Dan Antion

Not the Season for a Rant

By the time this week is over, Christmas will have arrived. Therefore, I will not corrupt the spirit with a rant about commercial encounters I’ve had since I last wrote a post. I will provide an update on the subject of YouTube TV’s contract dispute with Disney that I mentioned on Saturday.

YTTV and the Mouse kissed and made up yesterday, but it was too late to appease me. I switched to Sling TV on Saturday. When I looked into the possibility of switching, I found that while YTTV has more stations, I don’t watch most of the ones they have that Sling TV doesn’t. In addition, Sling is a little more al a cart in their sports offerings. While YTTV bundles all the sports in with the ESPN varieties, Sling lets me choose to watch ESPN/ESPN2/3 but not pay extra for the Golf Channel, Tennis Channel, ACC Net, SEC Net, etc.

So, even though the dispute is over, I have moved on. YYTV’s insistence on putting profit ahead of customers left me with a bad impression, and I was able to save $15 a month while still having access to the channels I watch. Done and done.

That’s it for today. I’ll let you get on with your holiday preparations (those of you who prepare).

This puddle is at the end of our driveway and is on;y present after a very hard and recent rain.
My regular puddle has filled to overflowing.
Looks like we will see the sun.
Sunrise, almost obscured by clouds
I like it when the refection shows us what we can’t see.
One Flag – Every American
This pine tree is loaded with pine cones
Sun filtering through pine needles and pine cones
Maddie was fascinated by this leaf sitting on top of a speed hump.
This might have blown in from the recent tree trimming in the park across the street. Maddie had to sniff.
That fence is cold…just sayin’
Across the street from our house
We had a cold walk.
This is as close as I came to seeing the full moon.
The bright ears give it away to River.
The skies were filling with storm clouds over a full moon.

69 comments

    • Thanks Judy. Some people had suggested an update. I knew they would settle quickly, because the forums and Twitter indicated that i wasn’t alone in my decision to leave.

      I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas week and great holidays.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. I don’t know anything about television choices, but I do know about ranting. Seriously. I think this is clearly the season for it. I love that photo of Maddie! It’s enough to warm the whole world.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Maureen. I’m not sure how long I can be a good boy and hold off. Some of these things really ticked me off. But, I don’t want to end up on the naughty list at this point. It’s still in the teens here, but Maddie is begging for a walk.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  3. Old Glory never fails to look elegant! Nice shot. Great puddles. It’s 13 degrees here, so they’re probably mini-skating rinks now!

    That’s a bountiful mass of pine cones! Sunrise pictures are great, but the full moon is the best.

    Maddie looks so warm and comfy curled up on the couch with you. A girl can’t get enough beauty rest you know.

    Hope you’ll be happy with your TV switch in service. Sounds like you came out ahead. Good for you.

    Have a problem-free week before Christmas. Make sure you have plenty of Coronas in the fridge. You know, in case of a storm. Gotta keep hydrated!
    Ginger

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Haha – thanks for that last bit of advice, Ginger. I’ll be sure to leave a Corona out by the tree as well. I think I’ll be OK with Sling. If not, I can always go back, or back to cable, or back in time and watch three channels with an antenna:)

      I hope you have a great week. I’m trying to explain to MAddie that we aren’t walking until it’s at least above 20 – I’m not convincing her.

      Like

      Reply

    • Even at YTTV’s higher price, it was cheaper than assembling the channels I watch on my cable line-up. Everything with them is a $10 group – one good channel and 9 dogs. You quickly get to the point where the “Ultimate Bundle” is the cheapest solution, but it’s very far from cheap. I only have one streaming service, Hulu. If they added a couple of channels to their live TV option, I’ switch to that. Everyone lures you in with a low-cost deal, but they all keep raising prices YTTV started at $35 and is at $65 now. They’ve added a lot of channels, but none that I watch.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I’m so glad you enjoy them, Pam. Ironically, I’m not a huge sports fan, but there are games I like to watch, and ESPN has locked up most of them. No sunrise photos today, it was 16f when we normally walk.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  8. Our local ABC station was caught up in this fuss between Google and the mouse. I am glad you resolved your situation to your satisfaction. We pay for Philo which offers some of the lower end channels – enough to satisfy our appetite rather than pay for cable packages. I hope you are able to settle in and enjoy this week before Christmas without too much hustle and bustle, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. I was telling my husband about YTTV and the Mouse. He said we don’t have any streaming services, just basic cable. We do get Crackle TV for free (which sounds great), but at crucial points in a Jesse Stone movie last night, it would break for a commercial and then say, ‘oops, we’ve encountered a problem’ and we had to wait 15 minutes for the show to come back on.
    The pinecone trees are such beautiful photos, Dan. Lot of folks here take down pines cause they are the first to topple in a hurricane. I miss watching the squirrels throw down pinecone cobs–the little rascals!
    Have a great week finishing up whatever needs finishing up!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. My roomie and I had Sling for awhile. There was nothing wrong with it, but we didn’t find any advantage to its content. Everyone has different TV likes and dislikes, so you have to go with what works. Enjoy the channels, Dan, and have a wonderful week!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Our cable company has the channels spread all over the place. To get ESPN, SyFy, History and the few others I like, I have to buy their top-tier bundle. It includes literally hundreds of stations I’ll never watch. There’s no advantage to what Sling offers, but it offers it at a significant savings compared to my cable company.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. I am happy to know that your provider switch worked out for you. I would like to ditch our satellite provider but I’m not sure where to start… probably the googles. We are so used to time shifting, an antenna for local channels may not work for us. It was so much easier when there were three main channels, plus PBS.

    Like

    Reply

    • I am beginning to remember those old days with more fondness every year, Janis.

      You really have to compare the channels offered. Look at CordCutters.com. They have great resources for comparison shopping.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. Hey , Dan , those giant corporations have to make a living too ! After all , it’s Christmas time . Maybe offer to donate more of your money as a surprise gift —– after all , those CEOs have bills to pay , too . I’m sure they’ll appreciate receiving more of your cash.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. You had me at done and done. That way the sooner we can get to the holiday where we can immerse and savor for days and daze. As for streaming there must be a storm somewhere in a distant quadrant of the internet universe. The holiday music channel keeps fading out to ‘service unavailable’ and just as miraculously fading back in. And that my friends is why there is there is no contract involved with this fastest most dependable cable company. Or was that slipperiest ? It could just be the invisible ethereal portion of the spectrum… Ah back to the part where we find a way to celebrate with those we love.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • We will celebrate in modest style, John, but I’ll clinked a glass at the thought of saying goodbye to a greedy corporation. I’m sure they will entice me to return…someday, but not today (they tried).

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. I loved the light on the pine needles and pine cones, and the flag. My doesn’t that squirrel look lovely with that thick fur coat! I always like seeing what’s reflected in your puddles. The trees and clouds are lovely.

    I hope your choice for your stations works out well. I watch a lot of old TV shows on my Kindle these days. I’d love to ditch the carrier we have, but He-Man says it’s too costly just have them for internet so it’s bundled with our TV as well. I know we’re paying too much for the few stations we do watch.

    I hope your week is wonderful as we head toward Christmas!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • He Man might be right. When I tried to cut the cord in 2019, I ended up keeping enough of a TV contract to get a “bundle” pricing. It’s OK, since the local channels are on there, the timing on sports is often better there.

      I feel like I photograph the puddles too often, but I really don’t see them very often, and they’re always a little different. I’m glad you like them.

      I hope you have a great week, too.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  18. Sensible move Dan, lovely photos too.
    We moved away from the big guys years back, ( Disney, Virgin, Sky) we have a freesat box, Netflix and Amazon prime suits us perfectly. Like you we voted with our feet and have saved plenty over the years.
    HAPPY CHRISTMAS 🌲🌲⛄🌲⛄⛄💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  19. Good for you, Dan. We felt so liberated when we cut our cable ties completely five years ago. In Louisiana we lived with such games every single year with uncertainty over our health insurance. BCBS in standoffs with the hospital system there. Ridiculous. May your year in sports be enjoyable.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • By the time I retired, I don’t think it was possible to get out from my portion of the healthcare unless I had multiple things replaced. The year I cracked my head open and had sudden hearing loss, I had an ambulance ride to the ER, and MRI, a specialist and multiple Dr visits. I got past the deductible but I never got out of the co-insurance portion – AND I was paying a big premium!

      I’d love to cut the cable 100%, but then my Internet fee jumps. We need true competition, but that seems like a pipe dream.

      Like

      Reply

  20. Interesting stuff. We cut the cord several years ago. First thing was getting a good antenna for local channels and a TEVO so my wife can record shows. For sports and other cable, we started with Sling – then to Hulu Live – but I’m now surviving without cable sports channels. After all, there’s always a sports bar. Better yet, I use my wife’s father’s account to tap into his cable. After all, he has no Internet.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. Maddie looks so comfortable. I’m astonished to find any place that offers you any sort of choice AND you saved money, so win-win! We gave up cable when we moved and now have Netflix, Paramount Plus (for NCIS and Blue Bloods mostly), and Peacock for cycling, rugby, and other things. We’re still way under what cable was and we have plenty of variety and things we enjoy seeing. As for getting prepared for Christmas, we’re pretty well there. I just have to finalize some food things and get the ingredients (and wrap a few more gifts.)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • I’m trying to avoid the “Pluses” but Paramont Plus may happen next year. I can usually catch up on the new Star Trek at my daughter’s place when I watch her cat, but she hasn’t been traveling as much lately.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. Hi Dan – interesting to read this one – I keep my life simple … I gave up Netflix and at some stage I’ll see the shows years late granted … but why worry … I’m not ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’. I need to get more books out from their shelf … I’d cosy up with Maddie to read! I’m just glad I don’t have to make choices – but I was pleased when one of our tv channels linked with Amazon to let us see Emma Raducanu win the US Open tennis – I’d have been spitting if I hadn’t of been able to watch it! Cheers to you all – enjoy these festive days – Hilary

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  24. I still have just Netflix. Although right now my Roku TV is unplugged because my mother is putting in new flooring so I have been watching tv shows on the computer. We are going to plug the Roku TV in the living room so my boyfriend and I can watch tv this weekend. He is visiting for his birthday (Christmas Day). I had a rant about Walmart on Sunday, but everything is resolved now.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  25. I hear you on your rant……also I was able to recognize what makes up puddles…rainfall!! LOL…we finally had a decent amount week before las and more coming this week!! It is truly amazing how fast dry brown hillsides can turn green with a couple inches of rain!! Have a very merry Christmas….my best to you and your family!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  27. I’m still okay with basic cable, having gotten a deal to switch companies, but it’s nice to know there are options. Your photo collage is so interesting with the crackly harshness of the dried leaf branch and heavy chain followed by a soft plump squirrel and a soft cozy Maddie. Warm wishes to you and your family for a cozy Merry Christmas!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks JoAnna. None of the options are great, everybody wants more money, but we can all choose to spend less. I’m glad you like the photos. It’s the same walk every day, but nature makes it interesting.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  30. I think it was great to end the post with the reflective puddle pics.
    We are subscribed to all sorts of things, I cannot imagine what we pay, but I’m sure it’s too much. I watch YouTube with ads, so that’s not one we pay for. We do pay for Disney and I watch Smithsonian sometimes, not so much The Mouse bits, lol!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Add your thoughts or join the discussion. One relevant link is OK, more require moderation. Markdown is supported.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.