Dish Network Review

I’ve had the Dish Network for about a year now. The reason I switched from cable to the dish was the price. I was paying more than $60 a month for cable but needed to reduce my spending so I looked into getting a satellite dish. I will never go back to cable!

Right now I’m getting the Family Package for only $20 a month. It has a good variety of channels for my kids and myself such as Boomerang, Disney, Nick at Night, Investigation Discovery, The Science Channel, Animal Planet, and many more. In fact, you get more than 55 channels. That my not seem like a lot when you’ve had cable with over 200+ channels, but who really watches that many?

I wasn’t charged for installation either. I made an appointment to have it hooked up and the tech came within 48 hours. Unlike satellite dishes from decades ago, this dish is very small in comparison and not conspicuous in the least. Much like cable, I was giving a receiver and a remote control.


The picture is much clearer than when I had cable and the only time I have any trouble at all with getting a picture is when there’s a storm. By comparison, when I had cable it would often go out and the On-Demand was virtually useless.

When I moved, all I had to do was take the receiver and remote with me. Another tech came out within 24 hours and put up a dish at the new house. No charge for that either. In contrast, whenever I had cable and would move, I’d have to pay a fee to get the cable turned on at the new place, even if it was cable ready and all they had to do was input my new information.

I’ve never encountered a hidden fee either. That used to gripe me to no end with cable. They’d quote you a price and when the bill came there were so many other charges I’d end up paying at least $10 a month more. With the Dish Network, if they say it’s $20 a month, that’s what you pay. No surprises.

Their customer service is great too. I’ve never had to wait on the line more than 30 seconds and the operators are always friendly, knowledgeable and honest. They’ll let you know how to get the best deal based on your circumstances and alert you to any problems or specials.

The Dish Network has a wide variety of packages ranging from $20 up to $85 for the America’s “Everything” Pak that has 295 channels and 31 premium movie channels. I can’t see myself every needing it since the Family Package is very good.

I’m very happy with the Dish Network and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to save money and enjoys a quality picture and programming.

Rating: 10

Cox Cable Bundle Package Review

About a year ago I switched from Cox cable, phone, and Internet and went with Qwest for my Internet, Dish Network for my cable stations, and Magic Jack for my phone service. When I had the Cox bundle package I was paying over $160 a month. By comparison, I’ve slashed my bill down to $62 a month.


Leaving Cox had a lot more to do with it than just the price, their service was well below the industry standards as well. The Internet would go down several times a day—once I counted 20 times! And it was super slow, especially from 3pm – 10pm.

Their On-Demand service where you’re supposed to be able to watch videos, movies, and cable shows “on demand” rarely worked. It was also time consuming to get through all of the menus just to find something worth watching. Many of the shows are small clips of only a few minutes and once it’s over it takes you all the way back to the beginning menu and you have to go through several headings and subheadings before getting back to the place you want to be.

If you try to get through to customer service, have a snack ready because you’ll be waiting a long time. Several times I was on hold for up to fifteen minutes, and sometimes the connection would fail then I’d get cut off and have to call back and start all over again.

The bill was always a surprise too. Even though I had a special bundled package where I was supposed to get a pretty good deal, they had so many extra fees that I paid at least $15 more than the quoted price. They also do a hard sell on getting you to add a protection plan at $5 more a month. If anything goes wrong inside your home, they’ll come out and fix it—for a fee, but supposedly less than what you would pay if you didn’t have their protection plan. If you tell them you don’t want the protection plan they amp up their sell in almost a bullying way. In all the years I’ve had cable services I’ve not once had a problem inside the home, it was always on the outside with their wiring. They cover that for free.

I got over 200 cable channels and a ton of radio station type channels that I didn’t need, want, or listen to. Out of the 200+ channels, I probably watched a tiny handful of the most popular ones—Investigation Discovery, Discovery Health, Tru TV, etc. If you love shopping channels and infomercials then you’re in for a real treat with Cox since they have more than you could ever hope for.

I’m not the only one with a negative experience when it comes to Cox Communications; all of my friends who have it hate it too. But, they get you trapped in a two-year contract, so you’re stuck with them for awhile or you pay a heavy fine to leave.

Beware of their advertised specials too since this is how they woo new customers. They offer great deals for three months and then you’re hit hard and heavy with the real bill. They also seem to raise their prices at least once or twice a year as well.

I suggest staying away from Cox and going with multiple companies as I do, or going with another Internet/cable/phone provider. Seriously, I’d rather take my laptop to a hot-spot at McDonald’s, use my cell and have no TV than ever go with Cox again.

Rating: 1

Getting Enough by Leonard Rosmarin

The blurb for Getting Enough should lure just about anyone who has even the slightest bit of voyeur in them.  After all, who could resist taking a peek into a family like this:

A scandalous portrayal of a beautiful seductive Jewish Diva named Vera Rose, whose life is at a tipping point and ready to implode. Trapped between a mid-life crisis and the affliction of an unfulfilling sexless marriage, Vera is compelled to escape her repressive existence, after an explosive argument with her husband, Sidney. She reflects on her life and decides to unleash her true self and takes her niece's husband, Boris as her lover. As relationships begin to crumble around her, Vera is surprisingly struck by the realization that she has unfairly misjudged Sidney as the despicable wretch and sexual failure she loves to hate. Together they unexpectedly manage to work out a loving reconciliation.

Getting Enough is one of those books you continue to think about long after you've closed the cover and set it down.  The characters in Leonard Rosmarin's book are so vibrant, so real, and hilariously flawed that you simply can't stop mulling over the events and witty venom spewed.  What Mr. Rosmarin did was to take his "full of flavor" Jewish family, stuff them all in a blender, added several dashes of sexy spice, cold bitter, and sweet syrup, along with a healthy dose of "what could have been" events, pureed it all then poured it out on the pages to entertain the reader.  And what a ride this is!  I read it all in one sitting since I honestly couldn't set it down. 

There were points in the book where I thought, "You scoundrel!" Or, "You poor fool!"  I laughed, I shook my head, I even learned a thing or two about opening up and being honest in a relationship.  Holding things in and blaming the other party for the lack of spark in a marriage only results in frigid distance and potentially dire consequences.  On the other hand, viewing your partner through new eyes and exploring the possibilities within yourself and your spouse can erupt like a volcano of passion! 


Getting Enough is available in hardcover and a Kindle edition. 

Wilderness Refuge: A Prophet's Kingdom by Cheryl Toliver

After reading Cheryl Toliver's book, Wilderness Refuge: A Prophet's Kingdom, I have a completely different understanding and viewpoint of the New Testament.  I must admit that I'm not one to read religious books because so many of them are dry or simply rewrites of what I've read many, many times before.  Ms. Toliver offers an engaging twist by combining history with fiction.  Although the technique isn't new, what I liked about Wilderness Refuge is that you can tell the author did her research.  She took her time getting everything just right so we, the readers, would feel as if we actually walked those streets long ago with John The Baptist, Jesus, peasants and royalty.  Instead of talking AT the reader and being one, long preaching session, Ms. Toliver teaches us Biblical history through her own love for the subject.  Her passion shows on each and every page.  I highly recommend Wilderness Refuge, even if you think you aren't interested in the the New Testament.  The book is highly enjoyable and one can easily get lost among the characters and their lives.

Tales for Delicious Girls by Barbora Knobova - Book Review

I just finished reading Barbora Knobova’s book “Tales for Delicious Girls.” In my line of work I read A LOT of books and find myself skimming many of them since there’s not much I haven’t already seen. This time was different. True, books on relationships crowd the shelves of book stores and libraries, but Barbora’s book is unique. Sure, she offers wisdom borne of her own pain and experience, but each chapter is a peek into her life and relationships. Yet instead of feeling like a voyeur simply watching, I felt as if I sat right across the kitchen table from her as she shared with me her past loves and lessons.

We all have different experiences, but every “delicious girl” will see a bit of herself in Barbora’s book. She doesn’t feel sorry for herself; she uses her past as a springboard to the future. Tales for Delicious Girls is filled with cautionary true-stories. Is Barbora trying to use her experiences as a warning to every other girl? To prevent her from making the same mistakes she did? Of course, that would be ideal! But when it comes down to it, what the author is trying to remind every woman is to listen to that small voice inside and act upon it when it says, “Dump this loser!” She wants every woman to remember that no matter our choices, we can make better ones tomorrow.

I have five daughters and want them all to read this book. I want them to remember that you are your own best friend, and when the rest of the world seems against you, when love has given you the dirty end of the stick, you should be able to look in the mirror, hold your head up, and smile right back. Why? Because every female is a Delicious Girl = D for daring, E for enchanting, L for loving, I for inspiring, C for captivating, I for intriguing, O for outgoing, U for unique, S for sophisticated: DELICIOUS!

Review of The Blood Pressure Miracle by Frank Mangano

Studies show that hypertension is present in as many as one out of four adults, yet not everyone knows it. At first this diseases causes no symptoms at all until years down the line when much damage has been done and shows up as a host of health problems including stroke, heart attack, or even death.

The Blood Pressure Miracle by Frank Mangano covers this #1 killer and how to be as healthy as possible and live as long as possible. The author doesn’t suggest you toss out your prescriptions (and, if you’re taking drugs for high blood pressure, it will be more than one prescription since you’ll need others to offset the side-effects of the first drug!)

Instead, he recommends down-to-earth and solid advice for lowering your blood pressure naturally. Changes won’t happen overnight, but your high blood pressure didn’t develop overnight either. As the author points out, it can be due to hereditary, lack of exercise, poor eating habits, lifestyle factors, and reasons still unknown to science.

This book is written for the general public in layman’s terms since Mr. Mangano is not a doctor, but someone who has done extensive research and helped to get his mother back into good health after she was diagnosed with hypertension. Since then he’s helped countless others to get off of their prescription meds, take charge of their health and lower their blood pressure for good.

The author tells you exactly what blood pressure is, why high blood pressure is so hard on the body (such as the connection between hypertension and arthritis), and how to easily measure your blood pressure and read it even better than your doctor can. He explains why you should avoid prescription drugs if you can, then gets into the “Mangano Method” of reducing your blood pressure through natural means.

Frank Mangano’s health plan suggests easy-to-find supplements such as potassium and magnesium, and which foods are highest in these vitamins and minerals so you can focus more on dietary choices rather than taking handfuls of vitamins and herbs every day.

The Blood Pressure Miracle leaves no stone unturned. It covers everything a reader needs to know about stress reduction, diet, exercise, and natural ways to beat hypertension. Since everyone’s lifestyle is different, the author offers many ways to be healthier. Suggestions and precise directions are given every step of the way so you can create your very own personalized healing plan.

In our busy world of today we’re so used to living our lives of habit that often lead us down the path of poor health. Whether you or a loved one is facing high blood pressure, you owe it to yourself to read—and put into action!—Mr. Mangano’s book.

You can purchase the book here: The Blood Pressure Miracle