Host and self-proclaimed con-man Skyler Stone freely admits that spending money is not his forte. It’s not necessarily because he doesn’t have it to spend, but it’s more due to the fact that he has the unusual talent of getting things that he wants for free (without the use of threats or weapons). From obtaining a free Spring Break trip to the Caribbean, to receiving an “Extreme Makeover,” Skyler definitely knows how to work his way around the system. Simply put, he cons his way into getting these things that he wants, and he is generous enough to show the home audience how to do so themselves.

In one of his more elaborate schemes, Skyler swindles a fancy four-star Hollywood restaurant into getting a complimentary meal for him and his friends. The scenario: fool the restaurant into thinking that you are the producer of a “Punk’d” style hidden camera show called “You got Bitched” that is out to give A-list celebrity Brad Pitt the worst dining experience of his life. Throughout the show, Skyler and his production crew convince the establishment’s manager and waitresses to put Brad through a night of culinary hell, doing everything from spilling drinks on his lap, to intentionally making his food taste terrible. However, what these gullible employees don’t know is that the Brad Pitt they are serving is nothing more than a mere look-alike. It is in fact, Skyler’s good friend Colin, who bares a striking resemblance to the famous Mr. Pitt. So while Colin is being put through hell, Skyler (playing the role of “Brad’s” associate and dining buddy at the table) is enjoying a delicious gourmet meal, compliments of the house. In true hidden camera show form, it is revealed to “Brad” that he is the victim of a new hidden camera show, and his pseudo surprise leads to a round of applause by ignorant restaurant employees, who are relieved that the Hollywood heartthrob is being a good sport about the whole situation. As a sign of their good sportsmanship, the restaurant offers Skyler and his whole production crew a round of meals to-go as a gesture of gratitude for choosing their location as the site of the gag.

Although many of these cons are indeed clever, and usually work out in Skyler’s favor, by the end of each episode I’m usually stuck thinking the same two questions: First off, is all the effort put into the preparation and execution of each con worth it? And secondly, can the Average Joe Somebody watching at home really pull off these cons themselves?” Although the case may vary from person to person, not everybody has access to professional video production crew, nor to an A-list celebrity look-alike who are willing to offer their services for free.

There are other mini-cons, however, that Skyler pulls off throughout the show that seem much more likely to be pulled off by those of us watching at home with meager resources. On the same episode, for example, Skyler shows the home audience how to get out of a parking ticket. On another, he demonstrates how to get a free beverage and cheeseburger from a very notable fast food chain. Overall, the premise of the show is very entertaining. Watching all these unknowing victims fall for every word and action that Skyler throws their way is actually somewhat gratifying. And as cool as it may be to get things for free by playing this crafty, yet devious game of “Skyler Says,” it may be best to leave a lot of the major cons to the pros. Who knows, one of us may fall victim to it one day.

I’ve got to admit, I was never too much into the original programming that HBO has been know to produce. To this day, I haven’t watched one full episode of The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or any of the other award winning shows that the network has produced. Nothing against those shows, but I’m the type who really has no desire to get into a TV show if I haven’t seen it from the very beginning (yes, I have heard of DVDs). However, after one night of surfing the tube, I stumbled upon one of HBO’s many channels and caught an episode of Entourage. For those not familiar with this show, it basically follows the life of up-and-coming actor Vincent Chase (who is supposedly the next big thing) and his close circle of friends, showcasing both the inner and outer workings of Hollywood. Although it is not the most original concept (many have said Entourage is the Arliss of the entertainment industry, including myself), I personally find the show very entertaining, with lots of great characters and storylines.

I just picked up the Season 1 DVD and watched it from front to back. The writing is very clever, the locations are authentic, and the cameos are fun and give the show a sense of industry clout. To date, Mark Walberg, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Jimmy Kimmel, and numerous others have appeared on the show. Anyways, Season 2 is on its way and I’m looking forward to it. It starts off with the Entourage gang in New York gearing up for the filming of Vince’s next movie Queen’s Blvd. For those of you who have HBO, do yourself a favor and check it out.

In honor of the release of the Season 2 DVD (which comes out today) I thought I'd give my input on the phenomenon that is known as "Chappelle's Show." Okay, so the guy is going through some rough personal problems right now. But quite honestly, can you blame the guy? In 2003, he came out of nowhere and shocked the world with his “anything goes, nobody’s safe” (ahem, R. Kelly) style of humor when Season 1 of his show on Comedy Central hit the airwaves. Next thing you know, the first season DVD is a best seller, and barely midway through Season 2, he already has viewers “ROFL” (for all you internet fiends) with his unforgettable impersonations of Prince, Lil Jon, Sam Jackson, and you guessed it, Rick James. Hell, I’ve even overheard my parents reciting the lines “I’m Rick James, B*tch” at the family reunions every so often.

Long story short (and it may sound cliché), Dave Chappelle is a comic genius, and he just seems to be the victim of his own brilliant comedic mind. During the run of his first two seasons, he was living out his dream to its fullest potential, taking full advantage of the fact that he had an outlet to get his comedy out there for millions to enjoy, and he was not willing to hold back on it. Now, that those are in the can, the questions on everybody’s mind is, “Where is season 3, and will it be as good?” Dave, a man true to himself and his fans, does not want to disappoint. He, like us living our normal everyday lives, is prone to feeling the pressure and stress that comes along with his career. His job is to make people laugh, and if they don’t laugh, then obviously he’s not doing his job. Of course, part of the reason why he is so stressed out is because of the “creative differences” that he recently encountered with the higher-ups at Comedy Central. But for all those skeptics and nay-sayers out there, I guess the whole point of this rant is to cut the guy some slack and let him do what he does best. Hopefully in no time, he will be back on our TV screens standing on that familiar sound stage belting out his classic stand-up jokes and introducing those unforgettable sketches that we’ve come to know and love.