Insomniac Nightmares

I watch a lot of YouTube.

Like… a lot. My iPad is typically running YouTube any time I’m not streaming, recording, or playing a game where the sound is important. It serves as the voice to cure loneliness, like leaving a TV on for a cat or dog who’s home alone all day or running the radio overnight for a widower. The problem is, what YouTube is usually spewing at me isn’t all that great for my mental health.

There’s a bit of a divide, you see, between content that “tickles the almonds” as some YouTube commentators say, that provides news and updates, or that explains things in an intelligible matter, and content that isn’t damaging to my mental health.

I may wish to stay apprised of the Jessica/Johnathan Yaniv situation; that doesn’t mean I really should. It just makes me angry. I made the mistake of watching some footage from a Socialist Democrat conference and found myself looking for the sharps. Given my status as a straight, white, cis, somewhat conservative male in the PNW, it’s advisable to keep an eye on what Antifa may be up to, but every time I see a clip of them destroying property, sucker-punching people, or taking over traffic detail while the cops stare and do nothing, my paranoia increases.

As someone who’s already suffering from bipolar depression and mild schizophrenia, who’s essentially housebound and who’s primary socialization outside of watching YouTube, stalking Whisper, or Tweeting into emptiness is talking to a stuffed Springtrap toy or a deaf cat, this is not a good situation.

Thankfully, there are a few things on YouTube that are better. Things that manage to make me laugh, that bring up the spirits. I rounded a few up and put them in a public playlist. If you want to know some of the things that crack me up, check it out. If you have suggestions for other videos I should add to the list, things that have cheered you up or that you think are good, let me know. I’m very open to expanding the list.

Of special note on there is Olyve Gardyns. She’s a new YouTuber, who I was introduced to via Jeff Holiday (who I watch a lot of, but generally he’s in the topics that make me angry while educating me, so not much of him made it to the happiness list.) She makes some of my favorite stuff right now, so show her some support and drop her a like and a subscribe, willya? She deserves it.

In other news, I’ll probably be trying to stream Too Human a little later today, assuming my Xbox wants to behave and I can get it to talk to my laptop. It’s one of those games that everyone I know despises, but that I find amusing. If you want to keep up with me on the streaming front, you can do so via Twitch.

Lastly, and I know you’re all sick of hearing me babble about it, still trying to sort out surgery and keep a roof over my head. If you can help, consider dropping a share or a dime in the bucket over here at GoFundMe. If you’d prefer, you can also support my endeavors via Patreon. It’s always appreciated but never required.

Happy Hump Day, everyone. Now go watch some Olyve and AVGN and cheer the hell up. It’s what I plan to do.