The Fall Television Schedule of My Discontent

     Last week, the preliminary fall network television schedules were announced.  I must admit that I was not that satisfied.  Now, I watch a lot of television, primarily on the major networks.  I watch cable as well, but my cable provider has been eliminating many of my once-favorite channels.  Furthermore, many cable channels don't follow a traditional seasonal schedule, meaning I have very little idea of what the few I still watch on a semi-regular basis will be airing later on this year.  I also don't do streaming.  Even if I had the money to afford the many different options, watching footage on my computer would mean less time for games, so a lose-lose situation.  So, network it is.  Or it was until the latest fall schedules were announced.  The word "bloodbath" was used to describe the massive cancellation of programming.  The CW lost around of half of it shows.  Shows were cancelled that had better ratings than some who stayed.  Comedies were reduced to barely half the airtime they had the previous year, not that I watching many of them anyway.  With the schedules now out,  I am realizing that I might not be watching that much this fall.  Even as recently as last week, I find that I'm leaving the set off for almost an hour some nights, rather than trying to find something I would like to watch.  Even the all-news channels are getting repetitive and boring.  Sometimes, if I just need some background distraction so I can concentrate of something else, I just leave the set on but muted.  Sad, but sometimes it is the only option.  I have made out a preliminary viewing list for the fall, and it is pathetic.  Almost none of the new shows look promising to me.  The main one that I was looking forward too, the Night Court update, is being held to midseason.  Many of my favorite returning shows (The Flash, Superman and Lois, Call Me Kat) are also being held back.  Still, aside from surprises on cable, here is what I'll be watching this fall.  First, Mondays are for NCIS at nine.  Nothing else before or after.  A competition cooking show of Food Network might be an option, but I won't know for sure until fall.  Otherwise, just national news at eight or early local news at ten.  I tried to watch the Hawaii spin-off, but I never got into it.  On Tuesdays, I don't think there is anything worth watching.  There used to be This Is Us, but that ended last night (I cried twice, once at the beginning and once at the end.). I have no idea what I will watch now.  Wednesdays should have The Masked Singer on at eight, but Fox hasn't fully confirmed airdates yet, at least not on the sites I have seen.  Crime Scene Kitchen will also be coming back, but I don't know when.  It was previously on Wednesdays, so I put here.  There is also Stargirl on The CW, but I'm waiting to see if it gets connected more to the rest of the Arrowverse before making a final opinion of it.  Thursdays will have multiple options for me.  NBC has the Law and Order block, although I really only like the first two shows on.  I tried watching the one on at ten, but I always seemed to watch something else.  CBS has Young Sheldon and Ghosts for the eight spot.  I don't hate them, but they are also the only comedies I even halfway like.  Late on, CBS will have CSI:  Las Vegas ( I hope I remembered the full title right).  I loved the original series and spin-offs, and I enjoyed the reboot.  Yes, I missed parts of some episodes, as I was still trying to remember it was on, but I really liked how the season's overall arc played out.  While some stars won't be returning, I am looking forward to how the new season will work.  Fridays are a dead zone, with the only thing I might watch are Whose Line Is It Anyway? reruns on The CW.  It is a pity on how Fridays are starting to lose interest to networks.  Saturdays have nothing.  Literally, it is mostly re-airings of regular programming, sports, or news.  At least there will be Saturday Night Live, at eleven thirty.  Sundays are mostly the same.  I used to watch some of the Fox cartoon Block, mostly The Simpsons, but I got out of the habit years ago and I am finding it hard to get back into it.  So, there is my fall viewing plan.  Just a few years ago, I used to watch at least a few shows on every network.  Now, I am having a hard time finding any on just four of them, leaving ABC out of the plan for the first time in years.  Well, at least I'll be saving electricity by leaving the television off more.

And Now, a Berry Important Word from Our Bloggist

     New food products come out all the time, just as older ones return for limited editions.  Now, I like to try a variety of such products, as I really don't like getting my routine too stale.  I alternate things around as much as I can so I don't become bored with a meal to the point that I don't want to eat it again.  I think I might be a form of "super-taster," not a full-blown one, but somewhat discriminating.  This is one of the reasons why I don't really eat leftovers.  I can taste the difference from the first time, and I find it very off-putting.  Anyway, I tried some new foods this past week, and I wanted to give my opinions on them.  First off there is Dr. Pepper's limited edition 'Dark Berry' flavor tied to the new Jurassic World movie.  Years ago, Dr. Pepper had a similar flavor tied to a Spider-Man movie.  Back then, the flavor was described as a mix of blackberry, black cherry, and black currant.  When I first tried the flavor then, I didn't really like it, but kind of liked the second and third times I tried it.  I can't really remember how it tasted then, so I can't compare it to the current edition.  The first thing I tasted was blackberry.  The pop is very blackberry forward.  Now, I like blackberries, but this flavoring was not subtle, almost too strong.  I also detected hints of other flavorings in further sips.  I can't really place it as black cherry, another of my favorites, but I can't be sure it wasn't in there as well.  I have never tasted anything flavored with black currant, to the best of my knowledge, so I can't say that was one of the flavorings either.  The blackberry was just overpowering any other flavors.  I will try it again, but I doubt I would be a whole carton.  At least the light purple packaging clearly shows the relationship of flavor and color.  The last time this limited edition came out, I'm pretty sure the packaging was a somewhat darker purple.  Next, I tried the newest limited edition flavor of Kit-Kat bars, blueberry muffin.  No chocolate covering at all, unless the blue coating was white chocolate based, but then again, white chocolate isn't 'real' chocolate.  This isn't the first time that a Kit-Kat bar didn't include chocolate.  Last fall, there was a caramel apple flavor, maybe pie-based, I can't remember the details.  I never tried it, but I did this time because I'ma sucker for anything blueberry.  Well, almost everything.  Anyway, I liked it.  The blueberry flavor was pronounced, but not so strong or sweet to overpower the wafer.  The color was unusual, a light blue verging into a lavender purple, but it was appropriate for the flavor.  I don't eat candy bars that often, but I'm seriously considering trying it again.  Finally, I come to a product that I haven't tried yet, and I don't think I will be.  It is one of two Jurassic World tie-in flavors for Cakebites.  The one in question is the blueberry flavor.  For those who don't know the product, Cakebites are basically petite fours, except that two parallel sides are naked.  For the blueberry cake flavor, there is a blue coating with various sprinkles over the three layers of cake.  Two layers are blue, with a white one in between.  Whether that layer is blueberry flavored too is something I am not sure of.  The cake layers are separated by apple jelly.  Now, while I agree that other fruit flavors can work with blueberry (strawberry, yes; lemon, maybe but not greatly), apple isn't really one of them, to me anyway. I doubt I will try this berry product.  Buying a box of such a flavor combination is not something I see coming up.  I just don't think the flavors will pair well enough together, especially with the cake being blueberry flavored.  That is just not a traditional flavor.  I could work, but I think it could taste too artificial to me to ever be something I would like.  At least more than once, and that is not enough of a good reason to buy a whole box of them.  Now, if only someone could hook me up with cherry-vanilla Dr. Pepper.

It's the End of the Game Line for You Kid

     So, this past Sunday, I started a game of Candy Crush on Facebook, only to discover that the 'team' I was on had unlocked a major bonus.  I wasn't really planning to play that much, but with an hour of a bonus, I had to play at least a little.  When I realized that I unlocked a second, half-hour more extensive bonus, I had to play a little longer.  After a few levels, I noticed something strange at the top of the screen. There wasn't any game there.  It turned out that I had almost reached the end of the game.  I thought that there were more levels than the five or six left.  In fact, I thought the game was a lot closer to 12,000 levels than it actually was.  Knowing that I was nearing a six-day winning streak bonus after the daily challenge reset that evening, I had to stop playing.  In fact, I was so busy that night and the next with other things that I was unable to play any new levels until last night.  Today, new levels are supposed to unlock, but they haven't appeared on my game as of this time.  Until they do, I am forced to just log in to receive my various daily bonuses that don't involve playing a level.  This was only the first of many game-related news I received this weekend.  Next, I finally gave in and downloaded my missing issue of Games World of Puzzles.  It was only after I bought the issue that I discovered that I didn't get to download the magazine, only read it online.  Turns out that only the mobile version of the service allows the downloading of the full magazine.  Not only that, but one can only print off two-page spreads from the website version.  This means that if I ever get to a printer, I will have a hard time printing any pages so that I can actually work the puzzles.  Sure, I might be able to take a screenshot of a puzzle to create a format that I could easily work the puzzles on my computer with Markup tools, but there would be major issues with sizing.  Besides, I prefer actually print copies rather than working a puzzle on a screen.  At least I got some good news Monday.  I was finally able to call someone at the subscription fulfillment center and found out that the missing issues were finally shipping, although I should have already gotten one of them over a month ago.  I might have to order a copy directly from the publisher again if I don't get that missing issue soon, as the new issue appears on newsstands next week and I don't think I would have time to get a copy from the nearest store in time before it is taken off the stands.  Then, I got conformation that the current publisher of a favorite RPG line no longer works through my bookstore's primary distributor.  This means that I will have to look to other places to buy any physical copies.  I just ordered one last December, so the change must have happened fairly recently.  For all of those who don't remember, one of the reasons why I chose to open a bookstore when my mother forced me to start my own business was so that I could a have a steadier supply of these products whenever I faced shipping problems from my local game store.  Wouldn't you know it, but my primary distributor when I opened the store didn't deal with that company, forcing me to continue trying to get products through my game store whenever I couldn't place an order with my secondary distributor in a timely manner.  Then, my game line was discontinued with a newer follow up.  This happened about the same time my primary distributor went out of business and I had to switch to a different one.  That one did carry my new game line, until the publisher decided to go with a direct online print-on-demand structure.  I didn't have a computer back then, so for almost a decade, I didn't get any new products, not even when the new publisher of the game lines brought back the original one for special anniversary editions.  I started downloading PDFs of those products a few months after I got my computer whenever I had the extra cash.  I'm almost caught up with the anniversary line of products, even with newer titles still being added.  Now, with a different company working with the IP of the newest edition of the games, I've been having to get the physical copies any way possible, with about half through my store and half through my local game store.  I'm already planning to order some of the new products through them, even though it will be more expensive.  Finally, I discovered that SongPop 2 is having a name change next month to SongPop Classic, with the next iteration of the game (3) that I haven't played because I don't think it's available for Mac facing a similar name change.  This leaves my wondering, whatever happened to version 1?  Anyway, I had been doing quite good on it recently, until last night.  I had managed to take first place in one of the daily competitions, with a little less than an hour to go.  I was planning to take a short break before coming back to see if I had to play any more, but I got delayed by chore, so I couldn't play again until after the competition ended.  Somehow, I had dropped to sixth place, but because I was short on time, I forgot to check to see how many points I had fallen back on.  I find it hard to believe that so many people managed to snipe me, but I have no proof about what happened.  Still, I will play on.  The best I can.

I Have Achieved Mediocrity

    Back in the 90s, I used to play video games somewhat frequently.  I didn't always complete the game, but I liked playing them.  I mean, I didn't really have much else to do for the second half of the decade.  Once I opened my store and had to move due to flooding, I had a lot less time to play.  So, for almost ten years, I stopped playing, save for the occasional online game while waiting for a car appointment to finish.  That was all before I finally got my own computer.  Now, I seem to be playing more than ever, just not the same type of games.  They are mostly short ones, where I can play for awhile and stop, as opposed to the longer ones I used to play that would take hours and hours just to finish.  Although, I must say that those few games I was able to get to an ending didn't always take that long.  Sure, I could get close, but I would stumble on the last few parts.  Other times, I could achieve the basic ending, but I wasn't able to get every little goal and it would frustrate me that I couldn't get the full experience.  Aside for a standard solitaire game that I downloaded, I only play three games competitively.  Currently, SongPop 2 is the one I'm improving in the most.  After I was able to play it again on Mac, after a seven month absence or so, new features had been added, including a set of goals (daily, weekly, monthly, and now even an overarching global one) for players to accomplish to earn more in-game prizes.  For instance, if a guess three songs correctly by an artist in a day, a get points.  When I get enough points, I get a bonus.  I get more points by watching an ad for fifteen seconds.  Yeah, not fun, but useful.  Unfortunately, many of the goals involve playing against my set list of opponents, many of whom are not helpful.  Some haven't been playing with me for months, and I'm going to be forced to trim some of these slackers and get new ones.  I also managed to finish the last of the in-game achievements, playing fifty matches against one player in a week.  All I got was a badge, but at least I finished the last achievement. Before you ask, it was against the free player that I feel is computer generated that every new player gets when they start, the one who never improves their scores, but always seem to play the same categories you do, even when it was only once for a challenge.  Also, the fifty games are technically twenty-five reciprocal  matches, so it isn't as many games as you might think.  The next game I've been playing a lot is Candy Crush Saga through Facebook.  I am nearing Rank 200 and quickly nearing level 12,000.  On the one hand, I am accomplishing so many in-game goals and challenges that I'm racking up super scores.  On the other, I end up burning through my stockpiles of supplies.  I used to have almost two thousand of one tool before I started to play more competitively.  Now, it is somewhere between seven and six hundred.  At least I have a technique where I can stockpile some supplies easily, but that could change at any moment, especially since I'm nearing the end of the game.  Even with new levels every week, I could race through up to thirty on a great run.  Many bonuses depend on winning levels for the first time.  With fewer levels, I have fewer opportunities to improve.  The last game I play frequently, also via Facebook, is Golf Clash.  To be honest, while I love the game, I think I may have reached my limit.  I know what to do and how to play well, but my fingers, brain, supplies, and internet connection don't always line up so I can win consistently.  I help others with my knowledge and experience, but that isn't translating into wins.  I guess what they say might be true.  "Those who can, do.  Those who can't, teach."  I hate that saying, but I am reaching the point where it might be best just to take a day to just go through everything in a blaze of glory just to see how far I could go, leaving me in jeopardy if I fail.  I play a few other games, but nothing to competitive. Basically, I just play to get the daily bonuses and stop when the time runs out on them.  The fact that some of these Facebook games aren't getting all of the same features as the stand-alone versions make it less worthwhile to play these.  It's not fair that I'm not getting the same experience, but it does mean that I play some games less than fifteen minutes per day, total, for multiple sessions.  Now, if I only had something better to do with my time.