Fall TV Shows Update

I just wanted to add a few more shows to the list from the previous post.  First is No Ordinary Family.  I am a fan of superheroes so when I heard about this show, I made sure to put it on my list of shows to check out.  Starting out, I did not like this show right from the beginning.  I didn't like the characters and I felt it was rushed.  Also, it seems like this idea has been done so many times.  If you are going to do a show about people with superpowers, it better be original.  The power are pretty common.  I was disappointed for example, by how the powers were discovered.  The dad tries to have his friend shoot him to test if he can stop bullets?  He tries to jump off a roof to see if he can fly?  Maybe they are gearing this show towards kids and families, yet there were some themes and language that were not G rated, so I'm not sure where they are going with this.  The one thing that was interesting was when we discovered there is another guy with powers, who was not with the family when they got theirs.  This opens up possibilities for more people with powers and that could make the show more interesting to watch. I'll check it out next week, but I hope it gets better.

The next show I'm watching is Rules of Engagement.  This is a half hour comedy with some familiar faces.  It is back for it's 2nd season.  I watched the 1st season casually and thought it was pretty good.  I have not yet made it required watching, but I will probably be watching it this season unless something else important is going on.

The 3rd show I have been watching is a new one called Raising Hope.  It's kind of a quirky comedy about a young kid who has to raise a baby while being surrounded by all kinds of interesting characters. I have not made a final decision on this one, but I think it has potential so I will be keeping an eye on it.

Fall TV Shows - 2010

Usually fall has a nice line up for tv programs.  I have been trying to stay on top of the new shows premiering and have managed to catch at least portions of the ones that have caught my interest.  So far, I have not been too impressed with the new shows.  Here is a little recap of the new shows I may be watching and the returning shows I will be watching this fall.

New Shows:
So far only 2 new shows have caught my interest after watching the pilots.  One is Mike and Molly.  This is a half hour comedy that airs Mondays on CBS.  It is nothing ground breaking, but the characters and writing seem to be pretty good, so I may watch this one.

Another show that has caught my interest is Outsourced which is another comedy that follows The Office on NBC.  What I like about this is the topic of the show is original.  It is not just another sitcom.  It is about a guy who has to manage a group of telemarketers in India.  I think it has potential so I will be keeping an eye on this one.

Returning Shows:
Some of my top returning shows this fall include The Big Bang Theory which is one of the funniest comedies on tv right now.

Smallville, this one is in it's 10th and final season.  In my opinion, it has gone downhill since season 6, but I am sticking with it til the end.

Hells Kitchen, didn't last season just end like a month ago?  Anyway, HK is always good so I'll be watching Gordon Ramsey this season.

The Office, I'm not a hard core fan of the show, but I usually watch it. Michael Scott is one of the best characters on tv.  This season looks to be pretty good.

The Apprentice, They are back to the regular format of the show without celebrities.  I'm not a fan of Donald Trump, but this show is usually entertaining so I will be watching it.

Undercover Boss, this one has not premiered yet, but I enjoyed last season, so I will definitely be checking out this season.

Bring Back the Delorean

I saw a Delorean car on the road the other day.  You know, the one from the Back to the Future movies.  It is a very rare car that hasn't been made since the 80's.  It got me thinking, what if they revived it and started manufacturing it again?  It would be updated of course to include modern technology, but the basic look and signature features such as the flip up door would be the same.  They could even make special options like the Flux Capacitor that was in the movies!  Anyone who liked the Back to the Future movies would at least be interested in the car.  If they could make it affordable, I think it would be a big hit!  What do you say major car companies?  Someone get on this project!

Blackberry Bold 9700 Review

One of my relatives upgraded their phone and gave me their Blackberry Bold 9700.  I have been using it for a few weeks and I thought I would post a review of the phone.  I will go over the hardware, features and usability of this phone in this review.

The phone itself is very nice looking.  It is black with chrome lining and has a leather texture on the back.  It is a nice size and it is fairy easy to hold.  The full keyboard is pretty easy to use and the screen is crisp and easy to read.  Call quality is as good if not better than most cell phones I have used in the past.  It has a camera with a flash that takes decent looking pictures.

The Blackberry Bold however has many annoyances I have found. One is navigation.  It seems like there is always an extra step involved that should be unnecessary.  For example, the home screen gives you a bottom row of icons to choose from.  You have to press the Blackberry button to get to your full screen of options.  The home screen should already have all these options or at least give you the option to customize it with as many icons as you want.

When I started with the phone, I wanted to clear all the contacts.  There is no easy way to do this.  You have to clear basically everything on the phone if you want to delete the contacts.  Adding new contacts is overly complicated.  The thing with Blackberry is they give you too many options you don't need and they overlook some of the basic things you do need.  When you add a contact, you want the name and number right?  On a Blackberry, they give you a list of about 30 things to fill in when you want to add a new contact.  Adding the actual number is far down on the list and even when you find it, you have to put it under "Work 1" as the primary number.  Maybe some people want a place to up address, birthday, and anniversary, but for me, I just want the name and number.

When I put my sim card into the phone, it automatically added a $25 data plan to my bill.  I was not pleased about this especially since there is a $15 data plan available.  I have since tried to downgrade to the $15 plan and it will not let me.  I rarely use the data options so paying $25 just to use the phone is not worth it.  I will probably end up switching to another phone without a data plan and then sell the Blackberry.  

Overall I think this phone is good for texting and keeping track of detailed information about contacts.  It is ok for web browsing, but not as good as touch screen phones in this area. 

Update 4-8-15: Wow hard to believe it has been almost 5 years and I still have the phone.  Most people seem to update phones every year or 2, but this one has been great and I still use it.  It is showing it's age in that it is not a touch screen and does not have all the iOS and Android apps, but I don't mind.  Nice to see Blackberry is still making phone even with all the competition.  

Targus CVR200 Laptop Bag Review

I recently purchase a Targus CVR200 laptop case to use as a briefcase for papers, folders, notebooks, and general supplies.  It is meant to carry a laptop, but you can use it to carry anything.  I did some research online and checked out several different models in the stores. I decided on this model because it is a good size, not too big, not too small, it is stylish, and it is light.

The Targus CVR200 is made of neoprene which is light, has some stretching ability and stays relatively clean.  It has a main zipper opening with 2 sides.  It also has a buckle flap section with more room and holders for pencils and smaller items.  The case comes with an adjustable shoulder strap as well as the carrying handle.

I have been using the case for several weeks now and so far it is great.  There is only one problem I have encountered.  Recently I washed the case by putting it in the washing machine.  Bad idea.  The neoprene ripped in the washer.  It was just the top part near the seams, so it is still usable, but I had to sew it up and it doesn't look as good as before.

Over all this is a good case for carrying things, but if you are going to wash it, do so by hand.

Update: 4-8-15 I still have the bag and it has been pretty good in the long run.  Overall it has not worn down much even after using it pretty much every day.  I would recommend this bag if you are looking for a light and stylish laptop bag or carrying case.