Tyler TX Facebook

Follow Donny on Twitter

Username:
Password:
  Remember Me   Forgot password?  Register
0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  

Find or Refer a Contractor in Tyler

Participating in the Nielsen Ratings

November 4th, 2010
Nielsen Ratings Tyler TX

Nielsen Ratings Tyler TX

I like television a lot. I realize this should be sort of an embarrassing confession for someone who has aspirations of appearing deep, intelligent, or very religious but its true. And I am a relatively intelligent person of faith. I should say that: first off, with work, and a three year old little boy, I’m pretty busy, so while my television is often on, I don’t pay super close attention all the time. Secondly, while I enjoy TV, I’m not indiscriminate about what I watch. I have often been appalled by the A- moral, even hedonistic messages presented on television, so I was pleased to receive a packet from the people at the Nielsen ratings group asking me to participate in the ratings polling this fall. This is something I’ve never done before.

Now I have to say that were it not an opportunity to put in my two cents regarding what is or should be on television, I would certainly not go to the trouble of participating. I don’t actually watch much network TV. I watch a lot of cable news, (Fox in particular), ESPN, the History Channel and the Travel Channel. Of course the boy watches Nick and Nick Jr. I had always assumed that the ratings groups simply monitored what their control groups watched for a week and assembled the results into a report of some kind. It had never really donned on me to question how they monitored my viewing.

Seems like kind of a stupid assumption now that I know otherwise. In actuality there is a fairly detailed log for selected viewers to fill out. It runs day-by-day, evening-by-evening for a whole week. The participant enters the names of the times, programs and channels he watches, as well as the number of people watching with him and their ages. Frankly the whole thing is a bit intrusive but it gives the viewer an opportunity to express an opinion to a venue that actually matters.

TV Tyler Texas

TV Ratings in Tyler Texas

In spite of the fact that completing the logbook is a little too much like homework I plan to my best to complete the survey. It seems like a more reasonable approach to influencing the networks as well as the cable and satellite providers than boycotts and angry letters of protest. I would encourage anyone else on Nielsen’s list this fall, to participate as well. At least this way you know someone’s listening to your opinions. For more information on Nielsen and how they gather viewer response, try visiting their web site at http://en-us.nielsen.com/content/nielsen/en_us/industries/media.html.

Jack In The Box in Tyler TX

August 12th, 2010

Well I’m returning to school in little over a week, but I’ve already been preparing for it by doing work on campus the past few days. As school starts up again I’m finding the quality of food I’m consuming is already beginning to suffer. This past summer I’ve done a good job of eating a healthy diet. One of the bigger stumbling blocks in my road to better health is the presence of a Jack in the Box a mere quarter mile from my school. To barrow a line from Cosmo Kramer, “I’ve got a big problem Jerry!” Prior to my school moving to its current location, I was not an advocate for the fast food franchise. But since breaking the ice with my first visit little over a year ago, the chain has become one of my favorite establishments for “good food quickly,” second only to Whataburger at this point in my life!

Certainly I have other options, but as demands on my time are increasing exponentially, my desire to do any prep work on what I eat falls proportionately. So as I see it I have a couple of options. First I can give into my baser instincts and eat at Jack in the Box every other day or so, and in the process gain about fifty pounds. I can look around for healthier options but arrive late to my post lunch break class every day. Or I can fight my way through a crowd of students to get to the microwave, where after a not so short wait; I can prepare a daily feast of ramen noodles and popcorn the primary food source on which I subsist during the school year. Given these as my only options, I’ll probably take the third, but I do love Jack in the Box.

For more information on Jack in the Box or to find their Tyler TX locations go to their web page at http://www.jackinthebox.com/. To read about my original Jack in the box conversion look for the title Confession of a fast food hypocrite, located elsewhere on this site.

Confession of a fast food hypocrite

November 7th, 2009

                The following article is something of a confession, or a coming out column for me. For years I’ve been vocal about the fact that I hate the fast food restaurant chain “Jack in the Box” due largely to the store’s advertising campaign. I have openly declared my unwillingness to eat at any of the store’s Tyler locations regardless of the quality of the food they serve because I so detest their commercials… that is until recently.

            When my workplace moved to a new building, I found that “Jack in the Box” was the closest available eatery. One day, while on my lunch break, and without the time to visit one of my regular favs. I reluctantly swallowed my dislike for the franchise and made that infamous right turn into the small parking lot. I rationalized the decision by telling myself it would be a one time thing. Besides, I didn’t have to tell anyone, right? Except that the food was great! I had a problem, or rather I still do. As fast food goes I like “The Box” (not as much as Whataburger by the way), but it’s close to my work, the prices are reasonable and they serve breakfast all day, on the other hand, those commercials are just more than I can take, a sentiment shared by my whole family by the way.  

            So why make this confession now? Because I can live the lie no longer! I like Jack in the Box’s food! There I said it. The menu is unique, and the quality good. I still make no excuses for the company’s ads however. In fact, they are the ones who should be ashamed, not me or those like me. We are just the victims, the users if you will. I call on the corporation to do the right thing and fire the current ad agency and find another. Please, make it easier for those of us who enjoy the product, but whose consciences object to the mindless temptation they use to appeal to the masses. A step like this can only bring in those stronger than I who would ordinarily never set foot in a Jack in the Box restaurant.

            So please don’t judge me! Pity me, and remember you may be one sausage egg and cheese biscuit away from becoming a “Box” fan as well. Tyler Locations can be found on Broadway next to Burgfield Park, and on the west loop next to CIci’s.