Sounds of the Wild

A mother was reading a book about animals to her 3 year old daughter.

Mother: "What does the cow say?"

Child: "Moo!"

Mother: "Great! What does the cat say?"
Child: "Meow".
Mother: "Oh, you're so smart! What does the frog say?"

And this wide-eyed little 3 year-old looked up at her mother and in her deepest voice replied, "Bud."

Packing light

Guest post written by Charlotte Henries

I have quite a big problem. I have way too many clothes and shoes, so packing for trips can be really tough. There have been several times when I've gone somewhere with a carry on bag and then once I go through airport security they tell me it's too big so I have to have to end up paying to check it because I bought too much stuff and tried to pack it into the same small suitcase.

But I'm hoping those days are gone. After taking weekend trips where I have to do that too many times, I've bought some new luggage off of clear 4G Internet that can supposedly fit more stuff in it.

I thought that in combination with that I would for sure be able to do some light packing and end up having to pay a whole lot less for my luggage.

I'm going to visit one of my friends out in San Diego in a few weeks so I'm going to try out my new packing ideas soon. Let's just hope I can do it and save some money on checking bags.

That's What She Said!

Thanks for the article from Glenda Hanson

I love The Office. It is the best show on television. I look forward to Thursdays at 9 pm so that I can catch an all new episode of The Office on direct tv in jacksonville! The show's re-runs are ok too, and I have seen most of them but still enjoy the humor, regardless of how many times I have seen the same episode.

Michael Scott, who plays the worlds worst boss on the show, is a riot and shares many similarities with bosses that I've encountered in my day. Fortunately, I have not had a boss that encompasses all of Michaels, um... "qualities" in a single person. But he is so entertaining to watch! His attempts at humor include incorporating "That's What She Said" into any conversation, among other failed humor attempts.

Dwight Schrute is probably my second favorite character. He plays a nerd who is oblivious to how nerdy he is. He does the most inappropriate things, and other characters can mock him without him catching onto their stunts. The writers who created his character are brilliant.

Jim and Pam, the only sane couple of characters on the show, are a riot. They are the ones to which I can relate best, and they poke fun at all of the quirks of their co-workers on the show.

If you do not already watch this show, start immediately. It will not disappoint.

The Discovery Channel in High Definition

I appreciate the guest post, Jamie Guy

The best channel to watch in HD is The Discovery Channel. My family loves watching it together on weekends via our DirectTV. Our favorite programs are the nature specials. High definition makes us feel as though we can see every hair on the animals and every leaf on the plant wildlife. We feel as if the animals and plants are right there in our living room.

The Discovery Channel has a new series on sharks. I have set the DVR to record it this week. I can't wait to see the deep blue sea in high definition, as well as the beautiful sharks. I'm afraid the program may frighten my three year old, so I'll have to watch him with special care and see how he responds to it. If he doesn't run away screaming, then he may enjoy it.

My son loves apes, and he loves to watch gorillas and monkeys on The Discover Channel in high definition. My husband thinks that big cats are fascinating. He loves to see tigers and leopards in HD.

The Golden Globes

Guest written by our friend Mason Abbott

Watching The Golden Globes on DirecTV is always an entertaining time. The Hollywood Foreign Press (whoever they are?) honors both the television and film industry on the same night. It takes place live in the middle of January and is telecast in more than 150 countries. Unlike the Oscars they hand out awards for Best Comedy Film, Actress and Actor. Also, in the television category of supporting acting the nominees are from all the shows and movies on tv. It is a fun environment with dinner and drinking done throughout the broadcast. There is no host and the presenters vary from year to year based on who gets nominated. The best presenters are usually the comedians because you never know if they will stick to the script or not. Also, the nominees might not be in their seats when their name is called like Christine Lahti who was in the bathroom when she won for Best Actress for Chicago Hope. During the commercial breaks the actors get to mingle and congratulate each other. It is a very relaxed evening and they usually honor people that don't normally win. For example, Anna Paquin won Best Actress for True Blood has never even been nominated for an Emmy. It is always fun to watch and see who will win.

Jerry Springer for the Win!

Guest post written by Joseph Finch

I hate to admit it but the Jerry Springer show is sort of a guilty pleasure of mine. This show is often the same concept repeated over and over again. Generally, on every show there will be a woman that was born a man. There will be 'hot' lesbians. There will also be someone cheating on someone else. This sort of formula would theoretically make the show seem stale and boring considering it is the same stuff with different people day in and out. However, it does not become stale. Each individual or couple that comes on the show is a unique and interesting slice of America. Whether they are white trash supremacists or they are women born as men and somehow having sex without their partner realizing it doesn't matter. The end result is a show that continues to be awesome on a daily basis.

When I sit at home fiddling through my satellite tv channels I got from http://www.expertsatellite.com/ I always stop and enjoy Jerry Springer when I find him on. Daytime television is generally boring for me, but this show keeps me coming back for more every time. I'm not sure what it says about me as a person that I enjoy watching another person's misery. I get over that minor sense of guilt readily, however. These people didn't have to put themselves on television in the first place.

American Idol Family

Guest post brought to you by Tim Mundi

My wife and I limit what our nine and twelve year old daughters can watch on the TV since we don't want them to grow up thinking the television set is another member of the family. We let them watch a few shows in their age range and they enjoy watching American Idol with us. I think we all agree that it is by far our favorite show of all. It allows us to spend quality time together enjoying family programming with one another. We enjoy guessing who is going to sing what song, what genre will be picked for the following week, and who will be voted off the next evening. Sometimes we will actually deliberate and cast a vote ourselves but more often than not, we leave that to the other viewers.

Our favorite winner so far is Carrie Underwood but there are plenty of others who we enjoy listening to as well. Kris Allen and Lee DeWyze are both favorites in our house as well, and we do enjoy past contestants such as Jason Castro and Melinda Doolittle. While we don't always enjoy the musical guests on the Elimination show, we do enjoy the commercials the contestants make and we are always looking up their songs on iTunes. One thing I am grateful for is the package we have the direct tv channel lineup, and we can DVR the shows, since they do tend to run over. We are already looking forward to next season!