6 posts tagged “tv”

I have been living in a "Fire-drill" at work lately, so one of the few comforts I have is television (and twitter unfortunately).  I have to say I have really found the show World's Strictest Parents quite fascinating.

I am shocked by how some of today's teens have so much control over their parents, which would never have happened in my household growing up.  They have their own large bedrooms with TVs, Computer's, phones, designer clothes..I remember sharing a room with my sister for 10+ years, we never got to have our own phone or tv in our bedroom.

I don't remember ever getting allowance - We had to do chores around the house and if we wanted money we had to work for it (outside of school hours of course).  I am guessing that my childhood was not unique?

Check out this link & watch some of the show's greatest showdowns between spoiled teens and normal "classified as strict" parents..

Watched the Mad Men season finale and loved it!  The storyline is one of the best I have ever seen on tv (and I have watched a lot on the tube).  I wholeheartedly recommend you get yourself a copy of season 1 & settle in for an evening of dashing ad men and sharp dames..

Apparently I have been living under a rock lately, and did not realize that one of my favorite shows was canceled!
NBC's Life is officially no more, gone is the witty banter & zen-insights of Det. Charlie Cruise. Poop!

Thank goodness ABC brought back Castle!  I thought I would be forced to watch old re-runs of Moonlighting to get my wit fix.

Some of the interesting things I found on the web today...

- Good article on Credit Scores from Reader's Digest online.  In this challenging state of the economy, understanding your credit score is key.  Gives you the lowdown on how your credit score is calculated, where to get a free credit report (not from the company with the annoying commercials), and recommendations for raising your score.

- I generally find something to busy myself with everyday, but I wonder if I am truly being effective.  Zenhabits shares the idea of "doing less" to become more productive - The author, Leo Babauta, has some great tips for on how to do less:

    * Slowly cut back on non-essential commitments.
    * Have fewer meetings.
    * Say no to requests, as much as possible, so you can focus on doing something great.
    * Cut out distractions, especially the Internet.
    * Single-task and focus.
    * Make it something you will be proud to claim credit for.
    * When you find yourself doing busy-work, stop, put it off, find ways to cut that out of your life.
    * Whatever blocks you from doing your great work, kill it.
    * Set limits on how many things you do each day.
    * Focus on the most important tasks first, before you get distracted.
    * Set limits on your work hours.
      Check out the article to find out more.

- Sarah Carlson's review of Vampire Diaries is spot-on...I was bored watching the season premier and she helped to articulate my "angst" with this latest newcomer to the vampire lore.

Have a good one ;o)

Watching Lost is like being in a dysfunctional relationship...

- Every time I think I am ready to quit, to stop watching, I get lured back into the drama
- It keeps lingering on and on, with no visible end in sight
- There are moments where I think "I am understanding what is going on" and I feel good about it
- There are moments where I think "I have no idea what is going on" and I feel annoyed
- Sometimes I think the writers of Lost are arrogant, toying with the characters in ways that are unnecessary or cruel
- Sometimes I think the writers of Lost are genius, maneuvering the characters in ways that are unexpected or unique

Have you heard about the TV series "Living with Ed?"

I thumbed through the book Ed Begley wrote about living green "Living Like Ed", and I inadvertently stumbled across his reality show.  He has some interesting ideas on conservation & the show is pretty entertaining.  If you have interest in becoming more "green" check out the below info ;o)

from Wikipedia
Living With Ed is a reality television show which originally aired on HGTV, but can now be found on the new Planet Green channel in the US. It follows the life of Ed Begley, Jr. and his wife actress Rachelle Carson. The show follows actor Ed Begley, Jr. in his quest to make his home more environmentally friendly and records the conflict between him and his less zealous wife. Ed also visits his celebrity friends such as Jackson Browne, Larry Hagman, Jay Leno and Bill Nye as well as ordinary people to see what innovations they adapted in their own homes.

Here's some advice from Ed's website:

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

One way to help save energy in your home is switching from standard “incandescent” light bulbs to fluorescent ones. Fluorescent bulbs use 2/3 less energy than standard bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and last 9 times longer. Not only do they save energy, but they save you money - at least $30 in energy costs over each bulb’s lifetime. Fluorescent bulbs also generate 70% less heat, so they’re safer to operate and can help keep your home cooler in the summer months.

If every American home replaced just one standard light bulb with a fluorescent one, we could prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emission of nearly 800,000 cars.

And don’t worry - the style of your home won’t suffer from this light bulb switch.

Many people think that fluorescent lights only come in huge long tubes like you see in most offices or stores, but now fluorescent bulbs come in all kinds of sizes, including these standard ones that can fit in any household lamp.

And gone are the days of fluorescent lighting only being a harsh, bright white. Now, there are bulbs with a softer, warmer glow that fit great into any home.

Home Gardening

If you have a piece of dirt to call your own, you can save money by having fresh organic produce much of the year in parts of the country.

The key to growing your own garden in your yard is to choose plants suited to the site. Plants adapted to your climate and conditions are better able to grow without a lot of attention or input. Check with your local garden center to see which plants work best for your yard.

Once you’ve started, the benefits will be organic fruits, vegetables and herbs for you and your family.

Here are a few tips to keep your garden environment friendly:

- Invite a few weeds and insects into you garden. Think of your lawn as a small piece of nature where pests have their place. Often, nature provides its own pest control in the form of birds or other insects that feed on the insects we consider nuisances.
- Use manual tools. Tools that don't require electric or gasoline engines are especially handy for small yards or small jobs.
- Avoid wasting water by watering in the early morning or evening to keep the midday sun from drying it up.
- And don’t water when it’s windy to avoid evaporation.
- You can also collect rain water for later use in barrels.

And you can make compost and save a lot on fertilizer. Just combine a mixture of garden and kitchen waste, and even some shredded newspapers from time to time.

Wear Organic Cotton and Natural Fibers

Even though we don’t eat cotton, it’s important to buy organic cotton materials. The fact is that cotton is a food as well as a fiber. Cotton seeds and fibers are fed to cattle, and cottonseed oil is a main ingredient in processed foods.

And because of its many uses, cotton is one of the most grown crops in the world, which also makes it the plant that uses the most chemicals from non-organic farmers.

And don’t worry about thinking you’re losing out on quality. Organic cotton has the same fiber strength, length and other properties as conventional cotton.