Parodies Lost

My love for the latest Discovery Channel ad is unparalleled. Seriously, my husband knows better than to change the channel or mock my singing when this comes on. It's got a great white in the commercial and I still love it. "I love Egyptian kings" - that could possibly be my favourite line just in how it's delivered. And it has Stephen Hawking going "Boom de Yada"! The song has that quality of making you feel like part of something larger, and wow, that's difficult to do in a TV commercial.

And I think I figured out why. Apparently, it's based on an old camp song, but the tune is so reminiscent of that piano piece that every kid learns even if you don't know how to really play the piano ... you know the one ... with the two parts that repeat, and kids everywhere play it over and over.

Duh, duh, duh ... da-da da-duh da-da (change key and repeat with slight variation) ... Okay, I realize that helps not at all, but seriously, listen to it and think about that piano piece and ... it's all there.

This is the link to the Canadian version on Youtube. It's slightly different from the American version. We apparently like the planet more than we like oceans. Hey, we've got oceans! I don't know why they changed that, but anyway ...

I Love the Whole World: Discovery Ad (Canada)

Well, who knew? I went to correct my subscription info for Contemporary Verse 2 and discovered that, although I knew I hadn't placed in their 2 day poem competition, I apparently made the long list. Cool!

On his workbench

I'm taking a short fiction class, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm tragically under-read in terms of short stories. So, if you could recommend one collection that everyone should read, something you love, that moved you, that's well-written or innovative, that you think exemplifies the craft ... what would it be?

Labels: short fiction class