I pay for a premium YouTube subscription, so I have no ads to watch. I get other perks, but that’s my reason. Because I have YouTube playing 24/7 around here, and the cost is WELL worth it for that. Plus, there’s no bigger downer than when you’re listening to a jam by Bob Marley, and in the groove, and suddenly you’re seeing an ad for some prescription drug for something you’ll never know a person to have.
I watch MST3K and Rifftrax more than is reasonable by any standard. But I can put on one of the thousands of features they offer between the two, or even a “marathon” and just let them play, which I do. RiffTrax has its own thing going, and the $5.99/month to access about 1000 titles as “Friends” is too good to pass up. It’s a virtual treasure chest of hilarity, if not stupidity.
It’s on in the background when I work, clean, eat, play, and even sleep sometimes. I’ve got “Samurai Cop” on right now, for the 10 millionth time. It also keeps me company, as I live alone and have no pets. That will do strange things to a man. And watching the same things over and over has a soothing effect on humans, which I seek.
I love most of them, but I’ve seen so many now that I’ve realized every little plot hole and contrivance of them all, and I’ve overanalyzed every single aspect of them all. It’s unbelievable that all these movies were financed, actually made to completion, marketed and even made a lot of money in some cases. Some things I’ve learned about the people involved on screen for both shows, especially. They aren’t the jolly elves you think. I’ve been thinking of writing a post about it. But this isn’t about that. Intimately related, though.
When I don’t have a RiffTrax show on, I catch up on news(and opinion by the illustrious VDH), and I very often use YouTube as an educational tool. As in “How do I…?” The things I’ve accomplished thanks to YouTube videos cannot be overstated. Like disassembling and rebuilding my SUV. And using AI to its fullest. And just getting smarter overall. It’s invaluable for learning. I’ve taken numerous online certification courses by Google, HubSpot, Salesforce, Coursera, and even a gamification course by Wharton. And I’ve learned far more from YouTube.
But the algorithm picks up on what I like and watch and all that and makes recommendations. Go figure. They usually are nothing I care about. My video habits are very random, with no trend patterns, other than MST3K and RiffTrax, I mean.
But every now and then, I discover an entirely new channel that is head and shoulders above the rest. It’s like finding a diamond in a mountain of crapola. Which is rapidly growing, thanks to AI. Don’t get me wrong; there are some very good videos also appearing thanks to AI. The cream rises, and the rest falls. In theory. There is always a human factor that screws something up.
I debated whether this format or a YouTube video would be more appropriate for this post. YouTube makes sense, but I like to write, not record and edit myself. I write here for enjoyment. And if I can help others, it’s a win-win, which is something I always seek. Some people refuse to compromise, ever. Dont be one of those people. Learn to adapt. It makes for a much happier life for you and others.
So I thought I’d start posting the best 5 channels I find along my way. Some of them are new, some are old, some seem to have just been discovered. But there’s something about them all that makes them stand out.
This is the channel I was watching when I thought of doing this whole thing. This appears to be an American living in Britain. You don’t see his face. He creates clay sculptures that are dark. The videos are high quality, and the guy has a voice almost made for voiceover work. He doesn’t have any fluff in his videos, meaning they’re edited tightly. He adds a lot of humor while making highly disturbing-looking dioramas. That dichotomy alone is intriguing. But we can see him explain how he makes them from scratch to finish, all within about 10 minutes. He’s very good. Here’s a video that’s pretty tame, by comparison:
Next is an Asian guy who has built an AMAZING ecosystem in his home. He is a true animal lover, so it’s wonderful to witness someone exploring our world intimately like this. He has all sorts of creatures coming and going. It’s incredible. The names he comes up with for his animals are great, too. The species are always shifting.
Number three! Kevin Hutson has emerged as an authority on AI tools and their usage in the AI space. If you want to learn more about AI, are just getting into it, or need a source to try and keep up, you need to watch his videos. He gets a lot of respect and is a busy guy. He proves how much more you can get done using AI.
Why This Song? will appeal especially to Gen Xers. It features 1980s pop hits and has the writers/musicians explain all about them, their production, trivia, and anything else you ever wondered. It’s so cool to see Thomas Dolby teaching music at a Maryland, USA, University. I would love to have him as a professor. But he returns to where he filmed SBMWS. SCIENCE!
Number five for this week is a guy with a farm who knows how to do things. No, it’s not Project Farm, which is another great channel. And this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. But his style is pleasant, and you get to ride a rollercoaster with him as he is faced with a huge challenge, and bit by bit, conquers the demons and solves the problem. If nothing else, it’s mentally healthy to see people set and achieve complex goals. I’ve worked on farms but didn’t grow up on one, so a lot of this is unfamiliar and curiously interesting to me. You can follow his thought process, which is what people like.
BONUS! I decided to toss in an extra. If you don’t know who this guy is, you’re about to. And he is the most intense drummer I’ve ever seen. This video doesn’t begin to do him justice. But it’s a good sample.
What do you think? Should I keep up with these? Should I do this on YouTube instead? Do you care?
