Back in Las Vegas

It’s hard not to love jetBlue’s free DirecTV. Even on long, full flights like the one to Las Vegas today, it makes the time pass much more quickly. At home, I fall into TV-watching ruts, relying primarily on my DVR’s To-Do list. I have always believed that one of the by products of a DVR, which I wouldn’t trade for the world, is the loss of channel surfing. I just don’t do it any more.

But on a 5 ½ hour flight, there’s plenty of time to find something new.

As a huge music fan, I think VH1 Classic is a great network. I just never seem to watch it except when I’m on jetBlue. I watched a video by Winger, from 1988 or so. It made me think how dated the song sounded, but the music from Pearl Jam and Nirvana released just 3 years later still sounds relevant.

I caught a few episodes of Cash Cab, which I have seen before, but just in passing. It’s such a simple concept, and so well done – they probably don’t air the contestants who aren’t entertaining, but you can’t help but play along and root for the players. I forget the host’s name (Ben something?), but he’s perfect in that role.

Discovery showed a promo for Alaska Week, which I’m going to have to check out. For some reason, I’m quite interested in travel to cold places – Alaska, Nunavut and Yellowknife (Canada), Iceland, and Greenland – I have planned mock flight itineraries to all of those places…I don’t know why, probably just to see how to get there.

There’s also some show called Verminators. It’s about pest control and exterminators. I feel compelled to watch it, but know I will be incredibly creeped out by what I will see.

VH1 is running a reality series called Viva Hollywood! With Maria Conchita Alonzo and a cast of unknown Latin actors competing for a slot on a Telemundo telenovela. I’m thinking of resuming my Spanish classes, and in some warped way, think that telenovelas might help with my comprehension of spoken Spanish, which is always more difficult for me than reading the language (I think that’s normal). The show is a bit over the top – the first episode had the contestants completing Telemundo fight scenes (water thrown in the face, lots of hair pulling, face slaps). Very entertaining.

Finally, channel surfing reintroduces TV commercials back into my life. For how long have animated lizards doing the Thriller dance for Sobe Life Water??