I find that I might be a bit of a contradiction.  I don’t go see movies all that often.  Although I do love them, I just don’t find that I go to the movie theater that often to catch the recent releases.  However, I always tune into the Oscars.  A lot of it has to do with the production value, sets, and the way they run the show.  I’m a bit of a nerd in that area to be honest.  I’m usually looking for camera men, backstage people and other things the usual person doesn’t look for.  I think it’s one of the reason that I like “Season 25″ the behind the scenes show that follows Oprah and her crew around as they put together many of the shows 25th Season episodes.

Here’s the short of what I thought of the 2011 Academy Awards show: BORING.  Granted, I didn’t watch any of the pre-show crap as I don’t really care who or what is wearing who or what and how bad or good they look in the tux that looks like something I wore in the last wedding I was in but really is a $2000 tux.  Same goes for all the dresses and hairdos of all the leading ladies – although I do find it fasinating how, when watching some of the movie clips, they are able to make these people look so different in the role they are playing.

I was bored – there were no good set’s.  No good entertainment value.  Unless you want to count the number of different dresses that Anne Hathoway changed into through out the night.  Her Co-Host, James, was boring too.  Most of the night he stood there and looked off camera until he was his turn to read a line.  He was stiff and didn’t even look like he was into it.  Overall, I was pretty board and I ended up fast-forwarding through most of the speeches.

I know the Academy is trying to cut back on costs and stuff, but I just didn’t think anything about this years Oscar’s was good.

My worst nightmare has come true. My DVR died.  Something in the back of my mind told me that it was coming.  I guess, in a way, I was being naive and/or didn’t want to believe that the end was near.

I’ve been pretty busy with work and life and my DVR had been filling up with the numerous shows that I tend to record on a weekly basis.  DirecTv has a DVR that can hold a lot more shows than the Time Warner DVR’s so I had taken full advantage of the amount of space that was on the sucker.  Many times though, I have been given a hard time from friends when they have seen the huge amount of content on my DVR or the fact that I hadn’t caught up on current running shows that everyone talked about.  This was again the case for me.  The menus were running slow. I thought at one point maybe the remote batteries were dying because of the huge lag from pushing a button to the time the screen changed.  All of this happened one night and I went to bed not giving it a second thought.  The next, nothing.

I cried a little that day.  There were episodes I never got around to watching.  Don’t judge here, but the series finales of 24 and Heros were still yet to be watched, 20 episodes of the office, 5 of The Soup, 10 of the Apprentice, and tons of other shows.  But I also had saved some of my favorite episodes of Modern Family, Deadliest Catch and numerous other shows that I went and watched at other times too.  All this said, on Monday, we said goodbye.

I’ve moved on.  It’s been rough and feels weird starting a new.  A replacement has arrived but it’s just not the same.  We’re getting to know each other and I’m learning some new things about her.  It will take some to get back to the days when I don’t think about my old DVR when I turn on the new one.

Here’s to 2011 and new changes.

I love the fact that I can schedule recordings from the web and then have them either waiting for me when I get home and/or not have to worry about catching them when I get home.

The customer service that I have received when calling has also been amazing.  Other than some issues when I called before ordering the service, I haven’t had any issues to date.  They even installed my dish a few days earlier than when I had originally scheduled it.  I found some open spots later, changed the install time and date and they were here.  The installer was extremely friendly and helpful and was able to answer all of my questions.

As I have stated before, I am not a fan of Time Warner cable and this has been the best decision that I have made in awhile.  Now if I could just get internet from someone else besides them….

I can never get CNN or FOX News in HD and many of the stations cut out 50% of the time.  And Time Warner’s rates are nothing to really write home about.  So I finally made the decision to switch to DirectTV.  After looking through much of their online FAQs and watching some of their videos about what features they offer their customers, I placed an order online.  It’s being set up this coming Saturday afternoon.  I’m pretty excited about the ability to control the DVR from work should I forget to record a show or even want to have a movie downloaded to the DVR so that I can watch it when I get home that evening.

I have also discovered quite a bit of information that many of the sales people don’t know about the DVR boxes.  I called DirectTV a few times to ask questions about the DVR boxes and I got many contradictary answers between sales people.  After digging around and finding a few videos and documentation, I was able to get the answers I needed in order to make sure that I would be capable of doing everything I wanted once the system was installed.

I’ll keep you posted about how everything turns out after the install.

Whether you agree with the negotiations on who is wrong or right in this situation, I don’t really care.  What I care about is the fact that I pay Time Warner a lot of money for the services that I have with them and I want to get my money’s worth.  I want the NBC station back on the air.  If it’s KXAN, fine.  I am even fine with a San Antonio or Waco station being broadcast on the air, just bring it back.

I know full well that Time Warner won’t be crediting my bill for services that are no longer being provided.  Guess who is having to pay for this little dispute?  Their customers.

On my list:

• Hero’s
• LOST
• The Office
• 24
• Survivor
• ER (yep, last and final season)
• Grey’s Anatomy
• Brothers and Sisters

What are some of the shows that you watch?

Many of you know how much I enjoy television.  So much so that the recent writers strike left me with quite a few gaps in my usually calm evenings spent in front of the tube.  Granted, it was a much needed and appreciated break, but I am glad the strike is finally over.  TV Guide has recently published, and continues to update, what they know about the upcoming schedule of shows and their expected arrival date and remaining episodes.  It’s a site that I have been to quite a few times to see what else they know or any changes that might have taken place in the recent weeks. I have been surprised at the number of recently new shows that are TBD.  Espically a lot of these new pilots that were just recently launched before the strike.  Seem like Television is going to have the change the way they do sweeps weeks and the way that they launch and promote their best shows in an effort to garner the best advertisers.

I am pleased thought that a few shows are rolling are.  LOST has been rolling for the past few weeks and I have to admit, that it’s something I have truly enjoyed on Thursday nights.  Actually, it’s something that I don’t miss.  Even if it’s set to record, no matter what I time I make it home, I make time to watch it. I kinda have to though too, since I am sheepishly apart of an e-mail group (mostly made up of friends) who weekly comment on the episode, heavily on Friday’s, about theories, thoughts, reflections, and the direction of the show.

I’m keeping on eve on TV guide, cause something inside of my just keeps hoping that 24 will actually come on before January 2009.

This show never should have gone off the air. My buddy Seth recommended the short-lived sitcom on Fox to me about a year ago and I am just now getting caught up on the hilariousness of it all. It’s a show about a dysfunctional family who loses everything and the one son trying to hold it all together. It’s quick witted and funny – sometimes to the point that most people don’t even catch the first time. The humor isn’t caught by all, but the quick moving scenes, narration, and short 30 minutes episodes keep it moving. (sometimes too quick because I can’t believe they end.) One of the funniest things about the show is that at the end of each episode they show what’s coming up in the next episode but never and I mean never go the route they show or say they will. It’s just the writers way of throwing in the last bit of story line to the episode.

Granted, I have admitted that I watch way to much TV, I never deny it even when asked. But television has become this escape for me. This change to get away! It has afforded me the opportunity to not have to think about work or life or the huge list of things I still need to do at home or all the tasks with my freelance work. It’s something that has been entertaining, heartfelt at times, and even interesting. I don’t consider myself a couch potato though. I am pretty active and I spend a lot of time with friends and my roommates too.

Is it unhealthy to escape from this world, into the world of television from time to time?

Has any else had this issue here lately?