Some of an 80's/90's Childhood

For my fellow children of the 80's and early 90's, these won't need an introduction.  But for the uninitiated, these TV show intros could explain my generation's dysfunction or brilliance.  This is only a tiny preview (because I didn't think the general public could stand too much of these, but if I get enough likes or commentary, I'll dig up some more treasures for a future post.  

Duck Tales

Probably the overall favorite TV show of its kind for everyone my age.  Pretty much everyone I knew had this song memorized.  

Tale Spin

This song, along with the Tiny Toon Adventures them, were probably the best intro themes for kids TV shows back in the day.  You can see how Disney was on their way to those catchy Lion King songs when they wrote this one. 

Tiny Toon Adventures

"Ellelator go up!  Ellelator go down!"  Brilliant little show while it lasted, plus a catchy intro.  

Animaniacs: Nations of the World

I didn't watch this show too much, but this clip shows how somebody on the writing staff was an unleashed super-creative individual!

Tristan da Cunha.

This is a place I want to go someday... I suppose you could say it's on my "bucket list."  I first learned of Tristan in 2006, and have wanted to go there ever since.  It's the most remote, permanent human population in the world, and it's only accessible by boat because it's too small/too awkward an island for a plane to land on it, and it's too far for a helicopter to travel to (about 1,700 miles from St. Helena of Napoleonic Fame, and over 2,000 miles from South Africa).

About 275 people live on the island and they all speak English!  They are the descendants of a couple of worthy seafarers: start with a British garrison stationed there to make sure Napoleon didn't escape exile at St. Helena then throw in the mix some former whalers and viola!  You've got some pretty hardy people who know how to run a self-sufficient island.  They don't allow newcomers to live there, but they're friendly to the visitors!  A side problem with that, as you may have guessed, is that there's only about 10 last names total.  Not good for the genetic codes over the long haul...  Nevertheless, I'd love to meet these people; there can't be anyone anything like them anywhere on the entire planet.   

A Mix of the Profound and Stupid

The Profound

This is a stunning video that will forever change the way you think about autism and the possibilities of people that have it.  There's tons of implications here, but the ones I was most excited about is how we can better love people with autism and the hope for a cure that I believe this video has built in.  (Anytime we understand this stuff better, I think it points the way to that).  

The Stupid (Yet Simultaneously Genius).

This is a video made by two brothers who were "Best Men" in their third brother's wedding.  To honor their brother, they made this spectacular video.  In its own right, this is genius as a parody of the 80's both in song and in video.  

There are so many little details from outfits, synthesizers, side-swiping cuts, lighting, etc., that makes this perfect (there's even a ballad section in the middle).  Perhaps my favorite is their style of singing with a faux-foreign accent and overly dramatic emphasis on their words.  

Beyond being an 80's parody, remember that this was done for a wedding.  As a creative substitute for a "best man speech" it is by far the best thing I've ever heard of.  The entire extended family and friends are probably still recovering from this.    

This One Got to Me...

For starters, let me say that I am not really a fan of ballet.  Sure, there's some of Tchaikovsky's brilliance that I enjoy like Swan Lake or the Nutcracker, but beyond that it's pretty much nil for me.

That said, I will say that every now and then someone will make a work of art so fabulous and timely that I enjoy it, even if I don't like the medium (Lecrae even has a rap album I enjoy!).  This little piece was done by the New York City Ballet.  It is an advertisement, but it's more like the advertisement was an excuse to make a great work of art.

This is a video two dancers on top of the new 4 World Trade Center.  They are performing a dance at sunrise called After the Rain to signify new beginnings for their city.  It's brilliant.  It's almost as if they are proclaiming that dancing, romance, beauty and life are being restored to their city while you see it in the background.  Then the ballerina "takes flight" if you will, in front of the new 1 World Trade Center as if to say "out of the place of our greatest pain, we will rise."

I'm sure I'm interpreting it with my own thoughts.  I'm not an art and certainly not a ballet critic or interpreter.  Even so, this is good art, there is tons of symbolism here, and I get it.  

And one final thought: I don't know if they did it on purpose, but the fact that they filmed this on top of 4 World Trade Center seems like it had to be intentional.  This video is definitely "For [the] World Trade Center."

Well done NYC Ballet.