Cut the TV Bill Act 2

As noted on a previous blog: http://www.hybridwoofers.com/2009/07/directtv-comes-to-end.html , we ended our relationship with DirecTV. Today was our last day with DirecTV Act II. We decided to roll with Netflix, Hulu+, and Amazon Prime. Certainly, we will miss certain new shows immediately. But if there is a show that we must see, we can purchase that episode on Amazon Prime for 2 to 3 dollars per episode. That does sound like a bit of cash, but consider the number of Must Watch shows vs. the cost of a monthly cable bill, then it seems reasonable.

If, the cost of the monthly cable bill(divided) by the number of must see shows, plus (+) the cost of Hulu+ (8 per month) and Netflix (8 per month) is less than the total monthly cable bill, then this option may be for you!

Certainly, there are other reasons outside of financial reasons for this. 1. We'd like to spend more time doing our crafts and home improvements, 2. We'd like to spend more time getting our home more organized, let alone cleaning and other things. 3. It omits one large bill per month from our bottom line that in itself gets our bills organized, 1 less payee, 1 less check to cut. 4. With Hulu and Netflix the total cost is 16 bucks per month, but it is more acceptable than paying for High Definition Fees, Cable Taxes, Cable Box Insurance, and ever slightly rising costs.

Weird but True Reasons for Quitting DirecTV.

1. Rumors that certain reality shows are totally fixed, most notably 'Storage Wars'. One of the main characters is suing, basically that the show is 'allegedly fixed' and he wants cash for looking like a fool many times over in storage locker purchasing.
2. Ever increasing costs, it is reported by the Wall Street Journal, that DirecTV will be raising their rates 5 percent and more in the future, based upon rising TV channel costs. This will be passed upon the consumer and you pay the bill (not any longer).
3. We went back to DirecTV to watch the Detroit Lions play, and they have been good and bad. Good, last year they made the playoffs and lost to the Saints. Bad, this year they stunk and were not fun to watch. Also, the NFL games can be bought and viewed on the Play Station 3, and this is a cheaper option vs. paying the yearly costs of DirecTV.
4. Their customer service at times is lacking. There is no bonus for a out of contract payee, no discounts (unless asked a few times), and no free upgrade to hardware. My opinion is, if you paid for your contract and you want to re-sign up, then they should give you the new customer deal or discount. Currently, they will not do this as policy.


That is the nuts and bolts of why we are done again, with DirecTV.

-M & H

Tiling Office Floor

After much prep time spent, the office floor has tile applied to its surface. This took about half the day and included a trip to Lowes for more stone supplies.

I can read and cook, thanks Cooks Illustrated !

Yes, even I can cook. I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. Look, tonight I followed 3 recipes from Cooks Illustrated and wammo, it came out great. It is true, tell your friends. Tell your grandma, I can cook, and I must give credit where it is due, thanks to those that taught me to read.

Tonight's Menu

-Oven Fried Chicken with a side of -Glazed Carrots and -Light Mashed Potatoes, all recipes from CooksIllustrated.com

If Miguel Cabrera does not win MVP...

a. something needs to be investigated
b. allowing a player who played significantly less games vs. 161 is a non-comparison.
c. using WAR as a definite variable in the discussion is not right
d. I certainly will not be happy.
e. all of the above. 

We visited Knob Noster State Park

Today we visited Knob Noster State Park in, guess?...Knob Noster, Missouri. Yes, it is true, there is a city named Knob Noster.

According to wikipedia: The knobs of the town's namesake are not only a geographical landmark for the town, but are also claimed to be the site of a battle of Native American tribes. Sometimes there are stories that gold or treasure is buried in the knobs. This can be neither confirmed nor denied. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob_Noster,_Missouri

Our trip did not result in finding any treasures or gold, but it did check off a local park off the visit list.  We haven't been to a state park since June of 2011 in Weston, MO.

We took a stroller to this location, only to find that the only smooth portions of paths are the streets. The trails are not smooth, but more bumpy and really not made for mountain biking either. We attempted a rougher trail for a few minutes only to turn around and head back to the street.

There is not much to see at this State Park, which was a bummer for us. There are two small lakes and a stream on this park. I kept asking out loud and to myself, why is this a state park? There really is not much of anything significant to see on this visit.

Well according to wikipedia: The park was constructed during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration. The CCC and WPA were both part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal a series of government funded programs designed to provide work for the unemployed workers of the Great Depression.^[4] The men of the CCC and WPA built roads, bridges, camping areas, picnic areas, and park service buildings.^[2] The park, originally known as Montserrat National Recreation Demonstration Area, was transferred to the state of Missouri in 1946 and named for Knob Noster.<sup>[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob_Noster_State_Park</sup>
 
Well that makes some sense, because the few lakes and limited scenic sights made this state park quite possibly the worst one of our local area tour.

Now there is electric campsites as well as basic. One of the bonuses of the location is the proximity to the Whiteman Air Force Base. I was hoping to get a view of some planes. But no such luck on this trip.

Rating: 1/5 stars :(