Athens, Youtube, Walt Disney: What a tangled web we has wove

I went into the big town yesterday...ah yes, Athens, Ga... Home of the Dawgs, REM, and over 150 bars. There seem to be a million and one college kids whose sap is rising as the spring proceeds. Their thirst for beer is insatiable, 21 or not!

College kids all drive like hell, taking risks that would make a NASCAR driver pale. To be honest, I find the most of the aggressive drivers seem to be sweet looking little college sorority girls in BMW's. Casting my fate to the wind, I put out for Jessie and Bryan's house, cutting across town, through the middle of UGA.

The gran-chile was watching Ariel, The Little Mermaid. Last week it was Snow White. Bryan said, "Dessa, Paw's here, say hello." A 3 year old great stone face turned to announce that I was NOT to watch the film in progress would I please leave... a typical reaction from Odessa. She doesn't seem to suffer people lightly. She really hasn't given anyone the time of day since she was born. It's upsetting to some, especially other grandparents. I personally take it with a grain of salt. She will never be condescending. That's a given.

Odessa is slightly deaf, and has recently acquired hearing aides, as a three year old. I frankly don't know HOW deaf she is...I don't think anyone does. I can sorta' tell she plays the system when it comes to the voices of Mama and Daddy. She pays no attention whatsoever to my voice...until we're one on one...without Ariel and Snow White. She fired another shot across the bow."Paw no sit down, not watch Ariel" ...so I moved.

I sat down to talk with Bryan...we boys were going to play tunes at Bud's house. Jessie got up from her power nap and announced she made the New York Times. Ah, 10 seconds of the 15 minutes of fame we are all born with... gone. Jessie writes scripts for a Youtube phenomena known as Sicshows. The speller on my computer underlines these words, as misspelled, because it doesn't know them.

Scishow episodes appear to be vignettes of various science-y subjects that can be summed up in 5 minutes or less...sorta' like Cliff Notes for science. Jessie had written a script for the Scishow the reporter was using as an example in his NYT article. No mention of her name, but the opening paragraph was her writing...only she would know that. Her was proud!

 It's pretty amazing what the web has wrought. As my dear friend, Pogo, would put it,  "Us has woven a tangled web and has caught ourselves"! Pun intended

I asked how these shows came to be, and Jessie said this guy named Hank, the host and presenter of the shows, started doing thissome years ago, and she had written for him before. When the shows began to get lots of "hits", advertisers pay attention to this activity, and start buying into it with advertising, and money begins to be made...lots of money.

Mind boggling! How would anyone think to do something like that to make a living?

Jess says the ideas for shows come from viewers comments, brainstorming, or anything that strikes a chord with Sicshow. Jessie gets assigned a script to write...or goes it alone, sometimes. One of my favorites she wrote is the life of Marie Curie, a 5 minute story of Madame Curie's life done with finger puppets. The finger puppets also Jessie's idea... and I thought I was creative making stoneware fiddle possums!

I asked what her next project was, and she said there had been mention of Tesla's life, and concept of Absolute 0, which brought Bryan into the conversation. Both of these 30 somethings know more than I know at 70. All their friends seem to be the same way, smart, vegetarian, bike riding, environmentalist, with techno gadgets hanging all over the place, and a schedule that demands split second timing. There is no need for us to remember history. It ain't necessary to look back, only forward. No time to contemplate one's navel anymore.

Thank God for Walt Disney...the children can be entertained while dinner is cooked and baths are run.

I feel so damned unnecessary, sometimes. It's good to get home to my familiar 15 acres of  gardens, tractors, '54 Chevy truck, Janice, and a black and white lizard catching cat. The hum of a clay grinder, pug mill and potter's wheel sound like money to me, just as the whir of a computer sounds like money to others.

Think I'll go get a another load of chicken litter...it smells like money, too...on the garlic farm. Might even be creative and make another fiddle possum...I've created a 3 person demand for them. Reckon I should advertise?

It's all about the money, ain't it?