Our friend Brian Lerner worked with us in the early days of Jet Set Show, before we transitioned to JETSET and then to EPIC-FU. So we were really glad to see him get back into online video with his new series Drinks Anyone?, which is a serialized documentary about alcohol where he talks to people about their earliest memories of drinking, and their best and worst experiences with it. Check out the latest episode:
You can subscribe to the show here.
Veracifier is a political videoblog I wish I had the experience and knowledge to create myself. I wanted to give it a few weeks to see where it goes, and it just keeps getting better and better.
Josh Marshall from Talking Points Memo has joined up with Next New Networks to put out a daily show that breaks down the statements of politicians in the media, shows the sources they are using in their statements, and offers commentary based on an independent assessment of the actual resource.
From the blog associated with the show:
TPM Media are a new kind of journalist outfit; the kind that wears its independence on its sleeve and has an army of thousands of readers and contributors helping them get to the root of a story. Over the past months, for instance, TPM doggedly pursued and published information on the US Attorney scandals, and simply put, owned the story, as admitted by no less than the LA Times.
Josh Marshall is a real person offering straight commentary. To me, shows like Veracifier are the future of political commentary. I'm so sick of tv pundits that I tune out immediately. This is something I've been waiting for. Wth the presidential election getting into full swing this summer, it's a very refreshing new resource.
Veracifier also shows Alive in Baghdad:Uncut on Fridays. From their blog:
When we began looking for unique perspectives to be part of the programming here on Veracifier, Brian Conley and the Alive in Baghdad team were the first people we called. We've been avidly following their work since we first came across them last year, and when we began to hear some of the stories about how some of their reports were made, it seemed that there was a rich vein for a project together.
If you haven't seen it, Alive in Baghdad is simply one of the finest examples of progressive media on the Internet. It's a weekly videoblog produced by a team of Americans and Iraqi correspondents on the ground which brings testimonies from individual Iraqis and footage of daily life in Iraq.
The Veracifier site is still working out some kinks, but the show itself is way above par. Check it out.
Important links in this blog post:
Veracifier
Talking Points Memo
Alive in Baghdad
Disclosure: JETSET has a licensing and distribution partnership with Next New Networks.
Threadbanger is a new show about DIY fashion made by a couple of cool cats I got the chance to meet at the Channel Frederator Awards last month here in L.A., Rob and Corinne.
I really enjoyed the first two episodes, even though I don't consider myself a fashionista in any way, shape, or form. But I always like to see people doing things themselves, and the fashion industry is ripe for a smackdown. Anything that knocks people off their high horse by showing how to do the same thing in your garage gets my vote.
Threadbanger is also one of the first new shows put out by Next New Networks, a startup that is focused on developing niche web shows. Threadbanger is a nice effort -- the site has plenty of features, including the ability to register and upload your own videos for inclusion in future shows. Nice.
My only gripes at this point would be the video quality, which needs to be better, especially for a show focused on something as visual as fashion. And I don't see a way to get the show on a Windows Media Center PC to watch on television. For something like Threadbanger, which is a medium-length format, I can picture a lot of people wanting to watch on their televisions. Maybe TVTonic could help out. Also, I tried to embed the player in this post, but it surrounded the video with heavy white borders on the right and bottom, which is offputting. I replaced the player with a screenshot linked to the site.
Here's a direct link to the show's feed.
Um, Detrimentalevision is not for everyone, let's say that off the bat. I've been watching John's videos for a while now, trying to see if I could get a handle on what he's doing. You know, see if he's a one-trick pony of creepy, wonderful, weirdness, or a genuine filmmaker.
What I've found is that it doesn't matter. The stuff is great and hilarious, and the persona in the videos is completely compelling, engaging, and dare I say it, even endearing.
I think the most recent video is my favorite, the Amygdala Dance.
I don't profess to say that this show is everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy the hell out of it. Spend some time with John. Here's a direct link to his feed.
Ok, it's all very subjective, this recommending business. But I gotta say, I've been watching HeyJosh.tv from the beginning and this guy's videos keep getting better and better. This is my favorite so far. ;)
Entertaining: check. Informative: check. Genuinely interesting: check. Charismatic videoblogger: check. So what's not to like? He's even contributed to JETSET a couple of times (this one and this one).
Josh is Josh Shipp, a guy who tours the country every year speaking to teens about the issues that affect their lives. He's the real deal, having come through his own personal issues as a teen, so he speaks from experience. In fact, he's one of the most sought-after speakers in the country.
The truth is, for me, it's a needed videoblog. Not many videoblogs address a need. This one does. Check it out and pass it along.
