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With Halloween coming up, I've been watching a bunch of Halloween videos on YouTube lately. I came across some really fun and creative ones, so I thought I'd put a few of my favorites together and share them here. There are people turning a YouTube logo into a monster, building animatronics, carving some seriously impressive pumpkins, and making tiny haunted houses. I also found a video of an insanely decorated Halloween yard in California. I honestly didn't realize how much effort and creativity people put into Halloween! They're all pretty different, so you don't have to watch them in any particular order. Just pick whatever looks interesting. Hope you find something you enjoy! 🎃 VIDEO NOTE 1 1. Turning the YouTube Logo Into a Monster | Wicked Makers (via YouTube) 👹 I never would've thought of turning the YouTube logo into a Halloween monster, but someone actually did it! I love how such a familiar logo can become something so weird and creepy. It's a fun reminder that Halloween ideas can come from pretty much anywhere. If you're into unusual DIY projects or just enjoy seeing creative ideas come to life, this one's worth checking out. VIDEO NOTE 2 2. We Built Our First Animatronic Again | Wicked Makers (via YouTube) 🧟 These creators decided to go back and remake one of their very first animatronic monsters, Huggy Wuggy, using everything they've learned since then. I think it's really cool to see people revisit an old project and find ways to make it better. It's not just about building a creepy monster — it's also about seeing how much their skills have improved. If you enjoy creative builds, behind-the-scenes processes, or watching people get better at something they love, this one's worth a look. VIDEO NOTE 3 3. 13 Levels of Pumpkin Carving: Easy to Complex | WIRED (via YouTube) 🎃 I Had No Idea Pumpkin Carving Could Get This Complicated! I always thought pumpkin carving was mostly about cutting out funny or scary faces. Turns out there's a lot more to it! In this video, a professional pumpkin carver walks through 13 levels of carving, from simple designs to some seriously impressive techniques. It's pretty amazing how much detail you can get out of a single pumpkin. I especially like that you can see how the techniques get more advanced step by step. If you've ever carved a pumpkin for Halloween, or just enjoy watching skilled people do their thing, this is a fun one to check out. Levels 1-4: Foundation & Basics Level 1 (0:45): Basic jack-o'-lantern carving using a classic triangle design. Level 2 (2:21): Embellished jack-o'-lanterns, adding character through facial expressions and extra teeth. Level 3 (3:46): Realistic pumpkin carving, focusing on light representation and shadows. Level 4 (6:03): Adding backgrounds to create narrative and depth. Levels 5-8: Advanced Techniques Level 5 (7:25): Layered carving to achieve various shading effects using the pumpkin's natural translucency. Level 6 (9:06): Back carving, shaving the interior of the pumpkin wall for subtle highlights. Level 7 (10:51): 3D sculpting, treating the pumpkin like stone or wood for depth and form. Level 8 (13:22): Sculpting a 3D background to enhance the main subject. Levels 9-13: Complex Artistry Level 9 (15:17): Attaching additional pumpkin pieces using dowels and adhesive. Level 10 (16:53): Integrating internal lights for specialized accents. Level 11 (18:27): Using multiple pumpkins to build larger, multi-part structures. Level 12 (20:11): Painting the pumpkin to add shadow and definition. Level 13 (21:34): Pushing the limits with armatures, mechanical servos, and mixed-media techniques to create a "pumpkin zombie." VIDEO NOTE 4 4. How to Make Miniature Haunted Halloween House | Cardboard Design (via YouTube) 🏚️ A Tiny Haunted House That's More Cute Than Scary! I wanted to pick something a little different this time, so I went with this adorable miniature Halloween house! It's amazing how much detail you can create with just cardboard and a little imagination. The tiny rooms and Halloween decorations are so cute, and it's fun watching everything come together. I think kids would really enjoy this one, too. It's a nice change from all the scary monsters and creepy Halloween decorations. If you love miniatures, cute crafts, or just watching people make tiny things, this one's for you! Timestamps from YouTube 0:00 | Intro video 0:28 | How to Make Miniature Haunted Halloween 2023 House 09:40 | Relax with my Haunted Halloween 2023 House 10:20 | Build Halloween Haunted Palace from Cardboard 18:20 | Admire the Halloween Palace 19:35 | Make 2 Bedroom Hello Kitty Halloween House 29:10 | Relax with my Hello Kitty Halloween House VIDEO NOTE 5 5. THE ULTIMATE HALLOWEEN YARD DISPLAY | INSANE HAUNTED HOUSE & ANIMATRONICS FULL TOUR | Dreamland Mouse (via YouTube) 👻 A Halloween Night in Burbank, California 🎃 I found this video of a house in Burbank, California, and wow, they really went all out for Halloween! There are giant skeletons, glowing pumpkins, moving monsters, and spooky lights everywhere. It almost looks like a little theme park! I love seeing how much effort people put into decorating their homes for Halloween. It's amazing how an ordinary yard can turn into something like this. There's no talking or narration, so you can just relax and enjoy looking around. If you love Halloween decorations or you're curious about how people celebrate Halloween in the US, this one's definitely worth a look!

Choosing where to spend a few relaxed hours in Tokyo? These four videos bring together different creators’ views of Shimokitazawa, Koenji, Kichijoji, and Yanaka–Nezu. • Shimokitazawa — vintage shopping, cafés, and creative spaces such as Bonus Track. • Koenji — shopping arcades, everyday shops, and plenty of food stops. • Kichijoji — Inokashira Park, narrow alleys, and coffee breaks. • Yanaka–Nezu — older streets, local snacks, neighborhood shops, and Nezu Shrine. We chose one video for each area so you can compare both the places and the ways people spend time there. Browse the shops, linger over lunch, or leave room for a long walk—which sounds like your kind of Tokyo day? Have a favorite video about one of these neighborhoods—or another Tokyo area worth comparing? Share it in the comments. VIDEO NOTE 1 Shimokitazawa: Vintage Shops, Matcha & Café Stops Tokyo Cheapo’s 15-minute guide brings together vintage shopping, matcha, cafés, and Bonus Track, with brief detours to nearby areas. There are ideas here for an afternoon of browsing, eating, and taking breaks. Selected moments 00:36 — Matcha at Matcha Passport 04:58 — Exploring Bonus Track 06:24 — Vintage shopping 10:21 — Coffee 13:46 — Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine Why we picked it We chose this guide for its mix of shopping, food, and café stops—useful for deciding whether Shimokitazawa fits the kind of day you want. VIDEO NOTE 2 Koenji: Shopping Streets, Doughnuts & Neighborhood Eats TabiEats spends a day in Koenji, moving between shrines, shopping streets, small shops, and food stops. The route includes PAL and Look shopping streets, with breaks for doughnuts, burgers, and coffee. Places to look out for PAL & Look — shopping streets and small shops Floresta — doughnuts Awajishima Burger — burgers Monsta Sweets & Ojizo Coffee — coffee and sweets Why we picked it Everyday shops and lanes beneath the railway add another side to our neighborhood comparison. This guide is a useful choice if you like a walk with plenty of places to stop and eat. VIDEO NOTE 3 Kichijoji: Park Walks, Small Alleys & Coffee Breaks This walk with Tokyo Kenchan connects the narrow lanes of Harmonica Yokocho with Inokashira Park and café stops. The route also includes Musashino Hachimangu Shrine. Places to look out for Harmonica Yokocho — narrow alleys with small shops and bars Inokashira Park — a walk around the pond Musashino Hachimangu — a shrine stop Tiny Ponta Coffee & Café Arg — places to pause for coffee Why we picked it The park brings time outdoors into our neighborhood comparison. Consider Kichijoji if your ideal afternoon includes exploring small streets, walking by the water, and settling into a café. VIDEO NOTE 4 Yanaka & Nezu: Old Streets, Local Snacks & a Shrine Walk English subtitles available. A walk with freya c. diary through Yanaka’s small shops and snack stops, including canelés, roasted sweet potatoes, and menchi-katsu. There’s a café break at Hagiso, a visit to Nezu Shrine, and Mont Blanc at Waguriya to finish. Selected moments 00:34 — Yanaka Matsunoya 04:01 — Menchi-katsu at Niku no Suzuki 05:13 — Café break at Hagiso 07:55 — Nezu Shrine 11:20 — Mont Blanc at Waguriya Why we picked it We end the collection with neighborhood shops, snacks, and a shrine visit. Consider Yanaka–Nezu if you enjoy historic streets, browsing local shops, and stopping for something to eat along the way.

Four videos on light, composition, everyday phone photography, and editing—different perspectives to help you make more of the camera you carry. The first two videos cover light and composition through general photography lessons, with ideas you can apply to phone photos. The next two focus on phone photography tips and editing in Snapseed. The order follows the process of making a photo: notice the light, decide what belongs in the frame, take the shot, and refine it. Try one idea with a photo of your own. A portrait, a cup on the table, or a familiar street is a good place to start. VIDEO NOTE 1 Light: 10 Tips for Better Portraits in Natural Light | Julia Trotti Ten common mistakes when photographing portraits in natural light, explained through photo examples. Learn to notice background brightness, the time of day, and the direction of light. The demonstrations use a camera, but the advice on positioning yourself and your subject applies to phone photos too. Selected moments 00:27 — Balancing the light on your subject and background 01:28 — Working with midday sunlight 04:30 — Paying attention to the direction of light 06:31 — Finding the catchlight in someone’s eyes 09:23 — Choosing a location for its light Why I picked it I like the reminder that moving a little can change the photo. It gives you something concrete to try before moving on to composition and editing. VIDEO NOTE 2 Composition: Decide What Belongs in the Frame | Jamie Windsor Eight composition tips on changing your viewpoint, reducing distractions, and paying attention to the edges of the frame. Learn to decide what you want someone to notice in your photo. The lesson covers photography in general, but these ideas work with your phone too. Selected moments 01:59 — Changing your shooting position 09:01 — Simplifying the frame Why I picked it I like how this turns composition into choices you can try with the scene in front of you. After noticing the light, it’s a useful guide to deciding what to include and what to leave out. VIDEO NOTE 3 Shooting: Find a Photo in an Everyday Moment | Jamie Windsor This video explores what phone photography can offer, then moves into practical tips on strong light, shapes, and taking time over a shot. The practical tips begin at 08:37. Selected moments 08:37 — The practical phone photography tips begin 15:46 — Taking time over a shot Why I picked it I chose this to bring the earlier lessons into everyday life. You can try them on a familiar street or during a short walk. VIDEO NOTE 4 Editing: Finish Your Photo in Snapseed | Photo Genius A short Snapseed tutorial that starts with a basic portrait edit, then introduces perspective correction and ways to revisit your edits. Published in 2024; some screens and controls may look different in the current version of Snapseed. Selected moments 00:50 — A basic portrait edit 06:37 — Correcting perspective Why I picked it I put this last so you can edit a photo you took while trying the earlier tips. It’s a chance to bring light, composition, shooting, and editing together in one picture.

English subtitles available. Turn them on in the video settings if needed. 🍂 I found Nami’s life when her channel was still small, and I’ve followed it with affection ever since. I love her cooking, but what has stayed with me most is the way she cooks. Even after work, she takes her time. Watching her chop vegetables so calmly makes me slow down and breathe a little easier, too. I get a similar feeling from planD. To me, both channels show how cooking for one can be a way of caring for yourself, and how lovely it can be to spend time in your own company. I chose ten autumn vlogs from different years: quiet mornings, after-work dinners, baking, a visit home, and camping meals. Pick whichever dish or moment catches your eye. Each video can be enjoyed on its own. About the channels Nami’s life — home cooking and quiet everyday routines in Tokyo. planD — home cooking, creative projects, and solo days in Seoul and beyond. VIDEO NOTE 1 Potato Soup & Mushroom Rice on a Quiet Autumn Day | Nami’s life Nami begins her weekend at 6 a.m., tidies her kitchen, and makes creamy potato soup. Later, she prepares apple compote, goes out for a while, and returns to a dinner of root vegetables, steak, and mushroom rice. I like how the day unfolds at its own pace, from a quiet morning to a carefully made meal. Moments to choose 08:27 Creamy potato soup 14:33 Apple compote 25:48 Autumn dinner VIDEO NOTE 2 A Day of Shrimp Fritters & Squirrel-Shaped Wagashi | planD planD makes a generous batch of shrimp fritters at home, then joins a one-day class to make squirrel-shaped wagashi, a Japanese sweet. I like how the day moves from cooking something for herself to learning how to make something new. It’s a playful glimpse of how she spends her time alone. VIDEO NOTE 3 Samosas & Chai for an Autumn Weekend | Nami’s life After work, Nami settles in for a weekend at home. The food moves from tofu and cake to easy samosas with chai, then mushroom rice and dumplings. The dishes change, but I enjoy the steady, unhurried way she moves through her kitchen. Moments to choose 06:00 Cake 08:19 Samosas and chai 13:11 Mushroom rice and dumplings VIDEO NOTE 4 Mini Kimjang for One & Garlic Galbi | planD As late autumn settles in, planD prepares a small batch of kimchi for her one-person home. A Costco trip, garlic-rich galbi, and a comforting galbitang meal kit fill out the video. I like how even a seasonal tradition such as kimjang can become a way of caring for yourself. VIDEO NOTE 5 Gratin & Pumpkin Cookies for an Autumn Night | Nami’s life The new oven gets plenty of use on this autumn evening: gratin for dinner, pumpkin cookies for tea. Baking, waiting, and finally sitting down to enjoy them make the night at home feel especially inviting. VIDEO NOTE 6 Grilled Crab & Strawberry Marshmallows in the Pine Woods | planD A campsite takes shape among the pine trees. Grilled crab with mayo and strawberry marshmallows bring a little fun to the meal, while the forest gives the cooking scenes a welcome change of setting. VIDEO NOTE 7 Sashimi Carpaccio & Pear Ice Cream After a Cold Day | Nami’s life Coming home from the cold feels especially welcome when there is food to make. Sashimi carpaccio and kale and mushroom salad become dinner, while homemade pear ice cream adds an unexpected autumn treat. That cool dessert on a chilly night is the detail I keep thinking about. VIDEO NOTE 8 Radish Tteokbokki & a Handmade Coat for Late Autumn | planD A trip to Dongdaemun leads to a coat made by hand. Back at home, Gwangjang Market-style radish tteokbokki and pork belly rolled with cheese bring the focus to the kitchen. Sewing something to wear and making something to eat fit naturally together in these colder days. VIDEO NOTE 9 🌰 Tonjiru & Chestnut Rice on a Trip Home | Nami’s life A spontaneous trip to see family begins before sunrise. Tonjiru, chestnut rice, and simmered pumpkin bring Japanese autumn flavors into the weekend. After the meals made for one in earlier videos, this visit opens a window onto the family Nami returns to. VIDEO NOTE 10 🍲 Chicken Kalguksu & Squid-and-Pork Bulgogi in the Forest | planD A few days of backpacking turn the forest into a place to cook and settle in. Among the camp meals are hot chicken kalguksu and squid-and-pork bulgogi. Ending this collection by the campfire feels right: a good meal made for yourself can be part of the journey, wherever you are.

October baseball is usually framed around favorites, odds, and predictions. But the stories I remember are rarely only about the strongest team. These are five players and teams I find myself rooting for—some because of what they have overcome, some because of the way they play together, and some simply because they are hard not to like. You don’t have to agree with my picks. Each video stands on its own, so start with the player or team you are most curious about. I hope one of them gives you a reason to care before the first pitch. VIDEO NOTE 1 The White Sox Are Building Something Again NBC Sports · September 6, 2026 · Short team feature After losing 121 games in 2024, the White Sox are trying to change more than their record. This short video looks at the young players and the new culture forming around them. I don’t know how far this team will go yet, but that is part of why I want to watch. Seeing a team slowly find its confidence again is its own kind of baseball story. VIDEO NOTE 2 What Holds This Brewers Team Together MLB on NBC · September 20, 2026 · Full interview The Brewers do not always get the same attention as the biggest teams, but that is part of what I like about them. In this interview, Brice Turang talks about the trust between the players and their team-first mentality. Their success does not feel like a story about only one star. It comes from a group that knows how it wants to play. This is the kind of team I enjoy following in October. VIDEO NOTE 3 Getting to Know Payton Tolle Jomboy Media Baseball · August 2026 · Player interview Payton Tolle is one of the young players I wanted to know beyond the highlights. In this conversation, he talks about his family, his late mother, his teammates, and some of the lighter parts of his life. What stayed with me was not a statistic. It was the way he speaks about the people who helped him get here. After watching this, I wanted to follow more than his next start. I wanted to keep following his story. VIDEO NOTE 4 Baseball, Rescue Dogs, and Ozzie Albies The Rich Eisen Show · May 7, 2026 · Full interview Ozzie Albies talks about the Braves, but some of the most interesting parts of this interview happen away from the field. He shares the work he and his wife do with rescue dogs, the animals they live with, and his love of koi fish. It is a relaxed conversation, and his personality comes through naturally. I already knew the player. This video made me like the person too. VIDEO NOTE 5 One Swing That Sent Tampa Bay to October MLB · September 11, 2026 · Full final inning Some baseball stories do not need a long explanation. The Rays needed one more win to secure their postseason spot, and Junior Caminero ended the game with his 40th home run of the season. This video shows the full inning, so you can feel the tension before the final swing. This is the kind of moment I watch baseball for.

With the regular season entering its final days, the playoff field is taking shape—but seeding, injuries, matchups, and pressure can still change how October unfolds. This box brings together five videos exploring different questions: Which teams have the clearest path? Which contenders still have a serious weakness? How much pressure is on the Yankees? How can other teams challenge the Dodgers? And does the current playoff format really reward the strongest teams? You don’t need to watch all five in order. Each video approaches October baseball from a different angle, so start with the question that interests you most. The longer videos are there if you want to dig deeper. Selected on September 23, 2026. I wasn’t looking for five videos that simply repeated the standings or made similar predictions. What interested me was what could actually decide a short postseason series: a missing star, an uneven roster, a difficult matchup, an unexpected opponent, or even the structure of the bracket itself. I chose each video to play a different role—from a quick overview of the playoff picture to deeper comparisons of the contenders and the strategies that could shape October. For baseball fans who want a clear view of the 2026 postseason race without watching every update, and for casual viewers looking for a way back into MLB before October begins. Choose one quick overview or settle into a longer analysis—the box is designed to work either way. VIDEO NOTE 1 The Bracket: The Best and Worst Paths Through October Before choosing a team to follow, start with the map of October. A.J. Pierzynski and Erik Kratz break down the current postseason bracket, comparing the most favorable and most difficult paths through the playoffs—and showing how the final week could still reshape the American League picture. Use this as a quick overview, then jump to whichever matchup or team interests you most. VIDEO NOTE 2 The Pressure: The Yankees Face a Final-Week Test The Yankees enter the final week with their postseason position still unsettled—and Aaron Judge unavailable. CBS Sports examines what is at stake in their series against the Tampa Bay Rays, how Judge’s absence changes the lineup, and whether the rest of the roster can handle the pressure. It is a focused look at how one injury and one final series can reshape an entire path through October. VIDEO NOTE 3 The Format: Is Baseball’s Best Division Being Punished? The American League East is home to some of baseball’s strongest teams, yet the playoff bracket could force them to eliminate one another early while weaker division winners receive more favorable paths. Rising Heat explains how division-based seeding can turn regular-season strength into a postseason disadvantage. It is a concise look at whether the current format truly rewards the best teams. VIDEO NOTE 4 The Contenders: Ranking the Field from Strongest to Shakiest Every playoff contender has a case for making a deep run—but not every roster is built for the same kind of October. The Windup ranks the contenders from strongest to weakest, weighing each team’s lineup, rotation, bullpen, and biggest vulnerability. It is a useful guide to the teams best prepared for short-series baseball—and the ones carrying the most risk. VIDEO NOTE 5 The Favorite: How Can Anyone Beat the Dodgers? The Dodgers enter October as the team everyone else is measuring themselves against, but even the favorite has weaknesses that can be targeted. Robbie Hyde examines the postseason field team by team, identifying the matchups, pitching plans, offensive strengths, and pressure points that could give each opponent a path past Los Angeles. It turns “Can anyone beat the Dodgers?” into a more useful question: what would each team actually need to do?

Algorithms do more than decide what appears in our feeds. They influence what holds our attention, how we work, how we use AI, and sometimes even how we understand ourselves. This PickBox brings together five videos that move from a familiar problem—why it has become so difficult to focus—to broader questions about algorithm design, automation, critical thinking, and what makes us human. Some of the videos are recent, while others were made before generative AI became part of everyday life. The older ones are included not as current predictions, but as questions worth revisiting now. If you can, watch them in order. The full journey takes about an hour. I use recommendation feeds and AI tools every day, often without noticing how they may be changing my attention, habits, or way of thinking. Rather than deciding whether technology is simply good or bad, I wanted to ask a quieter and more personal question: As machines become capable of doing more for us, what should we continue doing for ourselves? Placed together, these videos made the subject feel less like a story about technology and more like a story about being human. For anyone who uses social media or AI and has wondered what these tools might be changing—not only around us, but within us. No technical background is needed. This Box may be especially interesting if you care about attention, digital well-being, the future of work, critical thinking, or the relationship between technology and human life. VIDEO NOTE 1 Attention First | Why It Has Become So Hard to Focus Before asking how algorithms and AI may be changing us, this Box begins with something more immediate: the difficulty of holding our attention. Author and productivity expert Chris Bailey argues that the problem is not distraction alone, but overstimulation. Drawing on his own experiments with reducing digital stimulation, he explores how constantly seeking novelty can leave less room for focus, reflection, and unexpected ideas. This is less a lesson about getting more done than an invitation to notice what our minds have gradually become accustomed to. My takeaway: perhaps I am not simply bad at focusing. Perhaps my mind rarely gets the quiet it needs. Video information Original title: How to Get Your Brain to Focus | Chris Bailey | TEDxManchester Channel: TEDx Talks Published: April 8, 2019 Runtime: 15 min 57 sec VIDEO NOTE 2 The Feed Is a Choice | Who Should an Algorithm Serve? After the first video examines what constant stimulation does to our attention, this one turns toward the systems creating much of that stimulation. Musician and Patreon co-founder Jack Conte argues that algorithms are not neutral. They reflect the priorities and business models of the people who design them. When a platform optimizes for watch time and immediate engagement, creators are pushed to chase trends while viewers are encouraged to keep scrolling. Rather than rejecting algorithms altogether, Conte proposes different priorities: long-term relationships between creators and fans, art supported by people instead of advertising, and greater control for the humans using the system. Because Conte is also the CEO of Patreon, this is not a detached academic critique. It is partly Patreon’s own product philosophy—which makes it worth watching with both curiosity and a little distance. My takeaway: an algorithm is not simply something that happens to us. Someone has decided what it should reward. Video information Original title: I’m Building an Algorithm That Doesn’t Rot Your Brain Channel: New York Times Opinion Featuring: Jack Conte, co-founder and CEO of Patreon Published: November 19, 2025 Runtime: 7 min 15 sec VIDEO NOTE 3 Automation | Are Humans Becoming the Horses? Published in 2014—long before ChatGPT and today’s generative AI boom—this video asks what automation could mean for human work. CGP Grey begins with horses. For centuries, they were essential to transportation, farming, and industry. Then machines became cheaper and more capable, and the demand for horse labor collapsed. His unsettling question is whether “mechanical minds” could eventually do to human workers what mechanical muscles once did to horses. The video moves from transportation and routine labor to professional and creative work, challenging the comforting assumption that technology will always create enough new jobs to replace the ones it removes. Its argument is deliberately pessimistic, and some examples and figures reflect the world of 2014. It should not be treated as a settled prediction. That distance is precisely what makes it interesting now: we can compare what the video anticipated with what has—and has not—happened since. My takeaway: “new jobs will always appear” may be a reasonable hope, but it is still an assumption worth examining rather than a guarantee. Video information Current YouTube title: What Happened to Horses Is Happening to Us Original title at release: Humans Need Not Apply Channel: CGP Grey Published: August 13, 2014 Runtime: 14 min 58 sec VIDEO NOTE 4 Critical Thinking | Let AI Help Without Letting It Think for You The previous video asks whether machines may replace human work. This one raises a quieter question: even when the work remains ours, are we beginning to outsource the thinking itself? AI and design researcher Advait Sarkar examines the cognitive trade-offs of using chatbots at work. When AI drafts, summarizes, and answers before we have struggled with a problem ourselves, we can become reviewers of machine output rather than active participants in our own reasoning. Sarkar is not arguing that we should stop using AI. Instead, he asks whether these tools can challenge our assumptions, reveal gaps in an argument, and encourage reflection rather than simply handing us finished answers. The distinction feels important: speed is not the same as understanding, and convenience does not always lead to learning. My takeaway: the most useful AI may not be the one that thinks for me, but the one that helps me think more carefully. Video information Original title: How to Stop AI from Killing Your Critical Thinking Channel: TED Speaker: Advait Sarkar, AI and design researcher Recorded: September 2025 at TEDAI Vienna Published: December 28, 2025 Runtime: 14 min 54 sec VIDEO NOTE 5 The Self | What Makes You “You” When Everything Changes? This Box began by asking whether algorithms are changing us. The final video turns that question inward: what exactly is the “us” being changed? Kurzgesagt explores the self through cells, organ donation, cancer, DNA, and the body’s constant transformation. It suggests that a person may be less like a fixed object and more like a changing, self-sustaining pattern—one that continues even as its physical parts are replaced. Published in 2016, this is best approached as a science-based thought experiment rather than a current biology lesson. Its value lies in the question it leaves behind: if our bodies, attention, work, and ways of thinking keep changing, what allows us to remain ourselves? My takeaway: algorithms may influence what I see and how I think, but understanding that influence begins with asking what kind of person I want to keep becoming. Video information Original title: What Are You? Channel: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell Published: May 31, 2016 Runtime: 6 min 27 sec Note: Part of a collaboration with CGP Grey

I didn't set out to find these three together. One came from a late-night rabbit hole. Another came from a friend who said, “Just watch it.” The third I almost skipped because the thumbnail looked boring. They draw from different films, eras, and perspectives. But something connects them — something I couldn't name until I'd watched all three in one sitting. It has to do with time. And attention. And the feeling that life is happening slightly faster than you're actually living it. Watch them in order if you can. Just over 32 minutes in total. VIDEO NOTE 1 What Paterson Taught Me About Paying Attention Paterson is a bus driver whose days follow a quiet routine: he drives the same route, listens to the people around him, writes poems, and returns home. Through Jim Jarmusch’s film and David Foster Wallace’s ideas about attention, this essay asks whether a meaningful life requires extraordinary achievements—or whether meaning can also be found in how carefully we notice ordinary things. What stayed with me was the idea that attention itself can be a form of care. It feels like the right place to begin a Box about time, meaning, and how we are living. Good for: anyone who feels as though nothing important is happening in their life right now. Video information Original title: Everyday Virtue | Paterson & David Foster Wallace Channel: Like Stories of Old Published: May 26, 2017 Runtime: 8 min 12 sec VIDEO NOTE 2 How The Tree of Life Turns One Family’s Story into a Universe The first video finds meaning in everyday routines. This one suddenly widens the frame. Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life begins with memories of a family in 1950s Texas, then reaches all the way back to the birth of the universe. Like Stories of Old explores how fragmented memories, images of nature, sound, and editing bring an intimate family story and cosmic time into the same emotional space. Rather than reducing the film to one clear explanation, the essay helps us understand how its unusual form creates meaning. I had watched The Tree of Life twice before and found it beautiful but distant. After this essay, it felt less like a puzzle to solve and more like an experience to enter. Good for: a quiet evening when you are in the mood to think. ※ This essay discusses major scenes and themes from the film. Video information Original title: The Tree of Life | Crafting an Existential Masterpiece Channel: Like Stories of Old Published: May 7, 2017 Runtime: 19 min 25 sec VIDEO NOTE 3 Ikiru Asks What Makes a Life Worth Living The first two videos ask us to look more closely at everyday life. The final one confronts us with how little time we may have to do so. Akira Kurosawa’s 1952 film Ikiru follows Kanji Watanabe, a longtime bureaucrat who learns that he is terminally ill and realizes how little of his life has truly felt alive. This video essay examines how the film moves from fear and emptiness toward purposeful action. Through Watanabe’s story, it explores mortality, bureaucracy, legacy, and the quiet dignity of doing one meaningful thing for someone else. What stayed with me was not simply the reminder that life is short. It was the thought that being alive may begin when we stop postponing what matters. Good for: a moment when life feels repetitive or your priorities need resetting. ※ This essay discusses the film’s major scenes and ending. Video information Original title: Life Is Brief | Ikiru (1952) Video Essay Channel: Kuya Sunset Published: May 1, 2019 Runtime: 4 min 43 sec

今週もYouTubeの日本の急上昇から、気になった7曲を選んでみました！🎶 今回は再生回数100万回以上という条件を外して、先週のPickBoxには入っていなかった曲を中心に選んでいます。 ダンスパフォーマンス、アニメーションMV、バンドサウンド、フェスのライブ映像まで、いろいろな音楽が集まりました。 こうして毎週残していくと、「この週はこんな曲が話題だったんだな」と、あとから振り返るのも楽しそうです。 気になる曲から、ぜひ聴いてみてください！🎧 📅 2026年10月12日時点のピックです。 VIDEO NOTE 1 1. M!LK - 時空超えてユニバース (Dance Practice Movie) M!LKのダンス練習動画をピックしてみました！ MVとは違って、メンバー全員の動きやフォーメーションがよく見えるのがダンスプラクティスの面白いところ。 振り付けをじっくり見たい人や、グループのパフォーマンスが好きな人におすすめです。🕺 VIDEO NOTE 2 2. Aぇ! group - Mrs.Vampire (Dance Practice) タイトルからして、ちょっと気になる一曲！🧛 今回はダンスプラクティス映像を選びました。MVの演出とはまた違って、メンバーの動きやパフォーマンスそのものを楽しめるのがいいですね。 ハロウィンが近いこの時期、「Vampire」というタイトルにもつい目が留まりました。 VIDEO NOTE 3 3. RADWIMPS - 夕星 -ゆうづつ- [Official Music Video] RADWIMPSの新しいMVも急上昇に入っていました。 「夕星（ゆうづつ）」という言葉には、夕暮れの空に見える金星という意味があるそうです。 曲を聴く前から、タイトルの響きがなんだか素敵だなと思いました。 再生回数だけではなく、こういう気になる一曲も残しておきたいですね。🌟 VIDEO NOTE 4 4. ずっと真夜中でいいのに。- あかねさす頃 MV 音楽だけでなく、映像も一緒に楽しみたい人におすすめしたい一曲。 ずっと真夜中でいいのに。のMVは、アニメーションの世界観も大きな魅力ですよね。 どんな映像表現が曲と組み合わされているのか、つい最後まで見たくなります。🎨 VIDEO NOTE 5 5. Kroi — SPIN [Official Video] 今週のリストの中で、ちょっと違う雰囲気の曲も入れてみたくて選びました。 KroiはファンクやR&B、ロックなど、いろいろな音楽の要素を感じられるバンド。 アイドルのダンス映像とはまた違う、バンドならではのグルーヴを楽しみたいときにおすすめです。🎸 VIDEO NOTE 6 6. BE:FIRST — It's not a bad life 映画『RYUJI 竜二』の世界と重なる一曲 🎬 この映像、普通のMVかと思っていたら、10月30日公開の映画『RYUJI 竜二』との特別コラボ映像だったんですね！ 映画の本編シーンに加えて、メイキング映像も使われているそうです。 しかも、BE:FIRSTのJUNONさん自身も映画に出演していて、主題歌の制作にも参加しているとのこと。 周りの評価にとらわれず、自分の信念を貫いて生きるという映画のテーマと、楽曲のメッセージがどう重なっているのか気になります。 映画の公開前にチェックしておきたい一本です！ 🎬 映画『RYUJI 竜二』 2026年10月30日公開予定 公式サイト：https://www.culture-pub.jp/ryuji_movie/ VIDEO NOTE 7 7. Fujii Kaze — You (Live at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '26) 最後は藤井風さんのライブ映像を選びました。🎹 スタジオで作り込まれたMVもいいですが、ライブにはその場でしか生まれない空気がありますよね。 FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL '26でのパフォーマンスを通して、曲のまた違った魅力を感じられそうです。 今週の7曲の中で、ゆっくりライブの雰囲気を味わいたい人におすすめです。

「ロック」を追いかけたら、45年分の“生きざま”が見えてきた！ 前回の「COOL」編に続く、negomasaさんの投稿に着想を得た企画の第2弾です。 前回は涼を求めて、タイトルに「COOL」が入った曲を集めました。 今回は、その反対に熱を求めて。 夏が終わる前に、もう一度熱くなりたい— そんな気分で、タイトルに「ロック」が入った邦楽を選びました。 元記事には、タイトルに「ロック」がつく邦楽がずらりと並んでいます。 このPickBoxではそこから少し視点を変えて、 「ロック」という言葉が、時代ごとにどんな“生きざま”を映してきたのかを、 年代を追ってたどってみます。 このPickBoxは、noteで邦楽・洋楽をテーマごとに紹介している negomasaさんの「タイトルに『ロック』がつく邦楽曲たち」という企画から 着想を得て構成しました。 negomasaさんのnoteプロフィール → https://note.com/negomasa0422 VIDEO NOTE 1 1980年｜「ロック」は、突っ走る生きざまだった 動画情報 YouTube原題：横浜銀蝿 ぶっちぎりRock'n Roll 投稿チャンネル：Celica DoubleX 再生時間：5分19秒 楽曲発表年：1980年 7曲の始まりは、1980年にデビューした横浜銀蝿から。 リーゼントに革ジャン。周りに合わせるより、自分たちのスタイルを貫いて突っ走る。ここで歌われる「ロック」は、音楽のジャンルというより、生き方そのものに近い。 荒々しいサウンドの奥にあるのは、意外なほどまっすぐな熱。45年をたどるこのPickBoxの出発点に置きたい一曲。 VIDEO NOTE 2 1987年｜「ロック」は、好きなものを好きと言うことだった—THE BLUE HEARTS 動画情報 YouTube原題：The Blue Hearts - パンク・ロック 投稿チャンネル：Hurry 再生時間：3分45秒 楽曲発表年：1987年 1曲目の「突っ走るロック」から7年。 THE BLUE HEARTSが歌ったのは、パンク・ロックが好きだという、驚くほどシンプルでまっすぐな気持ちだった。 飾らない言葉とシンプルなコード。反抗や怒りだけではなく、やさしさに惹かれていると歌うところに、この曲のロックがある。 周りにどう見られるかではなく、好きなものを心から好きだと言う。その潔さが、1987年の“生きざま”として今もまっすぐに響いてくる。 VIDEO NOTE 3 2010年｜「ロック」は、アイドルが叫ぶ“本気”になった—AKB48 動画情報 YouTube原題：【MV full】マジスカロックンロール / AKB48【公式】 投稿チャンネル：AKB48 再生時間：3分37秒 楽曲発表年：2010年 2曲目から23年。ロックバンドではなく、アイドルグループが「ロックンロール」を歌う時代へ。 AKB48のメンバーがヤンキー役を演じたドラマ『マジすか学園』のオープニングテーマ。制服、けんか、仲間、プライドという世界観の中で描かれるのは、格好だけで強がるのではなく、本気で生きようとする姿だ。 かつてのツッパリ文化を思わせる反骨精神が、アイドルの物語とパフォーマンスの中でよみがえる。2010年の「ロック」は、“本気”を見せるための言葉になった。 VIDEO NOTE 4 2010年｜「ロック」は、日常を蹴り飛ばす衝動だった—Mr.Children 動画情報 YouTube原題：ロックンロールは生きている / Mr.Children 投稿チャンネル：TOYSFACTORYJP 再生時間：4分51秒 収録公演：Mr.Children Tour 2011 “SENSE” 楽曲発表年：2010年 楽曲が発表されたのは2010年。ここで選んだのは、翌2011年のツアーで演奏されたライブ映像だ。 打ち込みのビートとバンドサウンドが交わる中で鳴らされるロックンロール。それは過去の音楽や決まったスタイルではなく、閉塞した日常を破り、次の世界へ進もうとする衝動として描かれている。 リーゼントでも、パンクファッションでもなくていい。自分の中にまだ前へ進もうとする力が残っているなら、ロックンロールは生きている。そんな宣言のように響く一曲。 VIDEO NOTE 5 2013年｜「ロック」は、自分の美学を貫く覚悟だった—吉川晃司 動画情報 YouTube原題：吉川晃司 _SAMURAI ROCЖ 投稿チャンネル：Bebegim Ж 再生時間：4分44秒 楽曲発表年：2013年 デビュー30周年を目前に、吉川晃司が自らのレーベル「SAMURAI ROCK」を立ち上げ、その第1弾として放った一曲。 鋭いギターリフと力強いビートに重なるのは、時代や周囲に合わせるのではなく、自分の信念を貫こうとする姿。若さに任せて突っ走るだけではなく、守りたいもののために立ち向かう覚悟がある。 長く走り続けてきたからこそ、自分の美学を曲げない。2013年の「ロック」は、大人になっても信念を貫く生きざまとして響いてくる。 VIDEO NOTE 6 2017年｜「ロック」は、想いを届けるための言葉になった—あいみょん 動画情報 YouTube原題：あいみょん - 君はロックを聴かない 【OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO】 投稿チャンネル：あいみょん 楽曲発表年：2017年 「ロックを聴かない君」に、自分の好きな曲を聴かせたい。片思いする男性の視点から、音楽をきっかけに相手との距離を縮めようとする気持ちを描いた一曲。 広大な廃墟を舞台にしたノスタルジックな映像も、まっすぐなのにどこか不器用な恋心とよく似合う。ここでの「ロック」は、反抗や強さを示すものではなく、言葉にできない想いを託すための音楽になっている。 かつて反抗や衝動の象徴だったロックが、この曲では誰かと分かち合いたいものへ。2017年の「ロック」は、好きな人にそっと差し出す一枚のレコードのように響いてくる。 VIDEO NOTE 7 2025年｜「ロック」は、夢を追う人をつなぐ力になった—Ado 動画情報 YouTube原題：【Ado】ロックスター 投稿チャンネル：Ado 再生時間：3分51秒 楽曲発表年：2025年 Ado自身の歩みを重ねながら、何かに挑むすべての人の背中を押す応援歌。 クローゼットで歌を録音していた頃から、世界へ歌を届ける存在になるまで。その道のりがあるからこそ、この曲の「ロックスター」は遠い憧れではなく、誰かと一緒に夢を追い続ける人の姿として響く。 MVでは、前世でロックスターになる夢を叶えられなかった主人公が、一夜限りのチャンスに挑む物語が描かれる。少し不思議でコミカルな映像の奥に、諦めきれない夢への強い思いが残る。 1980年の「突っ走る生きざま」から始まったこの箱の最後に、2025年のAdoを置いた。時代とともに「ロック」の音も姿も変わったけれど、夢に向かって自分の声を上げることは、今も変わらないのかもしれない。