Pea-Sized

There are thousands of different species of animals on this earth.  They are big or small, cute or not-so-cute, creepy and / or crawly, well-known or rare.  But even with our extensive knowledge of our world, every new species we discover reminds us that we don't actually know all that much, and that Mother Nature rules for a reason.
One example of a recently named, now-official species is the Microhyla nepenthicola.  It is a frog where the adults grow to only the size of a pea.  Here it is in comparison to a penny:

Microhyla nepenthicola
http://news.discovery.com/animals/big-pics-tiny-frog.html

Even though their addition as an official species is pretty recent, their discovery was not.  There are 100 year old specimens in museums, according to an article by DiscoveryNews.  The reason for them only now becoming an official species is because up until then, scientists simply thought that these frogs were juveniles of a different species.  They, however, were wrong.

New species are being discovered quite often, but the fact that this species has eluded scientists for over 100 years is mind-boggling.  We humans think that we are so smart, and sometimes assume that whatever we think translates to it being fact.  But we don't know everything, and we for sure are not the greating "being" on the planet.  There are many species out there, whether we've discovered them or not, that have extraordinary traits that make it unique to any other.  The frog pictured above is tiny.  Many other animals have better senses than us, whether that be a hightened sense of smell, vision, hearing, etc.

There are many reasons a person can give to prove that humans are the greatest / smartest species, but you never know.  What's out there may surprise you.

Bouncing Back

Like many, memories of my childhood always remind me of a happy and less complicated time, and brings with it a sense of nostalgia.  It is always interesting to see other people re-living their childhood, and re-creating it for the rest of us.  Nowadays, it is easier for these people to share these creations, especially though video sites as youtube.

I found this video recently.  It is a tune that I doubt anyone wouldn't recognize.

I enjoy this video by youtube-er Jimmy Wong.  When I initially watched this video, I had little expectation as to what his take on this "classic song" would be, but I was not expecting what I saw.  He had lyrics rolling at the bottom of the screen - I didn't even know this song had lyrics.  He also showed how / where each sound (bass, tenor, snare, etc.) came from in an interesting way.

But it is his take on this song what impressed me the most.  I think it's difficult for a musician to take material (especially popular material) and make it their own.  I struggle to find the emotion necessary to properly portray classical piano pieces and make it worthwhile for an audience to listen to.  I envy those with an ear for music, and at the same time am proud that atleast some people can still have a passion for creating orignal and real music in a time when so many music today is so electronic.