Big Penis - Will I Hurt My Partner? - DanAndJennifer's Video Gets 2 Million Views

In a recent NY Times article it was reported that some YouTubers are making $100,000 a year from posting videos.

As a YouTube partner myself I was interested in what kind of content generates enough views to have that kind of income? So I happened on DanAndJennifer's "ask channel" where this couple (I guess they're a couple), have this video posted in July and has been seen over 2 million times since then. Wow. Ok, sex -- even the discussion of it -- sells. But in fairness, they talk about it, rather than show it.

Ok.

More racy videos? I think I'll stick to politics and current events. Well ok, sex is a current event, sometimes I make a foray into that area.

YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money - NYTimes.com

YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money - NYTimes.com: “Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime for millions of Web surfers — is now a way to make a living.

One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site. For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos is now a full-time job.

Mr. Buckley quit his day job in September after his online profits had greatly surpassed his salary as an administrative assistant for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape his credit-card debt.”

Online Reputation Management: My YouTube Video Is Ranked #1 (For Now)

In the fast changing world of Online Reputation Management getting a number one search ranking on Google's nothing to ignore, regardless of how long it lasts or how long it took to get there.  


Right now, as of this writing, my YouTube video on our Online Reputation Management services is ranked #1 in a search for "Online Reputation Management" on Google out of about 1.6 million results.   For more information, visit our site:  http://www.sbson.com. 

Zennie Abraham's Visit To CNN Atlanta HQ and iReport Team

This is a video of my visit to the CNN Atlanta Headquarters and to meet the iReport and CNN International people who've been so good to me. I took my Mom as I thought it would be a treat for her as well, especially since she keeps her TV on CNN.  


The iReport staff is pretty much like one would see at any Bay Area Internet startup and so I fell right in with their culture. Fun people. Jessica Ellis of CNN International who "discovered me" for the iReport coverage at the Democratic Convention, gave us a great tour of CNN from a behind the scenes view -- not the standard tourist tour.


Thanks to Jessica, Errol Barnett, David Washington, and the iReport and CNN International staff for being so great.

YouTube and iReport - Online Video's Impact On The Election

President Barack Obama's success can be attributed to many factors, but online video is one of the major ones. YouTube, which didn't exist in the last election cycle, 2004, had a profound impact on the communication of Obama's brand, and changed politics forever. Now, authenticity is prized over what are now called "flip-flopping messages" to different groups to get votes.

(more)

Obama Wins Video By Asa The Comic

This is an interesting video from Asa The Comic. It makes fun of Barack's detrators an challengers, but the problem is the election's going on now, and Tuesday's not yet here.

Kraft YouTube Cooking Challenge Looks Like Fun!

I just saw this new contest by Kraft and YouTube.  All you have to do is go to YouTube.com/kraftcookingschool and pick a recipe to make.  The video is to be no longer than 3 minutes long.  The winner gets $1,000 in cash and their video shown on the Kraft channel.  


Well, cool.  The prize should be $5,000 I think, but that's me.  Here's the video: 

Regi of NUMBLIFE Calls Obama "A Pimp" (In A Kinda Good Way)

This video ranges from being downright funny to a bit tragic as Regi explains why he thinks Senator Barack Obama's a pimp, in his evaluation of the final Obama / McCain debate. 

"Help Is On The Way" REAF Benefit San Francisco - American Idol Stars Featured

 

HotForWords - Marina Orlova Explains "Lame Duck"

Marina Orlova is the very popular YouTube star of HotForWords and discusses word terms in her daily channel. This one's perfect for Zennie's Zeitgeist as it talks about the term "Lame Duck."

Using New Media At The DNC Convention - How Zennie62 Does It

This video presents the "production process" behind the planned use of New Media at the DNC Convention by Sports Business Simulations' SBS Media / Zennie Zeigeist blog.

New Media -- DNC Convention Broadcast

Objective: to quickly and cheaply bring text, audio, and visual information that generally tells a story to as many people as possible in as short amount of time as possible.

Instruments Hardware and Software

Hardware:

1. MacBook -- Has "iMovie" software built in that makes editing movies easy.
2. Sony Camcorder -- Used to make videos and feed to computer
3. iPhone -- used to take photos and also to make mobile blog posts which feed to Zennie's Zeitgeist remotely.

Software:

1. Blogger -- the online home of Zennies's Zeitgeist blog.
2. iMovie -- used to edit the videos uploaded from the camcorder
3. Google -- used to get information and articles on related subjects that then can be linked to in a blog post.
4. Twitter -- updates on Twitter post at the Zennie62 Twitter page, on the Zennie's Zeitgeist Blog, and on my Facebook page all at the same time.
5. Facebook -- Zennie's Facebook page has his blog posts from Zennie's Zeitgeist.
6. Widgets -- Zennie's Zeitgeist widgets are on other blogs in the SBS blog network, from the NFL Business Blog to Oakland Focus.
7. FriendFeed -- allows commentary on blog posts and videos that appear on Zennie62's FriendFeed page.
8. FeedBurner is the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) system used on Zennie's Zeitgeist for yet another way to distribute our blog news to people and as it appears on the blog, automatically.
9. YouTube -- the main home for Zennie62's videos, which are then embedded in the Zennie's Zeitgeist blog and also on Zennie's Facebook page and linked to on Twitter, which is also on Zennie's Facebook page.
10. iReport -- CNN's version of YouTube, where I will upload videos for daily use by CNN.
11. TubeMogul -- permits simultaneous upload of one videos to 15 different video distribution sites, from YouTube to Blip.tv, and Dailymotion, and others.

JOHN EDWARDS CONFIRMS RUMORS OF RIELLE HUNTER AFFAIR TO ABC - EDWARDS STATEMENT

Finally, former Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards has just admitted to ABC News that he did indeed have an affair with Rielle Hunter -- a story covered here since last fall. This was reported on CNN. You can read the whole rest of the story here at Zennie's Zeitgeist.

Edwards says that the affair started after his wife's revalation of Cancer in 2006, but that he did not get her pregnant. He's not taken a test to confirm this.

EDWARDS STATEMENT:

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99% honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up - feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work
with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

My take on this news:



The back story of the affair:

Zennie62 On Vloggerheads.com WIth Kenrg And Renetto

Zennie62 On Vloggerheads.com WIth Kenrg And Renetto

Today -- well, Saturday -- I received an email invitation from YouTuber Ken Goldstein, who you may (or may not) know as Kenrg on YouTube. He was inviting me to join what he and other call a "vlogging experiment" and is called "Vloggerheads."

That would be me.

The site is only eight days -- yes eight days -- old and already there are as of this writing 46 members. Folks like Esther, Beth, and star YouTubers like Renetto, Kenrg, and Gimmeabreakman who made this great video:

Where he tries to answer the question "What is a vlog" from the comfort of a pool he's in somewhere. He even goes underwater for a bit. That means he takes the camera under water -- watch -- how he does that I don't know because if I did that with my Sony camcorder, that would be the end of that machine.

Anyway, I love to share my ideas on video, but I want to get paid for it too. YouTube allows that; I just have to see his improvement. his viewpoint. I'm not giving up on YouTube at all. I think this can enhance the total experience of videoblogging and increase the visility of YouTubers at the same time.

Chinese Government Already Arresting Dissidents Before Olympics

http://zennie2005.blogspot.com - If you remember the video I made where I talked about how the Chinese Government could use IP address data from the Viacom / Google lawsuit to find dissidents and arrest or kill them --

See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ua_XT1RJIE

Then brace yourself because the Chinese have already arrested two Internet dissidents Du Daobin and Ye Guozhu and have done so before the Bejing Olympics.

Both dissidents were arrested for "subversion" or writing against the actions of the Chinese Government. Such actions bring into focus the value of the "annoymous blogger" because the idea is that by being just that, one can explain and report in a dissident fashion without the kind of retribution these two gentleman are facing.

But the actions of some using the term annoymous have threatened the very ability to use that term. As a momentary aside, people using that term must take care not to abuse its use for mean-sprited purposes.

China is clearly concerned about its image during the Olympics and as such does not want dissidents exposed to foreign journalists, so they're locking them up. It's up to the Internet blogging and vlogging community to expose their actions and even make sure that Chinese nationals are informed of them.

Finally, President Bush should not just go to the Olympics but remind China of its human rights violations

Brandon Keating Show - How Do you feel about where HipHop is going?

I keep hearing people saying "HipHop is dead" or "HipHop is dying".  With so many artists these days coming out with what is known as "ringtone" raps, a lot of people who grew up in the 80's and 90's have finally had enough and are complaining about the way HipHop is now. I must admit, for a minute, I was one of those people. But if you look at all music genres, you will begin to realize that they all change over time.  You can not have it one way for the rest of eternity. 

I have received several hundred emails asking me what my stance on HipHop is and where I think it is going.  Without typing an entire essay, I will share my video of my thoughts.

Please feel free to comment on what your stance is.

YouTube's "joshuahaskellcarr" Sends Zennie A Death Wish

I received an email on YouTube from"joshuahaskellcarr" which was a Death Wish, pure and simple, and explains how much this person wanted me "gone." So I informed YouTube, blocked the user, and now I'm informing you. I'm also "Defining The Relationship" between guests and me in my channel, or "my house." Please do not use nasty words or harass me or any other commenter. And behavior like the one I described in this video will be met with a ban and a report to YouTube and the FBI.

I'm serious about this. We can disagree and still be civil toward one another. Please bring your debate hat and your "A" game, as Ron Paul supporters have done. They're the masters of civil debate; love em.

First Day of Legal Gay Marriage In San Francisco - Video Account

This video covers the events outside San Francisco City Hall involving the first day of legal same sex marriage in San Francisco: Monday, June 16th, 2008 at 5:38 PM. A historic news and politics event. I went with the objective of determining the opinions of people in the crowd.

Vanity Fair's BlogOpticon Shows Unbearable Whiteness Of Vanity Fair's Ad Placement

I just saw a link from Nikke Finke's DeadlineHollywood Daily to Vanity Fair's "BlogOpticon" , which has what it considers to be "relevant" and "well-read" blogs.

They've got a good set of blogs divided into four squares on a kind of scale grid. Some of my favs are there, like Valleywag. But you know what kills me, with the exception of Michelle Malkin, who's an Asian Woman but who writes as if she wishes she was a White conservative spinster, there's no other obvious blogger of color and none who are Black.

Now, it's not because there are not blogs out there who are popular and written by people who happen to be Black, like me. But it points to a kind of blind eye to the fact that if a person's Black, and they're blogging, they don't have to write about "Black matters" to be read.

It reminds me of James Woods' line in Oliver Stones' Nixon, where he says "There's that Negro saying Negro things!" Well I think some people expect "Negros" to say "Negro" things, so they can categorize them. And when they don't then they're a "Black Conservative."

How retarded.

How and why this freaking list.. was formed is beyond me and fairness (read on), but it's here. I feel sorry not for me, but for bloggers like Natasha, the East Cost law student -- as of this writing -- who has the wonderful blog "Young Black and Fabulous" about Black celebs. Oh, so you say that's a "Black Blog", well how the hell do you explain "Stuff White People Like?" It's a blog designed to draw White People to read it by making fun of White People. You know, many people don't even know what that term is. Well, what it is are people who don't consider themselves "of color". And that certainly shows up in this Vanity Fair chart.

Makes me wanna puke.

Vanity Fair writes that it's picked the "most influential blogs" -- gimme a freaking break. Ze Frank lost his steam a long time ago. Rocketboom.com is a has-been vlog. Hey it was the first, but let's face it, it's surrounded by a sea of new vlogs that draw viewers, like Renetto on YouTube.

Rocketboom's seen better traffic days, especially around the time the great Amanda Congdon was there. Joanne Colon's run as "Hottest Woman on The Internet" was replaced by a bevy of women in nude photos, like Lindsay Lohan, to fully-clothed female bodybuilder Kristy Hawkins.

And click on Rocketboom.com -- what do you see? A damn pop-up ad for..Vanity Fair. So let me get this straight -- the "most influential blogs" are really just those that have ads regarding Vanity Fair.

If Vanity is "the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others" then Vanity Fair's playing true to form. But it seems to be saying that it's only attractive to White People.

Maybe I'll think twice before laying down money for a VF in the future.

AtheneWins Crazy Sex Fantasies On YouTube (Not)

As some of you know, I'm a YouTube partner, so as a daily viewer and user of YouTube, I've got a good idea of what videos get seen and which ones do not. But I've got to admit I've never seen anyone just game the system like AtheneWins does.

Who's AtheneWins? Well, I don't have a bio on him but his MySpace Page reads that he's an English speaking, smark-alec 28-year-old Belgian man who really talks about what he's doing in his videos and what fans are saying about him.

That's it. Nothing else.

Well, ok he does have videos like "How to get a horny bitch" which was banned by YouTube staff, he says. I write that because Athene spends all of the video time talking about what he's going to do in bed. Well, ok, most of the time. Then he has a nice looking brunette next to him that he uses as a kind of model that he fondles on, on camera.

This segment is done in the middle of the video, where YouTube's automatic thumbnail posting system picks up her breasts and so that's what we see and people click to see the rest of the video, thus generating -- traffic.

But his latest video has none of that.

It's just him talking on and on and on, and the vid's more than seven minutes long.

Still, with all that, it's generated almost a million views and seems to be stuck on the top of the most viewed videos page for this entire week!

Marketers could take a lesson from Athene and win.

Zennie's Zeitgeist Covered By The Oakland Tribune

The Oakland Tribune's Barbara Grady penned this story below about this blogger and blog's being credentialed for the upcoming Democratic National Convention. But to be fair, the blog is more than me, its the other writers on it, like Tom Hayes and Dave Kaye and Ashley Long, all of whom are credentialed to go to the convention. It's readers like you and of course the overall SBS website system.

Also, it must be reported that the YouTube channel zennie62 is "attached" to this blog and also I said to Barbara that the overall SBS website gets 65,000 unique visitors a month, with Zennie's Zeitgeist a part of that, about between 30 percent and 50 percent of that per month. But yes, this blog did command 44,000 page views and 24,000 visitors on the day after the New Hampshire Primary. That was due to one post on reported election machine voter fraud problems in that state.

Also, I did not contribute $17,000 to the campaign, I raised it over time via the Internet and mostly from a fundraiser at the Mark Hopkins I co-sponsored. But I do not have that kind of money and could not do that anyway as the limit is $2,500. It was an error on her part.

Whatever the details, it was great to have our people recognized. Here's the article:

Oakland blogger to cover Democratic National Convention

By Barbara Grady
Oakland Tribune
Article Created: 06/02/2008 09:05:32 PM PDT

OAKLAND — As the Democratic National Convention gets under way in August, Oakland blogger Zennie Abraham will be on the convention floor with a microphone poised to pick up discussions of race, predatory lending, infrastructure improvement and other issues of concern to Oakland.

Abraham and his Zennie's Zeitgeist blog at zennie2005.blogspot.com have won a coveted credential from the Democratic National Committee to cover the convention as a blogger journalist. He was selected late last week as one of 124 bloggers to receive credentials from an applicant pool of more than 400.

Zennie's Zeitgeist is usually about Abraham's take on political issues of the day — often the Democratic presidential contest — with a smattering of posts about pop culture and sports.

The Democratic National Committee said its criteria in choosing which bloggers to let into what no doubt will be a crowded and history-making Denver convention are that they cover state and local politics and have a high daily audience based on statistics from Technorati, a Web site that tracks blogs. Among applicants whose sites met those criteria, the committee looked for blogs that "stand out as an effective online organizing tool and/or agent of change."

Abraham has not been shy to take on controversial issues. He has written about predatory lending, accusing check cashing centers of exploiting the poor, and crime
and criminals.

He already has specific plans for what topics he'll focus on at the convention.
"I'm concerned about (Hillary) Clinton and (Barack) Obama, and the race issue. I really want to see if Democrats are going to rally around Obama unanimously," Abraham said Monday. "I want to know specifically if people who are Clinton supporters, if they are really going to rally behind Obama. If not, I want to know if it is because of race."

And he will report on any discussions of race, whether polite or not.
He also plans to report in detail on the development of a Democratic platform, "with respect to what degree the platform represents domestic issues like predatory lending in credit card rates, our enormous infrastructure problems and what I call keeping jobs at home."

Abraham has been an outspoken supporter of Obama and contributed about $17,000 to his campaign. That partisanship did not seem to phase the DNC, even though many of the other blogs selected are less committed to one candidate.

Many of the blogs represent Democrats from particular states, such as the Blue Jersey, Blue Indiana and Blue Hampshire blogs.

Abraham, 45, is an entrepreneurial businessman, having founded Sports Business Simulations of Oakland five years ago, but he put in his time in politics. He worked for former Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown as an economic adviser and then as the Oakland Alameda Sports Commissioner.

Abraham started his blogging career in 2006 writing about sports. But then he couldn't resist talking about politics.

Over time, he separated his own political and cultural ramblings into Zennie's Zeitgeist, distinct from his larger SBS Voices sports blog, and wrote increasingly about politics, following the Democratic campaign as it progressed tooth and nail.
The day after the New Hampshire primary, his blog posting received 44,000 hits. Since then, his audience has steadily grown. He was invited by CNN to post a video blog as a sample for its YouTube CNN Democratic Debate last year. Afterward, links to his blog started showing up elsewhere on other political sites. Now Zennie's Zeitgeist receives about 60,000 unique visitors a month on average.