Derek's blog with a Sky Angel emphasis

Sky Angel IPTV

2008-10-31T16:18:00.001-05:00

Enough already

2008-09-24T15:37:00.002-05:00

Okay, okay. I made a mistake. When Sky Angel left satellite, I decided to settle for something second rate. I really miss Sky Angel, and I'm going to find a way to get it back in my house. The good news is that my internet provider sent me a postcard saying that they were upgrading me to the higher DSL speed for free. I need this higher speed in order to watch Sky Angel IPTV, so the first step will be out of the way when we get the change. Yes! The next step will be to order the service. Right now you get a free set-top box with an 18 month commitment. Here are some of the channels I look forward to receiving:

-Guardian Television Network
-Liberty Channel
-KTV
-Smile Of A Child TV
-JCTV
-Spirit Television Network
-Angel Two
-Tennis Channel
-NFL Network
-FamilyNET
-Animal Planet
-Discovery Channel
-Faith TV

There are others that I look forward to as well. Some of the ones I've listed were not a part of the Sky Angel satellite system, so it's cool to be able to get the extras. Many of the channels have a 48 hour replay as well, so you can watch your favorites after they air.

I'll keep you posted, but it looks like we might be resubscribing soon.

Christian? Sick of Health Insurance?

2008-08-25T09:05:00.001-05:00

Watch this!

Remember to let them know that you were referred by Derek & Laura Thorp. Thanks!

Saying farewell to an old friend... Sky Angel

2008-03-30T17:34:00.003-05:00

Sky Angel has been a great friend to our family for 6 years now. Unfortunately, they are discontinuing their satellite programming. They are continuing on their new IPTV format, which will allow them to reach more people easier and include more channels. While this format looks cool, being new and all, we have decided that it will cost us at least $30 more a month to continue with them. There may be a time in the future when I decide to sign up with their IPTV format, but for now, I must say adios. Sky Angel, you have served my young family well. Thank you a thousand times.

Will this blog continue? Time will tell.

Time to switch

2008-03-25T05:56:00.003-05:00

Sky Angel has been a faithful friend over the last 5 years. At the end of March, they switch to their IPTV format and are doing away with their satellite service altogether. Laura and I are considering the switch. There is a little more cost involved, but there are also more channels. We do lose a few channels in the process as well. All these things may seem trivial, and probably are, but nevertheless a decision has to be made. Check out SkyAngel.com to find out what they're up to these days!

Check this out

2007-07-13T22:15:00.000-05:00

I just started a new blog that you might want to check out. The best products and opportunity you've never heard of. Enjoy!

2006-04-05T19:57:00.000-05:00

Something new

2006-02-10T10:04:00.000-06:00

I've created a new blog located here where I'll be sharing some of my more random thoughts. TV and Sky Angel related stuff will still be at this blog. Come on over and read my journal.

Happy 2006!

2006-01-04T07:49:00.000-06:00

I can say I'm glad that 2006 is here! There's been a lot of life-changing stuff in 2005 and much of it was not fun. Thank you to all of you for your prayers through my daughter's health challenges and the passing of my mother and stepfather. Happy, happy new year!

Christmas in Florida

2005-12-25T07:28:00.000-06:00

What I looked like 5 years ago...I'm on the left

2005-11-16T09:58:00.000-06:00

Spirit Television

2005-11-16T08:31:00.000-06:00

I like to give my impressions of the various channels on Sky Angel. This may give the prospective subscriber something to chew on, as well as millions of other types of people. Keep in mind that I work during the day, so most of my thoughts are based on evening and weekend viewing.

Today, let’s take a look at Spirit Television, channel #9706. Spirit is a music video channel that features many of the contemporary Christian artists of today. I actually subscribed to Sky Angel during the period after Praise TV had been taken off of the Sky Angel lineup, so when I first subscribed, I had a difficult time. Contemporary Christian music videos were one of the things I’d really looked forward to with my Sky Angel subscription, and TVU alone wasn’t cutting it. Enter Spirit. Here was a brand new channel that played ALL videos. That’s what I’m talking about. This is the kind of channel you can sit down and watch for a while or just leave on as background music. One of my favorite videos on Spirit is “Barely Stay Inside of My Own Skin” by Ceili Rain, as it communicates the incredible joy and exhilaration that comes when Jesus lives in you. I’ve seen it dozens of times, but it continues to catch my attention. It’s contagious!

As they’ve grown, Spirit has tried to place more emphasis on their VJ’s. This does help communicate the message and mission of Spirit more accurately, but personally, I just want the music. Praise God for Spirit Television. It may be that I’ve spent more hours watching this one than any of the others, although I can’t say that for sure. Visit their website here.

Thank you

2005-11-16T07:45:00.000-06:00

Special thanks go out to Kevin Alexander, the Assistant Vice President of Marketing for Sky Angel. He sent a note and gift in the mail after reading this blog. If you asked my wife, she would rightly tell you that the token of appreciation he sent was perfect. Long live Sky Angel.

I Like This Guy!

2005-11-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

Recently I met Randy Stufflebeam, a former Marine who is running for Governor here in Illinois. You can check out his website here. Let me know what you think. If only he was on Sky Angel....

The channels, they are a-changin'

2005-09-27T13:39:00.000-05:00

My life is extremely crazy right now, so pardon me for going off on a Sky Angel tangent again. In the midst of incredible turmoil, it makes sense to me to write about something unrelated to the turmoil, like Sky Angel. As you may know, Sky Angel has added 4 channels in the last couple of months. A few channels, of course, had to drop out of the mix to make this possible, so let's first say our goodbyes. I want to first say goodbye to Fe TV, which provided great ministry in Spanish. Even though I took four years of it in high school, I still couldn't understand much that they were saying. Goodbye as well to the Inspirational Network and the Daystar Television Network, both TBN lookalikes. You two are not missed that much because your programming is still on other channels. Daystar does have the award winning talk show "Joni," which I enjoyed watching from time to time. There might be another channel that's gone, but I'm not remembering it right now.

Enter the family/general interest channels. These have been a little controversial for some Sky Angel subscribers. They are Fox News Channel, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, and Hallmark Movie Channel. These are not Christian TV stations, nor does Sky Angel have the ability to edit any of their material. Watch at your own risk, which is a new concept to SA viewers. They are used to being able to flip to any channel, knowing that the content is safe for the whole family.

Here's my take. The content is never going to always be "safe for the whole family", because there will always be things, even on Christian television, that you would not want your children to watch and things that you don't want to see either. This might be some kind of moral objection, or it could be that the quality is so poor that you don't want your kids to think that bad quality TV is okay. Television is a very powerful and addictive medium, no matter what the content. No, I don't like the fact that the 2 Hallmark Channels bring the occasional cuss or violent scene. And I don't like flipping the channel because Fox News is broadcasting inappropriate images or showing a questionable commercial. BUT WAIT! The benefits of these channels, both in informational and entertainment value, far outweigh the junk. It will also teach parents to watch television with their kids and be more aware of what they watch. Plus, their are controls on the remote to block channels as well. For $12-$15 a month (depending on how you pay) this is one heck of a deal. There is almost always something on worth watching, and you're not stuck in your little Christian bubble either. Hats off to Sky Angel for having the courage to lose a few subscribers to enrich their programming.

Saturday Night Choices

2005-08-22T12:27:00.000-05:00

I was watching Sky Angel Saturday evening and was actually overwhelmed by the choices. Now, granted, when you have the limited number of channels that Sky Angel offers, this is not a common problem. But I found myself looking through the guide and finding 4 or 5 programs that I really wanted to see-- all on at the same time. Yikes! I have to admit that it made me feel better than ever about our choice to be Sky Angel subscribers, even though I could not watch everything that I would have liked. It's at times like these that I think, "It's good to be a Christian in America."

"I can think of nothing more boring for the American people than to have to sit in their living rooms for a whole half hour looking at my face on their television screens."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Sounds like garbage...enjoy!

2005-08-09T22:36:00.000-05:00

With my feet ten feet off of Beale

2005-08-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

Going to Graceland

2005-08-09T16:17:00.000-05:00

I've Gone Audio!

2005-08-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Shows on Sky Angel

2005-07-26T09:35:00.000-05:00

Some of you might be wondering, "What the corn flakes is there to watch on Sky Angel anyway?" Well, believe me, there is plenty. My personal top ten is by no means an exhaustive list of what you will find, but it's a start. Enjoy!

#1 Doc- Billy Ray Cyrus stars as a country doctor fighting for his patients in this heart-warming, award-winning drama.

#2 Bananas- Bananas is a clean, family-friendly, comedy television series produced by Guardian Studios and is taped before a live audience. The show features a different nationally recognized comedian each week and is hosted by L.A. comic, Thor Ramsey.

#3 Family Feud- Name one of America’s most popular games shows in history--survey says: “Family Feud!” Hosted by one of television’s most loved comedic actors, Richard Karn.

#4 Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye- "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye," a groundbreaking, original drama was inspired by the true story of Sue Thomas, who although profoundly deaf from the age of 18 months, overcame significant obstacles to work surveillance for the F.B.I.

#5 Pyramid- A modern revival of the dynamic game show hosted by Dick Clark in the 70s and 80s, "Pyramid" features two teams – each pairing a regular contestant with a celebrity partner – who describe words and subjects related to specific categories in a race against the clock. Now hosted by Donny Osmond.

#6 Way of the Master- “The Way of the Master” television programs are scheduled to air via satellite to over 100 nations every week. This is a new look at reality TV. Each program is 30 minutes of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron teaching Christians how to share their faith effectively and inoffensively.

#7 Comedy at Large- Comedy at Large puts the "real" in reality TV! No actors, no script, just real people being real funny! Bounce from newspaper to place with stand-up comedian and television host Thor Ramsey as he searches for a real job in the hilarious send-up of reality TV. Plus, you'll find some real people and real comedy along the way!

#8 Mister Ed- Mister Ed is a horse who is owned by Wilbur Post. Mister Ed is not just any horse, he talks to Wilbur! But this gets Wilbur in all kinds of trouble because Mister Ed won't talk to anyone else, so Carol, Wilbur's wife, thinks that Wilbur loves Mister Ed more then he loves her, because he spends so much time with Mister Ed. Mister Ed also talks on the telephone and goes out of his barn to cause mischief, which Wilbur gets blamed for.

#9 Christian Films- Hugh McLean and Sarah Padbury host the Christian movie series program entitled, Christian Films, which features the best Christian films ever made from the last 5 decades.

#10 It's Supernatural- Sid Roth's talk show which details powerful testimonies of God's miraculous touch. Guest topics include healings, prophecy, unusual events and much more.

Honorable mention:
Travel the Road
Cleveland Cavaliers Basketball
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Billy Graham Classic Crusades
Andy Griffith
Faith Under Fire

Sky Angel Freak

2005-07-11T12:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am a Sky Angel freak. I watch it almost everyday. It's not just a bunch of TBN wannabe channels. They've got some serious variety now. Quit throwing away $15 a month on basic cable, and start watching stuff that matters. Check it out right now at this link. I have been paid nothing to say these things.

The Age of the Blog

2005-05-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Finally, I can tell the world what's on my mind! Will the world care to read it?