I don't know many details about the Survivor Fitness Challenge that TheStarvingSoprano was involved with.  Obviously, it's a web-based fitness challenge akin to what you might find on television in the form of the reality program flavor of the week.

The program is judged and there is some kind of prize.  Whatever.

The heart of the program, based on what I've seen, is a swift kick in the pants and a motivator for people to change their lifestyles to be healthier and active.  I'm sure many people share my opinion on reality television shows, but I think that if ANYTHING can end up having a positive impact on an individuals health and well-being, than it's probably not all that bad.

When it comes to the Survivor Fitness Challenge, based on what I've seen from TheStarvingSoprano, it acted not only as the impetus for leading a more active and healthier life, but also producing some truly beautiful, honest, an inventive videos.

I'm writing all of this because I've been following TheStarvingSoprano both on her YouTube channel and her blog and through her I've learned that the judging of the Survivor Fitness Challenge was completely botched and, on the whole, TheStarvingSoprano was robbed from winning whatever prizes were due her.

Again, I'm forced to say: whatever.

This morning the results for the last screenwriting contest I entered were finally posted.  I was a semi-finalist for Caffeine (or maybe Videorama ... the whole process was so protracted that I hardly remember anymore).  Of course, the winning scripts did not bear my name.  Maybe it's the fact that the whole process took so long that I'm deadened to the failure that the results handed to me.

Or maybe it's that contented feeling I was talking about earlier.  I've accomplished a great deal and am rather satisfied with what I have and where I'm at.  No doubt TheStarvingSoprano has already had plenty of people point this out to her, but look at all that you've achieved and gained from this Fitness Challenge.  Even putting aside the health aspects of it, look at how your
editing skills have developed since the start of the challenge.  Look at how much of a presence you've created for yourself and how that person you show on YouTube inspires others.

Look at just how much you've managed to accomplish.  And screw the judges and the prizes and the accolades.  Screw them with a jackhammer--a chainsaw, even!

You can't measure your accomplishment by how some biased people decided to "judge" your performance.

Now let me ask you something that maybe no one else has: what's next?

I've been very content these past few days. This sense of contentment was contrasted sharply when I was flipping through some old blogs for a new compilation, best-of book (quick roundup, the books I'm currently working on are: Talking Heads Year One; Destructive Criticism; BORC-9 (a story about a boy and his trash can); and Another Alternative (or: Seminal Works are for Pornstars).

Yeah ... not all of these are new projects and a few are just editing projects (mainly). I'm not working exclusively on any particular one, but instead letting my inspiration guide me. But this isn't about the projects I'm working on, it's about how content I've been for the past few days.

The juxtaposition was how frantic and unsatisfying life was just a few short years ago--frantic because I was clearly NOT in the places I wanted to be. And up until a few days ago, I was constantly worrying about the sub-count on YouTube, the pageviews on here, and the production and roll out of new content in both places as to better facilitate my rise to ultimate power.

Today, however, none of that matters.

Even the frustrations of my real life are inconsequential today.

And I know you're expecting some grand reveal here--some brilliant life changing moment that acted as a catalyst for this overwhelming sense of contentment--but I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed.

Nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I did not make partner; my sub-count hovers just under 400; and winners still haven't been announced in the last screenplay contest I entered (they're wicked late, too).

But I'm satisfied. Content. For no other reason than that it's been a long time coming. Tomorrow, I might start stressing all over again about the minutae of my existence, but for now ... I'm good.

How are you?

Recent developments in the dreaded real life are prompting today's post.  I say "dreaded" real life because every now and then something comes along and kicks you in the ass so hard, that no matter what flavor of awesomeness is passing across the screen of your webular life, you just can't help but think how sore your bum is.

I'll spare you the details of the real life drama and cut straight to the heart of the matter--which, if you've been paying attention, has been a regular theme in this blog: fighting.

Arguing.  Debating.  Expressing one's thoughts and opinions explicitly when they differ from those of the person you are talking to.

I think most of us can agree that fighting is a delicious part of a relationship.  For those of you who don't agree, don't worry ... you will, in due time.  Fighting, at it's core, is conflict.  And it is from the mud and scum of conflict that beautiful things grow.

But let's clarify the need to fight and argue.  Specifically, WHOM to fight and argue with.  We'll use a sample argument--a differing opinion on a particular movie in the cineplex--to illustrate these fundamentals.

JIM: "Oh, I really want to go see The Proposal.  Ryan Reynolds is the SHIT."
JANE: "Well, I can agree with that."
JIM: "Come again?"
JANE: "Ryan Reynolds is shit.  I wouldn't watch a movie starring him if you paid me."
JIM: "Um, EXCUSE ME?"

Here's where things get sticky.  What kind of relationship do you think Jim and Jane are in?  Married?  Dating?  Or are the just strangers passing a movie poster in the cineplex?  If it is, in fact, the latter, what point is there to the argument?  What reason does Jim have justifying is undying affection for Ryan Reynolds?

None whatsover.

(Unless, of course, Jim is single and is prone to picking up women at the movie theater.  Even so, though, the fact that Jane doesn't like Ryan Reynolds likely precludes any potential of the two of them hooking up.)

My point is that fighting between strangers is, more often than not, unnecessary and pointless.  If something comes up, it's likely the best idea to just walk away from the person save everyone a little stress.

But if Jim and Jane are NOT strangers ... this becomes the very necessity for a good fight.

Let me explain:

Instinctively, it may seem like this would be the fight to avoid (as opposed to the one where they're strangers).  But here's the catch: if neither of them ever express to each other why they feel that way about Ryan Reynolds, the end result is nothing (or a breakup, depending on how much Jim REALLY likes Ryan Reynolds and how much anger and hostility he will end up grudgingly holding against Jane for her dislike of the man).

Conversely, if they stop everything and have a good fight about Ryan Reynolds, they both have an opportunity to express WHY they feel the way the do and, if they're exceptionally good fighters, ultimately they'll understand each other's motives.  The end result?

Actually going to see the movie together?  A better understanding of each other?  Jointly overcoming an obstacle in their relationship and later, after watching The Proposal, having crazy hot make-up sex?

Fighting is a good thing.  A great thing, even.  Certainly better than the alternative.  You ever hear of a couple who never fights?  Doesn't that just make you want to pity them forever and for always?

Fighting is very good.

You wanna fight?

NOTE: After writing all of this, I did a search for a picture to include in the post and came across this blog that effectively states all of my thoughts and opinions on arguing ... only way more effectively than anything I wrote here today.

Is it possible to be any more unmotivated than I am right now?

The good news is that I actually taped the footage for the fourth episode of krumbinesBRAIN ... not that this episode will goes into any new territory or anything ...

I want to get a bicycle.  Is Wal-Mart a good place to get a bicycle?  They have this red one that I'm rather fond of.

OMG, am I writing in tweets right now?  God, that's scary.

Okay, here's my dilemma: it's Saturday evening and I'm at a loss.  I don't rightly feel like working on any videos; I'm alone since the girl went out with her sister; I don't really feel like going out myself because the only things to do seem like shopping and movies.  I don't like going to the movies at peak hours (does anybody?) and there's nothing I need to shop for (or, I just don't feel like spending money).

Boredy-boredy-boredy ...

So my dilemma, in a nutshell, is that I don't really have all that much to do.  And on a weekend, that can be very troublesome, since I slog through the week doing the things I HAVE to do.

Is it fair to just do nothing?  I feel guilty about it for some reason.

I wonder if I bought a bicycle, would I really use it that much?  I had a bicycle before and I ended up having to leave it at a house when I moved.  I can't recall using it much at that house.

When I'm bored I tend to eat.  I'm considering some chips and salsa right now while I watch the second Matrix movie.  I watched the first one earlier today and it was pretty awesome--it was the first time I had watched it in years.  My point, however, is that eating when I'm bored isn't exactly the smartest thing in the world, because I'm really not the most physically active guy in the world.

That bicycle is really sounding like a good idea ...

Since my last post (which wasn't even legit since it was a repost of something I wrote last year ... and I have more to come! ;) we've posted the third episode of Talking Heads: YouTube Rejects; wrote, produced, and posted a new Narrator video ("The Hunger"); fielded handfuls of requests to get on Talking Heads; and dabbled with the notion of reviving the Beanie Boy Show.

Mostly, though, I've thought about the hot-button topic of the "YouTube Community".  I've briefly talked about it before ... but I highly doubt any of my viewers/readers today ever saw it ... much less remember it.

I find myself in an interesting position when considering the community that is YouTube.  Initially, I always though that YouTube was not (and should not be considered) a social-networking platform—the veritable foundation for any kind of "community", we can safely assume.  My argument was that we already had plenty of MySpaces and Facebooks and all of the other Friendster clones, so why do we need to manhandle YouTube into another social-networking platform?

YouTube, in my eyes, has always been a content delivery system.  Before YouTube, I had a website that I posted my videos to.  I would compress them into tiny little quicktime packages and load them directly to my servers.  It worked, but YouTube worked much better and enabled me to interact with my audience.  In short, it was a better way to deliver my videos to people who wanted to watch them.

That's why when you watch my videos (with VERY few exceptions) they don't seem like your standard fair YouTube video.  I don't produce videos to be part of a community ... I produce them because there's a story I wish to tell.  And yes, there's a difference.

More to the point, however, is the realization that YouTube is not exclusively a content delivery system OR a social-networking platform.  I believe that it STARTED as the former and eventually had the latter evolve out of it.

It is important to note, however, that the latter does NOT (nor will it) supplant the former.

There is, undoubtedly, a community on YouTube.  And this isn't a bad thing.  But we cannot forget WHY the community exists--which is to support the creative endeavors that utilize and depend on YouTube, the content delivery system.  The community cannot exist within a bubble and survive solely on itself--I repeat that we DO NOT need another Friendster clone.

Moreover, however, the community must not forsake its metaphorical birth-right: the creative content of YouTube.  It's a responsibility that everyone must shoulder ... from the people who produce the creative content, to the vloggers who make up the backbone of the YouTube community.

Is this a call to action?  Maybe.  Maybe I just want to see the discussion about community shift its focus.

Today just doesn't smell well.  Too much bad swirling around.  I'm still reeling from some of the news this morning and, honestly, waiting for the rest of it.  In the meantime, I offer you this:

In order to succeed, first you must fail.

Hasn't the arrogance of humanity gone far enough?

When you no longer care about spending the money you earn, how are you supposed to deal with the sheer pointlessness of your job?

Surely, if I can sell two books, I can sell three.