The Newest YouTube Star!

Our article on YouTube Stars is very popular! It is currently number 3 in the "TOP 10 ARTICLES VIEWED IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS" ratings on our stats page. The popularity of this article reflects the popularity of YouTube. This popularity may be at it's apex. It seems that the traditional media corporations are signing the most talented YouTube members to appear on traditional television. We heard from MadV several weeks back, that he had been signed by a TV production company and would no longer be able to make YouTube vids. Last night, we learned that Brookers is 90% sure that she'll sign the contract sent to her by Carson Daly Productions, the production company owned by the host of MTV's TRL show. That means she'll be making few if any new vids for YouTube.

What will the results be of this harvesting of talent from YouTube? It may be that as the most talented members are prohibited by contract from posting further videos, YouTube will recede in popularity. However, it is equally likely that as word gets out that one can become famous "overnight" by showcasing their talent in this new medium, new YouTube Stars will be born! I think we are no where near the zenith in this trend. I feel that this is a classic positive feedback loop - the more people get "discovered" on YouTube, the more it will attract future wannabe video stars.

I'd like to echo the author of our YouTube article, Kenny Crane, as he calls for an elevation in the tone of feedback comments on posted video clips. If you go to YouTube and watch a video that moves you to leave a comment, by all means say what you feel, but keep your tone civil. There is no need to be vulgar, just make your point in a mature manner. If you love the video, let the member know that. I'm sure they will be glad to know that they have fans. If you don't like the performance or the member, you can be a "disliker" but don't be a "hater"!


For more on YouTube, read these:
Our last post on YouTube (see below)
Our article on YouTube

They are Stars! (YouTube Stars)

As Shakespeare noted in As You Like it, "All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players..." Rush expanded on the thought in Limelight, "All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players, performers and portrayers, each another's audience". Nowhere do these words ring truer than on the popular video sharing website - YouTube.com. In a little over a year since its launch, YouTube has become one of the most visited internet sites, especially among young people. Their tagline is "Broadcast Yourself". Anyone can send in video clips, or "blogs", up to 10 minutes in length and anyone else can watch and comment. And boy oh boy do they comment! Each IS another's audience, and it is common for video bloggers to comment on comments left for their previous posts.

If you've never been to YouTube, or haven't seen it lately, you'll want to read the article we just posted at LookingForClues called, "YouTube Stars - Creating Reality TV?" The article, written by Kenny Crane, introduces the reader to the Stars who are popular on YouTube at the moment. You'll meet an illusionist, some Emo people, a Latina from East L.A., a talented Welsh schoolgirl, and more. Crane reviews the work of several of the hottest and most popular video bloggers. He also gives a bit of his opinion as to why people make these videos and why there is often such varied and extreme reaction to the clips. Read the article and watch the clips, then YOU decide - Is this a new form of Reality TV, or are these people all acting? Is this fun and harmless entertainment or just a mindless waste of time? Maybe the answers are somewhere in between. Read the article; YOU be the judge!

We've embedded two short but amazing videos into the article, both by MadV, a master illusionist. We also provide links to videos by EmoKid21Ohio, Emogirl21, Brookers, LittleLoca, Darahgna and others. Warning! The screen names that some users have chosen may be offensive to some visitors, and some videos contain adult language. YouTube is NOT for children!

I'm going to embed a very popular and funny video into this entry. It's called Evolution of Dance. This 6 minute video is a performance by comedian Judson Laipply. He demonstrates many dance moves that have come and gone over the last 40 years. This particular video IS SAFE for family viewing and is guaranteed to make you LAUGH!!!

The video is below. If you can't see it, then view it on YouTube.

More Funny Stuff

We just added another article on Laughter and Stress. This one is about how to not let the small things bother you. The writer and her sister invented an uncle and then they create a new calamity for him every time they need a chuckle. Here's the intro to the article:


Have life's little daily annoyances got you down? Don't sweat the small stuff! The one sure way to deal with petty irritations is to laugh. You can't be bothered and merry at the same time! Either find the humor in the vexing situation or decide to think about a joke or funny story. It's your choice; you have the power to decide what you will think about.

This web page will help you to deal with the small stresses of life. You'll realize that stress is harmful and the proposed cure is enjoyable! Further down on this page, we present an article called, "Easier Said Than Done: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. ". The article is written by a woman who has learned to cope with life's daily stresses by thinking up unlikely but hilarious calamities suffered by her "uncle". Learn how her techniques have improved her life!

After you have read our article, follow the Related Links we provide to other informative and helpful web sites on how to Laugh Away Stress. For more information about coping with small things and funny jokes and stories to cheer you up, please buy a few of the Books we recommend below. Everyone has bad days. Don't let them make you sick! Choose to laugh; it's great preventative medicine!


Every article we publish contains links to related web sites and related books. This article links to joke web sites and joke books. Enjoy!!!

Browse our articles, by Category.

Hi there, internet readers!

We just added a New "Articles by Category" page on LFC. It lists all of our articles by Category. The categories we use are
Email Gems
Health
Lifestyle
Miscellaneous
Money
Politics
Relationships
Religion
Sci-Tech

Why not go there right now and have a look? Thanks in advance!

Ambien - Try This First!

As mentioned in our last blog post, we just posted an article at www.LookingForClues.com about Insomnia and how you can get a good night's sleep. In the post, I advocated using sleeping pills as a last resort and suggested that you try some of the "Sleep Hygiene" tips in our article. To quote myself, "All drugs have side effects. Some are worse than others." Today we read in the news about a case where Ambien might have caused "sleepwalking", or in this case sleep driving, resulting in a car accident.

The incident involves U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, son of Senator Ted Kennedy, who had a late-night car crash possibly caused by Ambien's side effects. To quote a Reuter's news story:

Sanofi-Aventis says Ambien, used by millions of people since its introduction in 1993, has lulled patients to sleep for 12 billion nights. It says sleepwalking is a rare side effect and it stands by the drug's safety.

But researchers at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota have
identified more than two dozen cases of dangerous sleepwalking among people who took Ambien, and they believe the phenomenon is more common than the company says.

No one knows for sure if Ambien caused this crash. But it is still my opinion that you might want to try other methods to get a good night's sleep, instead of drugs. Please read our article on Insomnia and learn how to sleep well at night. It will improve your life!

(May 5th follow up story on Kennedy from Reuters, here.)

Insomnia

Insomnia is a common problem. Many people have trouble getting a good night's sleep. I imagine that many people visit their doctor for Insomnia, hoping for some relief. I'll bet that many of them have seen the TV commercials for Lunestra and Ambien. I often watch the ABC Nightly News and it seems that half of the commercials are for prescription drugs. With Insomnia being so prevalent, and the drug "cures" being so heavily advertized, I'd imagine that Lunestra and Ambien are selling like hotcakes!

All drugs have side effects. Some are worse than others. Before you see your doctor and take home a drug prescription, you might want to try a few easy lifestyle changes and see if they help. Changes in your "Sleep Hygiene" have helped many others to get a good night's sleep. If you want to learn more about these simple changes you can make in your life, please read our article on Insomnia, at http://www.bkserv.net/LFC/article.aspx?ArticleID=69 . You'll be glad you did!

By the way, if the background color of our site is too bright (and it keeps you awake at night, lol) , just click on the LookingForClues logo at the top of the page and the background will be changed to a much darker one. Click again to go back to the bright one if you like it better.

What's on LFC?

LookingForClues (LFC) is a website that offers a collection of articles of Insight and Entertainment. All articles are written by Freelance Writers. We pay between $20 and $30 for each article, which ranges in size from 6 to 12 or more paragraphs. The articles either offer some solutions to a common problem or situation, provide opinion on a popular issue, or discuss something new or trendy. Topic categories include Health, Money, Relationships, Politics, Religion, Sci-Tech and Lifestyle. Each article is accompanied by a brief introduction, links to the best related websites, and links to a few great books on the topic.

We have a stats page that shows our top ten most popular articles and our "Top 10 Articles Viewed in the Last 7 Days" list. Both are continuously updated. Here are the lists as they appear today:


TOP 10 MOST VIEWED ARTICLES
1. The Beatles as Poets …it all came down to a serious relationship with Eleanor Rigby
2. Erotomania The World of Erotomania
3. Wardrobe colors Bring Out Your Best: Choosing the Right Colors for Your Wardrobe
4. Internet addiction and Chat room advice! Web of Deception
5. Stretch Marks The Deal With Stretch Marks
6. Exercising From Yoga to Striptease—How to Get a Dancer’s Body
7. The Power of Prayer The Power of Prayer
8. Grandparents raising Grandkids Grandparents raising Grandkids
9. Your First Tattoo Your First Tattoo – It's All About Choices!
10. Robert Palmer Career Summary and Tribute

TOP 10 ARTICLES VIEWED IN THE LAST SEVEN DAYS
1. Erotomania The World of Erotomania
2. The Beatles as Poets …it all came down to a serious relationship with Eleanor Rigby
3. Home Remedies Utilizing your Home Treasure Trove
4. Marketing Marketing for Freelancers
5. Ferrets Buying and Caring for Your Ferret
6. Homework Tips Win the homework wars! - Tips from a professional tutor
7. Online Dating Could You Find Your True Love Online?
8. Internet addiction and Chat room advice! Web of Deception
9. Tai Chi TAI CHI CHUAN FOR TOTAL FITNESS
10. Meditation Improve Concentration and Reduce Stress through Meditation

By the way, the Erotomania article is about stalking. We now have 65 articles on LFC and we're adding more all the time!

Please read our articles! You just might find something to improve your life!