YouTube For Relaxation

Disney steals Alan Dean Foster's work

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AgentPete

Capo Famiglia
Guardian
Full Member
May 19, 2014
London UK
Not sure about others, but I find my viewing habits have changed hugely during lockdown. YouTube has become my No. 1 source of casual entertainment, and it’s so vast that there are always more arcane corners to be discovered. I’ve even taken out a Premium subscription, mostly to get rid of those pesky ads. Here are a few of the delights I’ve discovered, hope they may enrapture you, too…


Hobo Shoestring An American hobo gets on a train. That’s all, really. But its interesting, restful, he’s far from dumb, and with a cult following to be seen to be believed. Good to fall asleep to.


Walking There are no end of walking around videos. Such as ProWalk Tours around the Amalfi coast, Jago Hazzard around and about in London, John Rogers ditto, Pompsie exploring the Vegas/Nevada area, and a great many more. Some of these have commentary, others are just walking around… maybe to places you’ve visited on holiday (good memories) or to places you never particularly want to go to physically. Far from demanding, but good after an intense day at the screenface.


Life Somewhere Else Like Dan Sheekoz showing you what they eat for breakfast in Russia. Rafael Di Furia as an expat American living in Italy. Stealth camping in the US.


None of this would ever get broadcast by the networks. It’s shambling, ambling, shapeless “television”. It goes on until the host gets bored or the audience does. But it’s low-key, escapist, undemanding and actually quite satisfying. It’s using the medium in a new way.


Let me know if you’ve found any gems.
 
Relaxing. sort of, but he just makes me smile. Uncle Roger and his eternal quest for people who can cook proper egg fried rice.

What a character. He is completely non- PC and he adores MSG (monosodium glutamate)

'Asian parent respect their kitchen appliance (singular) more than their children'.

His despair and indignation, hehehe...


(ADD re cursing, ' please Youtube ,do not demonetize Uncle Roger....')

 
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'Asian parent respect their kitchen utensil (singular) more than their children
Made me laugh. The Thai language has no plurals. 'We' is said as already two person (or 3 or 4) and yes they stick MSG in everything. The other thing that resonated was that I have a minor character in my book called Uncle Joe, a Chinese guy who runs a noodle shop in London. In real life, way back when, he was well known for being grumpy and pushing customers out of the door as soon as their plates were empty as rain or shine he had a queue of customers waiting to get in. Turnover was his thing :)
 
I'm not a trainspotter (honest) but I find these mesmerising.

This one is of a 54 hour journey between Adelaide & Darwin. (edited to just 3 hours for lightweights)



And here's another one - a New York Subway line from driver's cab.

 
I have countless, from various film theory videos and reviews to video game walk-throughs. I'm a true Renaissance Man.

To fit the theme best here, I think, are Urbex, "Urban Exploration" videos. Much like Pete's Walking genre, it's just what it sounds like: folks go into long-abandoned places and wander around taking video. There's a sort of sad majesty in a hotel, or a mall, or a house, or an asylum, or a...that has been empty for years. I loved sites that shared picture catalogs in prior years, and YouTube has a fine selection of videos of people walking around as well. I especially like the ones that take the time to research and share backgrounds of the places they visit. Some of them are worthy of documentaries all on their own, let alone getting to see the effect time has had on them.
 
To fit the theme best here, I think, are Urbex, "Urban Exploration" videos. Much like Pete's Walking genre, it's just what it sounds like: folks go into long-abandoned places and wander around taking video. There's a sort of sad majesty in a hotel, or a mall, or a house, or an asylum, or a...that has been empty for years. I loved sites that shared picture catalogs in prior years, and YouTube has a fine selection of videos of people walking around as well. I especially like the ones that take the time to research and share backgrounds of the places they visit. Some of them are worthy of documentaries all on their own, let alone getting to see the effect time has had on them.
Then check out this (I live not far from there):

Abandoned Exploring | RAF Upwood | The Tank - YouTube

RAF Upwood Manor House - YouTube

It's an amazing place, or was. They've started tearing it down and are building sensible housing on it.
 
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Given my long history with a cappella singing (I've run two community choirs and spent many happy hours creating vocal arrangements of all types of songs) and my lifelong appreciation of folk music, it's not surprising I've fallen down the sea shanty rabbit hole, in particular the wonderful spontaneity of the collaborations of the Wellerman whaling song by folks from all over the ruddy place.

I truly believe that group singsongs can be a hugely energising and redemptive force and watching these videos have certainly been giving me joy. My 8 year-old adores them too :)

Here's the TikTok collaboration that really kicked off the craze:


and here's a compilation of some of the ways other people got involved:


There are loads more, but I also had to include the women's shanty riposte, which made me smile:
 
Given my long history with a cappella singing (I've run two community choirs and spent many happy hours creating vocal arrangements of all types of songs) and my lifelong appreciation of folk music, it's not surprising I've fallen down the sea shanty rabbit hole, in particular the wonderful spontaneity of the collaborations of the Wellerman whaling song by folks from all over the ruddy place.

I truly believe that group singsongs can be a hugely energising and redemptive force and watching these videos have certainly been giving me joy. My 8 year-old adores them too :)

Here's the TikTok collaboration that really kicked off the craze:


and here's a compilation of some of the ways other people got involved:


There are loads more, but I also had to include the women's shanty riposte, which made me smile:

Think I might learn number 3! :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:
 
Now, bands have fans, superfans, megafans - and then there's this level of geeky infatuation / adoration / worship.

You end up videoing yourself as you open your band's latest box set CD package, but not content with that - you feel compelled to post the video on Youtube. :eek: Run for the hills!!!



This next one is for the real hardcore unboxer fans. I am a massive fan of the Prog Rock group Yes (don't hate me) but I would like to put it on record that I have never taken my fanning to this level. :):)

 
this youtube channel is devoted to making kitchen knives out of weird things, like wood, aluminum foil, smoke, resin, and cardboard. Not only do these knives look just like knives you could buy at the store; every video ends with him cutting a tomato or carrot or something.

 
this youtube channel is devoted to making kitchen knives out of weird things, like wood, aluminum foil, smoke, resin, and cardboard. Not only do these knives look just like knives you could buy at the store; every video ends with him cutting a tomato or carrot or something.


This interests me, as I recently bought a set of three knives to replace 11-year-old serrated knives that are impossible to sharpen. Although favourably reviewed on Amazon, each blade rusted then loosened where the tang enters the handle. I should have known better, as the full tang design is stronger and evenly balanced...that's where the metal is sandwiched by the handle along its whole length.
Here's where the story gets ludicrous! U.K. laws on purchase and possession of knives are strict, owing to how many crimes involve stabbing. Since buying the shoddy knife set Amazon have tightened their requirements, bringing them into line with eBay and kitchen equipment suppliers. eBay discourages the sale of knives anyway, and it's hard to find anything but steak knives and plastic joke knives for Halloween. Nowadays, to prove that I'm over 18 (I'm 66) I have to send a copy of my driving licence, passport or my Experian profile. My passport expired in 2010, and I haven't seen my driving licence for ages, as I sold my Jaguar in 2011, getting around on a bicycle. I don't have an Experian account.
The local hardware shop is closed in lockdown, so to buy a knife online I'll have to renew my passport. That's silly.:rolleyes:
 
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Disney steals Alan Dean Foster's work

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