Tag Archives: YouTube videos

I’m Officially On Twitch!

Every now and then, I feel compelled to try something new in hopes that it’ll become a new passion or at least help me connect with other like-minded people. For much of my early life, right up until I was in my mid-20s, I was generally reluctant. I spent a good chunk of my life dealing with crippling anxiety, shyness, and sub-par social skills. I like to think I’ve gotten better. But when it comes to trying new things, I’m still behind the curve compared to most.

So, when I do attempt something new, it’s noteworthy and exciting. For the most part, those attempts have been successful. I consider this site and my YouTube channel a success in that regard. Now, I’m hoping to add a new endeavor to the mix.

To that end, I’d like to officially announce that I’ve joined Twitch. I now have my own channel and I just recently began streaming on it.

https://www.twitch.tv/marvelmaster6616

Now, I’ve been aware of Twitch for quite some time. Some of my friends regularly use it. But for the most part, I didn’t really get into it. I just know that whenever I explain Twitch to older people, their reactions are often funny.

I tell them that it’s largely a channel where people stream themselves playing video games and other people join in to watch. When they ask why anyone would want to do that, I often counter with why anyone would want to watch other people play sports. I also point out that a lot of people my age have fond memories of getting together with friends, hanging out, and watching one another play our favorite video games.

I’m one of them. I can’t count how many hours I spent with my friends just watching them play games like Goldeneye or Mario Kart.

Twitch is just a bigger manifestation of that. And recently, I’ve caught up with some old friends of mine who are now active on Twitch. That inspired me to start a channel of my own. I’ve already made a number of YouTube videos showing me playing games like Marvel Strike Force and Cyberpunk 2077. This is just me expanding on that.

Like my YouTube channel, I don’t expect to get a lot of followers at first. But I’ve already found that it’s a fun way to interact with people and to share some personal thoughts here and there. In my first few streams, I even dropped some hints about upcoming YouTube videos. So, if you ever want to interact with me directly, this is another way to do it.

I also hope that, when I get a Playstation 5, it’ll be easier to use Twitch to share my gameplay. That could be another way to interact with friends and build an audience. Time will tell. But I just wanted to announce this for anyone interested in a different kind of interaction.

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Filed under Twitch, YouTube

On The Eve Of Halloween: Some Scary (Possibly) True Stories From Reddit

Hope everyone has their costumes ready and their candy bowls filled. Tomorrow is Halloween! For some, there are already plenty of activities for today and tonight. There are spooky Halloween parties to attend and horror movie marathons to watch. I certainly have some plans of my own. After last year, I want to make the most out of Halloween.

So, in that spirit and in an effort to get everyone’s spine tingling in all the right ways, I’d like to share some scary stories. However, these aren’t just your typical campfire stories. These stories come courtesy of r/AskReddit, one of my favorite subs to browse. There are plenty of stories and discussions on that sub that are funny, gross, and sexy. My personal favorite, however, are the ones with a spooky twist.

People have their share of scary life experiences. Some are more fanciful than others, but a few are truly disturbing. Even if you’re not a believer in the paranormal, they still strike a chord, especially around this time of year. Now, that’s not to say you should take every story at face value. People do lie on the internet or exaggerate the truth. That’s something we should always keep in mind when reading stories on the internet, especially on a site like Reddit.

That doesn’t make the stories any less engaging. In some cases, it might even make them scarier. So, I found a couple of videos from a new Reddit-based channel I discovered, Reddit Aliens. This channel specializes in the spookier side of Reddit and knows how to pick some of the best scary stories from the sub. So, for those looking for a good jump scare before the Halloween festivities, I hope this helps. Enjoy!

Here’s another one purporting to contain scary true stories.

Here’s one more video that focuses on stories in the mold of a CreepyPasta, which I’ve recently grown fond of.

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Filed under CreepyPasta, real stories, Reddit, YouTube

NFL 2021 Season: Predictions And Picks

The following is a video from my YouTube Channel, Jack’s World. It’s a rather lengthy video in which I preview the 2021 NFL season and offer my predictions, as well as my pick for who will win each division. Then, I give my pick for who will win Super Bowl LVI. Enjoy!

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Filed under Jack's World, NFL, sports, YouTube

Malcolm In The Middle: Dynamics Of Poverty And Dysfunction

The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It explores the depths, dynamics, and chaotic humor of one of my favorite shows of all time, “Malcolm In The Middle.” It also expands on a piece I wrote about this show a while back on what makes people deviant. In addition to being funny, this show reveals a lot about what fuels dysfunction. It also manages to be oddly uplifting in the end. Enjoy!

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Filed under Jack's World, psychology, television, YouTube

Jack’s Comic Gems: Starfire

The following is video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s yet another entry in my Jack’s Comic Gems playlist where I highlight uniquely special gems from the world of comics. For this particular gem, we travel to the magical world of Key West, Florida where we meet a special, orange skinned princess in Starfire. If you’re a fan of DC Comics, this is one of those books that might have slipped under the radar, due to when it came out. However, it’s not too late to appreciate this uniquely endearing story about the empathic and endearing Tamaranea princess.

Also, I know the audio for this was choppy. I don’t know what caused it. I apologize. Rest assured, it doesn’t make the comic any less a gem.

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Filed under DC Comics, Jack's Comic Gems, superhero comics, YouTube

Jack’s Comic Gems: Black Widow: The Ties That Bind

The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. This is actually a video I’ve been planning to make for quite some time now. I always wanted to release it alongside the release of the “Black Widow” movie, but if you followed the news last year, you understand why that was such a challenge.

As frustrating as the wait has been, it’s finally happening. This movie is coming out and that means it’s a great time to get back into Black Widow comics. As it just so happens, last year brought us one of the best gems featuring Black Widow in years, courtesy of Kelly Thompson and Elena Casagrande. I rarely make such a statement for a comic that’s not even two years old, but this one definitely warranted an exception. Watch this video to find out why. Enjoy!

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Filed under Jack's Comic Gems, Jack's World, Marvel, superhero comics, superhero movies, YouTube

Thought Experiment: What Makes An Effective Superhero?

The following is a video from my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s another thought experiment about superheroes and what makes them effective. It was an extension of sorts of an article I wrote years ago on how to be an effective superhero. However, this video is a bit more open ended in that it takes a big picture approach to heroics. To all that check it out, I encourage you to share your thoughts in the comments. Enjoy!

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Filed under Jack's World, superhero comics, superhero movies, Thought Experiment, YouTube

What The COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns Have Helped People Realize (According To Reddit)

Let’s be honest. At this time last year, a lot of us were in a bad place. The COVID-19 pandemic was going full throttle. We didn’t have a vaccine yet and had no idea how long it would take to get one. Even by then, the deniers and the idiots couldn’t avoid it. This crisis was real. These lockdowns and public health measures were real. We didn’t know how long it was going to last. Normal, as we knew it, may as well have been another lifetime.

Now, we can actually say with a straight face that the pandemic is almost over. Thanks to widespread vaccine efforts, we’re at a point where many of those emergency measures are being lifted. Even among the states that were hardest hit, the final restrictions are coming down. The normality we once took for granted is almost upon us once more.

I cannot overstate how big a relief that is. I also doubt anyone will forget what it was like to endure over a year of lockdowns and restrictions. I like to think we won’t take this sort of thing for granted again, although that may be hoping for too much. For me personally, this pandemic has taught me a lot about just how frail our modern world is. It also taught me how vulnerable we still are as a species and a society.

That’s just one of many lessons. Others have learned them to and then some. Now, as the restrictions are lifting and life as we knew it is returning, I think it’s beneficial that we all take a moment to reflect on what this pandemic helped us realize. Many of those realizations were harsh, to say the least. They’re still worth acknowledging.

To that end, I found a helpful video from the YouTube Channl, Radio TTS. This channel covers some posts from the popular r/AskReddit subreddit. Some of these responses are a lot more personal than anything I experienced. They’re still worth sharing. If you have others you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.

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Filed under Current Events, real stories, Reddit, YouTube

My YouTube Channel: Challenges With Recording Video Game Footage (And Possible Solutions)

File:Logo of YouTube (2015-2017).svg - Wikipedia

It’s been almost a year since I began my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long. Then again, a lot of the work I put into this channel happened during the last year’s extended COVID-19 lockdowns. Hence, I can totally believe it’s been that long.

In that time, I’ve learned a great deal about the art, process, and particulars that go into making YouTube videos. I assumed it was a lot harder than successful YouTubers made it seemed. I was right on many levels. At the same time, I was somewhat relieved that the tools you need were readily available and learning to use them did not require going back to college.

I hope that those who have been following my channel since it began have seen an uptick in overall quality. Some of that uptick is largely due to hardware. If you listen to my first video, you’ll hear some fairly poor audio quality. That’s because I used a cheap USB microphone to record it. Compare that to my more recent videos and the difference should be clear. That’s the benefit of investing in a better mic.

I’ve made other investments in my channel, some of which came at a significant cost. However, there’s still room for improvement.

One such improvement involves my recent foray into video game footage. If you’re subscribed to my channel, you’ve seen me posting screen recordings of me playing a video game called Marvel Strike Force. I’ve created an entire playlist from it. I’ve even had a little fun adding epic music in the background and doing large mash-ups of extended gameplay.

The problem is that I’m finding it more and more difficult to refine that content. Aside from just recording the gameplay and putting music behind it, I’ve been struggling to add much more to it. At one point, I wanted to do some audio commentary during the gameplay. I found that to be difficult because these screen recordings come from my iPhone and I can’t use my fancy new mic on that.

Since I use a PC and not a Mac, I can’t really take advantage of better hardware on my main computer where I do all my video editing. I’ve also taken up a lot of space with some of the footage I’ve recorded and that’s on a relatively new device. Clearly, if I’m going to keep providing this kind of content, I’ll need to find a better way. I’m considering a software like Blue Stacks.

However, I’d like to take things a bit further than the games I play on my iPad and iPhone. At some point, I want to start doing gameplay from my PS4 and, eventually, a PS5 whenever I get one. With games like “Resident Evil Village” and “Mass Effect: Legendary Edition” coming out, I want to be able to stream longer and more extensive gameplay.

I know there are established ways to do that. I’m just not sure what form it’ll ultimately take on my channel. Will I use this gameplay as a means of offering background footage while I offer commentary? Will I just leave it alone and just show the footage? Will I use the footage to mash it up into something more creative?

I don’t know yet and I’m certainly open to suggestions. For now, one of the most immediate solutions I can pursue is getting a large external hard drive that I can use to store footage from both my iPad and my PS4. Another is to simply upgrade my iPad so that the resolution is better.

It really depends on what I feel will make a better video, in the long run. I’ll still do plenty of videos breaking down my favorite TV shows, movies, and thought experiments. My channel is still young with less than 100 videos. I’m also still building my audience. I don’t know how big it’s going to get or if I’ll hit a limit, as I’ve done with my many other creative endeavors. Only time will tell.

Again, I’m open to suggestions and tips. If you have any, please feel free to share them. In the meantime, enjoy this footage of me beating Dark Dimension IV in Marvel Strike Force.

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Filed under Jack's World, video games, YouTube

Extremes In Capitalist Tropes: Bob Belcher Vs. Montgomery Burns

The following is a video for my YouTube channel, Jack’s World. It’s a bit of a shift from my previous videos. In this, I try to dissect certain TV tropes from some of my favorite shows. For this video, I’m breaking down how capitalism manifests in two distinct characters, namely Montgomery Burns from “The Simpsons” and Bob Belcher from “Bob’s Burgers.”

I’m very curious to see what kind of response I get here. If you like what you see with this video and want to see more like it, please let me know. Thanks and enjoy!

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Filed under Current Events, extremism, human nature, Jack's World, media issues, political correctness, politics, television, YouTube