Monthly Archives: July 2014

Jul 29 2014

The Death of a …. Consumer! Shame on You Home Depot & LG!

I know, it’s corny. Please forgive me. I usually don’t RANT! But I’ve been killed by not one, but two reputable companies and I’m extremely pissed off. Both Home Depot and LG have just pushed me aside and don’t really care about me as a long time, loyal customer.

This is the LG portable air conditioner I bought from Home Depot marked "as is."

This is the LG portable air conditioner I bought from Home Depot marked “as is.”

Last year I bought a portable air conditioner, an LG, from Home Depot. I admit, I should have been more cautious, but I have an LG dehumidifier and I LOVE IT! The air conditioner was marked “as is” but the nice lady from Home Depot, who obviously doesn’t know shit from shinola, told me all about Home Depot’s “as is” policy and I felt relatively confident when I purchased it.

She told me that it was thoroughly “checked out,” that it worked perfectly, that everything that originally came with it right out of the package was with the model I was purchasing and that nothing was missing. BULL SHIT!

I got it home and looked it over and went to LG’s website and registered it and discovered it had never been registered so it was still covered under the one year warranty. I had to download the manuals because they were, you guessed it, MISSING. Also missing were: the remote, the weather stripping and two seals which have proven to be two of the most important parts known to mankind.

But what the who gives a sh**&!, right? It was still under warranty. But first, the way I found out about the two missing seals was by using the unit on one of the hottest days of 2012 in Wisconsin and within minutes the unit had dripped water all over my floor.

Back to who cares. I called LG and made an appointment for a service call and the nice LG repairman came and checked out the unit. His biggest news was that it was missing two seals and that he’d have them sent to me. Of course he never turned on the unit.

One arrived, that screwed on. It was easy. The other one that arrived – that was a different story. I have, even to this day, no idea how they expect that tiny thing to fit where it’s supposed to fit.

I called LG and told them the problem. Yep, they sent you the wrong thing. We’ll send you the right one. The same exact wrong one arrived a second time.

So the original problem with the unit was never repaired. The seal that did arrive never fixed the problem because when I screwed on the seal and turned on the unit it still leaks water all over the floor.

When I read the troubleshooting part of the manual and it says when the internal tank gets full the unit will stop and the panel will say FL, tip the unit on its side and empty the internal tank, it finally did that, but it still leaked water all over my floor.

I emailed Home Depot and received a canned reply about … we’re sorry blah blah blah.

I called LG and they referred me to local repair shops who will come to my house and look at the unit with trip charges starting at $75. I said that their repairman didn’t fix the problem in the first place. Their reply is “it’s out of warranty.”

I wish I had just given the money to charity. I would have felt more satisfied.

 

 

Jul 23 2014

Seen Andrea (Laurie Holden) from The Walking Dead lately?

The modern invention … the DVR … spoils me. It also makes me a day late on my shows. It spoils me because I wait a day to watch my quality shows so I can whiz through the commercials.

Take for instance Major Crimes on TNT. It airs on Monday night, but I watched it tonight (Tuesday). Laurie Holden shows up as Ann McGinnis. Right now its a one episode gig, but who knows, it might become something else.

Hey Laurie, Rizzoli & Isles is looking for another detective.

Jul 12 2014

John Walsh Hosts “Cold Justice” on July 18

 

“Cold Justice” on TNT — Dishing Out Justice on Old Cases

You might remember the name Dick Wolf from his Law & Order shows. He still has one Law & Order drama on network television: Law & Order: SVU.

But he also has his hands into a real life show that’s racked up a real life score: 4 confessions, 8 indictments, 12 arrests, 2 guilty pleas and one 22-year prison sentence for murder.

It’s made up of real women traveling from cold case to cold case, tackling some that have little or no evidence. They bring fresh eyes and talented, tough retired detectives to small and medium sized towns. They use their talents to reopen unsolved murder cases by invitation of local law enforcement and many times, with the blessing of family members of the deceased.

 

YOLANDA MCCLARY, KELLY SIEGLER Credit: Mark Hill, Cold Justice, TNT

YOLANDA MCCLARY, KELLY SIEGLER Credit: Mark Hill, Cold Justice, TNT

The Cast
Kelly Siegler is a former Texas prosecutor and in that position she has prosecuted some of the toughest cases against some of the most formidable and respected criminal defense attorneys in the state of Texas. She has lectured all over the country on topics such as Final Arguments, Jury Presentation, Arguing Effectively for a Death Sentence and How to Pick a Jury.

Yolanda McClary is a former Las Vegas crime scene investigator with 16 years of experience who has worked more than 7,000 cases. It’s been said that Las Vegas is one of the busiest crime labs in the country. Of course you’ve probably heard that she’s the real life model for the Catherine Willows character on CSI: Crime Scene Investigations, which definitely explains why Marg Helgenberger always gets her man and apparently, so does Yolanda McClary.

The Detectives
Johnny Bonds is a retired homicide detective from Houston, Texas. He started his career in 1967 and was the youngest detective promoted to the Homicide Division at the age of 25. In 1988 he began working for the Harris County DA’s office as an investigator and it is there he met Kelly Siegler. They worked closely together in the Special Crimes Unit.

 

Orlando Martinez is the only active detective on the Cold Justice team. He has been a sworn officer for the LAPD for over 18 years. His specialties include case biopsies, interviews and the application of modern tech advances to cases. He loves working in homicide, as it is a way to bring closure to families of lost loved ones.

If you watched A&E’s American Justice, you may know the face of Armando Perez. Armando grew up in a very large family in Brownsville, Tex. He received his BA in Criminal Justice from Abilene Cristain University at Dallas. He went on to graduate from the Dallas Police Academy in December of 1972 and began working as a DPD officer in the Patrol Division. After 26 years with the DPD, working with such various department as Vice, IA and the Intelligence Division, he moved into Homicide in 1996. He retired in 2008.

July 18 “Cold Justice” Episode features Case Updates – Hosted by John Walsh

Who doesn’t know John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted? TNT’s Cold Justice episode on Friday, July 18 features a special episode created in response to fan requests for case updates. Entitled “Justice Served,” this episode will look back at the impressive results achieved by the investigators on TNT’s Cold Justice.

 

Jul 4 2014

The Walking Dead – AMC Dead White & Blue Marathon Going on Now!

The Walking Dead – AMC.

A scene from the Season 1 episode "Vatos" © AMC.

A scene from the Season 1 episode “Vatos” © AMC.

Every single episode in the correct order is going on now … NOW! Rick just found Lori and Carl … and Shane. Meryl is still stuck on the roof. My favorite episode of Season 1, “Vatos” is up next.

What’s your favorite episode of Season 1? Click on the link above and you can play the “Know Your Walkers Photo Quizzes,” which is a great way to reintroduce yourself to the walkers from each season. Did I mention it’s fun to play.

Speaking of walkers, the one on the page with the link is scarrrrryyyyyyy.

There’s also Dispatches from the Season 5 Set, and take some polls on each one of the previous seasons.

Finally, there’s a schedule detailing when each one of the episodes from the last four seasons is on. Which is a big help if you want to set your DVR, or if you just happen to have cooking duty today.

It all culminates on Sunday night when Chris Hardwick is back hosting Talking Dead along with Scott M. Gimple and Aisha Tyler with a preview of Season 5.

Happy Independence Day! Now go set your DVR.

Jul 4 2014

It’s Christmas In July at the Hallmark Channel

It was two years ago Hallmark’s “Christmas in July” began as a single weekend intended as corporate synergy. The programming aired to draw attention to the annual debut of new holiday ornaments by Hallmark cards, but quite unexpectedly drew viewers. That weekend averaged 747,000 viewers (according to Nielsen).

Window Wonderland: © Crown Media United States, LLC

Window Wonderland: © Crown Media United States, LLC

In 2013, viewership was up slightly when Hallmark expanded its Christmas offerings and for 2014 they’re going all in. In addition to the movies on Independence Day: The Christmas Spirit, Window Wonderland, Finding Christmas, The Christmas Ornament, Debbie Macombers Trading Christmas and Help for the Holidays, they’re offering a “Home & Family” show (9am and 11am CST on Friday, July 4th) which will offer holiday tips oriented to the time of year, like saving up for shopping or storage of decorations.

9am Home & Family: The Satin Dollz perform; actor Steve Schirripa shares his passion for pasta sauce; chef CJ Jacobson (“Top Chef Duels”) stops by the kitchen; mixologist sisters Flannery and Katherine Good share a sweet and colorful cocktail recipe for the 4th of July.

11am Home & Family: Actress Alysia Reiner (“Orange is the New Black”) stops by; comedian and actor Brent Morin (“Undateable”) shares behind-the-scenes stories from his new show; Lucky Dog Cuisine CEO Dr. Janice Elenbaas makes a salmon burger that looks almost too good for your dog.

The Christmas movies play through the first week in July, not just over the Independence Day weekend. For a complete list with times and titles, go here: www.hallmarkchannel.com/Schedule/

Jul 4 2014

Independence Day Marathons + Walking Dead Marathon

All Independence Day Marathons listed begin at 7am CT on Friday, July 4, unless otherwise noted. When a program is listed at a specific time, i.e. 7am America’s Next Top Model, and the next program of a different title starts at 11am, the program listed at 7am runs in hour (or half hour) increments through until the new program starts at the new time. HD Channels of the networks listed below are showing identical line-ups only in High Definition.

A&E: 7am Dog the Bounty Hunter; 3pm Criminal Minds

AMC: 8am The Walking Dead Season 1, Episode 1; 2:30 The Walking Dead Season 2, Episode 1; Saturday, July 5 at 4am Season 3, Episode 1; Season 4, Episode 1

Chris Hardwick, host of Talking Dead

Chris Hardwick, host of Talking Dead

There’s a special Talking Dead on Sunday, July 7 at 8 CT. Scott M. Gimple & Aisha Tyler joins Chris Hardwick and discuss what’s in store in Season 5.

American Heroes Channel: 7am The Revolutionary War

Animal Planet: 7am Crocodile Hunter; 8am Dirty Jobs; 3pm Treehouse Masters; 8pm The Pool Master

BBC America: 7am Star Trek: The Next Generation

BET: 7am The Game; 1:30pm Stomp The Yard; 4pm Just Keke; 5pm The Cookout; 7pm Gun Hill; 9pm Apollo Live!; 10pm The Message; 11pm The Wendy Williams Show

Bio: 7am The Inside Story: Jaws; 9am Downsized; 1pm Wife Swap; 5pm Flipping San Diego; 7pm Flipping Vegas

Bravo: 7am Tabatha Takes Over; 8:04am Games of Crowns; 8:35am The Real Housewives New Jersey; 2:16pm Speed; 4:52pm The Bourne Identity; 7:26pm The Bourne Supremacy; 9:56pm The Bourne Supremacy

Chill: 6am Truth or Die; 8am Brainscan; 10am Paintball; 12pm Cube 2: Hypercube; 2pm Cube Zero; 4pm Cube; 6pm The Ghostmaker; 8pm Needle; 10pm Cube; 12am The Ghostmaker

CLOO: 7am Whatever Works; 9:02am The Maiden Heist; 11am Glee – the 3D Concert Movie; 1pm Whatever Works; 9:02pm Fools Rush In; 5pm Dinner For Schmucks; 7:30pm The Back-Up Plan; 10pm Dinner For Schmucks

CMT: 7am Reba; 8am CMT Music; 10:30am CMT Music Awards; 1pm Miss Congeniality; 4pm Party Down South; 9pm Bruce Almighty

Comedy: 8:15am The Daily Show w/Jon Stewart; 8:47am The Colbert Report; 9:18am Nathan for You; 9:48am Drunk History; 10:49am Jeff Dunham: Spark of Insanity; 12:21pm Jeff Dunham: Controlled Chaos; 1:52pm It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia; 3:25pm Futurama; 4:56 South Park; 5:27 Tosh.O; 5:58pm The Colbert Report; 6:29pm The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; 7pm Tropic Thunder; 9:30pm Tropic Thunder

Destination America: 7am BBQ Pitmasters; 7pm Mountain Monsters

DFH: 7am Maternity Ward; 8am Birth Day; 9am Trauma: Life in the ER

Discovery: 7am Cash Cab; 8am Nerve Center; 9am Manufactured; 10am Pyros; 11am Mighty Planes; 12pm Mayday; 1pm Megaspeed; 2pm Dallas Car Sharks; 3pm Overhaulin’ Top10; 4pm Overhaulin; 5pm How It’s Made; 6pm Salvage Hunters; 7pm Lords of the Car Hoards; 8pm Mayday;

E!: 7am Keeping Up With the Kardashians; 1pm Sex & the City; 11pm Kardashians

Puss in Boots: © 2011 DreamWorks Animation LLC.

Puss in Boots: © 2011 DreamWorks Animation LLC.

FXM: 6:45am The Adventures of Hajji Baba; 8:30am Dante’s Inferno; 10am The Alligator People; 11:30am The Day Mars Invaded Earth; 12:45pm The Horror of It All; 2pm Megamind; 4pm How to Train Your Dragon; 6pm Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa; 8pm Puss in Boots; 10pm Monsters vs. Aliens

FX: 7am Tron: Legacy; 9:30am Red Tails; 12pm The Incredible Hulk; 2:30pm Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer; 4:30pm Thor; 7pm Captain America: The First Avenger; 9:30pm Captain America: The First Avenger

Red Tails: © Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM. Credit: Jiri Hanzl

FXX: 7am The Hughleys; 8am Spin City; 10am Mad About You; 12pm Sports Night; 1pm Arrested Development; 2pm How I Met Your Mother; 4:30pm American Reunion; 7pm Grown Ups; 9pm Grown Ups; 11pm Freaks and Geeks

Hallmark: 7am The Golden Girls; 9am Home & Family; 11am Home & Family (different episode); 1pm The Christmas Spirit; 3pm Window Wonderland; 5pm Finding Christmas; 7pm The Christmas Ornament; 9pm Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas

History: 7am American The Story of Us; 7pm American Pickers

H2: 7am UFO Files; 8am Ancient Aliens; 11pm United Stuff of America

ID: 7am Nightmare Next Door; 8am Who the (Bleep) Did I Marry?; 3pm Nightmare Next Door;

ION: 10am W.; 1pm Cold Case; 6pm Law & Order: CI

Lifetime: 7am Celebrity Wife Swap; 11am Little Women: LA; 5pm Flowers in the Attic; 7pm Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs; 9pm Petals on the Wind; 11pm Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs

LMN: 7am Deadly Wives; 9am The Babysitter’s Seductions; 11am Dark Desire; 1pm Homecoming; 3pm The Perfect Boyfriend; 5pm A Mother’s Rage; 7pm The Wife He Met Online; 9pm The Trainer; 11pm The Wife He Met Online

Logo: 7am The A-List: New York; 8am Boston Legal; 9am The Golden Girls; 11am Roseanne; 5pm Will & Grace; 7pm Designing Women

Nat Geo Wild: 7am Stranger than Nature; 8am Icy Killers; Secrets of Alaska’s Salmon Shark; 9am Sharkfest; 10am Deadliest Week Ever; 11am Monster Fish

NGC: 8am Life Below Zero

OWN: 7am Dr. Phill; 12pm Two Weeks Notice; 2:30pm The American President; 5pm Oprah: Where Are They Now

Oxygen: 7am America’s Next Top Model; 11am Preachers of L.A.; 7pm Stomp the Yard: Homecoming; 9pm Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins; 11:30pm Tattoos After Dark

Science Channel: 7am Outrageous Acts of Science 2; 8am MythBusters

John Carter: © 2011 Disney. JOHN CARTER™ ERB, Inc. Credit: Frank Connor

John Carter: © 2011 Disney. JOHN CARTER™ ERB, Inc. Credit: Frank Connor

Spike: 7am Shaun T’s Focus T25, 7:30am Cindy Crawford; 8am Bar Rescue; 10am Frankenfood; 11am Robin Hood; 2:30pm John Carter; 5:30 Raiders of the Lost Ark; 8:12pm Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom; 11:06pm The Fifth Element.

Syfy: 7am The Twilight Zone; 7pm WWE Firday Night SmackDown! 9pm Spartacus: Blood & Sand; 11:10 The Twilight Zone

TBS: 7am Are We There Yet? 7:30am TP’s Met the Browns; 8am TP’s House of Payne; 8:30am Ghosts of Girlfriends Past; 10:30am Definitely, Maybe; 1pm Knocked Up; 3pm Friends; 5pm Seinfeld; 7pm Family Guy; 9pm Funniest Wins

TLC: 7am A Very Duggar Wedding; 8am 18 Kids & Counting; 8:30am 19 Kids & Counting; 7:30pm Say Yes to the Dress;

Hulk: © 2003 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

Hulk: © 2003 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

TNT: 7am Charmed; 8am Supernatural; 11am Hulk; 2pm Spider-Man; 4:30 The Dark Knight; 8pm Cold Justice; 9pm Cold Justice; 10pm Limitless

Travel: 8am Food Paradise; 7pm Monumental Mysteries; 9pm America Declassified; 10pm Mysteries; 11pm Monumental Mysteries

truTV: 8am Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura; 10am Panic Button; 12pm Motor City Masters; 2pm Top 20 Most Shocking; 6pm Impractical Jokers; 7pm The Carbonaro Effect; 10pm Motor City Masters; 11pm The Carbonaro Effect;

USA: 7am NCIS Marathon; 7pm Modern Family; 11pm Royal Pains; 12am: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

We: 9am Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars