Staff Picks of the Week

On our screens and minds...



Sadia:

Ah, the weekends. They're supposed to be the days of the week to relax but instead I get less sleep than at any other time. I mean come on -- there are just too many good bars, DJs, and friends that keep me up all night. After staying up until 4am, it's customary to sleep away the morning but I just can't do that. I'm up at 8 or 9 getting the day started. (I might not be my most coherent self, but I'm up.) I get my Philz Turkish coffee, go home, and listen to "This American Life" on NPR. Ira Glass's weekly show gives you a glimpse into the lives of people all over this country that you will probably never meet. He takes one topic and attempts to explore it from different angles to get the broadest view possible. Well, Ira packed up his Chicago home and moved to New York to take This American Life to television; quite a bold move for a show that's a staple of American radio. One of the best parts of the show is the fact that you are only listening to the stories these people tell and can have a connection without knowing what they look like. I'm going to miss just hearing the stories. Then again, it might be nice to put a face to the name.






Joe:

Man o' man, when I heard this parody of Rich Boy's "Throw some D's," I couldn't stop it from playing over and over again in my head. Pete Rosenberg is gangster for this. In fact, I'm scared to play it -- my friends and family can't take another week of me singing "I just bought a sandwich, throw some cheese on it..." Check out the original song first so that you can get a fair understanding of the parody.






Mia:


Set anything to periurban’s “So, It's a Love Song” and I’m gonna sigh and swoon until I hyperventilate. SergeLipski put together a video that perfectly matches the song’s melancholy spirit. A rose is constructed from petals and joins other flowers in a bouquet. But hang on -- those roses are dead! A few seconds later, a note declares that there’s no hope and a wedding band appears as the final goodbye. It is so sad. And that’s why I like it.






Toodles,

YouTube Programming Team

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Staff Pick of the Week

What the ladies of YouTube are luvin' this week:



Mia:

I love juxtapositions of seemingly disparate things: sweet and tough, innocent and crude, brainy and bimbo-y. So when I saw BrickLaneBetty’s combo of books and boobs, I just knew I had to staff pick it. (Speaking of books, how cool would it be to have a YouTube book club? Write to me if you’re interested. It’s something I’ve been thinking about starting for a while…) Between the cleavage, the distracted cameraman, and some weird stuff happening on the laptop in the background (what the heck is that?), it takes a heroic effort to absorb what Super Amanda’s saying about the books, but she does leave you with a catchphrase worth repeating: “Dickens – a good idea!”








Sadia:

So I have to admit, winter in California is nothing to complain about. I don't want to rub it in, but it's pretty fantastic compared to other places in the States. Coming from Chicago, where the winters are brutal, it's a welcome change. But even with its great weather and landscape, I still can't let go of the fact that Chicago is the best city in the world. I could make a list of all the great things about that city but that could take hours...and it still wouldn't to it justice. But I did find a video that takes a snapshot of Chicago and captures the city perfectly. Owen's video shows the beautiful Chicago that emerges after living there for years. Throughout the harsh winters and suffocating summers you find your comrades in arms and fight the elements together. After the battles are won, the city becomes this amazing playground where you watch everything in your world grow. And every once in a while you have one of those days where you can relax and enjoy the city with the people who have made it your home.







Mwah,

Mia and Sadia

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Westward, Ho! YouTube's News & Politics Editor Arrives

It took me 3,000 miles to get from Minnesota to California to start working here at YouTube, and what better way to remember the road trip than by whipping out the ol' video camera. This video shows a few clips from my trip west, as well as some footage inside YouTube HQ during my first week here.







I'll be working as YouTube's News & Politics Editor and couldn't have arrived at a better time – we just launched "You Choose 08", a central hub of channels created by Presidential candidates for 2008. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the campaigns, and make your own response videos to what these Presidential hopefuls are saying… This is your chance to interact directly with the candidates and tell them exactly what you think.



We've got a lot to come before November '08. Soon I'll be launching the YouTube political blog in which I'll be highlighting must-see
videos from candidates and users, and offering my own spin on the election as it unfolds on YouTube.



I want to hear from you about the issues affecting us all (not just Americans), so send me your thoughts and videos. We want to see a lot more citizen journalism on YouTube, so get your cameras rolling and start documenting what's happening in your world. I'll be looking for the best pieces to feature in the News & Politics section, in my blog, and on the YouTube home page.



Let the YouTube election begin…


Steve

The YouTube Team

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Staff Pick of the Week

Here's what we're diggin' this week:



Big Joe:


I love me some magic! XCmanipulator is an up-and-coming magician. Though you really don't learn much about him from his videos, you can tell he's a young man who has his sights set on perfecting trick after trick. I've been one of his subscribers for a while now, and when I saw him perform Jay Sankey's "Outsiders" I knew what my pick of the week would be. Check out this video and be amazed!






Mia:

I swore I would never go to Burning Man. And then, in a you-only-live-once spasm, I changed my mind. That I would be six months pregnant during my first jaunt to the desert only added to my feeling that this would be a very life-affirming experience. And it was. I don’t think you’ll ever find a place as free-spirited and judgment-free as Black Rock City, where anything goes and smiles are in no short supply. This video reminds me of those joyous, multicolored late summer days.






Sadia:

There is a war going on. A war I didn't even know about. A war on...Vegemite. Yes...Vegemite. Some of you might ask, "What is Vegemite?" To that I would answer, "I have no idea but that doesn't mean I don't care." I do care. I care about condiments. I care about yeast on bread (just ask my roommate how much nutritional yeast I can consume on toast or popcorn). I care about holding on to something sacred. And apparently I'm not the only one. Hugh from HughsNews is leading the troops fighting the war on Vegemite. Nowhere have I seen such love, determination, and bravery as I have seen from this man. At ease, soldier, you've done Vegemite proud.





See ya,

The YouTube Programming Team

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