ROKU

Streaming TV

In my quest to get free TV and rid myself of pay TV, I bought a ROKU streaming stick.

Before you give me advice on the many antennae, converter boxes and etc., let me stop you and tell you I've tried them all or investigated the possibility. None of them work to get ALL of the local stations. That's all I really want is the free stuff that we were all once entitled too.

You'd think that by paying for the local stations that would qualify me for each local station's sister station such as channels 10, 10.1, 10.2.  But no, I only get one of them.

I've watched HULU and YouTube on my desktop, for free. I wanted to take it to another level and watch those stations along with others that can be streamed through ROKU on my flat screen.

 Notice from the box all of the stations you can stream with the streaming stick. There are even more that you don't see on the box.
BUT, KNOW THIS, you must pay a monthly fee just like you do with cable, DISH,  DirecTV and any other(s) I failed to mention.

There's a free movie channel known as CRACKLE.

It's true name should be CRAP because that's what it is.  Crackle showed me  about 20 minutes of a movie before it went to commercial. I watched five ads. Three of them were the same ad. When Crackle proceeded to show me a sixth ad, I turned it off.  It was as if they were trying to hypnotize me into buying that particular product by continuously showing it to me. If I want to watch a bunch of commercials, I'll just watch regular TV.   You get what you pay for and in this case I didn't pay so I got nothing,

   If I watch vintage TV programs on HULU on my desktop, it's free, yet I can't watch the freebies through the streaming stick. I must register and pay for HULU.

The only thing I was able to get for free with clarity was YouTube. I was able to watch through ROKU the same things I watch on my desk top. The disadvantage with YouTube and ROKU is the inability to read the information (i.e. Subscribe, Show More,Views, Share,  Comments) that's beneath the movie before you watch it, to determine if you want to watch  it at all.  I was willing to accept that.

Deciding which vintage movie to watch from YouTube using the ROKU streaming stick on the flat screen.

 

 

 

 

Overall, I'd have to say, ROKU  does what it professes. If you want more you  pay to play.

P.S.   If you're wondering why the flat screen isn't flat and at an angle, it's because it's housed in a niche, not on a swivel stand and it's a pain to turn it around to unplug DISH and plug in ROKU.  Yes, it's a pain but things could be worse.



That's All***

Kansas City, Missouri part 2

K.C. Missouri
         Just the Pictures Folks. If you want to know details, click on the links.

Kaufman Memorial Garden

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY displays inside the museum. Lincoln School

Kansas City Chiefs stadium

Thomas Hart Benton mural over archway in Truman Library

Helzberg Hall     inside Kaufman Performing Arts Center

Atrium of the Kaufman Performing Arts Center

Muriel Kaufman theater inside the Kaufman Performing Arts Center

Muriel Kaufman Theater

Lunch at Rozzelle Court inside Nelson-Atkins Museum.

That's it ***

Kansas City, Missouri part 1

 Kansas City, Missouri

This is my second time traveling with Road Scholar. What attracts me to their tours is so much of it is all inclusive. Food, lodging, gratuities, and fees for lectures, guides and sight visitations. I only needed to arrange travel to get there and get back.

 I'm only listing some of the activities not all. I enjoy knowing the agenda has been planned and I only need to turn up. The event began Sunday, April 17, 2016.

Here's Monday's schedule
Breakfast
Civil War Presentation with Randy Mullis
Winstead's Restaurant
Blue Ribbon Guide Walking Tour
Truman Presentation with Ray Starzman
Dinner @ hotel
Jazz Lecture- David Basse

I was still jet lagged and so after breakfast I went back to my room and didn't reappear until it was time for the jazz lecture. I bought one of David Basse's CDs and I have been playing it repeatedly since I've returned home.

Union Station

KC BBQ
There's been a rivalry between Bryant's and Gates as to who has the best bbq. The rivalry began between the two when one of Bryant's close business partners took his secrets to Gates and began working for the competition. Both men have since passed on but the businesses continue.


BBQ was good at both places. 
We had ribs, sausage without a casing and slaw at Bryant's. The slaw was sweet and salty. Delicious.

Arthur Bryant

 











Gates served us ribs,baked beans, smoked turkey, sausage and burnt ends. Both Bryant and Gates are known for their burnt ends. It's a chewy smoked part of the beef that's absolutely delectable. They are the only two places that really serve it. Others may profess to have burnt ends but they're not the real thing.

 Gates is still family owned and has multiple locations. They own quite a bit of the property in the location of their original store. One building is used to manufacture their own bbq sauce.

SAUCE FACTORY

AMERICAN JAZZ  and  NEGRO BASEBALL MUSEUM
Two hour  Black History bus tour with Eric Stafford Black history historian. This man was a wealth of information. I wanted to hear and see even more after the tour. 

 

 

End Part 1