Crappy TV Programming

~

Last summer I wrote a list of TV channels and TV programs I watch and how they overlapped and how I had to try to catch some of them (about half of what I watched) on Comcast's OnDemand service.

I'm not going to make a grid, but ---well, you'll see.

Okay. Sunday night at 8:30 EST, ABC Family channel was airing the Harry Potter movie 'Half Blood Prince' which I hadn't seen, so I watched it (plus about an hour's worth of commercials [HAH - I DIDN'T! During the commercials I switched over to PBS to watch Celtic Woman]). So that meant I missed 'Once Upon a Time,' 'The Good Wife' and 'Hell on Wheels' which I'll have to watch OnDemand.

So tonight, Monday - I'm watching 'The Closer' at 9, and 'Castle' at 10, and will have to watch 'Rizzoli & Isles' OnDemand.

Tuesday night is 'Eureka' at 8, 'Warehouse 13' at 9, and 'Sons of Anarchy' at 10. Which means I'll have to watch 'Body of Proof' and 'Covert Affairs' OnDemand.

There isn't CRAP on Wednesdays night I want to watch!

Thursday night is 'The Secret Circle' at 9, and 'The Mentalist' at 10. So I'll have to watches 'Bones' and 'Burn Notice' OnDemand.

Friday - 'Nikita' and 'Grimm' at 8 and 9.

Saturday - Zippo, nadda.

So why the hell can't some of these shows be on Wednesday, or at 8 pm?

And I'm sure you're thinking - "Why doesn't he just get a DVR?"

I would, if I could buy one and hook it up like we used to do with a VCR. But I've been told the cable (or satellite) company has to provide it, and I'd have to pay extra for it.

NO THANKS. I already pay enough for cable.

~

If I Were King - Part Two

~

The first time I posted on this subject, I ranted about stupid reality and talent(less) shows.

Today I am ranting about all the radio stations that started playing Christmas songs the first week of November.

So, if I were KING, any radio station that played any Christmas songs or ran any Christmas ads before December 1st would lose their FCC license for one year and would be fined a minimum of $50,000.

And further, any TV stations, including cable stations, that ran any Christmas commercials or aired Christmas movies or shows with Christmas themes before December 1st would also lose their FCC licences for one year and would be fined a minimum of $1,000,000.

~

Goodbye AT&T; Hello Comcast

I have had to dump AT&T.

On Saturday, Oct 22nd, my DSL modem stopped working. So I called AT&T support and they determined that my modem was bad and said they'd send me a new one for $100! Of course I said NO and had the operator connect me with the lady who cancels accounts. She told me she could have new one sent to me for FREE; so I said okay. She said I would get it Wednesday or Thursday.

Come Friday I still hadn't received it so I called again. I was told there was a notation about the modem but the order had not been put in. So once again I told the lady to cancel both the phone service (which I've had ever since I first got a phone, many many many many years ago) and the internet service (I've had DSL for 10 years). She said the service would end at midnight.

I then called Comcast to get cable phone and internet. The installer showed up about 1:30 the next day (Sunday) and after an hour, everything was in and was working. The cost will end up cheaper than what I was paying for cable TV plus phone and internet.

Today (Oct 31) I had to call AT&T again because the phone service had NOT been canceled and I didn't want to pay for service I wasn't using.

So far, no problems with the cable internet, but it doesn't seem any faster than the DSL, but I haven't tried to download any large files yet, either.

We'll see.

Steve Job' Passing

~

This past week the world mourned the passing of Steve Jobs. And anytime anyone of note dies there is a compilation of his/her accomplishments.

Most reports about Steve say that everyone has been touched by his innovative products. Which I suppose in a way is true.

But I have never bought an Apple computer, an iPod, an iPhone, nor an iPad. And I probably never will.

And the main reason is that they, in my opinion, are WAY overpriced. They could cut the prices in half and still make millions of dollars.

So, until the prices come down to a reasonable cost, I will continue to use my HP PC, my plain, ordinary Sony cell phone, and no mp3 player.

That's all.

~

Not That Great

~

Couldn't help but see that the 3D version of the cartoon movie 'The Lion King' is in theaters (or soon will be).

I saw the original, and In My Opinion, it wasn't that great.

I can think of three Disney cartoon movies that were much better - 'Alice in Wonderland,' 'Snow White,' and 'Pinocchio.'

Of course I am probably dating myself, but whatever.

That's all.

Oh, and for some reason this text is in italics and bold font and I can't change it.

~

You Pronounced That HOW?

~

I supposed that no matter what part of the country you live in, people from other parts pronounce words that just sound wrong.

For example, I live in north Florida, and everyone I know pronounces the word 'either' (and 'neither') as ee-ther. But in so many moves and TV shows, I hear it pronounced as eye-ther. And that just sounds wrong!

Also, I grew up pronouncing 'often' as offen, with the silent 't' as in soften, hasten and listen (but no one says soft-ten or list-ten or haste-ten). So when I hear off-ten, well, it just sounds wrong!

And it irked me to no end when, back in 1978 there was the mass suicide at the Jim Jones compound in Guyana, and everyone was pronouncing it Guy-ana, even though everyone who knew any Spanish at all knew it was pronounced Gu-ya-na (but, of course, like almost everyone else I pronounce Cuba as Q-bah even though the correct way to say it is Coo-bah. And as an aside, President Kennedy, who pronounced words like fathah and brothah, etc., pronounced it as Q-ber - go figure!).

And one more example -- how many times have you heard someone who is delighted at an outcome say voilá! and pronounce it wah-LAH, when, in fact, being a French word, it should be pronounced as V-wah-LAH. (And let me say for the record, after taking three years of Spanish in high school, I think French words have the most screwed up spelling of any language I can think of.)

I could write endlessly about such "mis-pronunciations", but I guess you get my drift.

Also, in this essay, I wrote pronounce, and it's many derivations, thirteen times, including in the title and in this paragraph.

That's all.

~

Drive the Speed Limit, Dammit!

~

Nothing irritates me more than people who won't drive the speed limit. I'm not talking about those who drive too fast, I'm talking about the ones who drive too slow!

As an example: I drive down a six lane highway (four car lanes and two bus lanes) to and from work everyday, about 15 miles each way. The speed limit is 45 mph, and since gas is so high, over $3.50 / gallon, I use the cruise control to keep from burning too much gas by going too fast. And it really pisses me off when I come up behind cars going 40, 41, 42, etc. miles per hour.

But if I try to pass them, I have to worry about being rear-ended by drivers going 50 - 55 mph in the other lane.

People think that speeding is the cause of auto accidents, but it isn't. It's cars going different speeds.

The slow drivers make the ones who want to drive the posted limits to slam on brakes, risking a rear-end collision. And the speeders weave in and out of traffic trying to get ahead of the car in front of them.

Dammit, people, just drive the speed limit!

~