"Vlog" sounds like some kind of messed up russian food

So it seems I haven't posted in a while. As in, since before winter break a while. I wanted to do a post like my sister did after her first semester of college, about what I've learned and how much I've grown as a person, but it takes so long to type these things up that I often wonder how she ever had the patience to type such long posts.

That's part of why I've been thinking about these vlogs that have been going around youtube. This one in particular, called "breaking nyc" is literally just this guy going around with a camera videotaping whatever he does during the day, including going to barnes and noble, going to school, and occasionally washing the dishes. And these videos get thousands, no hundreds of thousands of views- and he makes a new one every day. And I'm thinking- hey this is kind of like that blogging thing we used to do. Like back when we all did it. My father would put some funny story up once or twice a week, my sister would always have the best stories about our relatives in new york, Ezzie would leave funny comments, and every once in a blue moon my mom would put something up.
Now it seems me and iguana are the only ones who pay our blogs any heed at all. No one reads them, and no one writes them. They used to be such a great way for us to keep each other updated on what funny or exciting things are going on in our lives.

These days it seems you can turn that kind of thing into internet gold by putting it up on youtube. I'm not sure how these things get so popular- I mean the guy is funny, but seriously who wants to watch him do his dishes? And yet apparently this guy gets recognized in diners and stuff. If I was ever downtown, there's a good chance I'd run into him. His cousin (at least I think she's his cousin) meekakitty won $100,000 in an online contest through her vlog, when she asked the viewers to vote for her. She's using
the money to pay for college.

And by the way, both of their videos are very funny, and it's clear they put a ton of effort into them. I'm starting to wonder what would be more work- typing my blogs up, or turning them into "vlogs". The vlogs have potential to be really funny, and possibly even to catch on online (although I would never expect that to happen), but I think they require something these guys have that I don't: energy. Maybe that's why people will watch raywilliamjohnson make corn chowder, or watch meekakitty talk about essentially nothing for four minutes- because they do it in such a funny style. It's partly the editing, but it's also just the energy and excitement they put into it (meekakitty in particular). I guess that's something I don't have, although I really wish I did.

It would definitely be more awkward for me to video these things and put them up, but it'd also be funnier. Blogs used to be things people would read for a good laugh; now it seems to be a good place to go to see Shlock Rock advertisements. Remember when people would shoot coffee out of their noses reading stories about yonina's ridiculous books or conversations? (which I can assure you are in no short supply) What happened? Nobody has time anymore?

I admit that I've also slowed my blogging, from like a couples times a week to like once a month at best. It's definitely not because there's nothing going on (although occassionally that's true). But it's just that the whole thing has gotten kind of old. Writing these blogs seems to have become something I look upon as a chore. I used to get so excited when I'd laugh at something and say "that's going in the blog!" It seems to have lost some of its zeal over the last few years. That's what gets me thinking that maybe it's time for a new medium. Maybe the best way to bring life back to these blogs is to "vlog" them instead. And gosh darnit, if "breaking nyc" can get half a million views of this guy washing his dishes, I don't see what I've got to lose!

But shooting and editing is a lot of work, and this guy's youtube show, "equals three", apparently takes up most of his week. Although I don't think it has to. But you know, he's got fans. Thousands of them! That's pretty cool! I mean, what did he do? He set up some lights in a corner of his room and put up videos of him talking about...other youtube videos? And he gets thousands of subscribers! He sells t-shirts! You've gotta wonder, if he can do it, can anyone?

Now I'm not guaranteeing anything, and I'm not saying you can expect me to make one of these and put it up next week, but it's just something I've been thinking about.