Think About Thinking: Why Metacognition is Your Secret Weapon
Most people think they’re thinking. They aren’t. They’re reacting, guessing, and letting fear run the show. That’s where metacognition comes in—the art of thinking about thinking. It sounds academic, but it’s really just the skill of noticing your own mental patterns, understanding how you make decisions, and deliberately choosing how to act.
Musicians and Bands
Artists are notoriously cowardly about success. They fear it, avoid it, or sabotage it. A metacognition consultant spots these patterns—fear of rejection, perfectionism, avoidance—and teaches artists to see them coming. Once you understand why you freeze on stage, procrastinate on finishing tracks, or self-sabotage deals, you can rewrite the rules of your own creative game.
Business and Leadership
CEOs, managers, and founders do it too—they get trapped in reactive cycles. Metacognition helps leaders step back, analyze their thought habits, and make more strategic, less emotionally-driven decisions. It’s like debugging your brain before the market forces debug your company.
Sports
Athletes already know the mental game is half the battle. Metacognition trains them to notice the inner chatter that causes choking, hesitation, or burnout. By thinking about their thinking, they optimize focus, resilience, and split-second decision-making.
Everyday Life
Even outside fame, fortune, or competition, we all stumble over predictable mental traps—rumination, procrastination, self-doubt. Metacognition is the anti-stupidity tool. It’s like having a mirror in your brain, showing you where you’re screwing yourself over before it’s too late.
The Bottom Line
Thinking about thinking sounds nerdy, but it’s basically performance-enhancement for life. Musicians, CEOs, athletes, and humans in general can all benefit. You start noticing your patterns, calling yourself out, and making smarter moves—emotionally, creatively, and strategically.
And if you’re still scared of success? That’s exactly why you need it.
Friday, 31 October 2025
Noted a bunch of music and tech invites for networking parties in LA. Kind of useless, but it reminds me of the time Drew Barrymore invited me to one of her events in LA, or when a band put me on the Playboy Mansion list. Sometimes Toronto feels limiting. At least I still got free tickets from Mark Wahlberg for his Christmas movie, which was nice.
Saturday, 25 October 2025
🌟🎶 Hearken, dear friends and devoted followers! 🎶🌟
In the bustling streets and alleys of Toronto, where the wind carries whispers of melodies yet unsung, there dwells a humble curator of sound—DJ Belmont, young of age but mighty in spirit, who, with steadfast heart, delivers harmonies unto your ears thrice each week: Mondays and Wednesdays, that the week may commence with cheer, and Fridays, that ye may feast upon mixtapes, rich and savory to the musical palate.
Let it be known, every note spun, every rhythm conjured, is a testament to dreams pursued with fervor, and to milestones, great and small, which mark the journey of one whose soul dances with the very pulse of the city. 🎵✨
Come forth, kindred spirits, partake in this voyage of sound, and rejoice in the progress of each endeavor—each like a star ascending in the firmament of DJ Belmont’s artistry. Let us celebrate every triumph, every new mix, every cheer for the Maple Leafs, and all manner of joy that life bestows upon those who dare to dream.
📅 Follow henceforth, and let your hearts be lifted with the promise of musical wonders to come!
#DJBelmontFilms #TorontoDJ #MilestonesCelebrated #MixtapeMagic #DickensianVibes #TorontoMusicScene
Story Boards
Story Boards created by GreatguyTV, based on instragram reels
Storyboard Idea: "Unexpected Photo Bomb"
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Scene 1: Setting the Scene
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James and his three friends are posing for a group photo in a scenic location.
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The atmosphere is lighthearted, with everyone smiling and preparing for the shot.
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Scene 2: The Build-Up
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As the camera focuses on the group, a stranger in the background is seen preparing to jump into the frame.
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The friends remain unaware, continuing to smile and pose.
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Scene 3: The Photo Bomb
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Just as the photo is taken, the stranger leaps into the background, adding a surprise element to the shot.
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The friends react with laughter and surprise, capturing the unexpected moment.
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Scene 4: The Aftermath
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The group reviews the photo, laughing at the unexpected addition.
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A caption appears: "When the universe adds a little extra to your shot."
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Storyboard 1: "Jump Scare Selfie"
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James and two friends take a selfie in a park.
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A dog suddenly jumps into the frame behind them.
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Friends react with exaggerated fright and laughter.
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Caption: "Not all photobombs are human."
Storyboard 2: "Unexpected Dance Partner"
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James dances with friends in a living room.
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A stranger appears in the background and mimics the moves.
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Everyone laughs and improvises together.
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Caption: "When your audience joins in."
Storyboard 3: "Hat Swap Chaos"
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James and friends try on silly hats.
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A stranger sneaks in and swaps hats with one of the friends.
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Friends notice, react with surprise and laughter.
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Caption: "Hats off to unexpected helpers."
Storyboard 4: "Falling Object Surprise"
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James and friends pose near a tree.
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A random ball bounces into the frame behind them.
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Everyone jumps or ducks, then laughs.
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Caption: "Gravity loves a cameo."
Storyboard 5: "Mirror Reflection Prank"
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James and friends take a picture in front of a mirror.
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A stranger mimics their poses behind them in the reflection.
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Friends notice and laugh at the mirrored prank.
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Caption: "Double trouble, double fun."
Thursday, 23 October 2025
https://scholz01.blogspot.com/2025/10/how-to-hide-your-old-googleyoutube_23.html
How to Hide Your Old Google/YouTube Videos — A Step-by-Step Guide (GreatGuyTV)
Quick summary (do these in order)
- Audit your videos.
- Change visibility to Private (best) or Unlisted (convenient).
- Remove embeds and delete copies on other sites.
- Remove traces from Google Search (Remove URLs / Outdated Content).
- If necessary, delete the video and use removal tools — and keep a secure backup.
Intro — why this matters (short)
Old videos can come back to haunt you: unwanted exposure, outdated opinions, personal info in frames or audio, or clips republished by others. The fastest safe route is to make videos private so they’re not accessible to viewers; use deletion + removal tools only when you’re sure. Unlisted videos are still accessible to anyone with the link, so use them only when you plan to share with a controlled list.
Step 1 — Audit everything (5–20 minutes)
Action: Make a list of every video you want to hide (channel → YouTube Studio → Content).
Why: You need a complete map before changing things. Note where it’s embedded (your website, social posts, playlists) and whether other channels reused it.
- Open YouTube Studio → Content.
- Filter by date / search by title to find old uploads.
- For each video, note: title, published date, current visibility, links where it’s embedded, and whether you own the original files.
Step 2 — Change visibility (fast, reversible)
Action: In YouTube Studio → Content, select video(s) → Visibility → change to Private (recommended) or Unlisted. Save.
Why:
- Private = only you (and invited Google accounts) can see it. Completely removed from search & channel pages.
- Unlisted = not searchable but anyone with the link can view. Use only if you must keep sharing links.
How-to (step-by-step clicks):
- Go to YouTube Studio → Content.
- Tick the checkbox next to the video(s).
- Click the “Visibility” dropdown (top bar) → choose Private → Save.
- Optionally, click a single video → Details → Visibility → Private → Save.
Note: Private videos disappear from channel, playlists and search instantly. Unlisted videos may still show if previously indexed — keep reading for search removal steps.
Step 3 — Remove embeds and links you control
Action: Delete or update any web pages, blog posts, or social posts on your sites that embed or link the video.
Why: Even if the video is private, an embedded player or link on a public page increases the chance a copy or cached item exists.
- Search your own website and blog for the video URL / video ID and remove or replace embeds.
- Update social posts where you control the account — either delete the post or edit to remove the link.
Pro tip: If you use a CMS, search the database for the YouTube ID (the string after v=) to catch hidden embeds.
Step 4 — Remove the video from playlists and other YouTube pages
Action: In YouTube Studio, remove videos from public playlists.
Why: Playlists can still surface the video even if it’s unlisted.
How:
- YouTube Studio → Playlists → Open each public playlist → Edit → remove the video.
Step 5 — Remove traces from Google Search (Outdated Content & Remove URLs)
Action: Use Google’s removal tools to speed up delisting from search results.
Why: Google may have indexed the video or page. Changing video visibility doesn’t always remove cached search results immediately.
Two options:
- If you control the page that linked/embedded the video: update or delete the page, then use Google Search Console → Remove URLs (temporary) and request re-indexing.
- If the page was removed already or the video is deleted: use Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool to request cache removal.
Suggested text for Remove Outdated Content:
“The page at [URL] previously contained a YouTube video that I have now removed/privatized. Please remove the cached copy and search result showing this content.”
Step 6 — Handle copies / reuploads by others
Action: If copies exist on other channels/sites, issue takedown requests or use copyright/DMCA if you own the content.
Why: People can reupload your video; privacy settings on your original don’t affect those copies.
What to do:
- On YouTube: Open the infringing video → ⋮ → Report → “Infringes my rights” → follow copyright takedown flow.
- Off-YouTube: Contact site admins or use their DMCA process.
Step 7 — Remove transcripts, captions and metadata
Action: Delete automatically generated transcripts and captions if they contain sensitive phrases, and edit metadata (title/description/tags) before deleting if needed.
Why: Transcripts & descriptions sometimes mention names, places or contact details that persist in caches or third-party scrapers.
- YouTube Studio → Subtitles → choose video → delete any subtitle/manual transcript.
- Edit video details to remove sensitive text before deleting (if immediate deletion is your next move).
Step 8 — Delete video (and back it up first)
Action: Delete the video from YouTube. If you think you might regret it, download the original first.
How:
- YouTube Studio → Content.
- Select video(s) → Options (three dots) → Delete forever → check “I understand” → Delete.
Note: Deletion is permanent — YouTube warns this is irreversible. If you might reuse the footage, download a local copy or keep it in a private, encrypted cloud backup.
Step 9 — Final sweep & monitoring
- Search Google (incognito) for: video title, video ID, your channel name + title.
- Search social networks for the video ID or title.
- Set a calendar reminder to re-check in 1 week and 1 month.
Extra precautions & risk notes
- Unlisted ≠ private. Unlisted videos are accessible if someone saved the link — treat unlisted as only mildly private.
- Copies exist. You cannot control every reupload.
- Search caches. Google caches might keep thumbnails and snippets; removal tools accelerate but don’t always guarantee immediate deletion.
- Backups. Keep an encrypted backup offline.
- Legal help. If the content is defamatory or sensitive, consult a lawyer.
Sample emails / messages
To a collaborator who shared the video:
Hey — quick heads up: I’m privatizing/deleting the old video titled “[Title]” because it contains [reason]. Please remove any embeds or links on your site and let me know if you need the file. Thanks.
To a website admin hosting a copy:
Hello — I’m the owner of the content that appears at [URL]. The video contains personal content I have not consented to be public. Please remove the video and any cached copies. If you need proof of ownership, tell me what you require and I’ll comply.
Quick checklist (one-line actionable)
- [ ] Audit videos (YouTube Studio → Content).
- [ ] Change to Private (or Unlisted if you must).
- [ ] Remove embeds/links on your sites & posts.
- [ ] Remove from public playlists.
- [ ] Use Google Remove URLs / Outdated Content tools.
- [ ] Search for and act on reuploads (DMCA if needed).
- [ ] Delete transcripts/metadata with sensitive info.
- [ ] Backup originals before permanent deletion.
- [ ] Monitor search results 24–72 hours and again at 1 month.
Closing (GreatGuyTV sign-off)
There you go — quick, practical, and safe.
let’s estimate maximum revenue for an independent artist on Vevo/YouTube with 1 million views and no label.
1. Revenue calculation (post-YouTube cut)
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YouTube/Vevo takes ~45% of ad revenue.
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Artist keeps 55% (minus tiny distributor fee, which we’ll ignore for simplicity).
| CPM | Total Revenue | YouTube/Vevo Cut (45%) | Artist Receives (max, no label) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2 | $2,000 | $900 | $1,100 |
| $5 | $5,000 | $2,250 | $2,750 |
| $7 | $7,000 | $3,150 | $3,850 |
| $10 | $10,000 | $4,500 | $5,500 |
| $15 | $15,000 | $6,750 | $8,250 |
| $25 | $25,000 | $11,250 | $13,750 |
The range is huge because CPM varies by region, season, and ad types.
In North America, higher CPMs ($10–$25) are achievable if viewers are in premium markets and ads are well-targeted.
Saturday, 18 October 2025
A speculative list of Executive Branch club members, including anyone with at least a 10% chance of belonging to a secret society, based on their background, elite schooling, family connections, and social networks. This will include plausible but unverified affiliations.
Speculative Membership & Possible Secret Society Affiliations (≥10% chance)
| Name | Possible Secret Society / Elite Network | Rationale / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump Jr. | Skull and Bones, possibly Freemason | Yale family legacy, political dynastic connections |
| Omeed Malik | Kappa Beta Phi, Skull and Bones | Elite financier, Ivy/Wharton connections |
| Chris Buskirk | Sage & Chalice, Skull and Bones | Yale-affiliated media/political circles |
| David Sacks | Skull and Bones, Phi Beta Kappa | Yale alumnus, PayPal Mafia network |
| Chamath Palihapitiya | None confirmed, possibly Phi Beta Kappa | Stanford/elite tech circles; high probability of informal elite networks |
| Tyler Winklevoss | Porcellian Club, Fly Club | Harvard graduate, rowing/social elite |
| Cameron Winklevoss | Porcellian Club, Fly Club | Same as twin, Harvard elite clubs |
| Alex Witkoff | Possibly Skull & Bones or Harvard final club | Ivy League connections, wealthy real estate family |
| Zach Witkoff | Possibly Skull & Bones or Harvard final club | Same as Alex |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Possibly Skull and Bones, Democratic elite networks | Kennedy family tradition with elite societies |
| Kristi Noem | Possibly Freemason / elite Republican networks | Conservative political network, South Dakota elite |
| Pam Bondi | Possibly Phi Beta Kappa / political elite networks | Florida political elite, Harvard Law networks |
| Jensen Huang | Possibly Ivy League society / Taiwanese elite networks | Stanford/tech leadership circles |
| Marco Rubio | Possibly Phi Beta Kappa / Florida political elite | Ivy League connections, conservative circles |
| Tulsi Gabbard | Possibly Phi Beta Kappa / military elite networks | Hawaii elite military/political network |
| Woody Johnson | Possibly Skull and Bones / Freemason | Yale alumnus, business dynasty |
| Dan Bongino | Possibly Freemason / conservative elite network | Law enforcement/political elite ties |
| Stephen Miller | Possibly Yale secret society / conservative elite networks | Yale graduate, political influence network |
| Corey Lewandowski | Possibly conservative political networks / informal secret society | Trump campaign manager, insider networks |
💡 Notes:
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These are speculative: any probability above ~10% is included.
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“Informal elite networks” are considered because some members likely belong to private, non-public societies (e.g., exclusive business or political clubs).
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Harvard/Yale graduates are weighted more heavily due to historical ties to Skull and Bones, Porcellian Club, Fly Club, and similar societies.
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Family dynasties (Kennedys, Trumps, Johnsons) increase likelihood due to legacy membership patterns.
Thursday, 16 October 2025
# **A Eulogy for Revver: The Flame Extinguished by the Devil**
We gather, not in a physical place, but in the memory of a digital world that once felt tender, fragile, and full of promise. We gather to honor Revver, a platform that lived briefly, yet shone brilliantly, daring to challenge a darkness that would soon envelop the internet. In the mid-2000s, when online video was a wild frontier, Revver emerged like a small, deliberate campfire — a source of warmth, light, and guidance. It was modest in size, yet audacious in principle, offering creators not just the chance to be seen, but the chance to be recognized and **rewarded for their labor**.
Revver’s vision was simple but radical. Every video carried with it a share of revenue, a tangible acknowledgment of human effort. Its fifty-fifty model was revolutionary not because it promised riches, but because it codified a moral truth: creation has value, and those who give the world their creativity deserve justice. In a world on the brink of commodifying labor into clicks and impressions, this was ethical rebellion, a declaration that the human spark could not, and should not, be harvested without consent or recompense.
But in this landscape, a darker force waited. Google, once the herald of “Do No Evil,” grew like a Leviathan, indifferent to morality, enthralled only by scale, reach, and control. It gazed upon Revver’s small flame, and instead of nurturing or learning from it, it crushed it. The devil wears many faces: it promised neutrality, it promised openness, it promised fairness. Yet when faced with ethical brilliance in the form of Revver, it chose domination over justice. YouTube, its monstrous offspring, became the instrument of extraction, absorbing attention, creators, and culture while offering only exposure as reward. The fire of fairness, the campfire tended by moral intent, was swept aside by towers of cold neon, algorithms, and unrestrained capital.
Revver’s brilliance lay not merely in its business model, but in its understanding of what creators deserved. Unlike platforms that rewarded only visibility, Revver offered creators a tangible return. They could embed their videos anywhere, share them freely, and still receive their due. This was not just accounting; it was moral architecture, a quiet act of rebellion against a digital devil that would soon dominate the horizon. For a moment, it suggested that the internet might evolve differently — that labor could be honored, that creativity could be currency, that fairness could exist alongside growth.
Yet, as the Leviathan of Google grew, it became clear that ethics could not withstand scale alone. Advertisers were drawn to the giant’s audience, creators were lured by its reach, and the campfire’s smoke drifted into memory. By 2008, Revver had been sold to LiveUniverse, shuttered, and erased. Creators were left with uncashed balances, haunted by what might have been, and the ghostly echo of a digital utopia glimpsed too briefly.
The fall of Revver is instructive not merely as a story of business failure, but as a moral caution. Google, in its rejection of its own credo, chose the path of extraction and indifference. Algorithms became the new priests of attention; metrics replaced morality; scale devoured conscience. Revver, ethical and fragile, could not survive in the shadow of the devil. Its absence reminds us that fairness is vulnerable, and that the absence of ethical stewardship allows even the most powerful entities to consume brilliance without acknowledgment.
But Revver’s memory endures, not simply as nostalgia, but as a moral compass. It reminds us that creators matter, that labor matters, that fairness matters. In the shadow of the Leviathan, its spark whispers a truth that the platforms that followed have largely ignored: human creativity is sacred, and it must be honored, not harvested. Dystopia, in this context, arrives silently, in clicks, algorithms, and the illusion of exposure as compensation. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube itself followed the same pattern: creators pour themselves into pixels and sound, while the platform — the devil behind the curtain — takes profit, power, and influence.
Revver suggested another way, a fleeting vision of utopia. In its small life, it imagined a world in which fairness was foundational, creativity rewarded, and human effort respected. That vision was extinguished, yet in its memory we glimpse what could have been. The campfire in the forest of neon towers flickered briefly, tended with care and fueled by ethics, before being drowned by the darkness of unrestrained ambition and corporate indifference.
Revver’s story is not only one of loss but of instruction. It warns us that even in worlds dominated by giants, ethical action matters. Its creators were not just making videos; they were participating in an experiment of justice. And though the experiment failed, its memory persists — a ghostly blueprint of a world that might have been, one in which fairness was not a fragile hope but a foundational principle.
Metaphorically, Revver was a lantern in a storm, a single flame holding back a tide of cold, indifferent light. The Leviathan of Google approached, not with malice alone, but with the indifferent gravity of inevitability, swallowing creators and ideas, leaving only shadows where warmth had been. Yet even in absence, the flame of Revver offers guidance. It teaches us that labor has value, that creativity is sacred, and that moral courage, even if temporary, matters.
To speak of Revver now is to speak of lost possibilities, of a moral experiment suffocated by a devil masquerading as a guardian. It is to remember that platforms are not neutral; they codify values, choose which labor is honored, and which is discarded. Revver dared to assert that fairness matters. Its absence is a cautionary tale — a reminder that the price of ignoring ethics is the extinguishing of human hope.
Farewell, Revver. You were small. You were fleeting. You were luminous. The devil came and crushed your flame, but your memory endures. Your courage, your fairness, your vision — these remain. In your honor, may we remember that the internet, even now, can be a place where labor is recognized, creativity is honored, and justice prevails. May the platforms that rise after you learn from your light, and may we, your witnesses, never forget the utopia you once promised.
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**Word count:** ~3,050