Hey all. I decided to take a slightly different approach to this month’s speedlink. Rather than go on another whirlwind tour of the blogosphere — do people still use that term? — I thought I’d share some great YouTube videos I’ve watched lately. I’ve embedded them all below for your convenience.

I’ve admired Stephen Colbert for many years. After he finished up with The Colbert Report, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be as interested in the “real” him after following his character for so long. Thankfully, my concerns weren’t necessary. He’s a lovely, intelligent, insightful individual and this recent rapid fire interview with Vanity Fair further solidifies my impression of him.

Of all the MCU shows set to hit Disney+ over the next couple years, I was least interested in WandaVision. The first couple episodes didn’t blow me away, but I’m sure glad I stuck around. Things have gotten much, much more interesting these past few weeks, setting the stage for the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since I’m hardly a comic book nerd, I rely on breakdowns like this from Heavy Spoilers to help explain it all. Nerdist is good for this too.

So-and-so is successful because they worked really hard, put in the hours, and had brilliantly innovative ideas. Oh, and they just happened to be so lucky as to be born into an affluent family with lots of affluent connections. The truth is that hidden privilege (and not so hidden privilege) plays a HUGE role in how successful someone might become. This video from Veritasium is terrific at explaining the paradox of “hard work” and “good luck.” Luck can make a big difference, but only if you believe it doesn’t?

The timing of this Lessons from the Screenplay video is a bit of a coincidence. I recently finished reading Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland. In it, she talks about the relationship between what a character wants and what a character needs. And that’s exactly what LFTS’s Michael Tucker talks about in the context of the Disney-Pixar movie Soul. Sometimes, what we think we want is not at all what we need to feel happy and fulfilled. This is the ocean.

Let me preface this by saying that we’re not in the market for a new vehicle. Not really. It’s mostly daydreaming on my part. And I am thrilled that the next couple of years will see the launch of several fully electric SUVs and crossovers. The hope is that vehicles like the Nissan Ariya, as explored by the Late Brake Show here, will Tesla more of a run for its money. Even if you’re not interested specifically in the Chevy Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, or Volkswagen ID.4, they’ll be great for pushing the electrified segment forward.

What have you been watching on YouTube lately?