Channel 157: The Blaze

Where do bigots and the narrow minded have the backward ideas confirmed? At The Blaze a new channel by Glenn Beck.

Everything about the channel including the commercials are targeted those who fear those and who want a Christian theocracy. The Blaze is in direct response to Muslim extremist. The Christian extremist have matched one evil with their own brand of evil that comes in the form of far-right values.

Just like Islamic extremist and their TV this channel confirms fears and tries to urge violence without ever saying it directly. They are like the kid next to a bullying yelling to fight and hit him and escalting things only to runaway when the troubles start.

While you have the right to say what you want that does not mean you are correct. Even bad people can be heard but should be ignored. If I can erase this channel I would but blocking is also good. Lies have no place in the media.

iO Digital Channel Guide

iO Digital Channel Guide, Channel 100

A scrolling channel guide for those who subscribe to more than just the basic package.  On occasion they show special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events.*

TiVo has its own guide and it is faster and more interactive. These old type of guides were once very useful but in this internet age it seems a bit slow.

*Correction:
Anonymous said... 
This channel guide on channel 100 does NOT show special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events. This guide is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

However, The channel guide on channel 99 or 80 is the channel that on occasion shows special programming, conflicted hockey games, or other sport events. C-SPAN 2 on channel 79 or 66 shows special programming as well.

I would add that my version of Cablevision does not have channels 79 or 99.

SPEED

SPEED, Channel 99

Dedicated to racing and everything including themed game shows and reality shows about cars and trucks. I should be more into this channel since I actually built and raced a car once but honestly I can never watch it.

There is definitely a car-racing culture that is very easy to join but unless you are passionate about cars it is also easy to leave behind.

Again I maybe watched 10 minutes of this channel all year so I probably will just speed on by. Oh love those puns.

HGTV

HGTV, Channel 98

Yup starting this up again. Last left off on the Food Network about 2 years ago then my TVs broke and then most shows became awful but let me finish off the channel list.

On with HGTV a channel that shows houses and occasional garden shows. From the little I saw they focus on buying, selling, or redecorating homes. From what I heard it started as channel that built homes and gardens but then it changed from documentary-style to "reality"-style.

House Hunters International
"A woman decides to make a life in Paris"
A show where Americans go to foreign countries and find a place to live. In this episode some woman with no real career goes to Paris and gets a NYC size apartment for $1,400 a month. It had no real shower but a great view. The other two apartments were two expensive or too small. Apparently since she had savings style was more important than affordability.

Never really watched this channel and I doubt I will again.

BBC America

Finally!

Probably the last cable system in all of America to get it but Cablevision finally brought BBC America, channel 101, to me. Perfect timing too since it is the episode premiere of Doctor Who. To prepare us they have been having a season six marathon of Doctor Who.

I have now fully caught up with all the episodes and although I  do not care for the new doctor the stories are great.

I have alos watch some Kitchen Confidential and hope to see more great British shows soon.

Oh also there is a hurricane acoming.

TV Japan

TV Japan, Channel #265

In response to the earthquake and following tsunami and nuclear problems Cablevision has decided to allow TV Japan to broadcast free of charge, temporarily.

Usually this channel is one of many channel that are in the 200 channel range that must be special ordered in order to view. These 200-299 stations are generally foreign language stations. For $24.95 you get a small selection of non-English stations of your choice, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Russian, etc.

Surprisingly in NYC these channels are popular even with the add cost.

TV Japan's  normal programing  has been stopped for the immediate future to run 24 news coverage of the disaster. Cablevision said they will let the channel broadcast for free until March 17.

Watching a bit of the coverage it is much like a U.S. disaster coverage with the exception of the eyewitness show. If this was an American disaster you would have reporters hunting for victims to exploit or grandstanding eyewitnesses telling the horrible papercut stories. There use of paper pictures to describe the nuclear plants were easy to follow then the stuff on regular channel. And that is in Japanese without subtitles.

No need to explain there is a large Japanese community in NYC, as well as a large every other ethnic group or country in NY. So a little applause to Cablevision for being nice.

What's New(ish)?

Still have not bought a TV but a friend let me have their old 15 inch pre-digital TV. This leaves me more time to buy a proper HDTV with huge discount, maybe on one of those Black Friday sales.

A new an even more useless channel has been rolled out. A high school sports channel.

The scroll on the bottom was to inform the viewer that the guide has moved from 14 to 88.

Watched some movies worth noting.
Role Models - Funny but not for the easily offended.
Blindness - Great movie based on the novel of the same name. People go blind and their true nature comes out. Julianne Moore plays the one person who can see and must witness the nature of men.

Flash Forward is a new show about fate and if it can be changed. Starting to get dull.
Accidentally on Purpose is a new sitcom about a woman who gets knocked up and likes it.
Stargate Universe is Star Trek Voyager meets the most boring parts of Battlestar Galactica.

Giants undefeated, Jets doing well, Yankees are incredible.

food

Food Network, Channel #97

Food, gluttonous food!

I'm not a foodie although I do appreciate a fancy meal and every blue moon I think I'm a chef or bakery and will try to make something grand.

What I most often want is a pill you take on January 1st and for the rest of the year you don't need to eat.

Back in my youth I would watch hours of PBS cooking shows including Julia Childs and would be fixated. Now I can go months skipping cooking segments or shows.

For research purposes I saw...
Behind the Bash - Some lady goes to the kitchen to watch very fancy food get prepared.
Giada's Weekend Getawayys - I think that same lady eats local Rhode Island food.
Chefography - Rachel Ray is profiled. She intrigues me, just not enough to watch her talk show.
Chef vs. City - Teams of two run around Vegas in reality-show food stunts.
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives - Burgers, pizza and chili that raises your cholesterol just by watching them being cooked.

They do have a candy show that is great or maybe since I watch it at 3am when I have the munchies.

HBO2

Home Box Office 2, Channel #96

Just everything from HBO plus one or two more movies.

Currently worth watching on HBO2:
Held Up - Nia Long and Jamie Foxx in this underrated comedy about mistaken identity.
August Rush - Keri Russell in a wonderfully magic modern day fairy tale.
Fool's Gold - It's cute and funny enough.
The Ruins - Killer plants from the Mayan empire, I actually want to read the book after watching this film.

PPV, PPV2, PLAYBOY, XCESS

Pay-Per-View, Pay-Per-View 2, Playboy TV, Spice Xcess, Channels #92, #93, #94, #95

These are the channels blocked by cable unless you pay to watch the individual programs. Most of the programming is smut but they also show boxing, soccer, and wrestling (fake). Bars and restaurants are they main customers but occasional house parties where the host ask $2-$5 per guest for the PPV bill.

The only time I ever ordered PPV was for American Pie Uncut, it was just when the local video rental store closed and I was bored (pre-internet for me).

Those cage girls will catch a cold if continue on that path.

Girls Gone Wild classic.

Clever pun.

Oh those n00bs.

SHO2, Flix

Showtime 2, Flix, Channel #90, #91

Both are part of the Showtime family.

Showtime 2
Mostly movies and reruns from Showtime. Unfortunately they also show reality. Big Brother After Dark shows us the uncensored stuff the networks can't air. Before you get too excited it is mostly 3 hours of talking and cursing.

Currently worth watching:
Valmont (1989) - Anything with Colin Firth and Fairuza Balk is always worth watching.
Hostel 2 (2007) - Gore films can be enjoyable, to a point.

Flix
Older movies but that doesn't necessarily mean quality.

Currently worth watching:
The Perez Family (1995) - Great movie about an informal Cuban family. Plus Marisa Tomei is at her best here.
The Gate (1987) - Claymation demons terrorize children. Actually scarier than it sounds.
From Dusk til Dawn (1996) -Great action vampire movie.


Part 3
Bolllywood Hero concluded on typical happy ending note, I think. The timing was off and TiVo did not record the last 5 minutes and I don't know when they rerun it.

YES

Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network, Channel #89

All Yankees all the time, except when they are showing infomercials.

Yankees baseball is unique among all baseball and they are simply the greatest. How they win so much is quite simple. They never give up. A typical baseball game last 3 hours, the typical Yankees game is 4 hours + and they often comeback during the 8th and 9th innings.

Sure the lack of consistent pitching may be a problem but they focus on getting hits and they are equally prepared during the 15th inning as they are in the 1st.

Sidenote: I'm a Yankees fan.

Update: Forgot the also show NJ Nets basketball games but no one watches.

MSG, MSG Plus

Madison Square Garden Network, Madison Square Garden Plus, Channel #87, #88

MSG plays a lot of old games and other sport events from Madison Square Garden.

MSG Plus plays more modern games including soccer and other lesser sports. They use to show arena football but as of last week the league has been disbanded. Now we must watch Candian Football for all our off season football fix.

Both MSGs have sports talk but again MSG Plus is more current sports talk.



Part 2
Bollywood Hero has Kattan becoming more likable as he tries to make up for kissing a women in India. They barely touch on the hypocritical state of India as pioneers but not leaders in women's rights. Just as you start to like Kattan, the character, he messes up his new relationship by talking too much.

TMC

The Movie Channel, Channel #86

Once independent now part of the Showtime family. Get ready for a shock. This station shows nothing but movies! Cue dramatic music... ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

Themes:
Yesterday's theme was Splatterdays on Saturdays featuring movies like the new Halloween, Scream, and other slasher-comedies and horrors of recent years.

Other themes can include That Guy You Know by Face, Blondes, Heroes Who Die, etc.

MAX

cinemax, Channel #85

Lots of popular movies but they have a deserving reputation for peddling softcore p0rn. At this moment they are having Busty Cops: Protect and Serve! the plot makes no sense and they are not effective cops but then again I maybe missing the point(s).

Part 1:
Back to yesterday's premiere of Bollywood Hero on IFC it was ok but Chris Kattan could have done it a bit more serious or at least less physical comedy. Everyone else is playing it straight and comfortable then you have Kattan being so uncomfortable that it is distracting. I get he is in a strange land trying something new but it doesn't come off as a sincere effort. Plus one hour long is too short.

SHO

Showtime, Channel #84

A lesser HBO but it has some goodness its own rights. While the other premium cable channels battle over the crappy-blockbusters Showtime goes for better quality.

Recently they have hit hard with original programming.

Currently watching:
Dexter - A serial killer with a heart of gold. Season premiere September 27.
Californication - A sex addict with a heart of gold. Season premiere in winter?
Nurse Jackie - Just another bad drug addict.
Weeds - Funny show about a family of drug dealers.

Gave up watching:
Secret Diary of a Call Girl - Hooker with a heart of gold that made prostitution look like a day at Disneyland and not the drug filled abusive black hole it really is in life.
United States of Tara - A psycho with a heart of gold. Again the candy coated psychotic behavior to the point were no one can relate to the main character.

Heart of Gold Theme
While HBO goes for the ensemble cast Showtime puts a lead for each show and surrounds them with great supporting casts. To make sure you won't hate the lead when eventually they do something out of character or just plain dumb they give them a heart of gold.


Pop-ups from hell.

During Weeds a fully loud and annoying video pop-up announcing some webisodes featuring the Andy character. So at a critcal moment of the show on this commercial free channel they blast a huge pop-up for no good reason. I refuse to watch the webisodes because this little stunt which has been stopped recently.

IFC

Independent Film Channel, Channel #83

Great movies but few reruns so if you missed a movie once it chances are bleak of seeing it again. Speaking of bleak most of these movies are seriously depressing. They have some original programing and documentaries but the reason to watch this channel is for the movies.

That said tonight is the the premiere of an original mini-series called Bollywood Hero. It is a comedy that mixes real life actors and a fictional production. I never got in to Bollywood or most Indian films since the musical is the least enjoyable of all entertainment.

Some IFC fans are probably worried that this mini-series will garner such high ratings that the channel will switch to a less independent flavor. I'll try to watch all the 3 night event which would be the longest time I spent on IFC at primetime.

IFC seems to bundle their movies. What I mean is currently they are having a run of movies I find interesting but 3 months ago they had a run of the worst movies ever made.


Update: Speaking of great movies John Hughes died today. He made more great movies in his short life than most studios in the last decade.
National Lampoon's Vacation, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Home Alone Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and Curley Sue.

HBO

Home Box Office, Channel #82

The great and grand channel for all things TV. This season garnered the 99 Emmy nominations the most for any channel and more then most others combined. 9 years of leading the Emmy nod and there is no end in sight as broadcast TV just slaughters every good scripted show.

Emmy Nominated:
Flight of the Conchords - The best New Zealand-sheperds turned into novelty-musicians musical-sitcom ever.

Grey Gardens - The movie based on the groundbreaking documentary, I have yet to watch it since I want to see the documentary first.

Overlooked:
True Blood which is great that last episode, Release Me, has revealed all the secrets and next week we will see the consequences.

As great as HBO is they have fallen lately because of the movies. This is not HBO's fault instead most movies today are awful.

This month's movie:
The Women - Ok but far from heart warming.
Apollo 13 - A modern classic but again not as riveting as presented.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor - Awful, it could have been better if Rachel Weisz came back.
Forgetting Sarah Marshall - Funny but laughs did not make it to the end.
Wanted - Decent for the cool killings but not for anything else.
Jumper - I enjoyed it but it needs a sequel.
Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Funny and sick, maybe too much.
The Fifth Element - On my list of favorite movies of all time, I just watched it again a few nights ago.

With the exception of Fifth Element I would not pay 99 cents for these movies or the rest of the ones scheduled to premiere. When your best movie is a 12 year old sci-fi hit then I would recommend keeping up on the original programming.

Sidenote: I've been waiting for The Mist and Cloverfield to come to television so if anyone knows when they will be on please leave a coment.

OXYGEN

OXYGEN, Channel #81

Oprah's station but spend any time watching it and you'll notice it is more of a Carsey-Werner station. Lots of reruns and women-centric movies. Unfortunately also lots of reality.

That said...

Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood
I happened to catch one episode because I saw someone on a race track about to crash. Turns out it was just Dean McDermott doing his motorcycle trials and surviving.

Since I don't follow celebrities instead I follow TV shows/characters I haven't been up to date with Tori Spelling. I enjoyed Spelling on Smallville even if the show has gone beyond ridiculous. Spelling has become the best mom ever. Honestly if the show is just half real she is still the nicest person in the Hollywood fish bowl. Watching her with kids is one of the few genuine reality moments. (Also watched the return of Jon & Kate Plus 8 which was so awkward and forced that you wonder why they came back.)

Shop Erotic (no link as I try to keep this blog PG-13)
To see this level of sexuality and accompanying paraphernalia on basic cable could only be done with Oprah's permission. An informercial that makes you stop everything just to make sure you didn't accidentally order some nasty-vision-pay-per-view.

So the only two shows I've recently seen on Oxygen are on either ends of the extreme so I'm guessing the other shows are somewhere in the middle.


For those keeping track there is no channel 80 on Optimum cable unlike 79 which is just black. So far channel 8 and 80 are not assigned but as the numbers go higher many more will be skipped so I may not mention them.

SCTY

SCTY, Channel #79

This channel doesn't exist.

24 hours of a black screen with No Data Available on the Optimum guide. TiVo even refuses to set this channel, bringing you back to channel 2 if you attempt to get to 79.

I can vaguely remember this was Romance Classic then it changed many times and occasionally showed a blacked out game.

Now it is just darkness and the name SCTY which usually means security.