypothermia risks are overblown, you can't be turned off by these public safety announcements.
Let me tell you what I got to watch on TV since we moved last summer and the media circus heated up around this crazy election. I got to watch commercials on how to vote absentee, necessary information since I won't be going back to the states for that but feel that I need to vote. I got to watch commercials about how military personnel and DODs employees are not allowed to use their jobs or uniforms to campaign for someone. And, well, that's really about it. That's the extent of what I had to suffer through relating to the elections. Not bad.
The other thing that we get to bypass are toy commercials and fast food commercials, all aimed at stirring my already wild child into a frenzy about some cool new toy that he has to have to that we need to get a kid's meal somewhere because they have Hot Wheels toys this month. Thank goodness!! We watched about 30 minutes of regular TV when we were on vacation and the whole time I was bombarded with, "Mom! I HAVE to have this toy! Mom! Can I have this for Christmas? Mom! Come see this toy!" Good grief. Exhausting.
I can choose to read as much news this election season as I want, and it's not much because really, this much ignorance hurts my head. I'm getting enough of it from my facebook friends. I am so thankful that when I finally sit down to watch my 2 hours of guilty pleasure TV (SYTYCD or The Voice) during the week,  I do not have to listen to negative mudslinging that will not help me make up my mind about anything.
Thank you AFN for keeping us from this nonsense. Thank you US Army for sending my family away from the United States for the last 16 months so I don't have to listen to political rants and irritating jingles.