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Apr
25

What is the DailySkew all about?

How do you describe the indescribable?  How do you define the undefinable?  In the case of the DailySkew.com, I have no idea.  There are no words to describe or define this website.  The best I can do is to show you a sample of our works, and let you be the judge:

- Users are Losers: a classic by Damian, certified true by Vahl, for all the stoners out there.  Yes, that means you pothead.  Put down the bong, unplug your mouth from that spliff, and read the real truth about marijuana.

- Cheat Characters: Yankees Sign Free Agents: another classic that somehow ended up here, and not over at the DailySkew Classic site, where it belongs.  Oh, well.  Our foul ball is your gain, as they sorta say.  This great analysis teaches us that signing big-named free agents in baseball does not equal instant World Series Championships, especially in this Wild Card era of Baseball we’re living through.  It’s just like video games.  Back in the day, Kintaro was near-impossible to beat in MK II, but when you finally got the chance to use him, he wasn’t that great.

- 1984 novel compared to modern society, Part V: yes, we do read on occasion.  In this post, Vahl points out how Big Brother is equivalent to Cellphone companies tracking your location (2 and 1/2 years before the story of the iPhone keeping a log that tracks your whereabouts broke in the Mainstream MEDIA — NEWSFLASH!), the Anti-Sex League is equivalent to groups that mock heterosexual parents who have children, and how Winston and Julia meeting O’Brien reminds Vahl of politicians who change their message for the audience they’re addressing.  Read it and weep, people.

- Last Days of Talk Radio: I’m a big fan of radio, unfortunately.  So, occasionally, I will rant and rave about Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, NPR, Michael Savage, Thom Hartmann, Mike Francessa, Laura Ingraham, BBC World News, TWiT, and who-knows what else I happen to listen to on the Internet AM dial.  Since my field of study is Accounting, I will also get into economic topics, as I do in the above link.  Heck, I might comment on stuff I hear on CNBC or Bloomberg News.  The array of topics that I allow to bombard my mind are endless, and my reactions to this stream of info is … eclectic?  Interesting?  Different?  You tell me!  I don’t know!

- M.O.T. News: Katie Couric Commits Verbal Hari-Kari: Yeah, we still do parodies from time to time.  If you’re not careful, you might get blind-sided!  We did a lot more parodies back in the old days, so check out the classic site if that’s your thing.

- Expendables Spam: We talk movies on occasion here; we mostly talk movies over at our updates blog, for some crazy reason or another.  Something about narrowing the focus, I don’t know.

- Yeti Awards:  Each year, we give out a Yeti Award to the person or entity that who, figuratively speaking, most closely resembles the snow monster from the Microsoft Ski Game.  Yes, whether it’s the U.S. Banks destroying the economy, or Terry Jones almost causing World War III with his idiotic actions, we like to point out the person or group that reminds us of a Yeti eating innocent skiers on the slopes.

Anyway, I could do more, but who cares?  What are the odds that you’ve read this far?  LOL.  You’re probably like my friend J. Arasa, who used to say the DailySkew was too difficult to navigate.  I mean, Odin forbid if ye click on yon menus and surf the DailySkew for an hour or two!

Alright, as we wrap this post up, for those of you who have read this far, let me reward your effort by attempting to describe the DailySkew.  Okay, here are some definitions of the DailySkew for you to mull over:

The DailySkew is akin to an inkblot test for random web surfers who find us.

The DailySkew is a mirror that reflects what you’re interested in, based on what brings you to this site and what post you land on first.

The DailySkew is a voice of reason in this age of chaos.

UPDATE: Here are more fine examples of what we’re about:

Was the world warned?
- A great post that summarized some of Vahl’s accurate economic predictions, going back to 2006


Random Thoughts about Growing Old in this Modern Era
- J. Sterling had this to say:

Quite possibly the best Tony Vahl introspection post of all time.

I was going to have a bunch of random thoughts but your article was so personal and deep that my mind is shot now, and I forget what I was going to say.

You took me from the Brianiac singularity all the way to Ecclesiastes to you being like the old future JMS Spider-Man fighting cops in the graveyard.

9/11 Dailyskew Tribute
- We were planning to start a website when 9/11 happened. Shortly after, the DailySkew was born….

Jan
24

Obama State of the Union 2012 Address

So, here are my live-stream thoughts on the 2012 State of the Union Address by President Obama:

- Obama gives props to the military

- Obama talks about troops no longer being in Iraq and Osama no longer a threat to the USA. Obama is leading off with a bang

- Al Qaeda defeated. Taliban on the run. Obama praising the military

- Obama says some institutions have let us down. What institutions? The Supreme Court?

- Imagine if we could me more like the military. I wonder what John Lennon would think of that line

- Biden coughing in the back. He’s fighting the sniffles. Oh, man. Gonna be a long night for the VP

- No debate more important than keeping the promise to our next generation has better prosperity than us. Obama talking about fairness, playing by the same set of rules. How will Obama enforce this fairness?

- Obama stressing these are American values

- How did we get here? Jobs leaving America. Technology making jobs obsolete. Rich benefit, workers struggled. 2008 — the house of cards collapsed. People sold mtgs they didn’t understand. Regulators looked the other way. Banks sucked. It was wrong. What is the solution to all this? The audience is quiet

- Obama blaming Bush without stating his name. A lot of coughing in the crowd

- Obama pitches the 3 million jobs created thing. Beck and Limbaugh will be in a tizzy about that tomorrow

- Obama throws the gauntlet down at Republicans, saying he will oppose anything that brought about the crisis. He is clearly blaming Republicans for outsourcing, bad debt, and “Phone financial problems”

- “An economy built to last.”
– Obama taking credit for GM, showing he can bring back manufacturing to America
– Obama taking credit for Chrysler
– Did Obama just take credit for Ford? Huh.

- Masterlock bringing back jobs. Oh, great. The economy is saved ;p
– When Obama says a company is doing great, that’s almost as bad as the Sports Illustrated cover jinx

- Tax code: is he about to propose a cut in corporate taxes?
– Businesses who outsource should be penalized. Good
– Businesses should be taxed at a lower rate if they choose to hire in America, BUT they should pay their fair share
– High Tech manufacturers — double the tax cut. What are doubling? Hmmm. Sounds okay, but could be stronger
– He is begging for tax reforms. Eric Cantor is not buying

- Obama flexing his muscle on China, saying he has brought up issues with China
– Obama wants to start an Unfair Trading Practices Department to keep Chinese fakes off our shores. “If the playing field is level, I promise you: America will always win.” Thunderous applause

- Obama says we need more skilled workers. How do we fix this? He wants training program for 2 million people that will lead directly to a job. Huh. Will the companies be running this training?
– Community Colleges need to become Community Career Centers. Makes sense to me
– Make it simpler. Sounds good
– Turn unemployment system into re-employment system. Sounds wonderful
– I hope he has a plan

- Education is important. Can’t lay off a teacher
– What is his plan? Pay teachers more?
– Really talking up teachers. We all know good teachers
– Reward the best teachers. Grant schools flexibility. And replace teachers who suck
— Sounds great. I’m sure he got Union approval on that one, right? LOL

- Every State should require students to stay in High School until they graduate or turn 18. Well, duh
– I’m sure some principals out there are happy to see certain students leave

- Extend tuition tax credit
– Okay. It sounds good

- Double work study jobs
– I always applied for that and never got it. Whatever

- States need to make higher education a priority. Okay

- Universities need to keep costs down. GOOD
– “If you can’t stop tuition from going up, the funding will go down.” AMEN

- Foreigners who were raised in USA
– Oh, man. Here comes Glenn Beck fodder. Here we go
– Boots on the border. Fewer illegal crossings than when Bush was President. No more excuses. Comprehensive reform now. Yeah, right. It’s an election year, Obama
– Obama acknowledges that, and asks for a compromise. He asks for DREAM Act

- Asking for funding for innovation, start-ups. Sounds good. We’ll see

- Funding for research

- Now he’s asking for energy innovation
– Wow, he just opened up 75% of offshore gas and oil resources. I wonder how Rush Limbaugh will debunk that tomorrow
– Obama quoting NPR from earlier this evening, talking about how domestic oil production has gone up the past two years. I guess he likes All Things Considered
– Wants an all-out push for energy. Heard some hooting and hollering
– Obama pushing the T. Boone Pickens plan — he must be funding Obama’s 2012 campaign
– Obama just pivoted and pitched the health and safety of Americans when drilling
– We can have our environment and use it, too

- Obama just acknowledges the Solyndra thing, and then pivoted and said he would not give up
– Using Nationalist argument, saying we can compete with China and Germany

- Obama demands clean energy tax credits, says it’s a joke that oil companies are still getting tax credits
– Obama is powerful when he is plain-spoken and talking common sense

- Obama announcing that DOD will commit to clean energy, and they will be building some solar panel project that will power 3 million homes

- Obama calling for manufacturers to waste less energy and upgrade their buildings
– Less pollution, more manufacturing
– Sounds good. Let’s hope Congress can create incentives to make this type of thing happen, right? Let’s see if the Tea Party goes along with it (Yeah, right)

- Obama pitching high-speed Internet infrastructure Public Works projects. Sounds good to me

- Back to the home crisis. Obama will bail out responsible home owners. Claims red-tape will be eliminated. Claims small fee will cover deficit. Sounds great, in theory. It’s too bad politics are not that easy

- Obama now wants responsibility from everybody
– blaming lenders AND buyers
– pitching smart regulations to prevent irresponsible behaviors
– I’m sorry, but the criminal mind always looks for ways around regulations. It just creates red tape for honest people to cut through
– Obama actually proud of creating red tape
– Obama pivots, saying he is eliminating regulations

- Obama laughs at his own joke about spilt milk; Biden uses the opportunity to blow his nose

- No risky business loans for banks; and required to write a living will. Sounds awesome

- Credit Card companies: Obama says, basically, you are screwed. The good times are over. I hope it’s true, but I sincerely doubt it. Somehow, I think the crap is going to roll downhill to us consumers

- More prosecutions on banks. That should please the #OWS crowd, right? Sure

- Eric Cantor close-up as Obama talks payroll tax hike. Eric Cantor applauds, thank Odin. “No side issues. No drama. Pass the payroll tax cut.” I hope so, but I don’t trust Cantor.

- Deficit talk. Romney talking about low tax rate, how Warren Buffet pays lower tax rate than secretary. Obama pitching medical research, education, and strong military as reason to raise taxes on 1%
– Obama promising to reign in costs for Medicare and Medicaid, in return for increased taxes for 1%
– “So people like me pay our fair share of taxes.” Can’t stand it when a President brags about his wealth
– Calls Tom Colburn a friend. Is Colburn up for re-election this year? For his sake, I hope not
– “We don’t begrudge financial success,” we just want rich people to pay more taxes, so I can feel good
— I’m glad he’s not talking about reducing my lower middle class tax refund. Whew
— Shared responsibility — yeah, I just want to pay my bills and put food on the table

- Obama talks gridlock, and how Washington is broken. Admits that people watching are probably cynical.
– Obama is doing a great job with this speech

- Divide between DC and Main Street — Obama compares it to Wall Street/Main Street divide
– Wow, he just asked Congress to pass a bill that bans insider trading. Fat chance we’ll ever see that. Oh, am I being cynical? Ha. The powerful will not give up their power

- Obama talking simple majorities. What is his suggestion?
– Rule: judicial votes get up or down vote in 90 days.

- Why does Elena Kagen look like Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu? Is she okay?

- Hillary looks tired

- Whoa. Huge ideals for Middle East. Can’t even take in the huge broad brush he’s painting with here

- Obama calls out Iran and promises to prevent them from getting Nuclear Weapon. Sorry, but I’m not buying the Iranian threat anymore

- Obama offers Iran an olive branch at the end

- Obama pitching how tight USA is with Israel

- Obama pitching relationship with Burma

- “America is back!” Obama totally disses right wing who claim America is in decline. And pitches we’re back Internationally. Good election year stump speech. Attacking premises of Republican nominees. Pitching America’s greatness should temporarily throw off Tea Party members before they drink the Glenn Beck Kool-Aid

- Returned to the military. Talking up the Seals who successfully took out Osama. This talking point is such a winner for Obama. I am more convinced than ever he will win re-election

- “This nation is great because we worked as a team.” This is a “Great Unifier” kind of speech

Entire speech transcript here.

Jan
23

Did Joe Paterno die of guilt?

It’s pretty obvious that the stress of losing the job he had for 50+ years, as well as being associated with a pedophile, was too much for Joe Paterno’s 85-year-old body to handle.

To me, there are two different possibilities:
1. He knew what Sandusky had done, and the guilt finally killed him
2. He had been incompetent, mentally, for the past two decades, and was thoroughly shocked to be fired from his job.

I tend to believe the latter. I recall hearing that he wasn’t the same Joe Paterno back in the mid 90′s. I know ESPN and WFAN keep saying that he was in his prime in 1998, but I recall hearing that Paterno was too old to coach at least 15 years ago, and maybe longer.

I would argue that Paterno was like that Star Trek Original Series character who was a figurehead, and you come to find out that he was drugged to keep him under control (ed. note: the episode was Patterns of Force). He was propped up to give speeches, but the drugs caused him to no longer be there mentally. In the case of Paterno, his mind has been ravaged by that human condition we all face: age.

Now, back to possibility number 1. You could argue that Paterno, pre-1998, when he was still aware, probably knew Sandusky was a sick individual. Paterno, instead of turning in his defensive coordinator, used 1950′s style Lazy Man’s Ethics, turning a blind eye to Sandusky’s behavior. I’m not saying Paterno witnessed anything first-hand. However, I’m sure he heard rumors and innuendo that he did not take seriously.

I believe that the University Officials kept Paterno in charge long after his mind was gone because the Paterno name was useful for recruiting good football players to Penn State. They kept him propped up for the sake of the football program.

I also believe that, back in the 1980′s, Paterno chose to keep Sandusky around because he could coach linebackers, despite any rumors he might have heard.

I think the guilt of what he had done in the 1980′s, ignoring and possibly covering up for Sandusky, finally caught up with Paterno’s age-addled mind. Also, the job that Paterno had become part of him was ripped away suddenly, and he couldn’t handle the shock.

I think Paterno’s death is the final chapter in a Shakespearean tragedy. I have no sympathy for Joe Paterno. My condolences to his family, but no sympathy for Joe. He apparently had no sympathy when he heard stories about children that were molested by Sandusky.

It seems Paterno had the power to do something three decades ago, but he decided that coaching linebackers was more important than sparing children the living hell of being molested by his defensive coordinator. Nope. I cannot sympathize or apologize for the man.

Jan
21

Costa Concordia: Depravity Central

The Costa Concordia became depravity central when it sank the other night.

First of all, you had a Captain Francesco Schettino, who refused to go down with the ship. He showed no integrity, no honor. Instead, he basically demonstrated that he was all about the money and all about living. He decided to get off the boat, save himself, and take his chances with the Italian Court System. The guy sounds like a politician, talking about how he tripped into the lifeboat. If he gets out of this, he’ll probably run for Prime Minister someday.

Then you had the crew, who happily took the lifeboats and fled.

Then you had stories of old people kicking and shoving women and children aside, so they could save their lives.

All in all, we see that Lazy Man’s Ethics, which is the ethic of being selfish, was practiced to the hilt on this boat. And we see that there is no honor left in a world where the love of money is the root of all motivation.

Jan
20

Homeless People Redux

So, should you give money to a homeless person on the street? The biblical stance on this is yes.

Well, this topic came up at church last week. One person in the back chimed in and said, “What if I told you that statistics prove that 98% of the time the homeless person will use that cash to buy drugs and alcohol?” The person in the front, leading the discussion, said, “I don’t care.”

I agreed with the guy up front.

Sure, you’re giving money and there’s a 98% chance the money will be misspent. So, people like the guy in the back decide not to give 100% of the time to individuals.

Look, I don’t believe every homeless person on the street is actually a wealthy person living on the Intercoastal, okay? I wonder if the MEDIA throws these types of stories in our faces every so often in order to assuage our collective guilt. “See? He was a con artist! Therefore, I’m never giving money to any street person.”

The problem with that logic is that there are 2% out there who really do need help.

Here’s another way to look at this: we are not numbers. So, I think giving someone who is disheveled and clearly in need is worth it. I don’t worry about the 98% risk. Plus, my conscience is clear. I’m trying to help someone; if that someone abuses my good intent, that is on them. Besides, in this hectic life we live in, who has time to figure out if the homeless person is part of the 98% or 2%?

The only real solution to this, besides just donating to reputable charities, is to talk to actual homeless people and find out their story. Make a determination on the spot as to whether they are lying or telling the truth. I’ve done this recently on the DailySkew Podcast. I learned something about a person who was begging for money, and determined he was telling the truth.

You see, statistics can be used as an excuse from getting to know the real person. It’s like a catch-all, something we can use an excuse for not acknowledging a fellow human being in need. I think statistics are useful, but not a perfect substitute for actual conversation and human interaction.

Look, if you’re afraid to talk to homeless people, or don’t have time. That’s fine. If you’re at a stop light and someone is begging, it’s impossible to have a conversation. I get that. However, if you are like me and are willing to live without fear and take some risks, you might discover what is behind the numbers.

And, the person begging from you, even if they are lying, may feel a twinge of guilt for misusing funds from someone who took the time to say hello and strike up a conversation. Human interaction can make a difference. Believe it.

To hear my rant about Homeless People, click here.

Jan
14

Why is Huntsman Speaking in Chinese during a Debate?

I have to say, hearing Jon Huntsman speak Chinese during a Presidential Debate was weird. I’m not sure who advised him on that one; probably someone who is secretly hoping he loses bad and drops out of the Republican Primary race.

After speaking Mandarin during a debate, Huntsman finished 3rd in New Hampshire. I’m not surprised. A presidential candidate breaking out the Chinese in today’s climate is like a candidate in the 1960′s breaking out the Russian to show his foreign policy chops. Might as well be speaking Klingon. It just looks bad.

I think Huntsman would be a great Secretary of State or something. Being an internationalist is good for that kind of job, but President? Nobody wants to hear that.

Ask John Kerry if speaking multiple languages gets you votes. His wife broke out the Portuguese and Spanish at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and that did not help him in the polls.

So, why did Huntsman speak Mandarin during a debate? Here are some possible reasons:
- He wants to show off his superior intellect
- He wanted to say hello to people he met during his Morman mission in China who might be watching
- He wanted to let China Premier Wen Jaibao know he is a friend and ally
- He wanted to totally freak out Mitt Romney
- He wanted to wake up the audience and make sure they were paying attention to him.
- He wanted to give Adam Curry something to talk about on No Agenda

Anyway, Jon Huntsman has no shot. And we’ll be writing in Ron Paul in November, 2012. Romney will win the Republican nomination. And Obama will win re-election.

Jan
09

Syms is Gone (Which stores will survive the Great Recession)

So, whatever happened to that great slogan for Syms, “Where an educated consumer is our best customer?” Apparently the educated consumer doesn’t have enough buying power in the Great Recession, because Syms is closing its doors and going out of business.

I was shocked to hear that Syms was closing. I grew up seeing their great, classy commercials on local New York channels like WPIX and WNEW. WOR. I think my dad and I actually went into a Syms store once, as well.

Syms also had a presence here in South Florida, obviously a reflection of all the New Yorkers that are down here. Broward County is like the 6th Borough of New York.

I find it hard to believe that the reason Syms is going out of business is simply because Ross and Marshalls offer cheaper prices, as NPR claimed this week on their Planet Money podcast. Actually, I think the real reason is that the Internet is killing off Brick and Mortar stores. The educated consumer is shopping online, and I’m sure Syms did not compete in this space.

An example of this is Payless. They are closing a bunch of stores. There’s no way they can compete with the online deals at websites like Zappos.

Look at K-Mart. They have a terrible Web 2.0 site, that is completely unusable. They can’t compete with Wal-Mart or Target’s web presence, let alone Amazon. So, they’re doomed, closing over 100 stores after the holiday season.

The shopping world has shifted. The educated consumer moved on, and Syms did not adapt.

I think Brick and Mortar stores that have a strong web presence will survive the Great Recession. I also think these stores have an advantage over Amazon in that they can offer Site-to-Store shipping. I believe some consumers would prefer walking into a store to pick up merchandise, particularly if they can avoid shipping costs for items below $25 (Amazon offers free shipping for orders over $25).

I suspect that Amazon will eventually open brick and mortar locations in order to compete with Site-to-Store shipping. I believe the Amazon store front will be slightly bigger than your typical Apple Store, offering Kindle products and merchandise from manufacturers who pay for the shelf space. The back end will be a warehouse that is fed by Amazon’s fantastic distribution system. This will appeal to customers who want to return products in person, as well as touch merchandise before buying.

Anyway, while searching for a Sy Syms commercial, I learned that he passed away a couple of years ago:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

R.I.P. Sy Syms.

I hate to say it, but the fact that I can’t find his commercials anywhere online, saying the catch-phrase, kind of says it all about why the company Syms failed in 2011.

Jan
07

What does Romney Iowa win mean?

So, here are my basic impressions of Mitt Romney winning the Iowa Caucuses:

- The lemmings will fall in line and vote for Romney now. It doesn’t matter how small the margin of victory was: Romney won. He will win New Hampshire. He will win the nomination.

- Santorum finishing second: score one for the Glenn Beck crowd. They pushed hard for Santorum; Beck had Santorum on his show a couple of times before the Iowa Caucuses.

- Big loss for Rush Limbaugh. The EIB Network was pushing hard for Newt Gingrich, defending him like crazy, and it did not help him win Iowa. Limbaugh is having a tough campaign season, first accepting advertising from Herman Cain, and now the Newt defeat.

- Ron Paul will never be validated by the establishment. The Republican Party will never nominate him as their candidate. I guess I’ll be writing his name in the ballot in November of 2012.

Romney wins Iowa

The numbers have been tallied.

Jan
06

2011 Yeti Award Winners

At last, the moment has arrived. After tons of feedback, and much pondering and consideration, we here at the DailySkew are ready to announce the 2011 Yeti Award winners.

This year, we split the award into five categories: National, International, Economy, Sports, and Tech. In future years, we may expand or not. It is beyond our control. One never knows when a Yeti might appear.

Yeti Ski Free

Surprise! Yeti time!

National:

Jared Loughner

Wanna-be Joker. Total LOSER.

Jared Lee Loughner – A wanna-be Joker. A “Deep Thinker” who some thought was capable of being a “Serial Killer.” Once again, a mentally deranged fool is allowed to roam the streets and fulfill an insane manifesto. Anyone who says they knew he was a killer-type after the fact is like a time traveller who does nothing to alter the timeline.

Economy:

Jon Corzine

Thief. Fraud. Politician.

Jon Corzine – This man was trusted by customers of MF Global. He betrayed their trust, as well as the trust of 1,066 employees who lost their jobs due to his malfeasance. This guy is more proof that politicians are crooks. He ruined thousands of lives, betting on Europe and then stealing money from people’s accounts. Let’s hope he goes to jail for a long, long time.

International:

TEPCO Tsunami

TEPCO did not heed warnings.

Japan Tsunami and TEPCO – It’s bad enough that the tsunami wiped out entire towns and killed thousands. The nuclear meltdown aftermath was a complete disaster that will have consequences for years to come. The decision makers at TEPCO should be absolutely ashamed of themselves for building a nuclear facility in Fukishima that was too weak to stand up to Mother Nature. They should have been more proactive and cautious with the Power Plant. Instead of worrying about saving money, they should have planned for a Tsunami which was predicted to happen.

Sports:

Sandusky

Still talking defense, even after molesting children. What a SCUM.

Jerry Sandusky – So we learned that pedophiles like to be sports coaches. Sandusky needs to burn in hell for eternity for founding a charity that gave him access to children to molest. All those at Penn State who turned a blind eye to his actions should join him in the fiery abyss. I cannot believe this guy was caught on tape talking about, “The best possible defense….” He still thinks he’s coaching linebackers. What an absolute low-life.

Tech:

Netflix drops

This is what happens when you double your price overnight.

Netflix – Folks, if you have a business, here’s a piece of advice: do not double your prices overnight. There will be a backlash. You will lose business and be in big trouble. You will have difficulty regaining trust. Netflix dropped to the level of Comcast and AT&T on my list of companies. They are more hated than ever. It’s a shame: my wife and I miss getting two DVD’s in the mail, for movies that are not available for streaming. I just refuse to pay the usury that Netflix is charging.

Click here for a great explanation of the Yeti Awards by Damian.

Jan
03

Netflix Alternatives and Free Movies and TV Streams on the Internet

Netflix Alternatives

By Damian Hospital, DailySkew Co-Founder

Over on his hot tech blog, Tony Vahl discussed his frustrations with juggling Netflix (Is Netflix DONE?) with mobile devices and the price it costs his family to watch movies and TV shows. There were some comments and replies with Netflix alternatives. The true answer for the perfect Netflix alternative, however, depends on your viewing needs. Do you need to see a hot movie RIGHT NOW? Are you addicted to a TV show where you’d like to watch full runs from previous seasons and are willing to pay $1000 a year for that right? Are you a shut-in and can’t go to a store? What is your entertainment budget? How would you like to watch video online?

Personally in this current economy, I can’t justify it, but I do understand that millions of people like to to unwind, escape, and enjoy. But the hobby can be a costly one once you’re in the Matrix, you know what I mean?

Here are some free alternatives- all require internet access and moderate web browsing skills:

YouTube: You’d be surprised what one could find on the YouTube if one types it correctly. It used to be easier before Google cracked down on it, but there is still tons of good content. Paid version: Google now allows companies or artists to upload and charge for movies (very small amount).

Hulu: Missed an episode of Family Guy or Glee? It will be on Hulu for free for a while (usually the last five episodes) before it gets locked. Hulu also has some old movies, old TV shows, tons of clips, cable shows, and awesome documentaries. New content is being added all the time. Paid version: Go mobile and watch the entire current season of you favorite show.

Crackle: Crackle is like HULU light, but has some hidden gems for old TV shows and movies.

Google Search: Huh? Say it isn’t so…you can type a TV show episode name or movie in the Videos tab (http://www.google.com/videohp) and have a good chance of getting it or a clip of it.

DailyMotion: You’d be surprised what can be found on DailyMotion. That’s all I’m allowed to say due to the government takeover.

TopDocumentaryFilms.com: One of my favorite video sites: the site just collects movies from around the World Wide Web, writes summaries, and allows comments and reviews. They don’t own the content or anything like that. But the organization of the site is fantastic and the comments and administrators are real (it’s not a spam content farm). Some of the best documentaries of all time are on this site, and it gets new stuff all the time. Hundreds to watch and expand your mind!

JustinTV: You just never know what’s going to be on JustinTV. Find out before law enforcement kills a channel on there!

Network TV websites: Did you know you could go on CBS.com and watch full episodes that they own? From old stuff like Dynasty and Star Trek: The Animated Series to the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother, there’s no need for TiVO anymore. Same can be said if you’re a FOX News junkie but you couldn’t pay your TV bill- just head over to foxnews.com and watch your boy Sean Hannity. BBC always has good stuff on, although mostly clips. As someone who hates to be tied into watching a show, I used to watch 24 on FOX on Tuesday or Wednesday instead of Monday at 9:00PM.

Cable TV websites: CNN.com is always streaming live and has a lot of clips and shows. CurrentTV has a bunch of clips. History Channel has a few full episodes of programs. MLB.com and YESNetwork.com has baseball stuff. Some channels are more protective than others (like FoodNetwork).

wwiTV.com: Watch shows from around the world. Totally random. Be careful, some links take you offsite and some buttons install spyware plugins.

LiveLeak: LiveLeak really doesn’t belong on this list, but I did want to mention it if you want to see RAW video from the front lines of reality. Parental discretion is advised. Don’t click on the ads though.

But you still want MORE, right?

Okay, let’s talk paid services besides Netflix (which still is a good service even with the PR hit):

Amazon Streaming Video: FREE with Amazon Prime, streaming every episode of Lost. What else do you need to know?

Blockbuster: Ever since Netflix overtook Blockbuster people totally underestimate Blockbuster’s movie selection and price. Yet it’s still competitive.

RedBox: Entertainment for the poor man: $1 a DVD but be careful with late fees and selection.

Apple TV: I’m not an Apple guy, so can’t really comment on it (well I WAS an Apple guy back in the 1980s, but not since they expanded).

Vudu:$2 for two nights- stream NEW MOVIES.

Buy DVDs: Well, if you’re obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, just buy the box sets. Check out Amazon, ebay, or other auction sites.

Free but illegal, depending on your jurisdiction: [Removed by ISP as per SOPA, FTC, NDAA, and Patriot Act.]

It’s up to you to compare prices, media (mobile, HD, TV, PC, video game system, etc), selection, and ease of use.

***

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