agent_0042's Blog

18Aug 09

"A Plague on Humanity"

I haven't blogged since the big blog problem we had a while back. it seems that everything is all sorted out now, so I thought I'd just pop in with a quick quote from a book that I'm currently reading and enjoying-- Cat in a Topaz Tango: A Midnight Louie Mystery, by Carole Nelson Douglas and Midnight Louie. The quote is from Midnight Louie, who is a feline P.I. who "writes" part of the story--

"I cannot tell you how sick, ticked, and piqued I am about cell phones. These miserable little devices are like a medieval infestation of rats. They breed everywhere. People are entirely at their beck and call, and run shrieking to cuddle them every time they squeal. And they have a thousand annoying voices, some famous. This fad to have unique 'ring tones' is a plague on humanity. Anyone with sensitive hearing is assaulted daily, and also left out of the loop watching folks speak loudly as they wander down the street. Time was, people behaved that way, they were put in custody 'for observation.'"

That is all for now. More detailed blog entry coming soon.

Posted Aug 18, 2009 8:29 pm PT
Category: Editorial
1 Comment

27Jun 09

Big TV.com FIxes Plus Finally in the Fast Lane

Today, TV.com made some excellent and long overdue fixes to its submission interface and other aspects of the site. These are really great changes and hopefully a sign that the site is moving in the right direction. Let's break them down one by one:

Level 1 Users May Not Submit: I know some people aren't happy about this because they feel it's going to lead to an increase in junk submissions. But let's look at what we had before-- anyone whose level was 1 was bounced to the homepage! No error message, nothing explaining that you must be at least Level 2 to submit, just the homepage. Some of these people would come over to Technical or General Support to complain, but I get the feeling many others simply got disgusted and left the site. I'll take the new way, thanks.

Submission History Restored: How lame was it that you could only see a single page of your submission history? Very lame. Full submission history is now back in play. Check your status for any submission, sort by show or person and view any submissions made all the way back to the start of the site TV.com. Fantastic.

Checkboxes for the Import Feature (Cast/Crew): The previous Import feature was cumbersome and terrible. Now you can just use checkboxes instead of having to click and scroll, click and scroll, click and scroll. A breath of fresh air.

Emblems Restored: i don't really care too much about emblems, but it's nice to see the emblem wonkiness finally taken care of.

Trusted User Granting Restored: Editors can now once again assign Trusted Users. Very glad to see this back.

For those that don't already know, I recently got a brand-new computer system not long after I got my new monitor. This is one fantastic system. It's an HP Pavilion desktop, model #a6700y. It's a quadcore AMD Phenom 9150e at 1.80 GHz. Operating system is 64-bit Windows Vista Home Premium SP3 (yeah, I know, but I really don't mind Vista too much) and it has 4 GB of memory and approximately 500 MB hard drive space.

Its Windows Experience Index rating is 3.0 out of 5.9. I know that doesn't sound like much, but the Index score rates to the lowest of all of the individual scores. Let's take a look at each of those. Processor (calculations per second) is a 5.8 out of 5.9. Memory (RAM) is a 5.9. Graphics (Desktop performance for Windows Aero) is a 3.9. Gaming graphics (3D business and gaming graphics performance) is the 3.0. And finally, Primary hard disk (Disk data transfer rate) is 5.9. So, really, the scores are generally pretty top-flight, it's just the graphics that drag it down, and I didn't buy it to be a gaming machine. I get quite enough of gaming from my Playstation 2, thank you very much. The display adapter is an NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430. I've heard that's on the lower end, but I can always upgrade it if needed.

The new computer is great. It's really quite a nice difference not having to deal with slowness while running multiple applications, or sitting for long waits, or dealing with instability in general.

Finally, some big news! I'm finally making the switch to high-speed Internet Service. I've ordered ZoomTown DSL from Cincinnati Bell. No more tiresome waits for pages to load or having to block slow-loading content or content just not loading at all. With DSL, my high speed, high power experience is finally complete. My DSL modem is on the way and the estimated delivery date is July 7 (though hopefully sooner.) And then, it's sayonara to slow dial-up! I had a bit of a problem-- I was going to order the slower "Lite" DSL for $20 a month, but when I went to the page to order, it insisted on doing a "bundle" with phone service, even though that wasn't what it said in the advertising and on the original page. I thought about pressing the issue, but decided to just go ahead and go with the $30 high-speed. It's over 5 times faster than the "lite" version, so that's really a much better deal. It'll set me back a bit, but I'll make do, and the higher speed might just help with making some money, as I'm getting pretty good at eBay.

Oh, and I've updated my profile and picture here at TV.com. Check it out if you have a moment.

Posted Jun 27, 2009 8:56 pm PT
Category: N/A
1 Comment

16Jun 09

More TV Than I Can Shake a Stick At, Plus Is TV.com Being Supplanted by Wikis?

More TV Than I Can Shake a Stick At

Well, a couple of days ago I made the "switch," as such, to digital TV. I purchased a converter box and an antenna and now have them set up and working. Those that have read my blog before may be asking, "Agent George, why would you need that? You have satellite TV." Well, yes, but those who are reading that have satellite know what you get with as far as locals-- the basic set of locals for your market and that's it. Digital subnetworks? Fuggedaboutit. With my new setup, I can now get five different PBS channels and two different versions of most other local stations. I also get a station devoted mostly to playing the weather, though they also air sports and other special programming. In particular, they air the televised baseball games of the local minor league team,the Dayton Dragons and baseball is the only sport I care even remotely about watching.

Of course, my having done this may beg another question-- if I have this, then how about I stop paying the satellite company for locals now? An interesting idea, but if I were to do that, then I could no longer record the new episodes of any of my favorite major network shows such as Medium or 24 onto my DVR. So it looks like I'm stuck paying for now.

Has TV.com Been Supplanted by Wikis?

No, I'm not talking about Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that any moron with a mouse can vandalize. I'm talking about Wiki communities, particularly those on Wikia.com, devoted to one subject. When TV.com first came out as TV Tome, it was new and revolutionary. Never before had there been a model quite like it on the Internet. The Editor system, in particular, was sheer genius. However, I'm beginning to think that TV.com is slowly being supplanted by Wiki communities. For example, let's say I want to know about Tony Almeida. I can go to http://24.wikia.com and type in Tony Almeida in their search and bam! -- I can find out the entire history of character Tony Almeida on 24. Can I do that on TV.com? No, since despite multiple requests, TV.com does not have character guides. Here's another one. Suppose I want to know about how to get 24 on DVD. I can click on the 24 media link on the main page for that Wiki and find out all about DVDs and other media. Can I do that on TV.com? No, because TV.com doesn't have DVD guides. Some other great Wikis include the Muppet Wiki (where you can find more information than you could ever want on shows such as Muppet Babies, Sesame Street, Bear in the Big Blue House and others) , Wookiepedia (the Star Wars Wiki) and the Final Fantasy Wiki. And yesterday, a new Wiki, the PB&J Otter Wiki was started. Within minutes, I began adding info -- screenshots, character info, song pages-- none of which you could ever do on TV.com

Of course, you can link to pages on TV.com from Wikis, though you can't ever link back, thanks to TV.com's asinine "no linking to outside sites" policy. Is it time to maybe just let TV.com do what it wants and become a video portal? Well, maybe, but I love TV.com and will continue to submit for such great shows as The Amazing Race, Hell's Kitchen and PB&J Otter. But I will also be spending my time at Wiki communities.

Posted Jun 16, 2009 5:53 pm PT
Category: TV
6 Comments

19May 09

How to Run The Amazing Race

I... couldn't. I don't think. Don't feel I'm cut out for it. However, having edited the guide here (and formerly TV Tome) for fourteen seasons, I'd like to think I know a few things about how to do well in the race. So...

Learn a Foreign Language or Few - I'm not saying you have to be fluent. Far from it. But before going on the race, it would probably be a good idea to learn certain words and phrases such as "hello," "taxicab," "airport," "Where is this?" and such in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese and maybe two or three other languages to boot. And maybe pick one language to study in somewhat more detail, say, Spanish.

Politeness Pays - While you're learning those languages, you might want to also learn "thank you," "please," "excuse me" and "I'm sorry." And if they aren't already in your vocabulary in English...

Don't Brag, Just Do - So you know how to speak the languages, you have great flight skills, etc. That's great-- but why would want the other teams to know about all that? Don't brag about your skills, just do what you know how to do.

If You Can't Hack it Physically... - Then the Race may not be for you. If you can't climb that mountain, if you don't want to do that bungee jump, then it's time to think about not coming on. And before you do come on the show, it might be a good idea to practice stuff, such as running. On the same token...

If You Can't Hack it Mentally... - Knowing how to book flights. Getting from place to place. Working things out with your teammate. If these things aren't your strong suit, then it's also time to put down that application.

Know the Rules - Read the rulebook from back to front before you go on. Memorize it. Watch past seasons of the show. Keep the rules in your head. You don't want to get a penalty.

Leave Nothing Behind - Know where your personal possessions are. Don't set anything down mindlessly and especially don't ever part from your passports.

It's a Race - Which means that mechanisms such as the U-Turn and the Yield are okay. Use them smartly-- try to take out a stronger team if you can. If you're running behind, try to delay somebody else. Alliances are also fine, but never at the expense of your own victory.

Money, Money Money - Money is usually provided at the start of every leg. Manage it well, or you could run out later. If you have the people skills, use them, and get money from others. Use it as you see fit.

And finally...

On Foot Means Walk, Don't Take a Taxi - Or in other words, "read the clues." Read them carefully. Follow the directions exactly as stated. Otherwise, you're looking at a penalty and could very well be out.

Note: This is also being posted simultaneously to my blog.

Edit-- I added one below Learn a Foreign Language.

Posted May 19, 2009 6:52 pm PT
Category: TV
9 Comments

17May 09

May Season Finale Blowout

Hope it's okay to use this. It is on TV.com's own image servers.

Well, I read somewhere a while back that with the shifting nature of television, May sweeps just aren't the big deal that they used to be. Maybe so, but they sure are hitting us hard with the finales and other great programming. So far, I've already seen the season finales for Hell's Kitchen (the right person won) and Numb3rs (what an ending.) Oh, and The Amazing Race, last week. Good ending there too. Those were Thursday and Friday and the fun continues starting tonight.

Sunday: Tonight is the season finale of Survivor. This season was Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands and there have been a lot of great moments. One of them was the most recent episode. I've already rewatched Coach's amazing boot several times. My favorite part is watching the reactions of the jury as he reads that ridiculous poem of his. BTW, if anyone wants to, go visit the Survivor forum here at TV.com and post a question for their interview with the Survivor cast. It seems like not many people are asking questions and the interview is supposed to be today, so I think they really need more. In any case, I'll be looking forward to tonight's finale. I'm rooting for either Taj or J.T. and I'm also rooting for Coach taking up as little time on the finale and live reunion show as possible.

Monday - 24 airs its explosive season finale from 8-10. I've been a fan of this show from the beginning and it's really been great this season. Kim is back and, well... that's not great, but it does set things up so Jack is being made to try and rescue Tony, his surprising arch-nemesis. Can't wait to see how that's going to go. After that, I've got Medium. This one's not actually a finale-- the way NBC is scheduled things, that won't air until a couple weeks from now, in June. At least it's not two hours, though, like the past couple weeks. I'm going to be very curious to see what happens with Medium, though once NBC starts airing Leno at 10 every weeknight starting next season. Where are they gonna put it? The word I read in USA Today is that it still isn't definitely renewed, but they'd be really, really dumb to cancel it. It just rates too well. If they did that, I think I would be officially done with NBC. There is nothing else I want to watch on there.

Tuesday - At 8 P.M., it's the final two performance for American Idol. Kris Allen vs. the show's biggest surprise to date, the amazing Adam Lambert. I haven't always liked all of Adam's performances, but he's definitely fresh, surprising and current. It should be quite interesting to watch. At 10 P.M., it's Without a Trace. Swan song? I don't know, but I do know that there's going to be some great stuff with the upcoming marriage of Danny and Elena. Oh, and there'll be another missing person, of course.

Wednesday - American Idol finale. Two+ hours -- the schedule indicates they've got it coded till something like 10:06 -- of fluff, followed by the crowning of the winner. My plan is to tune into my recording at 9 and power past the junk and the commercials.

And that's it. After that, my fall finale schedule will have petered out. No more finales until Medium on June 1. Time reclaimed to do other stuff.

Nickelodeon, however, has been programming for sweeps. Last week, they aired a week of new episodes of Ni Hao, Kai-lan! which were really quite fun. I started watching the show regularly recently and quite enjoy it. This week, it's The Wonder Pets! I'm very excited about it. Tomorrow, they're going to have an episode featuring the voice of the late Eartha Kitt, who won a Daytime Emmy award for her role on The Emperor's New School against The Wonder Pets!'s Danica Lee. And it turns out that they had a chance to perform together.

Also, at the end of the week, a special episode celebrating the pets' 100th save.

Next season, there are gonna be some changes for me. I've decided to drop Heroes, which I feel has gotten mostly ridiculous. Furthermore, and more importantly, I've come to realize that I no longer really care about what happens to the characters. And, if I don't care, then why watch? Instead, I've decided to slot in The Mentalist. I didn't watch that program this season, but I've come to realize that's a mistake. I have seen bits and pieces of it and I've really liked what I've seen, so I'm going to get the show on DVD when it comes out and put it on watch so that I can be all caught up. Also, I haven't decided for sure yet, but I'm giving serious consideration to dropping American Idol. It's such a time drain and I already use DVR to skip most of the stuff I don't care about anyway, such the clip packages and group performances, etc. In fact, most of the last few results shows, I've spent a good portion of the time watching DVRed recordings of Qubo's airings of Babar. Without a Trace - I want this show to come back, but it seems like there's a good chance it could be canceled. Won't know for sure until I think sometime this week. If it is, then that's another show off my schedule. It would really be a shame if they did, though. Apparently it actually still rates pretty good, but they're looking to cut costs. The other shows that are competing against it to stay on the air are NCIS and The Unit, neither of which I watch. Also, there's been some slight talk that it's uncertain if Numb3rs will be coming back, but I don't put much credence to this, since I've heard nothing suggesting it's actually endangered. I'd be very surprised if it was canceled.

Posted May 17, 2009 8:30 am PT
Category: N/A
5 Comments

4May 09

"Up"! (Plus TV Tropes and New Monitor)

Star Trek and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Two big movies that lots of people are talking about and both of which I'm planning to see and am quite excited about (the latter much more than the former, though.) There is, however, another potentially big film that has caught my eye, though, and one that I'd really like to see, and that's Disney/Pixar's newest offering, Up. It's been promoted rather heavily, but for those that don't know, Up is the story of Carl Fredricksen. He and his wife, Ellie, always dreamed of becoming world adventurers, but ended up working at a zoo. Ellie has passed away, but Carl still dreams of adventuring. When a couple of people come to take him to nursing home, he takes his chance and floats away in his home, tied to a bunch of balloons. It seems, though, he's picked up a stowaway in the form of Russell, a little boy who's intent on helping him out.

Well, that's the plot in a nutshell. I won't spoil the rest, but for those that want to know more, a number of books are already out, including a movie novelization, a limited edition read-aloud storybook with poster and an easy-reader book called Bird's Best Friend. I've read both of the latter two and, while the plot is highly simplified (though I'm sure it won't be in the movie novelization) I got a sense that this film is definitely going to be good. Don't read them though if you don't want to be spoiled!

I've discovered a Wiki called TV Tropes. It's pretty fun and interesting. I think a lot of people here would like it. From its description-- "This wiki is a catalog of the tricks of the trade for writing fiction." So though it's mainly focused on television, they also cover movies and literature, etc., as well. A couple of my favorite examples include Here Comes the Science and Furry Confusion.

In other news, today (or rather yesterday, I suppose, since it's actually after midnight here) I got a new monitor for my computer. The one I was using conked out completely the night before, so I had to replace it. This new one is a significant upgrade from my old one, which was (is?) one of those old bulky types that they don't even make anymore. This new one is a flatscreen. It's widescreen at 20 inches. It's the cheapest model I could find, but it's actually really very nice. The brand is Acer. Honestly, it's way more space than I'm used to; I don't really know what to do with it all.

I feel like opening up both Firefox and Internet Explorer and displaying them side-by-side just for kicks, though that's probably not a good idea-- the monitor may be new, but my computer system is still pretty old.

Posted May 4, 2009 10:06 pm PT
Category: Movies
4 Comments

21Apr 09

Restoration

Well, it looks like we've spoken and TV.com has heard. Next episode and Show Summary were restored to their proper places on the main show pages and all of the information for episode pages besides the episode summary is no longer hidden completely on separate tabs. Thank goodness. So hopefully this whole affair was just a little bump in the road and we can get back to things that will make this site better and more exciting to use. I've heard it in the wind that some possibly truly exciting updates are coming, so stay tuned!

With things being restored on the site, I'm reneging on my previous statement of no longer pursuing any show guide editorships. I'm hoping to became Editor soon for a cute little show called Pajanimals. It hasn't actually been added to the site yet, but I'm hoping it will be soon. This is a short segment show that airs daily on PBSKids Sprout, as part of their "Goodnight Show." Normally, if a show puts someone to sleep, that's a bad thing, but this show is all about that. More info can be found about it-- here, you can even view a full video with the theme song, one of the episode songs and behind-the-scenes info.

As far as Final Fantasy: Unlimited goes, I've actually recently discovered the Final Fantasy Wiki and have been adding the info there. It's pretty fun-- you can do full recaps with screenshots, links to character and term information and more. So far I've posted recaps for six episodes-- I've linked them from my user page if by some chance anyone wants to look at them.

Posted Apr 21, 2009 7:46 pm PT
Category: TV
6 Comments

16Apr 09

"Happy Earth Day!" -- Now Buy Some Junk!

This coming Wednesday is Earth Day (and also Administrative Professionals Day-- I bet you that's something you didn't know!) Yep, all day that day and all week leading up to it, we're going to be hearing about saving the planet. I've already expressed some of my thoughts about the whole idea in a past blog-- I certainly don't set out to destroy the Earth, but sometimes I think the whole thing sometimes gets a bit ridiculous.

Well, as I said, this coming Wednesday is Earth Day... so ready to buy some stuff? Yep, it seems that Earth Day has become another opportunity for big sales. The other day, I received an e-mail from Amazon.com, urging me to "celebrate Earth Day with eco-friendly toys." And Disney is hoping to drive people to theaters (get it?! - drive!) so that they can watch their newest film, Earth. And various "eco-friendly" retailers are taking advantage of the holiday to push their stuff at a deep-discount and try to get people into their stores, or shop for it online. No doubt it'll all be in supposedly eco-friendly packaging, too-- but well (I honestly don't know what to say.)

Well, if that doesn't jockle your jollies, I suppose there's at least the old tube. No doubt we'll be hearing all about Earth Day on it. Actually, Earth Day isn't so bad for someone like me who's a fan of children's animation, as networks like Noggin generally air various programming that actually isn't half-bad. My lineup will include "Franklin Plants a Tree" (really pretty cute) and the newest episode of Toot & Puddle.

Erm, so remember folks-- save a tree-- buy some stuff! Or something.

Posted Apr 16, 2009 4:06 pm PT
Category: Editorial
4 Comments

1Apr 09

The Soil Charge Triad to Use on This Site Has Been Decided!

Today is April Fool's Day, but after the latest site downgrade, I know a lot of people around here aren't in a joking mood. And I can assure you, nothing in this blog post will be a joke.

By now, I'm sure you've probably seen it. TV.com has toggled the switch and the newest changes have gone live. The updated show homepages are no longer a beta thing and are now being served up to everyone and pretty much all except a bare minimum of information has been hidden behind tabs in episode guides. The change has been met with an almost overwhelmingly negative response in the redesign forum. This newest change has been met with threats to leave by even some very long-time and prominent users of the site, such as dmarex. For the time being, I will not be leaving the site. I've put too much effort into too many guides here to abandon it. However, the following is in place, effective immediately:

1. I will no longer be pursuing any new show editorships. I had recently begun work on Final Fantasy Unlimited, but that is over with.

2. I have just resigned from four show guides-- Charlie & Lola, Little Bear, Stanley and Timothy Goes to School. I will not be doing any further work on these guides. Oh, and I also recently resigned Arthur, though that was before the latest redesign.

3. For the time being, I will continue work on guides for shows I edit that are still airing, particularly The Amazing Race and My Friends Tigger & Pooh. However, if things get any worse than they already are, even that's up for grabs.

Oh, and I have no plans to ever write another review on this site. The review feature is garbage, I'd estimate about 75% of the supposed "reviews" on this site read more like glorified blogs, or are, at best, nothing but nonsense.

Posted Apr 1, 2009 4:54 pm PT
Category: General
4 Comments

4Feb 09

June 12 is the New February 17

February 17-- if you're reading this and you don't know the significance of this date by now, my guess is that you don't watch TV (and if you don't watch TV, what are you doing here?), or perhaps you don't live in the United States. Yes, February 17, the date when analog transmission of high-power broadcast television signals ceases... (sound of record needle scratching) Whoops, make that June 12. Recently, the Senate passed a bill that would delay the transmission, and word has now come down that the House has passed this bill as well. There is little to no doubt that President Obama will sign. Anyone surprised by the news of this bill? Let me hear a "whoop-whoop!" (sound of crickets chirping)

Honestly, I don't see how anyone could be surprised by this. That can't be the problem, though some people still talk as if it is. Scrolls have been running about this at the bottom of news broadcasts, there have been various PSAs about it (my personal favorite being the one featuring Charlie Eppes of Numb3rs explaining to Don Eppes that he doesn't need a new TV) and even by some chance one missed all that, it's been in the papers, etc., etc. as well. Part of the problem, is apparently, that supply has run out on the coupons that the government is issuing to offset the cost of the converter boxes. Again, big surprise there-- not! This certainly isn't the first time that the government has been caught flat-footed by the demand for such a thing. Perhaps the U.S. government really would have done better to follow the U.K. model. I read that when the U.K. unrolled their transition to digital TV, they did it in stages, doing the conversion from area to the next, rather than trying to some big blanket thing all at once. Much smoother.

Ah well, whatever. Neither of the televisions in home are digital, but I have satellite service, so I'm covered. I am still thinking of possibly getting one of the converter boxes, though, as I am interested in possibly being able to pick up some the digital subnetworks not offered through the satellite service. In the meantime, if by some chance you're in the U.S. and you're still watching using "rabbit-ears," (and, really, I can't imagine that's more than a very scattered minority of the users of this site) it seems you now have until June 12 to convert. Unless they shift it again...

Posted Feb 4, 2009 9:27 pm PT
Category: TV
6 Comments

1Jan 09

Beep! Agent0042's Phone!

All right, so by now you've probably seen AT&T's current commercial campaign. Just in case, though-- a brief review. In each spot in their current series of ads, there's a person who didn't receive a call because they don't have AT&T! "Beep! _____'s phone" says their doppelganger. "So-and-so doesn't have AT&T, so yeah, they didn't receive this call..." and so on.

Well, at first, I found this commercial campaign reasonably funny. For example, there's the one where the guy missed a call and ended up hanging out with the "techno-twins, Hans and Deeter. (Whoop whoop!)" And another where a lady misses a book-signing and her doppelganger is all "Someday we'll laugh about this-- or cry!!" It seems like the ads should be pretty effective too, after all, their message seems to be pretty clear-- if you care about not missing calls, you should switch to AT&T because they have the best network.

Lately, however, these ads seem to be getting a little macabre. The other week, I saw one where a reporter didn't get the call that the blast zone he's covering has been moved-- "I'm Slant Sanchez and I'm about to be the news." In another, more recent one, a man is seen standing outside the charred, still half-burning remains of his home because he apparently missed a call regarding turkey-roasting tips. It's all getting to be a bit much. I appreciate that companies want us to believe their product is indispensable, but believe it or not, it's really not all that long ago that there was no such thing as cell phones. Stick with the humor, but I don't think we need to be scared into buying your product.

Posted Jan 1, 2009 3:59 pm PT
Category: TV
4 Comments

4Jun 08

I've Got Your Green Right Here

"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on..."
- Iago in William Shakespeare's Othello

You know, I like to think that I wake up each morning without a specific intention on my mind to destroy the Earth. Sure, environmentalism isn't something that I spend much time worrying about, and gave actually trying actively "save the planet" a long time ago, if I ever really cared about the idea of doing so in the first place. Still, I guess I do my part in my own way. For one thing, I don't drive. So you won't ever see my car spitting out smoke into the air, me using up oil and gas, or creating any noise pollution as I totter down the road. I sometimes use recycled things and sometimes I recycle stuff (though the powers that be don't always make it easy.) And if a product will help the Earth and is at least somewhat reasonably priced, I suppose I'll buy it, as long as it's a decent value. I'm even the editor for Stanley here at TV.com, and that though can do environmentalism like nobody's business when it wants to (though most of the time I feel it does a great job of not being too heavy-handed.)

So what am I on about here? Well, last week I was reading TV Guide magazine's "Top 10 Stories" section and came across item #3 - "Cable Channels Revamp!" It talks about how so many different cable networks (or cable/satellite networks as I call them -- I have no love for the cable companies) are "revamping" themselves because they're finding that people just aren't into their old, tired slates of programming anymore. Thus, Court TV became TruTV, The History Channel is now calling itself "History" (one can only hope that becoming "History" they don't literally become history) and Discovery Home Channel (a subsidiary network of Discovery Channel) is becoming... Planet Green. I sorta shook my head at it and put it out of my mind, but then I noticed while watching an episode of ToddWorld (a program I recently discovered on a DVD) on Discovery Kids a big version (bigger than the characters' heads) of the network's normal logo and a message saying something along the lines of "Discovery Kids Welcomes Planet Green." And today, watching the show again, they actually had along with the logo a little countdown bug with a clock counting down the time left today before Planet Green premiered. You know, when you think about, these little bugs are a form of pollution -- quality program pollution. Other forms of said pollution include splitscreens/voiceovers during closing credits (and I do have to thank Discovery Channel for, as far as I know, never doing this on any of their networks)

Discovery Home Channel aired programs such as former TLC programs Clean Sweep (man, I miss this show -- now there was a quality show) and Flip That House. Planet Green is being billed as a place for "ecotainment" (as if the term "edutainment" wasn't bad enough.) The programming includes Hollywood Green (a sort of environmental news-magazine program) a show called Wasted (in which a family's evil planet-destroying habits get a makeover) and even Supper Club with Tom Bergeron in which people who want to be high-class can learn to throw environmentally-themed dinner parties. None of this sounds the slightest bit interesting to me, though if there is somebody here who's excited about tuning into this network, I would actually be interested to know.

If the networks wnat to talk about environmentalism, fine, I'm just getting tired of hearing about all the time. Networks "going green" -- save the Earth in everything we do. Maybe that's fine for those who squeal with excitement every time some new idea to save the planet comes along, but as far as everyone else, I really can't imagine that I'm the only one getting a bit bored with it. Earth Day has never exactly been a favorite holiday of mine. From what I understand, the idea is that we're supposed to celebrating the Earth and all that it provides or something. So why, rather than being a celebratory mood, do I always feel this vague sense that somebody's trying to make me feel guilty for something whenever the holiday rolls around?

You know, now that I think about it, maybe this network is a good thing. Let those people who are really interested in the environment and environmental issues tune into this network. It'll float or sink based on how many people are really interested in this. Other networks -- for the rest of us -- 'nuff already, 'k?

Posted Jun 4, 2008 8:00 pm PT
Category: TV
5 Comments

29Apr 08

Ladies and Gentlemen, This is the New and Improved "American Idol"

Well, some of you may know, but many may not -- I'm an American Idol watcher. Have been since it started. I watch pretty much every episode of the show (though I passed on this year's "Idol Gives Back") and I read about the show regularly both in the news and on sites such as here, Television Without Pity and Vote for the Worst (misguided in some ways, but a great site, nevertheless.)

Well, word is spreading like wildfire that FOX is finally considering some major changes to the program. I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. And naturally, lots of people have their opinions on what should happen as far as these changes go -- everything from eliminating one more judges to toying around with the audition shows.

So, I thought I'd go ahead and weigh in with three thoughts on certain changes...

1. Don't Eliminate the Audition Shows

A lot of people are calling for a complete elimination of the program's audition shows. These people would have them just not shown at all, or show the auditions only in flashbacks. I say, don't do it. The auditions have been one of the most popular parts of the program, and many people watch only those. Instead, I say trim it down. Sure, the auditions can be fun, but do we really need week after week of them? I say two hours of them and we move on to Hollywood.

2. Experiment with the Program in More Ways

This season added the twist that contestants are now allowed to play instruments. Cool idea, but how much have we heard about it recently? Almost nothing at all. It's like we've pretty much completely forgotten about it. In any case, this is exactly the type of innovation that could keep the show fresh. I say they should look for more ways to keep the programming interesting by changing it in subtle ways, but not eliminating those things that are working well that make it great.

3. Eliminate Pure "You Vote, You Decide"

You Vote, You Decide has been part of the program since its inception. After a certain point, viewers can begin calling or text-messaging in votes and whichever contestant gets the least is eliminated off the show. No ifs, ands or buts. It's something that defines the program. But is it really what's best for it? People have been talking about the possibility of axing it for years in favor of some combination of judging/audience tally results, like on Dancing with the Stars. The people who actually do the voting only make up a fraction of the people watching and so, despite the host Ryan's constant statements that if you don't vote, you can't complain, the people who are staying may not really be those who people want to see on the program.

Posted Apr 29, 2008 4:15 pm PT
Category: TV
9 Comments

24Apr 08

Who Takes You Swimming With Dolphins?

I guess I do, because I'm now the Editor here at TV.com for Stanley, or at least I have the point for it anyway (so I will be, once it kicks in tomorrow.) It's taken me a bit longer than expected, but I finally have it. There have been a few things working against me -- the number of points needed (over 400), the bugs and glitchiness here at TV.com, and the lack of any sort of urgency due to the fact that there certainly aren't any new episodes airing. Still, I've got it, and I'll be continuing to add the info to the guide until its complete -- well, as much as any guide ever can be. There's already a lot of great info, if anyone wants to check it out. Just look for the episodes that seem to be well-stocked with quotes -- that's generally a good marker of the ones that I've worked on. Thanks to all of those who have previously worked on the guide for getting the framework in place so that these updates could be made.

Of course, there's also a number of other things pulling for my time. I continue to edit my other show guides, of which Charlie and Lola is currently still airing, and Johnny and the Sprites just recently ended its run of new episodes. New episodes of My Friends Tigger & Pooh also continue to air sporadically. I'm also currently contributing to a number of other guides, most particularly What's My Line?, Star Trek: Voyager, The Red Green Show and Care Bears: Adventures in Care-a-Lot (for which I am a Trusted User.) Additionally, I've been adding some bits and pieces of additional info for Franklin and Dragon Tales, as time permits. Finally, The Mole is returning soon -- I'm really looking forward to that! While I'm here -- I may as well mention two recent resignations -- My Friend Rabbit and Duel. My Friend Rabbit is a great show, but it seems like few people are watching, and I'd just prefer to watch than have to edit. As for Duel -- I no longer like the show much in its current format and have stopped watching.

One last thing -- apparently either this week or next week is that ridiculous "TV Turn Off Week" thing. For more thoughts on this bit of insipid nonsense, check back on my past blogs from around this time, last year, in which I did a "TV Turn-On Week," celebrating the idea of TV being a positive influence.

Posted Apr 24, 2008 3:30 pm PT
Category: TV
4 Comments

16Apr 08

"Basch Lives! Don't Believe Ondore's Lies!"

- Vaan - Final Fantasy XII

And don't believe either the lies of Dish Network, a company I'm increasingly glad I switched away from for the better service and quality of DirecTV. I picked up a copy of USA Today (April 16 issue), and saw the above item, which is an excerpt of a larger advertisement. "Exclusive Feature?" Pleassssse. I get both the thirty-second commercial skip (which can be used multiple times) and the instant replay on my DVR from DirecTV. For Dish Network to say that this is an "Exclusive Feature" would be like, oh, I don't know... them saying that they had the "Exclusive Rights" to air Spike TV programming or something. Yeah --- they have the exclusive rights when it comes to providing it on their own equipment!

Ever since I got DirecTV, I've been vastly satisfied with their service compared with Dish Network. For one thing, I'm finally getting all the programming I want. None of this Noggin only 12 hours a day stuff, when Noggin has been airing 24 hours a day since New Year's Eve 2007. And I'm getting Sprout to, a network Dish Network never carried due to some nonsense excuse about people already being able to get PBS content through their local stations (Sprout carries any of a number of programs that either are no longer airing on most local PBS affiliates, or never did air on any PBS station, including Panwapa, Kipper and Sagwa the Chinese Siamese Cat.) I'm also getting FOX Reality. All right, so this is one I actually could have gotten from Dish Network, but it would have required paying for a higher-level package, and it wasn't enough on its own to make me interesting in that package at the time I had Dish.

DirecTV's customer service is great. I've rarely had any problems since signing up with them, but those couple of times that I have, I've been able to quickly get support, either by phone or online. DirecTV loses signal less often than Dish Network (I read that's because their satellite is higher in the sky than Dish's.) Finally, the basics of their technology just seem better. For example, when accessing a menu while using Dish's equipment, I was always taken away to a separate screen and couldn't continue watching programming while doing so, except when bringing up the program guide. DirecTV not only allows me to continue watching while using any menu function, it lets me manipulate the program using the DVR features as well when the menu's up.

So Dish Network can keep their DVR service. Their features aren't exclusive, and they're not better than DirecTV. I'm also not paying that much more than I was before, in fact, I think I may be paying less for the time being, since my signup discounts are still in effect. And for those still wish Dish Network -- you need to know that DirecTV would be happy to have your business, and you may just end up getting a better deal. I was able to sign up and get all the basic equipment for free, as well as various other goodies. (Oh, and in case, anyone's wondering, yes, Dish Network did try to bait me back. But their offers were a joke. Six free months of BabyFirst TV or HBO/Showtime programming? What do I care?)

Posted Apr 16, 2008 7:11 pm PT
Category: Rant
5 Comments

12Apr 08

Fellow Editors! Need Help? Looking to Vent? Try the Editor's Lounge

So you're a new Editor here at TV.com and you're a bit confused as to how to really get things started, or how to format certain things in your guide. Or maybe you've been around for a while, but you're finding yourself having a problem with somebody who just doesn't seem to go away and just keeps submitting stuff like "omg!!! i love this episode" or "this is the fifth appearance (sixth appearance, 42.42nd appearance, etc.) of character X" and you don't know what to do. Well, before taking drastic action, you might find it worth your time to stop on down at the Editor's Lounge (or Editors' Lounge, as some of us like to call it.)

The Editor's Lounge is only open to those that they edit either show or person guides (or both) here at TV.com and is a great place to talk directly with other Editors about those issues related to editing that are on your mind. Don't feel like talking? That's okay, too! You'll still find a lot of great information, including the site's Editor Guidelines, a place to post duplicate episodes or seasons for deletion, various policies and helpful discussions, and even a link to a thread where you can post an alert if you have to leave the site for a period of time and don't want your guides to be taken away.

And remember, the Editors' Lounge isn't simply a place to get help. You'll find topics where you can discuss your feelings on submissions in general, talk about the ways in which you go about managing your guides, and even a thread (rather old, but hey, if somebody wants to dig it up) about any wacky dreams you may have had related to editing.

P.S.: For those of you that aren't Editors -- access is easy. All you need to do is contribute enough to a guide on the site to become an Editor - 80 points for a show or 40 points for a person, or 80/40 more than the current Editor if there is one. As of this post, there is currently a bug on the site that is interfering with the awarding of Editorships, but it should be fixed soon. Just remember that editing is a commitment -- if you're not ready for it, then it might be kinder to retire. And if you're not a Editor, don't forget that you can still Ask the Editors. I haven't really spent too much time on this board (there's only so many boards I can be on), but it's definitely a great resource.

Oh, on a sidenote, for my regular readers -- turns out I was right about the new Wonder Pets special "Save the Beetles!" -- in that the merchandise is now available. I saw an advertisement during Nick Jr.'s loathsome credits-crunching on The Backyardigans promoting apparel and posters. I must admit, I'm seriously tempted by the posters. And one other bit of news, I read that two of the stars of the Broadway show "Beatlemania!" were tapped to provide voices for the special. Psychedelic!

Posted Apr 12, 2008 4:50 pm PT
Category: Editorial
7 Comments

21Mar 08

Attention: Your Reviews Stink

All right, so actually, it's odds-on that yours don't if you're reading this blog. But there's an epidemic that's growing on TV.com -- you know what I'm talking about -- reviews that are barely readable at best, or spam/trolling at worst. Isn't it about time something was done about it? Every day, I see reviews where people either just say stuff like "omg this show is great" or "this is crap crap crap crap crap, don't ever watch this." Or they pad their reviews because they're too lame to think of even 100 words to say.

Since TV.com seems to have little inclination to take action, apparently, here's what you can do:

1. Spread their word about tips for writing reviews, such as my own or these by beeftony.

2. Cast a disagree vote for any review that violates the ToS and then report it under the appropriate category. "Disruptive posting" is often a good one, "Intending solely to annoy/offend other users works sometimes also."

3. Cast a disagree vote for any review that's just fluff and then consider whether or not to report it.

4. Don't give up! If the review still appears after a week or two, and you try to report it again and get the message that it's already been found to be acceptable, it could be a bug. Send a private message directly to a moderator linking the review and explaining why you believe it violates the Terms of Service.

5. If the user is trolling in reviews, they could be trolling in other areas, or a ban-dodger. Do a quick check of their profile.

6. Set a good example by writing your own good reviews whenever you have the chance, and voting agree for any reviews you find to be well-written, even if you disagree with the opinion expressed.

Oh, and while I'm talking about reviews, if you have a chance, check out my recent review for Danny Elfman.

Hopefully if we can do all this, we can get some of this junk shoveled out and maybe get more staff attention.

Posted Mar 21, 2008 3:00 pm PT
Category: Rant
14 Comments

15Mar 08

Play it Forward (Using DVR Magic to Eliminate TV Boredom) + A Shopping Outrage

Well, those that read my blog on a regular basis (regular, of course, as far as reading during those somewhat rare times I decide to post updates) know that I recently got DirecTV DVR. Very useful device -- no more having to deal with annoying media, or miss shows, etc. A recent issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine (#981, March 7, 200

has a blurb called "Play it Forward" detailing another useful feature of the magic box -- "Spend an hour waching hour-long reality and game shows? For shame: You can blow through these bloated episodes on DVR in mere minutes." Word. This is something I'd already discovered to great effect with two of the shows they mentioned -- American Idol (results show) and The Moment of Truth.

About the results show for American Idol it has this to say -- "Why do we need to see the losers reperform the song that got them kicked off in the first place? WATCHING TIME: 3 MINS., 31 SECS." Definitely. Same for the overly large amount of commercials, the pimpomercial car ad within each one, the B.S. between Simon and Ryan, and (to some degree), the group-sings.

Another show it mentions is The Moment of Truth. I actually decided to drop this show entirely, which it rates as WATCHING TIME: 1 MIN., 30 SECS.

The other two shows mentioned are Dull or Not Dull? (sorry, Deal or No Deal?) and The Biggest Loser.

It got me thinking about how this logic could be applied to some of the other shows I watch. Let's see...

1 vs. 100 - Fast forward any time phony suspense is played on a question with an obvious answer or the suspense is overplayed on who in the Mob got the answer wrong. WATCHING TIME: 25-30 MIN.

Between the Lions - Fast forward many of the times the focus shifts from the puppet characters to the often subpar animated segments. WATCHING TIME: 10-15 MIN.

Medium - Fast forward anytime a segment focuses on Joe and Allison Dubois's increasingly nonsensically portrayed financial struggles.

Survivor - Fast forward through any challenges with an obvious outcome, fast forward through any segments where the contestants sit and whine, fast forward through voting segments. WATCHING TIME: 20-25 MIN. But I usually watch this show live.

In other news, yesterday, I was in a nearby K-Mart. I had just come from shopping at Big Lots and was carrying the bag with the item I had bought there (as I've mentioned elsewhere, I don't drive.) Well, as I came in, and started heading off to do my shopping, I hear somebody from one of the counters shouting after me. Apparently, they wanted me to check my bag at the counter. I told them that I never been asked by anybody there to check a bag before (which is true) and they dropped it. I have encountered this before, and I find it absolutely outrageous. First of all, any item that I bring into the store from another store is mine. And it's an inconvenience to check it. And I don't buy that the store doesn't have security cameras, so there's no harm in me keeping the bag. And if I just wanted to hide the bag I'm bringing in within my jacket, I easily could. So, no, this serves no purpose. Plus, I've read that as more and more localities ban the use of plastic bags, more and more people are taking to bringing their own shopping bags into stores. So what are you gonna do then, huh, store? If anyone else ever encounters this, I encourage them to stand up against this. Had they tried to force the issue, I would have asked to either see a written statement of the policy, to speak with the manager, or simply left the store.

Posted Mar 15, 2008 8:26 pm PT
Category: TV
5 Comments

2Mar 08

The Joy of Animation

Sure, there's a good chance you've seen such films such as Ratatouille, Over the Hedge, the Shrek series and Enchanted. These films have all appeared in the theaters and dazzled us with their fine animation, as well as their compelling stories, well-crafted characters, and top-notch scores. But did you know that some of the best animated films have never been to a theater near you? I'd like to draw the spotlight on the three films that I feel are worth your time -- Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends: The Prince, the Princess and the Bee, Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure and Laura's Star. I don't feel comfortable posting such a large volume of images or commentary within this blog, so I've set up a separate page on my own webspace. You can view the full article here.

Spoiler warning - before you visit, please note that some of the content may be slightly spoilerish for each of the films. So if you're extremely sensitive about that, then don't go.

And to whet your appetite, here is one screencap from each of these:

The Prince, the Princess and the Bee - Dreaming of the Ball

The Prince, the Princess and the Bee - Dreaming of the Ball

Franklin and the Turtle Lake Treasure - To All Grandmothers Dedication

I hope you will stop by and read the article! And if I inspire you to check out any of these films, that's awesome.

Posted Mar 2, 2008 2:44 pm PT
Category: Movies
3 Comments

27Feb 08

Beetlemania

This April, The Wonder Pets! is coming out with a new special, "Save the Beetles!" So if you're reading this, and you're not one of those who normally watches children's TV shows, you're probably wondering why you should care. Well... perhaps I could convince you if I told you it has that something -- I think you'll understand. Yes, according to TV Guide:

"The threesome travel to Liverpool to save a band of mop-haired beetles trapped in a yellow submarine. Fab for parents, too!" (And for lovers of children's animated TV shows.) [The "threesome" being Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming too -- the guinea pig, turtle and duckling triumvirate who make up the Wonder Pets.]

What can I say? Who doesn't love The Beatles? And for that matter, who couldn't love this show after seeing it? The Wonder Pets! is a seemingly unworkable concept on its face. In pretty much each story, the three essentially do the same thing -- save an animal using teamwork and based an idea they came up with when assembling their vehicle, the "flyboat." The show is driven to amazing heights by its writing and by its music. The show is a riot to watch. With each story they outdo themselves, hitting new comic peaks. Sample dialogue from a recent story...

Ollie: Relax, guys. My team will save the day today.
Linny: Your team?
Ollie: Yes! I've got my own super team. Say hello to (singing) Ollie, Rock, and Mr. Frog too / We're Thunder Pets and we'll do the job for you!
Tuck: That's your team?
Ollie: Yes! Mr. Frog and Rock are perfect teammates. They never say a word I disagree with.
Ming-Ming: That's because they never say a word. They're toys.

Ollie being a pet rabbit who sometimes comes visiting to the school classroom that Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming live in.

Beetlemania begins April 21, but watch for merchandise, promos, etc., much sooner than that, I'm sure. And watch for the DVD the day after it comes out.

Posted Feb 27, 2008 9:08 pm PT
Category: TV
6 Comments

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