YouTube Stars!

I have had the same cell phone, the Samsung Sync, model SGH-A707, for the last 5 or 6 years. I don't use the phone all that much. I prefer to talk to people face to face, and if I need to communicate with people I know from YouTube or elsewhere online, I use email, Twitter or Facebook. The Samsung Sync has been a reliable phone and still does everything I need - the calls are clear, it can text, it has an old but working browser - but the battery doesn't hold a charge as well as it once did.

Since I don't use my cell much, I switched from my AT&T contract to AT&T's Go Phone plan last summer. I was paying $39.99 a month for 450 rollover minutes and I used maybe 250 minutes a month. After I went to prepaid with the Go Phone branch of AT&T, I paid $25 for 100 minutes at 25 cents a minute, and which expired in 3 months if not used. I used the phone even less and managed to keep my $25 top offs to once every few months. I was able to use less minutes because I put Long Distance back on my landline, at $9 a month. That was on top of the Complete Choice package of features. With taxes, it came to about $50 a month for my landline.

Recently I decided I wanted to upgrade my old cell phone while keeping my monthly phone bills the same or lower. My thought was to get a nice new AT&T Android phone and pay $39.99 for 450 minutes, and add the minimum 200 MB data plan for $15. Drop the landline to save $50 and add $55 plus taxes for the new cell phone - pretty close to meeting my goal of getting a new phone without blowing up my phone bill. (That $55 did not include any texting plan, but I don't text often so that wasn't a problem.)

After liking and almost getting the Motorola Bravo which I could get for free from AT&T with a new 2 year contract, I found the HTC Inspire 4G. For just $99 from AT&T or $59 from Walmart (plus an activation fee) I could get a top of the line device sporting a 1 GHz processor and a 4.3 inch hi rez display. Here's a nice review of the HTC Inspire 4G phone by PhoneDog.



While looking into the HTC Inspire 4G, I also noticed a lot of buzz for the first dual core phone, the Motorola Atrix. Maybe I should pay $199 for this sweet phone! But wait - I wouldn't use the phone much and besides, there were even cooler phones coming out later this year; I would not be able to have the latest and greatest device for long and it was madness to pursue that path. I had to recall that the other half of my goal was to get a handle on my phone budget. Paying $200 + tax so I could pay $55 + tax a month was not going to do that, even with dropping my $50 a month landline.

Last night I saw an ad for Virgin Mobile. Their Beyond Talk plans had unlimited text, email, data and web starting at only $25 a month with 300 "anytime" minutes. Nice!!! Some family members who live close to me have Sprint, which is the network that Virgin Moblie uses, and they have not had any problems with their service. I'm happy with AT&T, but look at these prices! And you do not have to sign a contract, it's a pay as you go plan!

Now to see if Virgin Mobile has a nice phone. First on the page is the LG Optimus V. This is a mid range device with a 600 MHz processor, but some online say it also has a graphics processor making it a form of a dual processor phone - and the reviews say it is fairly fast. But there is a problem, look:



Out of Stock! Hmm, this must be a popular phone! I called my old employer, Radio Shack, and they had 2 in stock! Okay, but is this a decent phone? It runs Android 2.2 just like the others I looked at. The screen is 3.2 inches but only 320 by 480 resolution. Just a 3 MP camera; the AT&T phones were 8 MP. It did have Wi-Fi, bluetooth, GPS, and I could get all the same apps from Google's Android Market. Here is what Sydney Arnold of PhoneDog has to say about the LG Optimus V.



I bought the LG Optimus V from Radio Shack today for $149 plus $25 for my first month, plus tax of course. Now I'll go from $50+ a month to $25 with No Contract! So far, I like the phone. It has a YouTube app! I was able to watch a few videos with no lag, and they loaded within a few seconds. I haven't tried Twitroid yet, the installed Twitter app, which Sydney tweets is better than Twitter's app. I did try Google Maps which, thanks to the GPS, knew exactly where I was at, and the map came up with my location pinned at the center of the page. I was able to zoom in and out fairly smoothly.

As soon as I post this, I'm off to the Android Market to try that addicting game everyone is talking about - Angry Birds! The free version is out now and the ad free paid version is coming soon. Read the buzz about Angry Birds, and watch this video which has 20 Million views in the last 20 days! I'll update you on my thoughts on my new LG Optimus V in the future. If you care to comment on this phone or any other, please do! Thanks!

Angry Birds Cinematic Trailer

Labels: Android, Angry Birds, cell, HTC Inspire 4G, LG Optimus V, mobile, phone, PhoneDog, Sydney Arnold

posted by KennyCrane at 2/24/2011 03:16:00 AM 2 Comments

Today we will look at an inspirational video put together by Krista Nicole from pics sent in by her fans, and set to the music of her new song, "Dreams." We will also see two excellent cover versions of Britney Spears' new song, "Hold It Against Me."

But first, The News!

This week's Featured Video on our Top 100 and Top 200 Charts is a 2 minute movie depicting a pre-wedding encounter between a bride and her groom. This well acted and produced film stars Courtney Jines who played Demetra in Spy Kids 3D when she was 11. Courtney is now 19 and shows great emotional depth in this mini-movie; be sure to watch it! Check out our Top 100 and Top 200 Charts of the Most Subscribed YouTube Channels every week!


TIFFANY JO ALLEN PHOTO SHOOT: BEHIND THE SCENES. Our friend Tiffany Jo Allen has launched a new channel - TiffanyTV. Tiffany Jo had a "ton of fun" as we can see in this first video on her new channel! Check it out - click the pic to the left.


Rockin' singer / musician Jes Loren is giving away an iPod to one lucky person who promotes www.Music.JesLoren.com! Jes is one of my favorite rock chicks on YouTube and I promote her even when there's no prize to entice me. Yes, she can Rock Hard but she's versatile; she can cover Lady Gaga as well! So if you like pop tunes, hear her sing "Bad Romance" in the background of this vlog. If you're into rock originals with cool guitar parts (by her dad), then be sure to buy Jes' album, "Just Say Yes" which has 9 amazing original pop rock tunes plus the Gaga cover as well. Go to www.Music.JesLoren.com and check it out!


In December, we gave away 10 CDs by Krista Nicole to promote the interview she did with YouTubeStars. One winner was a nice German girl whose channel is Milena8112. Milena is a big fan of Krista Nicole and she also Loves Tyler Ward. On 2/11, she made her first video, a tribute to Tyler! Tyler saw it and commented, "This is amazing!!!! THANK YOU : )" Check out Milena's video for Tyler Ward - click the pic on the left.


Now, here are our Featured Videos!


A few weeks ago, Krista Nicole asked her fans to send in pictures for a fan video of Krista's original song, Dreams. Lots of her fans did just that! In fact, so many pics were sent that Krista needed to spread them out over multiple videos. Here is part 1. It will lift your spirits and put a smile on your face. Be inspired and Dream BIG!

Dreams available at iTunes.
Signed Dreams CDs.

"Dreams"
Written by: Krista Nicole
Produced by: Tyler Ward
Published by: KNH Music





In less than a week, Britney Spears' latest video for "Hold It Against Me" has 10 Million views! The song is pretty good and the video has the usual dance moves and special effects. But these two cover videos are also quite good! This one is by Alex Ford from the doctorford channel. Alex is a Maths teacher in the UK as well as a talented singer and musician. His version of Britney's dance tune is a dreamy soft rock interpretation, with Alex on echoed vocals, playing guitars and tapping some sort of board for percussion. I really like his version!

Alex also writes for music promotion blog/website 'Tube Idols' which is similar to what we do here at YouTubeStars. Check out the site!

"Hold It Against Me" as originally performed by Britney Spears
Written by: Bonnie McKee, Lukasz Gottwald, Mathieu Jomphe, Max Martin
Published by: Kobalt Music Publishing (c) Jive records sony music entertainment






Here is another excellent cover of "Hold It Against Me" by smooth singing Josh Rice from the jriceproductions channel. J Rice adds some R&B flavor as he sings while accompanied by his clone on a Yamaha keyboard. The beats come in at 1:26 and the energy builds as the song continues with danceable rhythms and awesome layered vocals. Josh had fun with this video, so have fun watching it!

Get the new J Rice album on iTunes and Amazon.




Please read our Interview with Krista Nicole!

Labels: Courtney Jines, doctorford, Jes Loren, jriceproductions, KristaHeartzuz, Milena8112, surfhouse, TiffanyJoAllen, TylerWardMusic

posted by KennyCrane at 2/23/2011 12:01:00 AM 0 Comments

This post is Part Two of Anna's reviews of YouTube Gurus. Here, she discusses Makeup Geishas. Part One featured a review of videos by NosebleedBaby, a German woman who does unique and interesting makeup tutorials.

Anna's YouTube channel is Annaconda1984.

Visit her channel and watch some of the 224 videos she has uploaded. Anna has over 18 Thousand Subscribers and about 1,389,264 Total Video Views!

My favorites include Anna's singing duet with KrisShred and her compilation with 18 YouTubers reciting The Raven by Poe.

Anna's article is below...

But first, The News!

This week's Featured Video on our Top 100 and Top 200 Charts is a cover version of Jessie J's "Price Tag," sung by attractive and talented YouTube singer Kait Weston. Check out our Top 100 and Top 200 Charts of the Most Subscribed YouTube Channels every week!


Now, here is Anna's article!

Editorial Fashion Makeup is the type of Maquillage used for Photo Shoots, something most people would not wear on a daily basis. In the second Part of the Article we are going look at creative variations of the same theme; elegant for a photo shoot yet at the same time wearable for Halloween or at other costume events.

A motif that has inspired people all around the world to come up with their own eye catching interpretations, is the Geisha or in japanese, the entertainer.

For some of you a Geisha is a tasty chocolate bar with creamy filling wearing an elegant coat of pink wrapping paper. Others may have read the book, seen the film "The Memoirs of a Geisha" or watched a documentary or two. So what is a Geisha, some of you who have not, might ask? According to the Oxford dictionary, a Geisha is a Japanese hostess trained in entertaining men with dance and song; the word gei meaning art while the word sha means doer or person. It can also mean a japanese prostitute but there are debates about that.

It all started in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan (for more than a thousand years up to 1868) and still the center of the Geisha tradition. Maikos, virgin girls, sometimes even as young as 6 years of age, were trained to become Geishas over 5 years. One of the beauty ideals was paleness, which might have been inspired by the european travelers. Common characteristics of this look are a chalky face, doll like lips, usually not the entire lips but just the central part is painted red while the rest is painted white.

Here are some creative interpretations of the look.



In the Geisha Halloween Tutorial, MichellePhan uses fake orchids to decorate her face. She adds pink and amber around the eyes, which to me make her look like the daughter a “magibon” eyed anime character and a fairy. The look is soft and very feminine, it feels like cherry blossom spring in Japan. The fact that she painted her entire lips rather than just the center, adds to the innocent seem of the appearance.

See for yourself:




The Modern Geisha by Nosebleedbaby seems stricter than the previous one because the jet black drawn on eyebrows are directed like one would normally frown. However, having no movement in them and the changed location of the brows sort of make this Geisha seem like she’s from another planet or maybe the future. The direction and colors in the chopsticks in her chignon is repeated in the look: the eyebrows, the lines drawn around the eyes. There’s a bit of green in them and she is emerald eyed, there’s the little black fan in her hair with white kanji flowing elegantly with the chalky visage and the darkness around her eyes. The different lines in her makeup and hair, make this MIKADO Geisha out of the three. Angelique decided to stick to the bee stung lips of a traditional Geisha, unlike Michelle.




This is how a Romanian girl finds inspiration in Asian Spring. In her makeup tutorial SeZeMakeup seems like a character from a play. She is holding an enormous peacock tail shaped fan of white with pink, that could easily pass as a wing. The overall look seems soft and is dominated by pink and white. Like Michelle she chose to use flowers.

in her tutorial, not orchids but cherries; in fact there are two branches with little white flowers growing on each cheek with the eyes as their pot or place of origin. It’s very symbolic. Those branches are drawn on meticulously and are elegant. Geishas painted their faces to hide traces of individuality, this one however has personality that pops out. It’s like the daughter of a pantomime artist and a porcelain doll has been woken up by spring and is dancing. Her kimono is subtle white with a pink belt around it.

like Nosebleedbaby, SeZeMakeup used repetition of color in her look. The lips remind me of those of a Geisha despite of being almost fully painted. They’re heart shaped in the center.



Like this article? Read Part One!
Part One - Nosebleedbaby

Labels: Annaconda1984, Geisha, Japanese Girl, KaitlynAnnnn, MichellePhan, NosebleedBaby, SeZeMakeup

posted by KennyCrane at 2/14/2011 02:55:00 AM 0 Comments

Did you know that you can learn about sex from videos on YouTube? Yes, you can learn things about sex, which is a serious matter that can affect your entire future life. If you decide to have sex and are not prepared, you may end up with a child and/or a disease!

At one time, you could learn about sex from your parents, sex education at school, a book, friends, etc. Now there are YouTube videos about sex that may be of some help to some people. It's probably still best to learn about sex from your parents or a medical person or a reliable book. However you learn about sex, make sure you are getting accurate information. Try to get accurate and reliable answers from multiple sources that all agree; then you can have confidence that you found the right answers.

Here are two videos each from Kicesie and TheWingGirls. Watch them and decide if you think they are giving good advice. You may want to use them as a point of discussion with your parents or a trusted friend or authority figure in your life. Remember, don't do anything you are not comfortable in doing; don't do anything just because you think everyone else is doing it; don't put yourself in a risky situation by mixing intoxicants and temptation; don't act without thinking of the consequences.

I wrote about Kicesie before, back in 2007. I did a post on Sex Videos on YouTube and mentioned her video called "Virginity Part 1". On November 4th of last year, I tweeted, "@Kicesie respects virgins who are waiting for the right time to have sex. We agree. http://youtubestars.blogspot.com/2007/10/sex-videos.html"
She retweeted it, so it is safe to say she still feels the same way. There is nothing wrong with being a virgin. It is smart to wait until you think that it is the right time for you to have sex.


Here is Kicesie's recent video, in which she says she heard that 20% of guys think that if they have sex with a girl while she is standing up - that she can not get pregnant. A woman can get pregnant if she has sex in any position. Watch Kicesie and Karen (Spricket24) and you might learn something.

From the video's description:

Seriously.... I get questions from guys having sex that don't even know what an STD is. If you don't KNOW the logistics, don't do it. Once you do know, be responsible enough to avoid STDs and unplanned pregnancies.
If you hear a rumor about avoiding pregnancy that sounds a little crazy, it probably is. Research everything to make sure you're hearing it from a reliable source.

Here is a video Kicesie made to explain how she learned so much about sexuality. She asks, "How Did You Learn About Sex?" and there are over 1000 comments, so you can get an idea of how other people learned about sex.





The Wing Girls, Jet and Star, are just that - 2 girls who want to be "wing" persons - someone who is in your corner to give you advice on the opposite sex. In general, I like their concept of giving advice to men from a woman's perspective. Their approach is generally humorous and some of their advice is useful.

They seem to have variable messages - they are all over the place. Sometimes they validate conservative positions and other times they mock them. Sometimes they are serious but generally they are comedic and almost goofy. They classify themselves as improv and they do seem to be "winging it" although there is obviously a general script.

Their advice is Subjective, no evidence for Objective positions are given. This is the opposite of Kicesie. They give stories from experience rather than scientific results from studies. This lowers their credibility and questions the authority and accuracy of their advice.

Their content is somewhere more than PG-13 but maybe not quite R. These videos contain strong language so do not watch if that offends you. Several of their videos are flagged 18+ on YouTube for language. Here is a controversial video about oral sex. Is this good advice, or is this women telling you how to manipulate other women?





Here is something a little different - The Wing Girls get a guy friend to teach guys how to dance. "Maybe look a little bit stupid... as long as you look like you're having fun!"

Labels: kicesie, sex, spricket24, thewinggirls, Video, YouTube

posted by KennyCrane at 2/02/2011 03:15:00 AM 3 Comments