What online alternative is there to cable TV?

spongebob movie online image

Seth W

I like to watch live tv -- Fox News, Spongebob, etc. DirecTV is my only option where I live -- as far as "classic" television is concerned. I've seen ads for Hulu, and others -- but they only offer "shows" and "movies." Is there an option online to have all of the standard "channels" that won't go out when the weather is bad?

Answer
You're apparently in a rural area, so options like cable, U-verse, FIOS, etc. are out of reach for you. How about a very good over-the-air antenna? A serious yagi antenna, elevated as high as possible and pointed directly to the transmitter site could get you all of your local channels, depending on your location. As a bonus, the HD quality that you get over-the-air is the best there is--cable and satellite channels are compressed to a higher degree.

Other than that, there are no online sources for your local channels or the major networks, other than reruns of past programs. You can watch recent (but not current) episodes on the ABC, CBS, NBC, etc. networks on their websites for free.

How is my guide on how Autistic people or Aspies can improve their social and facial expression quotient?

Fox

I'm planning on becoming a Psychologist for higher functioning Autistics, and I want to see what you Autistic folks think of my guide.

Have you ever wanted a job that requires heavy social interactions and for you to understand people, but you simply find yourself having mild to severe difficulties? While mild/moderate/high functioning Autism or Asperger's Syndrome are technically automatic disqualifiers for a job like this, there are ways around it.

1. Therapy-This is the obvious one. There are professionals who can boost your quotient with time and patience and test you on it when you need to be tested on it. This may not be for everyday, but it could improve.
Are you unable to afford therapy or has it failed you? Don't worry, there are many other effective routes!
2. Television comedies, drama's (or any genre rather)-Whoever says that this will always lower ones social quotient has no idea with what they are talking about! You may not be interacting with anything, but you can interpret peoples social interactions, feelings, facial expressions and the differences between right and wrong if you have issues with that. It can even improve your ability to understand sarcasm, idioms and jokes. People have done it off of Spongebob Squarepants believe it or not, and even though it's not immediate, you will improve through doing this!
3. Online video games-This will improve social interactions with people in milder to moderate cases, and you can learn what's socially inappropriate this way. This is definitely not for low functioning non-verbal cases, but it's shown to be effective for people with Asperger's Syndrome. It may not improve yours facial expression quotient, but it can teach you how to speak appropriately. Voice chat can help you learn how to adjust your volume and voice and to tell peoples tones.
4. Take online facial expression quizzes to see how you do-These may not be 100% accurate, but they can only help. They will at least give you a general understanding of how you are with reading them, even if they are multiple choice. Take them a number of times if you need to so you can learn what the facial expressions look like. Memorizing helps as well
5. Take what people say about you into consideration to understand your weaknesses-Are people telling you that you're acting inappropriately or that you're often unaware of what people are feeling? There's obviously something going on if more than one person is saying that, and try to work on those areas. Telling weaknesses may not be be easiest thing for an Autistic person, but High Functioning ones can learn to tell their weaknesses.
6. Observe other people-Neurotypicals may have social difficulties as well, but some are decent models. See what they do in a social situation and see what the outcome is. If the outcome is positive, then you know that it's more than likely to be the 'right way'. If the outcome is negative, then at least you can X one solution off of your list (this depends on the people that it happens to). Also try to look at why it happened (use problem solving skills).
7. Become friends with other Aspie's or Autistic people-If there aren't any in your area, then look for other disabilities since they are less likely to be judgemental, and you can learn from them if you do it right. People with Schizophrenia, Personality Disorder, Tourette's Syndrome, Bipolar Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability, Clinical Depression, speech impediments and with Down's Syndrome are also known to have social issues as well.
8. Chat on forums-Observe other people (who aren't trolls) and practice chatting with them.
9. Watch movies-See the television shows description above.
10. Try getting a job and treat it as a 'social learning experience'.

This guide is only for the higher functioning Autistics who have a mild form of it (with no verbal delay), and it's also for the milder-moderate Aspie's. What do you Autistics think of it?
11. For communication skills-Play Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games that would require communication. There's no rush in learning, and this is what I call a 'practice group activity' that would brush up on your communication quotient.
12. Try helping people with more severe Autism out-This is surprisingly a good method for people with mild to moderate Asperger's Syndrome since there won't be anybody judging, and you can learn what people are feeling the hard way. You may not understand right away though.
13. Watch children shows-Some are designed to teach facial expressions and social skills. Plus, they would be a good place for Aspie's who are clueless socially to start since they are easy to follow.
14. Play sports since they are perfect to learn communication and team work skills if you don't have a ball hog on your team.
15. Find friends with similar interests and practice socializing with them and try to interpret their social interactions.
16. Watch YouTube videos if you can't afford a television. Some of them are perfect for learning how to express yourself, to read people and what not to do (you can learn how to interpret a tone as well). If you have to watch child videos on YouTube, then don't be embarassed since you're using it for educational experiences. We all watched them at one point.
17. Try interpreting your own feelings (if you can, and don't be humiliated if you can't since everybody can struggle with it) since it can actually help you understand other peoples feelings. Try modeling the facial expressions with a guide on Google images if you need to and it can help you out a ton with learning other facial expressions. How could you figure out other peoples facial expressions if you have trouble figuring out your own (don't be humiliated if you have issues with it).
18. Write essa