Ok, I admit that I'm on a bit of a roll here and i'm finding that featuring popular blogposts is getting a little addictive. I'm going to limit myself to only one more blogpost for today or someone's gonna have to lock me in a dark room with NO computer LOL. The next one doesn't need much explanation except to say that I think this is evidence that our friends from Sesame Street are trying to keep up with the times

Sesame Street goes Google | Making the Same Difference

Image via Wikipedia

Wow! You guys sure loved that last blogpost on Alicia Keys! My stats are showing that a whole bunch of you out there just ate it right up the moment I posted it and are probably ready for seconds LOL I love your enthusiasm for the blogpost and I think that she is such a fantastic artist and very noteworthy. In response to the popularity of that post, I've decided to put up access to her YouTube channel as well as her twitter for your enjoyment when you visit this site.

That blogpost on Alicia Keys will certainly go down as one of the highest ranking blogs in terms of popularity. I love this day and age where I can have all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to measure stats and the popularity of a blogposts.

According to my feed stats, there is one blogposts who's popularity has yet to be outmatched on "Making the Same Difference". And it's funny because when I put it together, it wasn't anything deep or profound or something that I had worked on extensively. I didn't think much of it when I posted it at the time but the results where mind boggling. So simply click on the link below and see for yourself. Is this blogposts worthy of it's title as the reigning champion?  You decide.....

Live Performance of "The Circle of Life" by the cast of "The Lion King" | Making the Same Difference

Image via Wikipedia

Have you ever had a rare and beautiful moment where you are floating along thru life and then you stumble across a CD that you haven't listened to in a long time and you play it and something about it breathes life and energy into the room and the atmosphere? I had one of those unforgettable moments the other nite. While travelling, I have a number of CD's and DVDs on hand just in case I need a touch of familiarity while in a foreign country. A few nites ago, I was looking for something to watch or listen to and then I notice that i have this CD called "Alicia Keys Unplugged". So I decided to play the DVD of it and it turned out to be a spectacular treat.

This is a very special recording. You see, Alicia Keys and her team had been on the road 2 years doing these grand shows with loud music and blaring lights with massive audiences. As her tour started to close, she started to feel like she wanted to go back to her roots and do some kind of recording that was raw, stripped down, intimate, and organic. Back to the days where she would play in clubs with a broken down piano and small audience. She wanted to recreate that environment.

So she teamed up with MTV to come up with "Alicia Keys Unplugged" and just watching it gave a new meaning to the word "simple yet profound". What amazes me and what I think I can relate to is how much effort they went into rehearsing, stage design etc to actually create a feel that was organic and intimate yet still polished and professional. Just because something was simple does not mean that it is "plain".

As for the music, it was marvelous! There were moments that I just sat there and closed my eyes and let the soothing melodies lull me slowly into an oblivion. There are very few artists and recordings that you can simply turn on and watch or listen to that can create a sense of rapture and just for a few precious moments, whisk you away from the routine of your daily life and bring you into a whole other world.....
 
http://www.myspace.com/aliciakeys





Creatively Complex

So filmmaker Andrew Strugnell's trip to South America may be over but that has not stopped the flow and fun and funky video from this filmmakers! I am highly anticipating seeing the rest of his edited videos from his trip to Latin America but in the meantime, it looks like he's been busy creating some fine footage of some of New Zealand's best kept secrets. In this episode of the "Lexie and Andrew Show", they take you on a trip to Himatangi Beach. Take a tour with them as they reveal New Zealand to you like only locals could on this first episode of the "Lexie and Andrew Show".



Tango 2 the Moon

There once was a song by the late singer Aaliyah called "Age Ain't Nothin but a Number" And the title of that song has come to my head lately as we've been hearing about Abby Sunderland on the news and the troubles we had at sea. I first heard of Abby's journey briefly when I was in Argentina when it was announced that she would attempt to be the youngest sailor to try and circumnavigate the globe. I was on a journey of my own and so much was happening that I had little time to really focus on someone else's journey. So much was happening in so little time.

As you all know, the media has caught our attention of how Abby's boat Wildeyes was lost out at sea and for awhile there they didn't know if she was dead or alive. It is a tremendous relief to know that she is alive but unfortunately, her family has been coming under much criticism for allowing a daughter so young to go out on a boat.  It is interesting to note that if she had completed her goal, the same critics would probably be praising her and her family saying "We knew you could do it all along!" What happened to the girl out there was no fault of her own, it was a big wave. It was not due to lack of skill. And this had not been the first extended solo mission she ever had. She has plenty of experience.  And it had nothing to do with age, one can be 16 and be full of experience.

The reason why I am coming to Abby's defense is because I admire someone who will go after what is in their heart. I'm getting ready for an adventure of my own that offers little or no security and ALOT of uncertainties. And I truly appreciate people who believe in me from the beginning no matter what happens. If something happens to me down there, I don't need the talk "You were too young to be...." But some of you may protest that Abby is 16 and I am 30! There is a difference. For goodness sake, Jesus Christ was 12 years old when he was found preaching in the temple to astounded Rabbis!

And yes, we are thankful that it is only her journey that ended and not her life. In spite of all the negative media coverage, I want to honor Abby and her journey and the parts that she did do and the parts that she did cover. You and I wouldn't have the skills or experience to have covered a tiny fraction of what she did. She already is a winner in my eyes and I don't doubt that she will one day break records.

To stay positive and honor her journey, I'm now following Abby's blog and I've put it up on this site so you can click on it. I've also put a link to her direct website. As well you can follow her on twitter on this site.You know I've been looking for ways to make this site an interesting place to come and I can't think of a better way than to incorporate someone else's adventure.

Young people like me and like Abby who aren't afraid to take on the world and risk it all for a dream don't need negative criticism. You may be wondering what could possibly happen in the land where they play futbol and dance tango. On the other side of living in this wonderful city there are things that I have to keep in mind, like the fact that the traffic is so bad that accidents between cars and pedestrians claim the lives of 20 people per DAY in that city. These are things that go through my mind. As well I've had my own near hit and misses. Over here if a pedestrian is walking and they don't notice a car coming towards them, the car will slow down to avoid hitting them. In Buenos Aires if you don't see a car coming towards you, the driver will simply honk to warn you to get out of the way but continue to go at full speed. It happened to me once and I was happy that I got out of the way at the last minute.

There are other things that I could say but I don't want to breed negativity so I have to be very careful when bringing up the other side of Buenos Aires. And in the case of me and her, age is not a factor to whether something will or won't happen to us. It is a thing of circumstance.  I am all about positivity on this blogsite so I want to leave you hear with this video of her the day before she left on her long voyage as she talking about her onboard computer, route, weather conditions on her boat Wildeyes. Age ain't nothin but a number!

http://www.youtube.com/user/soloround




Creatively Complex

So it turns out that putting up some videos here at the site turned out to be a great idea. My stats are showing that people spending a little bit more time here at the site now that there is something more to do. I was thinking about what else I could add to spice things up a little. When I was in Buenos Aires, I had some friends of mine who bought a car in Chile and travelled in the car from Chile all the way down to Patagonia and then up to Buenos Aires. The timing that they reached Buenos Aires was perfect, it worked out that I got to spend my last two days of my trip with them. What a way to end!

One of the guys there is a filmmaker named Andrew Strugnell who  had all his equipment and had been filming and editing while they were on the road. He completed some videos while he was in the country but there are many more portions of the trip that he is currently editing as we speak. Part of that is my time in Buenos Aires with them. I cannot give away what that footage contains but believe me it will be well worth the wait.

I've decided to post one of Andrew's videos here. If you like the videos, you can click on the link and go straight to his Youtube channel. Or if you are on "Making the Same Difference", you'll notice that there is a youtube symbol on the tool bar. If you click it, it will take you to a cool 3D gallery of all his videos. Also on the sidebar where it says "labels", you can click "adventures" and it will pull up all my blogposts with his videos. The video that you will see below is footage of them in Chile the day that Piñera won the election

http://www.youtube.com/user/strugsnotdrugs



Creatively Complex

I remember first seeing this dance as one of the competition pieces on "So You Think You Can Dance". No one knew that when Melissa & Adye got up on stage that they would be performing one of the most moving dance pieces ever on the history of the show.  It still leaves me speechless ever time I see it.



Creatively Complex

I cannot have a blogsite called "Tango 2 the Moon" without putting at least one video of a spectacular performance of Argentine tango. Awhile back, world renown tango dancers Miriam Larici & Leonardo Barrionuevo were competing on "Superstars of Dance". Here is the breathtaking performance that they did in the semi-finals.



Creatively Complex54

 Hope all of you out there like the jazzy new fonts that I've added to both this site and "Making the Same Difference". I really like the feel that the new fonts are giving my sites. It makes it feel like you are reading the journal entries and diaries of someone rather than what people have come to expect of a blogpost. Along with the new fonts and styles, I was thinking about things I could add on to this site here that would make it more fun and interesting to visit.

After giving it some thought, I've decided to add a few videos on here that were a real hit with others on "Making the Same Difference" those were in the early days so more likely than not, most people have not seen the videos. The first one here is called "Dolphin Bubbles" and it is about this incredible phenomenon where Dolphins are somehow able to create bubble rings to play with. Simply spectacular!



Creatively Complex