LAST EDITED ON Jul-23-25 AT 03:44 AM (EDT)
 
Over on the vtubers board, TsukaiStarburst said:
>It really does feel like there is some giant kind of psyco-parasite
>doing everything it can to mentally and emotionally destroy as many
>people as it possibly can in the world right now and you can see in
>real time people doing their best to fight back against an enemy they
>don't even understand with support and kindness.

Before I crash, I'd just like to take a moment and offer a handful of YouTube channels, some of which I've watched for a long time and others I've just stumbled over in the last little while, which may go some way toward making things better.

Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial
Just like it says on the tin: the former USS New Jersey (BB-62), now preserved (like all the Iowa-class battleships) as a museum. NJ's is not your average museum YouTube channel. Curator Ryan Szimanski and his media team put out a video at 7 PM Eastern time every weekday about something in, on, around, or to do with the ship's history and/or present state. You never know what it's going to be. It might be the keys that controlled the nuclear weapons the Navy can still not confirm nor deny the ship carried in the 1980s. It might be a cool wrench Ryan found while poking around one of the ship's dozens of DAMCON lockers. Ryan seems like he'd be a fun guy to hang around with.

The Tank Museum
Another not-your-average-museum-channel. The Tank Museum in Bovington, England has the world's largest collection of armored vehicles, and they like to talk about them. They like to do that quite a lot. Most of the figures who made this channel one of the lifelines of the pandemic have sadly moved on, but there's still a lot of fun stuff coming out of Bovington, and of course the archive of all their older content is still there.

The Royal Armouries Museum
One last museum channel. Many of you probably already know this as the home of Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, Which Houses a Collection of Thousands of Iconic Weapons From Throughout History, and indeed his "What Is This Weapon?" series is a mainstay of the channel--but they also have other people working there, and other areas of specialization, which also get their own interesting and well-produced videos on occasion.

Midlife Stockman
Speaking of fighting back with support and kindness: Sean Stockman lives somewhere in greater Detroit, and his hobby is driving around with a trailer full of lawn care equipment and tidying up overgrown properties he spots along the way. Abandoned houses (and there are a lot of those in metro Detroit these days), vacant lots, the yards of folks who can't keep up with it for various reasons, whatever. If it's covered in vines, choked in weeds, and just generally making the rest of the neighborhood look bad, he'll clean it up. He doesn't just mow the grass, either. Trash that needs picking up, hedges that need trimming, if it's yard-related he'll get to it. The man is a fanatical edger. (Not in that way.) And he does it all for free.

He's also relentlessly cheerful and non-judgmental about whatever's going down, and very good at de-escalating situations when people get in his face about... cutting grass for free?? (This happens with a slightly weird frequency.) He clearly regards what he's doing as a capital-M Mission in the Christian sense, but, at least on camera, he's unusually non-overbearing about it. He's too busy getting stuff done.

Rudan Brothers
The three Rudan brothers, Miloš and his twin younger brothers Stefan and Momĉilo, are immigrants from Serbia who have a roofing business in greater Toronto. A few times a month, they do basically the same thing as Stockman, except instead of looking for yards that need work, they look for houses with roofs that are in bad shape. When they find one, they offer to replace the gutters, no charge. If the homeowners take them up on it, they do the gutter work as promised, but at the end, when they've shown the homeowners their new gutters, they offer to put a new steel roof on the house. For free. With a lifetime warranty.

As you might expect, a lot of people the Rudans encounter are very suspicious, both of the initial offer and the follow-up. The homeowners almost always assume it's some kind of scam at first. Some homeowners even run them off with threats of violence and/or the police. Even after the gutters are done, some are skeptical about the roof offer. The fun thing about this is that the brothers are so likeable, and so obviously good at their job, that the ones who give them a chance usually end up bringing them food and having patio parties with them by the second day of the job.

I dunno, I never thought I would be interested in videos about lawn care or roofing, but there's something strangely engaging about both of these channels. Part of it is that the segments where they're actually working are oddly meditative, but in both cases, their interactions with the people they're helping, and other people in the neighborhoods, are what really makes their channels what they are. It's a sad statement about today's world that so many people are suspicious of, or even actively hostile to, both Stockman and the Rudan brothers, but at the same time, the fact that they're out there pushing back against that tide is really something.

(Also, the Rudans have a pal called Sonny who sometimes comes and pitches in with their bigger products, which is especially touching when it comes out that Sonny's Croatian. Serbs and Croats... not generally the best of buds, after all.)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

Another channel to have a look at: http://www.youtube.com/@the_fat_electrician

Started off doing short TikToks but since coming over to youtube does more longer-form videos. The subject of his videos are mostly military history (WWI, WWII, certain military divisions, vehicles, weapons, people, etc) but occasionally focuses on things that he likes or finds funny. Aldi's, Bass Pro Shops, Waffle House and other random off-the-wall things. I could try to describe his approach to presenting the information but I wouldn't be able to do it justice. It's definitely not a bland or dry spewing out of facts.

Figured I'd join in the fun and add a few channels I've been following (off and on) for awhile:

Junkyard Digs
One of the many "car revival" channels out there, though in this case of the "glutton for punishment" variety (ala Vice Grip Garage) in frequently picking cars far from home that either haven't run in ages and/or in very rough shape and then driving them home to Iowa to decide if they're even worth trying to fix up for sale. Channel is run (and largely stars) Kevin Brown and his crew of misfits like his wife "Mook," Angus, Phoenix, Tom, and whoever shows up to join in the misadventures on a (somewhat) weekly basis. Has two annual channel traditions, the first is finding an abandoned camper to fix up in a week and drive 500 miles to watch a NASCAR race at the Kansas Motor Speedway, while the second is finding similarly abandoned farm equipment to plant and harvest crops on his property with the end goal of making enough money to afford beers for everybody.

SB Mowing
A similar channel to Midlife Stockman, SB Mowing is run by Sean B who runs a mowing and lawn care business out of Wichita, Kansas but uses his free time and materials to help out folks in the local community by cleaning up overgrown lawns and vacant lots, magically finding sidewalks under years of built-up dirt and sod, and getting harassed by everybody from nosy neighbors and cops to random jackholes who have a problem with the idea of charity. Oddly has a side project channel called SB Power Washing which is exactly what it says on the tin: A channel with Sean power-washing people's driveways and walkways (again, for free).

Midwest Magic Cleaning
A channel run by Tim Felix and his friends/employees who (like Stockman and SB) take on projects for charity, in this case usually cleaning the homes of hoarders which are in need of deep cleaning...or an exorcism. Highlights will often include stacks of years/decades old detritus, kitchens that haven't cooked a meal in ages, tubs blacker than the heart of a Fortune 500 CEO, and the occasional rodent skeleton or two. Also does side videos on issues related to hoarding, his reasons for not cleaning certain homes, stuff that he left out of previous videos, and his own struggles with depression. A good channel if you're not too squeamish about the things that grow in toilets that haven't been touched with a cleaning brush since Clinton was in the White House.

EXP
The home of the "Expert Reacts" videos that used to appear on Gamespot before they unceremoniously canceled the series, the main draw is (of course) Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, Which Houses a Collection of Thousands of Iconic Weapons From Throughout History and his co-host Dave Jewitt continuing to look at the weapons of famous games and movies such as their recent video on the guns of the John Wick films. Tune in for a look at your favorite weapons from the latest first person shooter, stick around for Jonathan cringing at cursed guns as he cradles his emotional support MP5.

Found And Explained
Rounding out this list is Found And Explained, a channel hosted by Nick that looks at various aeronautical, nautical nautical, and technological topics from across history with a heavy emphasis on various test projects and paper designs that failed for one reason or another. What makes Nick's work impressive is that he takes the time to not only build 3D models of the subjects of his videos but also animated sequences or cutaways for important bits so that he's not simply throwing grainy B&W or gray-scale pictures on the screen while he narrates over them.

>SB Mowing
>A similar channel to Midlife Stockman, SB Mowing is run by Sean B who
>runs a mowing and lawn care business out of Wichita, Kansas but uses
>his free time and materials to help out folks in the local community
>by cleaning up overgrown lawns and vacant lots, magically finding
>sidewalks under years of built-up dirt and sod, and getting harassed
>by everybody from nosy neighbors and cops to random jackholes who have
>a problem with the idea of charity. Oddly has a side project channel
>called SB Power Washing which is exactly what it says on the
>tin: A channel with Sean power-washing people's driveways and walkways
>(again, for free).

I've watched this one from time to time! Solid channel.

>>SB Mowing
>>A similar channel to Midlife Stockman, SB Mowing is run by Sean B who
>>runs a mowing and lawn care business out of Wichita, Kansas but uses
>>his free time and materials to help out folks in the local community
>>by cleaning up overgrown lawns and vacant lots, magically finding
>>sidewalks under years of built-up dirt and sod, and getting harassed
>>by everybody from nosy neighbors and cops to random jackholes who have
>>a problem with the idea of charity. Oddly has a side project channel
>>called SB Power Washing which is exactly what it says on the
>>tin: A channel with Sean power-washing people's driveways and walkways
>>(again, for free).
>
>I've watched this one from time to time! Solid channel.

Ok, can anyone who watches this channel tell me exactly what the deal is here? I mean, I get the "Hi, can I mow your lawn for free" part, and apparently he has some sort of relationship(?) with the city govt, so actually abandoned properties would be fair game, but I managed to get a couple videos in a row randomly where he couldn't tell who owned the house or if anyone was home and just... started mowing. Surely that's a bad idea? Trespassing, liability issues, something?

--dbrandon

>stick around for Jonathan cringing at cursed
>guns as he cradles his emotional support MP5.

If you haven't watched any of these yet, this isn't an exaggeration- Johnathan will really hold up one of his example guns in a manner suggesting it's like a security blankey (I recommend the Horseshoes Hotdogs and Handgrenades episodes for this).

"This is probably a stupid question, but . . ."

>EXP
>The home of the "Expert Reacts" videos that used to appear on Gamespot
>before they unceremoniously canceled the series, the main draw is (of
>course) Jonathan Ferguson, Keeper of Firearms and Artillery at the
>Royal Armouries Museum in the UK, Which Houses a Collection of
>Thousands of Iconic Weapons From Throughout History and his co-host
>Dave Jewitt continuing to look at the weapons of famous games and
>movies such as their recent video on the guns of the John Wick
>films. Tune in for a look at your favorite weapons from the latest
>first person shooter, stick around for Jonathan cringing at cursed
>guns as he cradles his emotional support MP5.

Just FYI: EXP is having a 50% off sale on their Patreon memberships this month, so if you're not signed up, you can get the first month of the $20 "extended episodes" tier for 10 bucks and change (depending on your local tax situation). I did so, and am now working my way through the rather satisfying backlog that's built up while I've been too {cheap|poor} to pop for the full price.

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.

LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-25 AT 09:34 PM (EDT)
 
So I'll throw in a few of my own.

For the foodies and history buffs among us:

The Townsends
Centering on the Colonial era, primarily the 18th century, looking at food, cooking methods, and other lifestyle touches such as how to make a quill pen or seal a letter with sealing wax.

Tasting History with Max Miller
More of a historical generalist, Matt picks an era of history, finds an interesting recipe from it, and recreates it in the modern era. His series on the meals of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class, and crew, on the RMS Titanic, might be of especial interest. He also did an episode on what the rescuees were fed aboard the Carpathian.

How To Drink
For the boozers among us, Greg will mix up just about anything, be it a classic drink, a modern drink, or inventing something based on various fictional IPs. (And then there was the time he made MountainDew flavored corn chips and Doritos liquer....)

Chef PK
A professional chef and anime fan cooks various dishes from anime and related products. Unfortunately his reaction videos to the various episodes of Shokugeki no Soma (aka Food Wars) have been taken down due to copyright complaints, his commentary on them from the perspective of a professional chef was very interesting.

Not food related: Cracking the Cryptic
In which a couple of Brits solve puzzles while you watch. Mostly Sudoku of complicated and interesting variants. Might sound boring: really isn't. Watching them work out the chain of logic that goes into some of these puzzles is fascinating.

Words Unravelled
In which a couple of linguists tell you about where words came from and why we talk the way we do.

Tokyo Lens Explore
Dude walks around various places in Japan with a camera, showing off some absolutely beautiful scenery.

There's also B. Dylan Hollis, who recreates recipes from old cookbooks.

He started out doing it during the pandemic as a way to fill time, but has gotten two published books out of it. He's also a riot:

https://www.youtube.com/@BDylanHollis

Here's some of my favorites...

My Mechanics and Hand Tool Rescue are both dudes with a machine shop in a shed that they use to restore old junk. The difference is, My Mechanics goes for relatively simple old junk that he can make perfect, better than new. Hand Tool Rescue on the other hand looks for interesting and/or strange mechanisms, "high gizmosity", and doesn't try for perfection, just thoroughly cleaned, de-rusted, repainted, and working again. Either way it's always oddly satisfying to see the transformation.

(There are a lot of other "dude with a machine shop who restores old junk" channels but most of them have a bad habit of making the junk pretty but ruining it for actual use in the process. These don't do that.)

kiwami japan hasn't posted anything in a while but their basic schtick is they make a knife out of something you wouldn't think they could possibly make a knife out of.

Wintergatan is a professional musician who's determined to build this machine in real life. And take it on tour with his band. He's blown a lot of time rediscovering various principles of mechanical engineering by cut and try, but somehow that's more fun than if he'd known what he was doing to start with.

I will note that Wintergatan is in fact a professional BAND, made up of 5 multi-instrumentalists and that while the Marble Machine is a bit attention-getting, they've made other instruments, like the Modulin, and also play things like the saw.

...!
Stoke Mandeville, Esq & The
Victorian Ballsmiths
"Nobody Want Verdigris-
Covered Balls!"

This is true, but the vast majority of the *channel* is Martin noodling on the marble machine.