Stuart Edge

Your TO-DO List:

Go to YouTube.com
Search Stuart Edge
Watch Every Video He Has Ever Posted!

Why???

Because he makes some pretty damn good ones!

To be completely honest with you all, I do not know much about this man who takes these videos. Only that he is/was a college student (I think) and that he is crazy talented with using social media for self-publishing and promoting himself and his videos. His slogan, or saying that can be found on Facebook is "making YouTube videos that make YouSmile." He has everything from a YouTube account (obviously), Twitter, FB, Instagram, and even his own blog. He is using every outlet possible to get his creative abilities out in the open, and it seems like its working. Some of his videos have reached over 25 million views! He has been written about in papers, talked about on Late Night Television, and most likely interviewed via the radio - he is everywhere!

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/stuartedge/featured
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/10jkXog
Twitter: http://bit.ly/stuwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/inststu
Blog: http://bit.ly/YKeWSO

Huffington Post Articles: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tag/stuart-edge

In particular, there is one video of his that is my favorite: The Original, first-video posted, "Mistletoe Kissing Prank", which was published in December of 2012. The video shows people being asked a survey on winter activities, specifically, kissing under the Mistletoe. Would they do it? Coincidently, a mistletoe somehow pops up out of nowhere and the two interviewers kiss whoever hey are questioning at that moment. It is a holiday filled, feel-good, funny video that made a huge impact on the internet. It was only natural for Stuart to continue with his mini-movie's and his rise to  fame with other cool kissing prank ideas...

 

 

 

 

Stuart Edge likes to choose college campuses among his top locations for pranks. Who knows, maybe someday students we'll see him here at Potsdam. In the meantime, as we wait for his arrival...SUBSCRIBE!!!!

 

24 Hour Challenge

Alright, so as many of you already might be aware of, there is this 24 hour drinking challenge happening on Facebook that seems to be spreading like wildfire. The challenge consists of people making a video of themselves chugging a beer of choice as fast as possible, and then challenging three new people with the same task. Every new person who gets challenged (or tagged in the post) has 24 hours to make a video of themselves drinking. Newsfeeds everywhere are flooding with this crazy new "trend".

 

 

I can't help but wonder why this "trend" or "craze" has spread through the internet by Facebook and YouTube, and not others. All I can think of is all the posts that people write on their wall for others to copy and post on their own. For example: "If you support animal rights, please put this as your status." ( + there would be a saying or small paragraph before the request.) No one Ever does it ..... so why this? Because there's alcohol involved? What psychological steps are taken in our own minds to think that doing something like this is a better thing to show support of rather than topics like cancer? Is it socially acceptable? Is it cool? What about all those future employers, will they think this is a skill that will help us in the office?

 

Personally, I'm a Whiskey drinker, so this challenge is not for me. And although I do find some enjoyment watching people chug to see how fast is it humanly possible to finish a beer - I still think its stupid.  The internet hosts some crazy things, and yes, entertainment is obviously at its peak with this video (watching friends chug their favorite beers), but so is obliviousness to consequences and loss of self respect.  Catch up to your dignity people, so what If you can drink a beer in 10 seconds? I'd be more impressed if you succeeded in the Cinnamon Challenge. 

Facebookers

Okay, so earlier on in the semester I wrote a blog on what not to post on social media. It seemed to be a pretty popular read, so I figured I'd take the same idea and tweak it a little bit >>>

Earlier today I found a site called Social Media Today which hosted a post entitled "11 Things You Need to Immediately Stop Doing on Facebook." The author of the article, Daniel Zeevi, states in the opening paragraph that "Facebook is the most popular social network with over 1 billion active users. And with great popularity comes some shameful characters ..."  

Right away, reader's can tell that this piece of writing is going to announce the most annoying things that people do on Facebook, and to immediately stop if you are one of them. Take a look:

http://socialmediatoday.com/daniel-zeevi/1312321/11-things-you-need-immediately-stop-doing-facebook

Now, I realize the importance of Facebook in our everyday lives, hell, I'm on it everyday. It acts as a third community for me: I have my home town, college town, and internet town. But with every community, comes those people, those neighbors, that you just cant stand and who are always showing up outside your door with baked goods. The one's you get so aggravated at because a) they are always posting b) inviting you to play stupid games like candy crush c) poking you (which is way out of style or d) posting about how perfect their lives or relationships are.

Again, Facebook is not a place for everyone to know everything bout you, or care. We should all be focused on our own lives, rather than reading old posts of people, whom the majority of them, we don't even talk to or see on a daily bases. I find Facebook to be just one epic site of gossip and personal judgments. If I post something wrong, say something out of my supposed "character" (which isn't even my real self on the internet), or upload the wrong photos, I am definitely going to be judged for it. People's behavior changes erratically on social media networks. I guess I have mixed emotions regarding the site, and on whether its really a healthy communication device for society or not. Cyber bullying, another blog I wrote about, is easier on sites like this, and finding information on people is cake. I think people need to step away from the computer screens and go play outside for a change. Stop being that annoying self absorbed, judgmental person on the internet whose comparing themselves to the thousands of others on the media network, who cares? You are who you are, you don't need to do stupid things, or post ridiculous amounts of information about yourself to get noticed. We have plenty of snow outside now, go play.

Zeevi's post is both sarcastic and hilarious, it is one I found myself smiling and agreeing with the whole way through. Facebook really is a whole new world, with people who are far from normal.

Canine Lovin'

My favorite videos to watch on YouTube pertain to soldiers & their loyal companions awaiting them at home. The bonds between man and dog are unbelievable and in these videos anyone can see that they truly love and miss each other. Specifically, the video below shows soldiers coming home from being deployed and the initial reactions they get from their pets after seeing them for the first time in awhile. Being an avid dog owner and lover myself, it is both heart-wrenching & beautiful to watch! Enjoy!

 

 

MyFitnessPal

Reasons why you should think about getting in shape:

1. It's a new year
2. Spring Break is 3 weeks away
3. Summer will be here soon
4. To feel good about yourself
5. To prove to your ex that you are better off without them
6. To get healthy

Whatever the reason, there are plenty of programs that can help you reach your goal:

 

Now, I know what your all thinking: "But I don't want to spend money trying to get in shape" - and you don't have too! Luckily, there is one free effective program that is geared towards framing your life in a positive & healthier way. It's called MyFitnessPal.

 

MyFitnessPal is a free phone app (and website) that tracks people's diets and exercise. After registering, guests are asked to supply personal information like height, weight, gender, and a future goal to reach. From there the app determines a healthy daily targeted calorie amount based on the entered data. People who choose MyFitnessPal can individually see what they are eating, including the nutritional facts of every product/food they are consuming. The app also breaks down by percentage how much protein, fat, and carbohydrates their clients are getting on a daily basis. Other features of the app include a progress graph in the length of a three month span, reminders, messages, connecting with friends, and a newsfeed that continuously tells people how well they are progressing after entering a lower weight in the progress column.

 

One of the best features of MyFitnessPal is its ability to keep a log of exercises that its clients perform. The speed and amount performing can be logged into the daily diary. It then, can calculate the food with the exercise,  creating a new net worth of calories that people can use to divulge in for the remaining of their day.

 

 

It really is an easy, and effective way to get healthy and lose weight. IT'S FUN & FREE TOO!

If you are interested in taking the first step to a healthier life style:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Quoting Shirky

Out of all the books we have read, THIS is the best thus far.

The fact that Shirky started his chapter with a story, one in which I'm sure many can relate too, (we've all lost our own phones at some point) is brilliant. It grabbed my attention throughout and it made it easy to see the point of the chapter.

Now, I could sit here for awhile and discuss the roles of socialism in society and how the internet has the ability to create a large following very quickly or how maybe Evan shouldn't have abused this girl in the magnitude that he did, after all it was just a phone (I'd be pretty pissed though). But I'd simply rather just focus on the language & quotes that Shirky used to describe this story. The book is very easy to read, almost personable - I can fully understand what is happening without question, and I really liked the first chapter.

But before I actually go into the specific quotes I enjoyed reading, I would just like to point out (guess I do have to say something) that this movement that Evan started via the internet almost reminded me of a cult. They were following him, believing him, doing everything he was saying - and it was happening fast. I can only question this: what is actually mentally happening to us when we become so involved in someone else's life via the internet, that we gain up and attack another person, who we don't know, and possibly change/alter their lives forever? Is a phone really worth ruining someone's life over, or having them attacked by millions of viewers/readers that they don't even know?  That could do some serious psychological damage to person. At the same time though, its pretty cool that the internet has come so far that people are able to create a movement that can right the wrong quickly. All  that I would like people to remember is that these are ALL real people, with hardships and triumphs. What if something like this happened to you? What if you created something like this? Guilt, relief....I don't know which one I would feel more.

Now for my favorite quotes/parts of the chapter in Shirky's Here Comes Everbody!!

-  "...Dan Gillmor, a journalist and the author of We the Media, calls "the former audience," those people who react to, participate in, and even alter a story as it is unfolding."  (pg. 7)
-  "The story of righting a wrong is a powerful one and helped him generate the involvement of others that finally led to the recovery of the phone." (pg. 8)
- Thanks to the Web, the cost of publishing globally has collapsed (pg. 9)
- This pattern of growth was both cause and effect for mainstream media getting involved.." (pg. 9)
- The whole episode demonstrates how dramatically connected we've become to one another." (pg. 11)
-  "..has dramatically increased our social visibility and made it easier for us to find each other but also to be scrutinized in public. It demonstrates that the old limitations of media have been radically  reduced, with much of the power accruing to the former audience. It demonstrates how a story can go from local to global in a heartbeat. And it demonstrates the ease and speed with which a group can be mobilized for the right kind od cause." (pg. 120)
- The story of the lost sidekick s an illustration of the kinds of changes - some good, some bad, most too complex to label - that are affecting the ways groups assemble and cooperate. These changes are profound because they are amplifying or extending our essential social skills, and our characteristic social failings as well." (pg. 14)
- "Human beings are social creatures -" (pg. 14)
- "Our social life is literally primal, in the sense that chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives among the primates, are also social." (pg. 15)
- This combination of personal smarts and social intuition makes us the undisputed champions of the animal kingdom in flexibility of collective membership." (pg. 16)
- "Even writing a book, a famously solitary pursuit, involves the work of editors, publishers, and designers..." (pg. 16)
- "When we change the way we communicate, we change society." (pg. 17)
- "The tools that a society uses to create and maintain itself are as central to human life as a hive is to bee life." (pg. 17)
- "Without plausible promise, all the technology in the world would be nothing more than all the technology in the world." (pg. 18)
- "Group action gives human society its particular character, and anything that changes the way groups get things done will affect society as a whole." (pg. 23)
- "When will the change happen? What will change? The only two answers we can rule out are never, and nothing." (pg. 23)


P.S. If your interested in a cool show that has to deal with cults, definitely check out "The Following" on FOX.