Guest post by Rupert Carey.

I love the book, “The Grapes Of Wrath“. It details the hardships and tests of the great depression. What I like best about this book is that the Joads, the primary family in the book, have to flee their home in Oklahoma because of the dust bowl. They were sharecroppers, whose fields dried up. The bank then forecloses on their farm, making it impossible for the Joads to survive. The family then has to leave in search of a means to survive. They set out for California, in hopes that they will be able to find prosperous land, jobs, and a means of sustenance.

I love this book because it demonstrates the struggle of man against the strictures of government. The Grapes Of Wrath is a Steinbeck piece that ellucidates how price fixing and inflation have serious reprecussions in terms of who can afford to eat and have a dwelling, and who cannot. “…..And in the eyes of the hungry, there is a growing wrath.” This was true when Steinbeck first penned it in his book to demonstrate the destruction by the government to keep food prices high, and rings extremely true today. This is my favorite book because it forces one to reflect on how our government can cause poverty, while at the same time speaking the words that they desire to end poverty. Lets just say my directtv got a break while I was obsessed with this book.

Thanks for the guest post from Isaiah Gaines.

By far, my favorite TV crime show is Lie to Me. It’s a Fox series that I watch on direct tv. In the show The Lightman Group, headed by Cal Lightman, use applied psychology to solve crimes. They are all trained to recognize body language, or micro-expressions that individuals are not aware they are sending out. This is all based on real-life scientific discoveries. Through these expressions they can tell if someone is lying or what emotion they are feeling. Of course, they tell about some of these micro-expressions that they are seeing, but it’s fun to try and catch the ones they don’t mention.

Cal Lightman is the main character on the show. He’s divorced with a teenage daughter, which makes for interesting secondary plots. Of course there is no end of material when working with the teenage years. Cal has a very serious personality, which could use a bit of a sense of humor now and again. Jillian Foster is Cal’s right hand. She is in the midst of constant marital troubles, which offers some interesting side plots. Ria and Eli are lower level employees of the agency. Eli has constant dissatisfaction with his job. Ria has a natural gift of reading people, but often lets emotion color her analysis. It’s like they are still in training and not yet up to par with Cal and Jillian.

Thanks for the guest post, Quinton Mathews.

I have found a show on television that is not nearly as popular as others. It’s on some random channel and it’s called House Hunters International. You may have heard of House Hunters, which has been around for awhile, but I doubt you have heard of or watched House Hunters International. The domestic version of this show is interesting, but you know exactly what to expect. The homes in America might differ slightly, but a lot of the designs and materials are very similar. You don’t realize this until you see homes in other countries. The approach to home-building and style is so much different overseas, which is why House Hunters International is such a great show. I had no idea how much importance people put on convenience and relaxation in other countries. I always thought we had it best. But there are people overseas living in homes that cost half the price and come with an overlook balcony with a view of the sea. Add a swimming pool just outside the living room on the main level and some of these homes are really impressive. I also noticed that a lot of homes overseas have a much more open floor plan. I guess whether this is a positive or not will depend on the individual buyer. I never know what I’m going to see on this show, which is why I make it a point to watch it on Free on Demand on my satellite tv I got after looking at this direct tv camparison page. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in architecture or travel.

This guest post from Doris Dillon.

Bones is my favorite crime show. I think the cast is young and cool, and they have an intelligent type of humor that is both rare and funny. Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz play the two lead characters, Bones and Booth. The most intriguing thing about the show is the relationship between the two of them. I love the way they play off of each other. He’s a tough but sensitive law enforcement officer, and she’s a brainy anthropologist. The audience is occasionally teased with bits of romance between Bones and Booth, and this adds another layer to their relationship.

The concept of the show is also intriguing. I love how they use science and logic to solve each case. I also appreciate that the show is not the same as other procedural crime dramas. The characters are well-rounded and interesting, rather than flat. Unlike other crime shows, Bones focuses on the lives of its characters outside of work, and we understand them as people and not just as detectives or scientists.

I watch Bones on Fox via my direct tv. The show is currently in its sixth season, and I’ve watched it since season 1.

Guest Post by Hyman Weeks.

On Thursday night I always turn my television to CBS. I love to watch The Mentalist. The lead character Patrick Jane is really very funny. It gives an almost comedic element to the regular old crime drama’s. With his quirky behavior’s and unusual approaches to solving the murders, The Mentalist has become one of my favorite TV shows.

The backdrop of this program is set in California. Patrick Jane is a contractor for the California Bureau of Investigation or CBI. His unique perceptive abilities allow him to read people’s body language and expressions. When it comes to crime solving this gift offers him a good vantage point in picking out the murderers, but it also tends to get him into a little trouble of his own. Somehow this character’s antics always make me laugh, and I know that it seems to be a little strange to laugh at a crime drama, but this show is in a class all of its own.

This show happens to be one of my favorites, and I never miss it. In those rare instances where I can’t be at home on a Thursday night to watch it, I simply set the DVR on my satellite tv and record the episode. I can’t wait until next Thursday to see what kind of trouble Patrick Jane can find.

Guest post written by Rico Cunningham.

My favorite show on television used to be Ice Road Truckers. It seemed like no show could possibly get your heart racing more than that. But then they came out with IRT: World’s Deadliest Roads. IRT stands for Ice Road Truckers. So, what the title is telling you is that some ice road truckers decided to take on some of the world’s deadliest roads. Well, they sure didn’t waste any time by going straight to some crazy, winding, 8-000-foot road with no border in India. Not only do trucks fly off this route and kill everyone on board on a regular basis, but there are also many head-on collisions. What makes this even more intense is that the buses get paid to arrive at their destination on time. If they don’t arrive on time, they don’t get paid. So, what do they do? They speed on one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Brilliant, huh? It might be okay if you have to feed your family, but not when other lives are put in danger.

The American drivers had no idea what they were in for. You can see and feel the fear on their faces. They want no part of it, other than to prove they won’t back out. I make sure I watch IRT on Free on Demand on my direc4u tv every single week. I haven’t missed an episode yet.

Thanks to Daryl Rasmussen for the guest post.

The Kardashians love drama. I guess that’s why they have a television show. I know most men feel that Kim Karadshian is one of the most beautiful women on the planet, but I am not one of them. She’s pretty, but she’s just not my type. The reason I watch the show is because I have gotten to know all of them through their show and I want to see how everything will play out in their lives. For instance, will Scott stick around and make it as part of the family? I highly doubt it. Many tabloids say he’s a cheater. And this is on a consistent basis. And what about Kim? Will she ever find a permanent romance and someone she can marry? And what’s the deal with the Dash store? Is it a success or a failure? All those are great aspects to the show, but the most appealing aspect to me is Bruce Jenner. No, I don’t mean in a physical way. There is just something about his character that makes you want to watch more of him. It’s like he is the glue that barely holds that family together, and if he makes one false move all hell will break loose. This has happened in the past, so it’s bound to happen again. Keeping Up With The Kardashians is the primary reason I have Free on Demand on satalite tv packages. It’s not the only reason, but its definitely at the top of the list.