Sassy Black Friend

How many channels?

Or, my love affair* with cable television.

The first time I had cable television was some time in the late 80′s, when cable first came to my neighborhood. Like everyone else, we got it. My mother decided it was a waste of time soon after. But we kept it until 1993. So, I remember watching the first season of the Real World, and then the cable went away. By that time I was a teenager and spent as little time in my house as possible anyway, so it didn’t really matter.

When I went to college there was cable in all the dorms, I think we even got HBO. Since I only lived on campus for one year, it didn’t make much of an impression at the time. The only thing I remember watching was South Park. It stared around the same time as my Freshman year, so it was something new and exciting that everyone would get together to watch.

After I loved off campus is when I started watching more than a few minutes a day of cable. CNN was on in the morning when I was getting ready for work or class, and again when I got home in the evening. That first year in an apartment I had a new boyfriend and no money, so we spent a lot of time watching TV. Very hot dates, let me tell you.

When I graduated from college I was still broke, and now had extra time on my hands, so I got lots of fancy cable channels thinking it would keep me from going out and spending money. Fail. I still went out, came home to watch Iron Chef at 2 am and was still broke.

When I left DC to come back to Philly I lived with my mother for a few months. She is still happily cable-free. I felt like I was losing my mind. No Good Eats? No Mad Men? No True Blood? No Mythbusters? No Leverage? No Rachel-freaking-Maddow? Lame. So, I ahem – depended on the internet for a while, quietly seething. 4 months with 6 channels was shocking to me. Even though I don’t watch a ton of television, it had been over a decade since I couldn’t watch news whenever I wanted to.

Now I’m finally in an apartment that doesn’t smell, leak or give me a rash. I have a 2 year lease, and a very nice man is coming this afternoon to install my DirecTV. So, if you need me over the next week I’ll be watching MSNBC.

* not really.

Sorry, but no

Uh, I’ll try to be a little sensitive, because she seems like a nice person. But this woman, Kandyse McClure, is playing a super tough convict on Persons Unknown.

No. I’m sorry. Giving her tattoos and cornrows does not do it. Nor does her “I’m really trying to look scary and crazy” bug eyes act on the show. It just makes me laugh. Every single time. Anyway, there’s a video after the jump that I think proves my point. Just because she’s black doesn’t mean she can play a street criminal.

That said, the show is pretty good. If you haven’t been watching – well, don’t bother, it’s half over. But good stuff. Read more »

More Glee fun

Seriously, these kids are charming. I even like watching them sing songs I can’t stand. Case in point:

Farewell, Lost!

The last episode of Lost airs tonight. I’m having a couple of people over for dinner and watching. In between my prep work I saw these great videos:

Kinda Gross

Much better

Books and Beer

We’ve been in the new house for a while now, and the only things left unpacked are boxes in basement. Most of that is winter things and stuff we’re probably going to get rid of. Today’s task (before heading out to see the new Harry Potter movie) has been going through all of our books. Including the 12 new books we’ve acquired since moving in but haven’t read yet.

After an hour the boyfriend and I decided that we needed to introduce beer into the sorting plan. It was getting painful to decide what to give away, so we thought a little buzz would help out. And it did. We spent 2 hours total with books and beer and have 8 boxes to give away, and I’m in a great mood.

Another True Blood parody video

I know they’re silly and meaningless if you haven’t seen the show, but they give me a giggle. I get them from The Vault.