Less vegetating...

I canceled my cable. When I moved to a new apartment in December...wait...did I ever write a post about that? No? I'm sorry. I moved. To an apartment managed by a company that's competent and actually responsive to needs. It's amazing. Also, my apartment rocks.

Ahem. Cable TV. Right.

When I moved to a new apartment in December, I had to give up DirecTV. They have a strict no-satellite dish clause in my lease. It's a bummer. I loved my DirecTV. Overall I had a very good experience with that company. But alas, I had to switch. To Comcast. Almost exactly four months later, I canceled Comcast. I had more problems with service and outages and billing (WTF with paperless billing only working if I have a comcast.com email address?!?) in those 4 months than I did in the 3 1/2 years with DirecTV. It just wasn't worth the headache. Comcast is evil.

The final straw? My cable suddenly went out for no good reason last Thursday. It worked in the morning when I watched the news and then just stopped sometime during the day. So I called when I got home and discovered it wasn't working (box wouldn't turn on) and was told that clearly there was something I did (WTF? I wasn't.even.home) and that since the sending the box a signal to restart didn't work they'd have to send someone out. The first available slot for service? SUNDAY. That's THREE DAYS LATER. Which means that unless the cable suddenly and magically fixed itself, I'd definitely be missing the new episodes of Bones and Fringe that night. I was pissed as I was really looking forward to that after a long day. Also, being without cable for 3 days meant I'd be missing my family's beloved Michigan State Spartans play Butler on Saturday. So I thought about it, and decided the so-called service I've received was unacceptable and not worth the headaches Comcast had given me the past few months. And then called them back the next day and told them to STUFF IT. Service canceled.

I watched the first part of the Michigan State game online. Thank the gods for Verizon and my remarkably reliable DSL internet and wireless service from them. I found out the final score from a TV in a bar with some friends (I may have yelled F*CK a bit too loudly when I leaned the Spartans lost). Also, Butler? DAMN if you didn't play good ball. I gotta give it to you. Pity you lost to Duke because I do think you played better ball than they did overall.

So right now I have no TV. I have an old non-digital TV so unless I get one of those digital-to-analog converter boxes I get nothing but static. I never got one because in all my previous apartments/houses/etc. I've always had to have cable as I've not gotten enough signal to get any channels otherwise. So I didn't need one. And since I'm constantly trying to get rid of stuff, I couldn't see any logic in getting a thing I didn't need and I may never actually be able to use. Oh, irony. You can be cruel sometimes.

Ultimately this means less vegetating. No more getting sucked into bad random television on the weekends. And my television watching will clearly have to be more deliberate and likely will be more choosy and specific...no more turning on the boob tube and just zoning out for hours on end and losing time and realizing it's much later than I thought and OMG why am I not in bed yet?!? Between Netflix and Hulu I'm pretty well covered if there's a show I want to watch.

Actually, I signed up for Netflix for the first time a few days ago. I know. I'm "behind the times" or whatever. I've been having fun populating my queue. Lordy there are a lot of movies and TV series I've never seen or started and never finished. Eventually I might invest in one of those Roku boxes if I find I'll use it enough.

The downsides I've discovered thus far to not having TV/cable: FoodNetwork shows are not streamed online anywhere that I can find. That truly bums me out. I'm going to have to find a new way to get my Iron Chef America fix! And I'll have to start carefully avoiding spoilers as I'll be a day behind for most shows on Hulu. But I can deal with that.

Right now I'm rediscovering radio and catching up on online reading and print book reading. I feel less zoned. I'm not exaggerating. I really do.

This does not, however, mean I'm going to actually going to start playing video games or invest in a PS-whatever or Wii-thing. Let's not go too far now.

Annoyed

Audi, yes, the car company, has been using the serious crime of identity theft in a series of commercials. They're marketing their new car as "unmistakable." So to illustrate this, they're using identity theft. In one commercial, kids exit school to be confronted with a line of cars that are exactly the same...only the kid who's mom is driving the Audi is able to find her and confidently gets in the car while his classmates are stumped at identifying their moms. In another, a woman is confronted with line after line of identical cars in a parking garage, unable to find hers. Of course, the Audi is the only one that's different. You get the idea.

Frankly, I find them disturbing, insulting, and they really piss me off. Everytime I see one of those commercials I want to throw something at the TV I get so angry.

Identity theft is serious. VERY SERIOUS. I cannot stress that enough. You have to take it seriously, both to prevent it and if you are unfortunate enough to be a victim. It's much more serious than your car looking like someone else's car, thankyouverymuch. My identity is so much more important than a friggin' car. It determines whether or not I can buy that car. Or buy anything else, for that matter. As a victim of identity theft, seeing Audi use that serious crime for a car commercial only makes me want to never ever buy one of their products. Ever. They have permanently lost my business.

I think that Audi take a long hard look at their use of such a serious crime to sell a vehicle and consider publishing an apology to those of us that have been victims. Not to mention fire their head of marketing for letting a campagin like that move forward. Poor taste. Very very poor taste, Audi. I am not impressed.

Recycled TV

I'm not sure what it says when they start recycling TV shows from my childhood. The entertainment industry would like us to think they are "re-envisioning" them. But they're not. They're recycling them, complete with the same names (show and sometimes characters), premise, plot, etc.

I didn't get to watch much TV as a child. Until about the mid-1980s, the only things I was allowed to watch were PBS shows like 3-2-1 Contact and Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, sports (go Detroit!), and sci-fi (Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, etc.). As a very young child I'd secretly stay up and lay at the top of the stairs so I could peer downstairs into the TV room and watch Masterpiece Theater when my parents did (yes, I'm a dork). That's it. Even once my options opened up, I didn't watch much TV as I had plenty of after school activities going on. Ultimately what this means is that you do NOT want me on your team for games involving pop culture knowledge from the '70s, '80s and most of the '90s as I have practically none.

But even I know the shows they're recycling. It started with Battlestar Galactica. I was worried. I loved loved loved this show as a child. The robotic dog. The bizarre basketball/rugby-like game pyramid. The viper fights with the Cylons. It rocked. So when I learned the SciFi channel was going to recycle it, I was worried. Really worried. Especially when I found out in the "new" Battlestar Galactica version Starbuck was going to be a girl! But I gave it a chance, and after watching the mini-series I was hooked. I give the SciFi channel props for doing it right. They respected the original, and then took it to a new level. They truly did re-envision it, adding new layers such as Cylons being creepy and evil human looking robots (truly indistinguishable from humans) rather than only silver and black evil centurion robots. Sadly, this upcoming season will be the last.

Then the network channels started getting into the recycling bit. There was Bionic Woman, which was an epic failure. Now there's Knight Rider. Yes, I stayed up and watched the 2 hour "movie" (why? I still haven't figured out why I did...curiosity maybe? and yes, I know I need help...moving on). And of course, the Hoff made a guest appearance at the end (you knew it would happen). The show has the exact same premise as the first one, but they've tried to tie it to the old version so it appears to be a continuation of the old rather than just a recycling of it. Nice attempt but not so much success with that, sorry. I haven't decided if they've succeeded yet with the show in general as it definitely has the potential to be an epic failure like Bionic Woman. But the car, KITT, is just as awesome as it was in the original. The car and it's biting sarcasm was the only redeeming quality of the original series (you know it's true...the car always had the best lines!). So props for nailing the car coolness factor. I reserve judgment on everything else. [Apparently the ratings were high enough to actually make the series...I'm a bit ashamed I contributed to that by watching it.]

We're seeing this recycling in full-length movies as well. War of the Worlds. Transformers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. G.I. Joe. Even Smurfs! (Oh God why the Smurfs?!? Not a good idea, just not.) Has the entertainment industry run out of original ideas? Or is this nostalgia?

Anyone want to guess what show they will recycle next?

Interference

Once a week, I sit down and indulge in an hour of television. OK, so maybe it's more than just one hour a week, but this particular hour, on a Friday night, is one that I do my best to not miss. I hate recording it to watch later. Really hate it. I don't want to risk accidentally finding out what happens, I actually want to see it. [I'm about to admit just what a geek I am, so be kind] This weekly television compulsion is Stargate Atlantis. I've been a Stargate fan for years. I watched Stargate SG-1 (the original Stargate series). All ten seasons. I even watched the (some would call it bad) Stargate movie that started it all, and in a weird way, really enjoyed it. It's a cult classic really. As I've said before, my scifi roots run deep into my childhood (thanks Dad). Fortunately, this weekly activity didn't negatively impact my social life. My friends and I had a standing Friday night activity of getting together at each others homes (rotating week to week), making dinner, and watching Stargate. Yes, I'm a geek. And I'm OK with that, because obviously many of my friends are just as geeky as I am. And we always have fun.

Anyway, back to the point of this post, interference.

So, about 47 minutes into this week's episode, just when it's getting to the good part and all the suspense they've been building is reaching a peak and we're rapidly moving forward into resolution, there's a big clap of thunder. Shortly after that, my image and sounds starts cutting in and out. Then I lose it entirely, and I get the lovely message that my satellite dish is searching for a signal. Dammit all to hell. And while I know the character is going to survive, I want to know HOW they save him. Auugghhh!! Normally I love thunderstorms, just not when they interfere with my leisure activities.

Not funny universe. So. Not. Funny. I am not amused.

Television addiction

TV...I've become such an addict in my adult life. I used to have very specific shows I watched, and the list has grown over the past year and especially since I moved (no social life yet in Philly = too much tv watching).

Growing up I didn't get to watch much tv. My sister and I were only allowed to watch PBS, and only at certain times. This meant most of my childhood was Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, 3-2-1 Contact, Electric Company (I did picture pages with Bill Cosby...did you?), and Captain Kangaroo. I respected Mr. Rogers, but I found him too simplistic, even as a child (apparently he annoyed me immensely as a 2 year old). The only exceptions to this no-tv rule were holiday shows (see earlier post), sports (FYI, I was raised on Detroit teams), shows we watched as a family like the Muppet Show or science fiction shows (see below), and the occasional Saturday morning cartoon fest. Although we did get to watch cartoons when we visited our grandparents during the summer. This lack of tv in my life continued until I was in my early teens. This means I missed out on an entire decade of tv, and there's an entire chunk of society that I just cannot relate to my peers about. And I am so not the partner you want for any of those games about tv and entertainment stuff. Thanks, Mom. Really. For making me a freak according to my peers because I have no knowledge of the cartoons and sitcoms of the 80s. But I love you anyway.

In terms of network tv I've been watching: CSI (the original Las Vegas one, long time fan), Law & Order SVU (again, I'm a long time fan, Mariska Hargitay is so hot), House (Hugh Laurie ROCKS, although it's weird to hear him with an American accent), and Gilmore Girls (I'm a season behind).

I watch several reality/competition shows on Bravo: Top Chef is on right now (go Sam!), next is Top Designer. This past fall it was Project Runway.

I have my SciFi channel goodness: Battlestar Galactica, Stargate (the original SG-1, and now Atlantis) and (new this past fall) Eureka. Just call me a SciFi geek and do not try to call me during these shows. I will not answer the phone. Period. I can blame a lot of this one on my dad. We used to watch the original Battlestar Galactica together, and sometimes even Buck Rogers. And as a family we were Star Trek fans and watched the entire Next Generation series. I just thought it was beyond cool that the guy I watched on Reading Rainbow was Geordi LaForge. Go Levar Burton!

And I like Showtime's Dexter (beautifully creepy and disturbing, which is right up my alley) and The L Word.

I tend to watch FoodNetwork when there's nothing else on and I have nothing recorded. I like Alton Brown's Good Eats, 30 Minute Meals with Rachel Ray and Iron Chef America. Alton Brown is the Iron Chef America commentator...he's such a food and science geek and I'm so in love with him.

The Learning Channel (TLC) has What Not To Wear (you can pick up good clothing tips from that one) and I used to watch Trading Spaces (but not so much anymore). I also like the Dog Whisperer on National Geographic Channel.

I have all these movie channels, but I don't watch them much besides the series on Showtime. Go figure...I'm apparently not much of a movie person.

Seriously though...I tend to just record the stuff I really want to see and then watch that as opposed to flipping channels and watching something random. I have a DVR with my DirecTV (no reception with just rabbit ears, cable was ridiculous and satellite was easier and it was all so I could watch CNN in the mornings) so I program it to record all episodes of a show and then just watch them when I want. I works really well and I'm less inclined to watch true crap that I'm not actually interested in. I do have a few movies recorded, but I still haven't watched them (see comment about not being a movie person). I have a marathon of Law & Order and several hours of CSI to watch. So if you'll excuse me...my tv is calling.

Holiday traditions: Part 4, entertainment

Besides the trip to cut down the Christmas tree each year, there were always a few activities that come to mind when I think about the holidays.

Jigsaw puzzles
We always had jigsaw puzzles. At every holiday function. And they were holiday themed. Easter ones, Thanksgiving ones, even Valentine's day. But we had several different Christmas ones. And we did them every year. New ones would appear from time to time, but we never stopped doing the old ones. We'd just cycle in the new ones. One in particular I remember was the gingerbread house. There also was a wreath made of dog bones, polar bears (winter themed), Christmas ornaments, and I believe even Santa's workshop to name a few.

We'd designate a table as "the puzzle table" for the entire holiday, and do puzzle after puzzle, with music on in the background. Somehow we never lost a piece. When people would come over for Christmas day dinner, they'd eat, drink hot cider and work on the puzzle, all while talking and having a good time. And of course my sister and I fought over who got to put in the last piece...which meant either Dad or Mom did it instead.

Games
We'd play many a card game as a family. Specifically we played Uno, hearts and pinochle (double deck, 4 players for you card sharks out there). Now these were not the Norman Rockwell everything is merry card games. These were vicious. For example, once I gave my mother the queen of spades during hearts. She turned to me, and said, completely seriously, "bitch, I'm gonna get you for that." And she did. Then next round she nailed me but good, giving me a nasty run of hearts AND the queen of spades, but not enough to shoot the moon. Damn her, I went from first place to third place in ONE hand. But before you call child services, we always had a good time. We'd call each other names and scream and laugh and thoroughly enjoy ourselves. As a family. How many other people can say they had that good of a time just hanging out with their family? My sister and I know we were pretty lucky in that respect.

Movies/TV:
Growing up my sister and I weren't allowed to watch much tv. We were allowed the Muppet Show (a family event), sci-fi with my dad, and PBS. That's about it. So Christmas time was special because it meant we got to stay up late and watch all the special shows. The Charlie Brown Christmas with the pitiful tree, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, John Denver and the Muppets Christmas, other Christmas specials that came out over the years, the parades on TV, and most special of all, the ballet of the Nutcracker with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the title role.

Music
Everyone has their favorite Christmas/holiday music albums. For some people it's carols or pop music, but for us it was an album called "A Brass Christmas," George Winston (both "December" and "Winter into Spring"), and John Denver & the Muppets. Jenna and I danced around the living room to Miss Piggy singing "Christmas is coming" every year. I still have those albums, now on CD rather than vinyl. And it just doesn't feel like Christmas until I play them.

Guilty pleasures

We all have them. We don't talk about them, usually preferring to enjoy them in the privacy of our own homes. Sometimes we enjoy them in public, whether it be a good yet cheesy movie, or a decadent dessert.

One such dessert that comes to mind is Stick Toffee Pudding from the Schlafly restaurants in St. Louis, Missouri. It's so incredibly decadent and rich, I can't eat an entire order myself, and that's saying a lot.

Other guilty pleasures are definitely not things you want to admit to. What comes to mind first for me is bad tv. Really bad tv. The kind of tv you almost can't even believe you're watching yet next thing you know it's two hours later. I find myself getting sucked into shows when flicking through the channels. I have tv shows I enjoy and admit to watching, and those I try not to acknowledge, yet I still enjoy watching them. Guilty pleasures.

Movies can be the same way. I love me a really bad movie. We're talking possibly not even to the level of a B movie bad, although a decidedly B movie is just as enjoyable. It can be embarrassing to catch an obscure reference to a movie that no one admits to ever having seen. Campy sci-fi movies ("Alien Nation" with it's equally campy tv spinoff or any of a number of alien invasion movies), "dick flicks" (such as the cult classic "Army of Darkness" or the really awful "Soldier"), cheesy action flicks, sappy movies, "chick flicks" (pick a Lifetime movie, any Lifetime movie), bad musicals ("The Pirate Movie" anyone?), I've enjoyed them all, even if I'll never admit it in conversation.