What's it, a Tout?

Tout is yet another recent comer on the online video scene. Once upon a time there was a site (created by a couple of guys from Santa Cruz) called 12 Seconds, which took the tweeting concept (brief updates) to videos of, you guessed it, 12 seconds each. Well, they unfortunately never really made it. But now Tout fills that space by upgrading the concept to (wait for it) 15 seconds! I've started to play a bit with Tout, which uses the tag line, "Life's Moments." Here are my Touts so far:

The Auto Show

I avoid the malls and shops on "Black Friday," but I do often go out on that with my brother for the annual San Francisco International Auto Show. Here's some footage from this year's show, including new models, some classics and custom jobs, and examples of good (and bad) spokespersons.

Silent Charley, Mountain Whip

I love history in general, and learning about local history in particular. One local story is of Silent Charley (aka One-Eye Charley), who drove along the stagecoach lines that pass right by my house. This morning I finally tracked down Charley's grave site and recorded this vlog:

House Fire

The house next-door to us caught fire this morning, getting our week (and Halloween) off to a very interesting start. Here's a short vlog with some video of the fire.

The Vlogger Interviews

My old friend, Rich Samuels, has been doing a series of videos called "The Vlogger Interviews," in which he's been talking to a variety of YouTubers, and getting their input on everything from the technical aspects of vlogging, to building an audience, to participating in online community. The other day, I got my chance to participate in the series:

Occupy Santa Cruz Begins

Occupy Wall Street is now in its third week of 24-hour protest and hundreds of similar Occupy actions have sprung up all across the country. This morning I went to San Lorenzo Park for the first day of Occupy Santa Cruz.

The Slabtown Chronicle

Ever been to Portland, Oregon, and wondered where all the most notorious murders took place? Well, then this is the video for you! Author, poet, and criminal historian J.D. Chandler guides this tour of a few sites the average Portland guidebook leaves out.

Super-8 and Standard 8

Once upon a time, before digital video, movies were made on film, and home movies were made on Super-8 or Standard 8mm film. Yes, it was a very long time ago. In this vlog I drag out my old cameras and talk about the good old days.

James Durbin Comes Home to Santa Cruz

Local American Idol contestant, James Durbin, was eliminated this past week, making him ineligible for the spectacular homecomings that Idol and Fox put on for the top three. But Santa Cruz persisted and insisted, and got permission to bring James back for the day and sing a few songs to over 20,000 fans gathered at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This video begins with a smaller crowd at an afternoon event at the Louden Nelson Community Center, where James met with an (invitation only) crowd of old friends and the Kids on Broadway group he used to be a part of. The second half is the homecoming celebration on the stage at the Boardwalk.

CASA Community Awards

Here's a video I did for my work a month or so ago... Court Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Cruz County (CASA) is a child's voice in dependency court, providing advocacy, stability, and hope to children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. This video was part of a presentation at which CASA recognized these outstanding community members for their generosity and dedication to children in foster care.

One Day in Chicago

I recently went to Chicago for a three-day conference, but before it began I had three hours to run around the city, see the sites, and try to make a vlog... Not so easy when you haven't vlogged in several months… Sites: Millennium Park & Cloud Gate (aka "the bean"), Tribune Building & 430 N. Michigan (where Bob, Jerry, and Carol worked, if you know what I mean), Navy Pier & the statue of Bob Newhart as Dr. Robert Harley, Gino's East Pizzeria 1‪62 E. Superior‬ St. (Thanks to OhCurt for supplying suggestions and addresses, making my day a lot easier to plan.)