sherri's blog

Comcast cable subscribers in Vancouver,Washington. probably won't be surprised to see a rate increase in their cable bill beginning Mar.1. This increase is after all the fifth one in five years. According to an article in The Columbian the average increase will be about 3.6%. Folks in Clark County who subscribe to Comcast's Starter Digital Package can expect to see a rate hike of 6.8%. While most everyone will be subjected to the increases there is one exception. Those subscribers who have only the most basic cable package will see a decrease in their monthly bill. Basic cable will drop from $13.72 to $12.58 per month which is a savings of $1.14 per month or $13.68 over the course of a year. 

Comcast subscribers in the Philadelphia  area can expect an increase in their cable bills this year. This is the second increase in just two years. The average amount for expanded basic cable service will be about 3.8%  this year which is slightly higher than last year.  Subscribers in Lower Bucks County will see about a 4.8% increase in their monthly bill while those in Delaware County will see an average increase of 5%. In sharp contrast some Comcast customers in the Cherry Hill area will see their bill skyrocket by as much as 14%. Seems as if the ever increasing price of cable  in Philadelphia and other areas of the country is fast outpacing the rate of inflation.

According to company spokesman Jeff Alexander the rate hike in Philadelphia is justified  because it will help tp pay for $500 million in sytem upgrades and new products.  What are these so called new upgrades and products. Why doesn't Comcast dip into their huge profits to help defray the costs. It would seem that Comcast has conviently forgetten who helped them and their investor to realize their mega profits. I think that Comcast should step up to the plate and reward their customers for their constant loyalty to them as their cable subscriber by giving them a decrease in their bill rather than an increase. 

Beginning March 1st Comcast subscribers in the Portland area will see an increase in their cable bill.  Comcast has announced that the new rates for standard cable will increase by  nearly 7 percent. The standard cable package which has 70 channels will increase by $3.51 bringing the new rate to $54.40. The low end or cheapest digital cable  package will increase by 6.8% which will brings the monthly amount to $55.40. Finally the digital premier package will now cost the subscriber $119.99 per month. Roughly a 6.2% increase. These seem to be some sizeable increases.

While customers might feel these rates excessive Comcast does not. They  state that the increase reflects the value of services they provide.  For myself the "value of services" Comcast provides should mean that I would receive a lot more channels for my money.

Several weeks back I stumbled upon this show called Cash Cab airing on the Discovery Channel. The premise is that unsuspecting riders are picked up by a cab that will give them a ride to their destination and they then become instant contestants of this quirky game show. The contestants earn money for each correct answer and a strike for each incorrect. Three strike and you're out of the cab wether or not you've reached you destination.

This show is like " who wants to be a millionaire" but on wheels. You get 2 opportunities to ask for help. One of them is a mobile call to family or friends to help you with the correct answer. The other one is a shout out. It's where the cab pulls over and the contestant can ask for help from anyone on the street. See the similarities. The major difference being that on Cash Cab you can win a couple hundred or at most a couple thousand.

If you manage to reach your destination and have accumulated some money you are then given the option to double you earnings by answering correctly a question pertaing to a video that you view in the cab. The decision is entirely up to the contestant.

If you have'nt already seen this show you have to check it out on the Discovery Channel. See if you are more knowledgeable than the contestants.

I have been watching Ugly Betty on ABC since it first aired. Actress America Ferrera does a fabulous job with her character Betty Suarez. For me however the two that I tune in to see are Marc and Amanda (played by Michael Urie & Becki Newton) These two are hysterical. The chemistry between them definitely works. The casual banter and one liners they exchange is so perfect. Their antics never fail to make me laugh. Whoever cast these two for their respective roles definitely knew what they were doing. Hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of these two fine actors in the future.

I really enjoy watching Biggest Loser: Couples on NBC. I am constantly amazed at the determination of the competitiors. This week however one of my favorite teams (pink team) got sent packing. They were voted off by the yellow team (paul & kelly) who were the only ones that were allowed to vote this week. I think they voted Bette Sue and her daughter Ali off because they weren't going to kiss any backsides. Good for them.

Bette Sue knew that kelly and paul were going to vote off the pink team so while kelly was giving her long winded, patronizing speech Bette Sue piped up and told her to get on with it. I love that she stole kelly's thunder. You could see that kelly clearly didn't like that especially since she was the center of attention..

I can't wait until next week to see who get's voted off especially since the game rules have changed. Hope it's either the yellow or the orange team who gets sent packing.