When I started The Fives back in March, I tried to make a practice of adding a video at the end of the column, usually something unusual or visually interesting to draw readers in.
There were a few problems, chief among them that the autoplay feature was permanently on, meaning that when somebody moseyed over to their computer at 5:30 a.m. (and I've checked the stats, there are a few of you) and opened up that morning's column, the video yaking even when you didn't click on it to play.
That feature has been modified so that doesn't happen before, but I unfortunately moved away from the practice of adding a video of less than urgent important to the daily offering.
It doesn't mean that I don't keep an eye on the video that is coming in from throughout the nation and around the world. And this weekend's offerings - running from Saturday through this morning - is some of the best video of recent months.
So here's at least five to check out.
Raw Video: Dashcam Shows Drummer's Jet Crash
This video is literally a nightmare I've had more than once. It's the fear of coming upon an accident scene virtually too terrifying to comprehend.
Several were killed, but former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and DJ AM miraculously survived. Still, the sounds and scene of a burning jet alongside the highway in video shot by a police dashcam is about as spooky as it gets.
Mom Pressure Washes Child, Gets Probation
Uncool? Certainly.
Poor judgement? Check
Illegal? Well, kind of.
This video which shows an Orlando woman first using a pressure washer at a car wash as a form of punishment on her 2-year-old daughter and then later explaining to the cameras her actions is compelling stuff.
OK, we all know that kind of thought may have skirted our frustrated consciousness as we deal with a terrible 2 toddler, but to actually do it. And do it in view of video cameras. And then explain it to the media.
Yikes!
Blaine's New Stunt: 60 Hours Hanging Upside-Down
David Blaine is a freak. Not even the kind of freak that you enjoy watching or listening to, really.
It's probably a lot more like that old reality TV show "Fear Factor." You don't want to watch, but if you accidentally find it there and someone is about to swallow a mouth full of enormous live worms, you almost can force your hand to change the channel.
Anyway, Blaine's latest stunt is a real head scratcher - literally. I mean, after all the blood rushes to his head after the first ten minutes upside down, then it's only 59 hours and 50 minutes to go.
I really like the part where the doctor goes through all the dramatic bad things that can happen to the "magician" and that there is almost no way he will be able to make it through to the end of the 60 hours.
You couldn't craft a more enticing video as a commercial for the event, let alone a news story.
Raw Video: Annual Rotten 'Tomato Romp'
Madness. Tomatoes. A big mess.
My real question is, how worried was the camera guy that his high-priced video camera would sustain some real damage as he sat just outside this messy spectacle shooting?
And do you think he was dressed for the job?
A Half Century of Presidential Debate History
First of all, the best of these is actually the vice presidential debate between Lloyd Bensten and Dan Quayle. And the quotes were less than dramatic in many ways, even though they are the highlights of the televised presidential debates.
But it was fascinating to see Nixon watching on as Kennedy waxed poetic. Hey, he didn't look THAT bad. But sitting next to Kennedy, it was a tough act to follow.
And the clip of Reagan asking "Are you better off than four years ago" - although it is in color - still looks like it's 50 years old. And I remember when he said it.
Oh, my lubmego!
Posted in Local on Monday, September 22, 2008 11:00 pm | Tags: Williams, The_fives, Video
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