{"id":16364,"date":"2026-01-21T16:44:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T22:44:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/?p=16364"},"modified":"2026-01-21T21:16:52","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T03:16:52","slug":"meandering-through-youtube-whilst-awaiting-the-winter-apocalypse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/2026\/01\/21\/meandering-through-youtube-whilst-awaiting-the-winter-apocalypse\/","title":{"rendered":"Meandering Through YouTube Whilst Awaiting the Winter Apocalypse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Howdy, and happy Wednesday. Today is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaldaycalendar.com\/national-day\/squirrel-appreciation-day-january-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Squirrel Appreciation Day <\/a>and also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationaldaycalendar.com\/national-day\/national-hugging-day-january-21\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Hugging Day<\/a>, and if you choose to actively observe them in some sort of unholy combination, do so at your own risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-style-twentytwentyone-border\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"485\" src=\"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/squirrelattack.jpg\" alt=\"Photo: Crazed-looking squirrel lunging at the camera\" class=\"wp-image-16366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/squirrelattack.jpg 640w, https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/squirrelattack-300x227.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Does this look huggable to you? Well, does it?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s a mild 63\u00ba here in the heart of Texas but the temperature is expected to drop fifty degrees by the weekend with the likelihood of sleet and ice. You may already be experiencing such delights; you have my sympathies, for now anyway. I hope this post offers some respite from the anxiety that comes from wondering if you&#8217;ll have to melt snow to flush your toilets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To that end, I&#8217;ve prepared a carefully curated selection of tasty YouTube videos and memes that are suitable for consumption while ensconced in that <a href=\"https:\/\/puffy.com\/blogs\/best-sleep\/who-invented-the-snuggie-blanket\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Snuggie<\/a>\u2122 that you&#8217;ve been saving since 2008 for this exact situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>You may already be familiar with a comedian named <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nickpetersoncomedy.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nick Peterson<\/a> and his series of videos in which he interviews Biblical characters. I think the following exchange with Jonah (of &#8220;swallowed by a whale&#8221; fame) is pretty funny while still being faithful to the original &#8220;script.&#8221; See if you agree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"3 Minutes: An Interview with Jonah\" width=\"750\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dHIlfIMHTXY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Peterson doesn&#8217;t specialize in political humor, but he doesn&#8217;t shy away from poking at certain positions, mostly on the liberal end of the spectrum.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This next video \u2014 well, the next two, actually \u2014 requires some explanation. Are you familiar with the name <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Adriano_Celentano\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Adriano Celentano<\/a>? No? Well, you&#8217;re obviously not Italian, then, because he was one of the best-selling musical artists (and actor and filmmaker) of his time, mostly from the decades of the 60s and 70s of last century. And drilling deeper into the stratum of trivia, one of his daughters, Rosalinda Celentano, played the role of Satan in the film <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Passion_of_the_Christ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Passion of the Christ<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Anyway, Adriano released the following song and video in 1972-73 to tremendous acclaim, at least in Italy. The song title is <em>Prisencolinensinainciusol<\/em>, which is actually a madeup bit of gibberish that has the same meaning in both Italian and English&#8230;that is to say, it means nothing. Celentano wrote the song \u2014 which some characterize as the world&#8217;s first rap song, but I&#8217;m not sure I buy that \u2014 in order to&#8230;well&#8230;how about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/164206468\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">just reading this 2012 interview with the man<\/a> to see what he intended. It&#8217;s a fun, catchy bit of fluff, made even more fun if you remember that only two words in the lyrics are real words. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to identify those two words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Adriano Celentano canta &quot;Prisencolinensinainciusol&quot; da &quot;Formula due&quot; del 1973\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fU-wH8SrFro?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The winning comment: &#8220;This is the best Bob Dylan song I ever heard.&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, there&#8217;s a wise, insightful proverb, which I&#8217;ve just made up, that goes something like this: <em>There&#8217;s no performance so frivolous that can&#8217;t be made to seem momentous by the additon of a ballet dancer and doubling its length.<\/em> The following proves this adage, I think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This video features <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roberto_Bolle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roberto Bolle<\/a>, an Italian <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ballet_dancer#Men\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">danseur<\/a><\/em> of no small stature, having performed with every major company on the planet. It may seem like a strange collaboration but both artists were massively popular in their country, and it could be that Bolle was paying homage to the musician, not unlike Lady Gaga collaborating with Tony Bennett. If you watch nothing else, fast forward to about the four minute mark&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"MinaCelentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol (con Roberto Bolle)\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Xn_OLnMriRg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I don&#8217;t feel that this updated version is superior to the original, but <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Electronic_dance_music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EDM<\/a> has never been my favorite musical genre. The choreography tries a bit too hard, but the cameo by Celentano makes it worthwhile overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shifting gears, again, we land on something that surely portends the  collapse of human civilization, as AI inevitably subsumes the musical universe. Or, maybe, music becomes even more fun. Who knows? Not me, but I did get a kick out of this countryfied cover of the Beatles&#8217; <em>Come Together<\/em>. The cover image of Cowboy John Lennon makes it purt near perfect, if&#8217;n you git my drift&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Come Together by The Beatles if this was a vintage country song\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-sbM_xjVA2o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m going to end this dog and pony show with one of my favorite songs \u2014 <em>Crossroads<\/em> (original title: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Cross_Road_Blues\">Cross Road Blues<\/a><\/em>) written by the Mississippi bluesman, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Robert_Johnson\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Robert Johnson<\/a>, sometime in the early 1930s but recorded by him (in San Antonio, Texas, of all places) and released in 1937. Since then, it&#8217;s been covered by everyone and their dog, and those performances rarely disappoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The performance in the following video is exceptional, as are all of those that make up the musical catalog of <a href=\"https:\/\/playingforchange.com\">Playing For Change<\/a> (PFC). PFC and its nonprofit arm, the <a href=\"https:\/\/playingforchange.com\/shows\/playing-for-change-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Playing For Change Foundation<\/a>, pursue the admirable goal of &#8220;connecting the world through music,&#8221; and specifically advocating for music education for children. Their music videos are incredible collaborations of musicians literally around the world; they&#8217;re impressive not just from a musical perspective but also from a technical and production perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following video focuses on Mississippi-based musicians, but also features artists from Brazil, Niger, Morocco, Mali, and Thailand, each filmed while performing in their native locations. Stuff like this is truly inspiring. Check out PFC&#8217;s YouTube catalog and you&#8217;re sure to find performances that move you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Crossroads | Song Around The World | Playing For Change x Visit Mississippi #blues #robertjohnson\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RCisGFYDrKQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Searching the obscure corners of YouTube for choice gems, just so you don&#8217;t have to.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16379,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[388,12,23,1],"tags":[620,624,619,623,622],"class_list":["post-16364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ai-2","category-faith","category-music","category-uncategorized","tag-adriano-celentano","tag-ai-music","tag-nick-peterson","tag-robert-johnson","tag-roberto-bolle","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/header_mfsunset.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16364"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16364\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16385,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16364\/revisions\/16385"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16379"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ericsiegmund.com\/fireant\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}