YouTube Snobbery

Hey Kids,

I’m not the most sophisticated guy by far. The things I don’t know outnumber the things that I do, by far.

Art. I really know nothing.

History. I can quote a few dates but nothing to impress.

Music. Unless it’s 80’s music, I’m pretty lacking.

But I know when I hear something that sounds substantial. Today I listened to part of Beethoven’s Symphony 9.

I didn’t know it was Beethoven. Other than the 5th, who of my ilk does? And it’s mostly because of the pop song from the 70’s. Look it up.

So today I saw this video, dug on the sound and found it odd that voices accompanied the orchestra. Apparently, this was a main accomplishment for its time. This accompaniment was the first time voices were used as part of the symphony. And not just any lyrics. The song is adapted from the poem Ode to Joy. I had never heard it before, but I had heard of it.

Armed with this little information, I rewatched the video.

I felt so smart, so informed, and so classically hip.

It’s amazing how YouTube and Wikipedia can make us all blueblood.

 

Post 3-103

Canyon by Video

Hey Kids,

What a fantastic time we live in.

Sure there are some bad things that can’t be ignored. The political scene in the US is a joke that isn’t funny and the future may hold some unpleasant prospects.

But never has so much freedom of information ever been endowed upon the common person. For the cost of an internet connection and the device to connect to it, nearly anything is available to anyone.

“Just Google it.”

Or “You Tube it.”

I’ve been in and around the canyons of Utah’s canyon country. I look out at the landscape and find it unfathomable to imagine how that slow meandering river could’ve carved out the deep ravines and side canyons, and the cuts, and the cliffs.1797529_510846092361849_202623632_n

I understand erosion. I’ve seen canyons before. But the great canyons of the Colorado, especially the Grand Canyon of them all; I can’t put my head around it.

Until today.

While working at my desk, working numbers on an excel spreadsheet, I found, in my recommended videos, one to watch titled, “How the Grand Canyon was formed.” I watched/listened to it, some parts twice.

I understand it now.

Incredible.

 

Post 3-041

Dragons or Princesses

Hey Kids,

I watch YouTube videos on a regular basis because they inspire me. I’m not much of a social butterfly, so these people are my friend replacements. On occasion, they are life altering, thought provoking, and/or sources for sage life advice.

Today I came across this little nugget:YouTube-logo-play-icon

All the dragons in our lives are perhaps princesses expecting us to be handsome and brave; all the terrifying things are perhaps nothing but helpless things waiting for us to help them.
Jean-Luc Godard Histoire(s) du Cinéma. Via the Neistat Brothers.

YouTube. Who would’ve thunk it?

 

 

 

Post #378