Alt Wire with Guest Blogger Davy Rothbart of Found Magazine

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<i>Alt Wire is a morning digest of links and information collected and explained by a different guest blogger every weekday. Today’s guest is <b>Davy Rothbart</b>,</i>
<em>creator and editor of</em> Found <em>magazine and frequent contributor to</em> This American Life<em>. We asked him for five links and he came up with 13. No complaints.</em>
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These days I spend about 87 hours a day on YouTube, usually hopping from found snippets (someone <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtlucUVt5u0″ target=”_blank”>blowing out the candles</a> at their birthday party or singing sadly alone in a car) to 80’s rap videos (<a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myqQGg_s-Pw” target=”_blank”>Nice & Smooth</a>; <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OC1psGZXZlw” target=”_blank”>EPMD</a>) to the kind of classic sports moments that set my nostalgiac streak a-tremblin’ (think <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-llh0HpBnxQ” target=”_blank”>Elvis Grbac’s touchdown pass to Desmond Howard</a>). Whatever emotional buttons you want to press on yourself, with YouTube you’re only a couple of clicks away. (I’ve been having trouble, though, locating a clip of Jeff Van Gundy hanging on for dear life to Alonzo Mourning’s leg–any leads appreciated.)</p>
<p>I can still remember my first visit to YouTube way back in 2007: A friend had sent me a link to <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-4E8ZDj9s” target=”_blank”>Stephen Colbert roasting President Bush at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner</a>. It was love at first sight–not with Colbert, but with YouTube. Here are five favorites from my favorite web planet:</p>
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<strong>Creep, Kansas City:</strong> This video, to me, represents the magic of the found bits available on YouTube. This is <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYmFVCbesZ8″ target=”_blank”>one of the most raw, sad and beautiful videos I can imagine</a>, and I don’t think a filmmaker could craft something quite this rich and pure. This girl has a ton of other similar, strangely affecting videos.</p>
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<strong>Wet Pets:</strong> As a longtime fan of local cable commercials, I’ve seen some dandies (Puffer Reds, anyone?) but <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMbsZU83ajc” target=”_blank”>this one outshines them all</a>.</p>
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<strong>V. Count Macula’s “Smooth Wizardz”:</strong> When people ask me what it’s like to live in Michigan, I share with them this visionary song and video from <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbVDH4eX3do” target=”_blank”>Detroit’s next legend, V. Count Macula</a>. The best shot’s gotta be of Shark wielding the nunchucks while he’s on his cellie.</p>
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<strong>Bakopoulos/Okopski Holiday Card 2008:</strong> Novelist/professional bad-ass Dean Bakopoulos sent over <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwDvKlRg6DE” target=”_blank”>my favorite holiday card of 2008</a>.</p>
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<strong>Baron Davis, It’s Time to Come Home:</strong> How could B.D. <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d8PhKNKH0E” target=”_blank”>not have been swayed</a>?</p>
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<strong>Frosting:</strong> Another found snippet, this one of <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDQ6Bf1l3fo” target=”_blank”>a happy family</a>; oddly, I recognize my brother Peter’s Poem Adept CD playing in the background. “YouTube, where are you now?”</p>
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<strong>Gasoline Addiction:</strong> Speaking of Peter, when he first moved to Seattle, he was offered lead guitar in <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwoPEvr_Nbk” target=”_blank”>this band</a>; apparently, they often play shows on the motocross circuit. I’ll never forgive him for turning the opportunity down.</p>
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<strong>Bio:</strong>
<a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTkEHRANiAU” target=”_blank”>Davy Rothbart</a> is the creator and editor of <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kkw2V6x2QzI” target=”_blank”>Found magazine</a>, a frequent contributor to public radio’s This American Life, and author of the story collection “The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas.” He’s also the subject of an upcoming documentary film, <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVpFQZmzMr0″ target=”_blank”>My Heart Is An Idiot</a>. Davy and Peter Rothbart are about to hit the road on a 57-city FOUND Tour; please check <a href=”http://www.foundmagazine.com/events#current” target=”_blank”>local listings</a>.  </p>
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<strong>EDITOR’S NOTE:</strong> We couldn’t resist turning Rothbart’s post into a YouTube playlist. Here are his picks, make it a lunch-at-your-desk date:</p>
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<i>Previous Alt Wire Guests:</i>
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<a href=”https://www.utne.com/arts/alt-wire-guest-blogger-roger-white-paper-monument.aspx” target=”_blank”>Roger White</a>, <a href=”https://www.utne.com/media/alt-wire-guest-blogger-dan-sinker.aspx” linkindex=”39″>
<font color=”#800080″>Dan Sinker</font>
</a>, <a href=”https://www.utne.com/politics/alt-wire-with-guest-blogger-phil-yu-from-angry-asian-man.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”40″>Phil Yu</a>, <a href=”https://www.utne.com/media/the-best-online-archives-you-probably-never-heard-of.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”41″>Matt Novak</a>,</i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Science-Technology/How-Good-Are-You-Five-Online-Tests-to-Gauge-Your-Goodness.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/science-and-technology/how-good-are-you-five-online-tests-to-gauge-your-goodness.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”42″>
<i>Jason Marsh</i>
</a>
<i>,</i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/GreatWriting/Alt-Wire-David-LaBounty-of-Blue-Cubicle-Press.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/arts/alt-wire-david-labounty-of-blue-cubicle-press.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”43″>
<i>David LaBounty</i>
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<i>Jen Angel</i>
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<i>Regan Hofmann</i>
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<i>Josh Breitbart</i>
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<i>, </i>
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<i>Jessica Hoffmann</i>
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<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Arts/Alt-Wire-with-Activist-Designer-Noah-Scalin.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/arts/alt-wire-with-activist-designer-noah-scalin.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”51″>
<i>Noah Scalin</i>
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<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Politics/Alt-Wire-with-Guest-Blogger-and-ColorLines-Editor-Rinku-Sen.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/politics/alt-wire-with-guest-blogger-and-colorlines-editor-rinku-sen.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”52″>
<i>Rinku Sen</i>
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<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Arts/Alt-Wire-with-Paddy-Johnson-of-Art-Fag-City.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/arts/alt-wire-with-paddy-johnson-of-art-fag-city.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”53″>
<i>Paddy Johnson</i>
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<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Media/Alt-Wire-with-Shakesvilles-Melissa-McEwan.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/media/alt-wire-with-shakesvilles-melissa-mcewan.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”54″>
<i>Melissa Mcewan</i>
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<i>,  </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Spirituality/Alt-Wire-With-Guest-Blogger-Fatemeh-Fakhraie-of-Musilmah-Media-Watch.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/spirituality/alt-wire-with-guest-blogger-fatemeh-fakhraie-of-musilmah-media-watch.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”55″>
<i>Fatemeh Fakhraie </i>
</a>
<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Media/Alt-Wire-with-Guest-Blogger-Joe-Biel.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/media/alt-wire-with-guest-blogger-joe-biel.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”56″>
<i>Joe Biel</i>
</a>
<i>, </i>
<a title=”blocked::https://www.utne.com/Alt-Wire-with-Guest-Blogger-Anne-Elizabeth-Moore.aspx” href=”https://www.utne.com/community/welcome-to-utne-reader-alt-wire-blog.aspx” target=”_blank” linkindex=”57″>
<i>Anne Elizabeth Moore</i>
</a>
<i>
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