Making Tough Choices: What I'm not watching on T.V. anymore

I consider myself a loyal viewer of many television shows. I have a hard time not watching a series I've stuck with because of the fear that I might miss something. This season I have actually STOPPED watching two of my favorite shows: Heroes and Dancing With the Stars.

This has been a difficult decision for me. I have watched Heroes since the first episode. I even watched the second season, which was a bit of a disappoinment. By episode two or three of the current season (Season 3), I stopped watching the episodes I recorded on my DVR. I had lost interest in the characters and the storyline completely, and watching had become a chore. When I read on Pop Candy that others were feeling the same way, I finally gave myself permission to break up with Heroes. Heroes, it's not me, it's you.

I have only watched Dancing for a few seasons, but I really got into it. I love dancing and I love watching non-dancers become champions, but I just don't have time to watch several hours A WEEK of the show. Last season I just watched the competition show and FF'd through the results shows. This season I couldn't find the time to even watch the competition episode. Also, weirdly enough, once Ted McGinley was eliminated, I really didn't care any more. I don't know why. Cloris Leachman, whom I loved in Mary Tyler Moore and Young Frankenstein, was scaring me, too. (Florence Henderson, I agree with you on this one!) Maybe next season, DWTS.

It's very liberating not having so much stuff on the DVR to catch up on. I can actually read a chapter or two from a book once in a while. I've decided to only watch TV shows that I look forward to seeing: The Office, The Amazing Race (still amazing),  30 Rock, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men (which ends its season on Sunday!) and Project Runway, which is now between seasons and has a questionable future. I have also been Netflixing like crazy, catching up on Monarch of the Glen, Season 7 and movies that we missed in the theater. I guess it goes to show that once you start eliminating things from your schedule, you can always find other things to fill those empty spots.

Watch These!

I enjoyed this today:

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

If you're feeling bad about the economy, I prescribe this video as a cure:

See more Natalie Portman videos at Funny or Die

The Economy and Haircuts, plus Twittering with Mad Men

This economy is causing me to consider growing my hair out so I don't have to get those $50 haircuts every month. Yes, you heard me, $50 every 5 weeks. This whole thing started years ago with a $30 haircut, but my stylist has raised his rates faster than inflation, and I've finally got him trained on how to cut my hair (which is cowlick city), so I fear going to anyone else. No Fantastic Sam's for me, thankyouverymuch. I really don't like having long hair. My hair is very thick and wavy, and once it gets longer than my shoulders, a ponytail will weigh so much that I get headaches. I actually got my first professional haircut, at the age of 9, for that very reason. Still, I am considering it. Damn you, Suze Orman!

Thanks to TwitKit, I have a nice little updating sidebar on my Firefox browser, which makes Twittering a breeze. I have found a lot of interesting feeds to keep up with, including "michael_bay" and pretty much all the characters in Mad Men. Yes, I know these are just average schmoes pretending to be the characters, but it's fun to see their interpretations.