Mid-Week Music #25 - Milo Murphy's Law Theme Song

Well now, before I get to the song of this week's MWM, there's another song I must mention--the Very Sorry Song. Yes, I missed this past week's MWM. I'm very sorry. It's complicated--part of the reason was that I could not think of a song. I could have done just a random song, but all the random songs I know are connected to this week's song.

The point is, I did have help picking this week's Music, from my younger sister, Kaitlyn, whose birthday is today! I told her she could choose the song for her birthday, and this was her first and only choice. She didn't have a second thought, just said it: "I wanna do the one where Doofenshmirtz and that guy with the white beard sing Milo!" That would be the second video, you see.

If you've read my blog since October at least, you're probably familiar with the show Milo Murphy's Law. I did a Halloween post all about it. It's a wonderful show, and I tell all about it in that post. In short, Milo Murphy is followed by a cyclone of calamity wherever he goes, and it causes many, many adventures for both him and his friends. There's also a lot of time travel involved. And a crossover, coming this April.

Oddly enough, though, just the other day I was finishing up rereading The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien. Gandalf's words to Bilbo at the end return to my mind as I'm writing this post.

"You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only a little fellow in a wide world after all!"

Somehow, that seems to fit perfectly here. Milo has indeed had a great many adventures and escapes. And he does seem a very fine person, and I am very fond of him and all his friends. But the idea that all of this is no more than random chance, bad or good luck, seems a mighty big stretch. In the words of a fellow blogger, "If Murphy's Law is that anything that CAN go wrong WILL go wrong, Milo Murphy's Law is that EVERYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY be important WILL be important. The tiniest details could end up being vital to saving the world."

We know, of course, that every single detail has been planned, because it is a story. Even in the context of the story, I don't doubt that Clara's right--everything that could possibly be important will be important, eventually, and Milo's 'luck', good or bad, is all to a purpose. And that's rather how it is in real life too. It's a story, just as much as Milo Murphy's Law. And nothing is without a purpose.

So Kaitlyn, here's hoping that your birthday's exceptional, and every day; that your life, no matter what sort of 'luck' you have, is never boring even for a minute. Here's your song, the Milo Murphy's Law theme song. Happy Birthday!

That's the normal theme song. And goodness gracious, that background is packed with details. Now, I also have a second version, which has two special guest singers. It's not really as good, but it is definitely funny. Here are Cavendish and Dakota--er, I mean, Major Monogram and Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

(Sorry, the original video seems to have disappeared, and this one is cut short.)

**

Look at that sun, look at that sky

Look at my sweatervest, I look so fly

Look at that mailbox, look at that tree

It's about as beautiful as it can be

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Today is gonna be exceptional

Never boring, even for a minute

It's my world and we're all living in it

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

(We're all living in it)

Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Never boring, even for a minute

It's my world and we're all living in it

**

*

On the Road Home, Keep Christmas, Lose the Self

I don't know if most of you have heard of John C. Wright, but I've been told he's rather famous. He's a writer on the Right, and is really the one who started the Last Crusade movement, I suppose. (My first post explains what that is, if you're wondering). I read his blog, or website, or whatever it's called. A few days ago, he posted part of an article he wrote for... I believe it's called Dangerous? He also included a link to the rest of the article. Click that link. It is well worth your while.

http://www.scifiwright.com/2017/12/keeping-christmas-losing-self/

I disagree with him on only one point: the three versions of A Christmas Carol that we watch every year are the 1970 musical, the 2009 Disney version, and either Mickey's Christmas Carol or Stingiest Man in Town (both animated). I have never yet seen the versions he mentions. But this is simply our tradition. It has little bearing on matters such as these.

You see, Mr. Wright has written something truly wonderful. Christmas is a time of pictures and images of elsewhere, a time of homesickness for that same elsewhere, a time of selflessness and redemption, a time of mercy and magic and love. All of this is made very clear in Mr. Wright's article. And this article has brought me joy this Christmas, and I wanted you all to know of it too.

"In the place where God was homeless, all men are at home." ~ G. K. Chesterton.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

An Apology (and a Laugh or Two)

I must apologize to you, dear readers.

Some of you may have noticed that there is no Mid-Week Music post this week. That is not just a mistake or glitch. We have been extremely busy for the past... well, several weeks, I suppose. And all that is coming to a head this week. I haven't even had time to think of a song to put up here. I'm very sorry, especially since I said there would be one every week, no matter what.

But never fear. There will be a MWM post next week for certain. The cause for all this busyness will be explained then. While we wait for Wednesday, I will give you a picture. Hopefully, it will make you laugh long enough for me to get back on track. I know I laughed for several minutes when I first saw it.

Oh my word, I'm laughing at it right now. It's hilarious. Please do comment if you laughed at it too!Anyway, busyness is calling my name, so I will go now. Actually, my mother is now calling my name, so... bye! Mid-Week Music will return next Wednesday!

Mid-Week Music #17 - The Last Halloween

Today's MWM has to do with two things: Halloween, and Milo Murphy's Law. The second one is a cartoon show rather in the vein (and universe) of Phineas and Ferb, and made by the same people. The show is about a boy named Milo Murphy, who has some of the strangest luck I've ever heard tell of. Basically, it's the idea of "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong" come to life: bad and absurdly weird things happen to him and his friends every day, and a cyclone of calamity follows him wherever he goes. However, his constant optimism and crazy preparedness somehow always manage to bring him good luck and allow him to escape serious harm. So he either has the worst luck in history or the best luck in history. It's honestly almost a superpower.

I must admit, this show has grown to be a bit of a favorite in our household, especially of mine. Part of the reason for this is the time-travelling twosome, Cavendish and Dakota. They're from the future, you see, and they're in the 21st century because... well, the reason changes over the course of the show, but it always has to do with pistachios. They're very funny, and an important part of the show, as well as two of my favorite characters overall. This week's MWM has to do with them in particular.

The song is from the Halloween special, Milo Murphy's Halloween Scream-a-Torium. Yeah, odd name, I know, but it's an odd show in general. And the song itself is... well, pretty much absolutely ridiculous. Very Phineas-and-Ferb-ish. But what can I say? After a few times, it's grown on me. That's probably why it's the first song on my Halloween Playlist. Besides, it's Cavendish and Dakota, whaddya gonna do?

Anyway, in the episode, it turns out that there is no Halloween in Cavendish and Dakota's time. And they're in the 21st century on the last Halloween in history. (What comes of that plot point is both hilarious and awesome). They do some sort of research to figure out how the thing works. And... how shall I put this?... they get it wrong. Well, they got the costumes part right--Dakota's costume is pretty clever!--but they get everything else completely mixed up. The following scene occurs...

Welcome, my friends, to The Last Halloween!

***

I think I understand, I think I get the knack
It's just a way to get free candy--what a racket!
We are gonna score tonight, it's gonna be a phenomenon!

Halloween is just the best! Too bad it's the last one
We need to stop at every house--oh wait, we just passed one
We got to make the most of this while it's still going on

We're going door to door, just asking for candy
On any other night, it would be panhandling
I think you know what I mean
It's the last Halloween

Look at this candy--look at this loot!
We should avoid that house, I hear they're giving fresh fruit
But right next door, they've got full-sized candy bars

Oh, hey, I got an idea--it's a little bit shady
But if we change costumes, that same old lady's
Gonna give us more candy, cause she won't know who we are

Wear a costume that's simple, or really elaborate
Using papier-mache, or just cheap fabric
You can be a ghost, and I can be a Fronk-en-shteen

We're going door to door, just asking for candy
On any other night, this would be panhandling
But live it up folks, cause tonight's the last Halloween
Yeah, live it up, folks
Cause tonight's the last Halloween!

DuckTales Reboot--First Episode Review

If you read my most recent Mid-Week Music post, you know that I recently watched the Pilot episode of the rebooted DuckTales. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Since when is Launchpad a pilot?"

I'm kidding. I just quoted a line from the show. I do that sort of thing sometimes.

But you're probably thinking that I already reviewed it. And I did, in very brief terms. But "I liked it" wasn't exactly a review--it's the Why You Liked It that makes a review. Therefore, I will put out my first review on this blog.

Where do I even start?

I suppose I should let you know that it was really more like a two-parted episode put together to make one episode. Pilot episodes are usually in parts. So the usual intro was not included until about halfway through. Just a note.

The plot itself was wonderful: Part One, where we are introduced to all the characters, was well done, and showed off the personalities of the characters splendidly. The entire Wing of Secrets part alone was fun, mysterious, and incredibly awesome. Part Two, where they head off on their first official adventure, was just as good.

The twists were interesting, and I did not see them coming. The adventure, the excitement, and the cleverness caught my attention. Seeing as this is an adventure show, it looks as if this is being done right. And since I'm just finishing listening to the Adventures in Odyssey episode, The Cross of Cortes, I have something else adventurous to compare it to. It stacks up well.

(Note: The Cross of Cortes is an episode where Whit and Eugene travel to Mexico to visit Whit's missionary friend, Dan Isidro. The episode includes an adventurous treasure hunt in an exotic land, maps, mysterious messages, temples, a lovely lady from said exotic land, and volcanos. If you are unfamiliar with adventure stories in general, perhaps consider starting there.)

Now, on to the characters. Of course, Scrooge McDuck is Scrooge McDuck--Scottish adventure capitalist. He's very awesome. Replacing the late Alan Young is David Tennant (most people know him as the Tenth Doctor from Doctor Who). I was a little worried that the new actor wouldn't be able to capture the character as well as Alan Young. However, Tennant does a great job, and I am highly excited to see more of this character.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie: let me tell you, I could not tell them apart to save my life before. But now, it's quite clear who's who. Huey is more the booksmart type (and wears red). Dewey is the bold--not to mention reckless and a bit arrogant--ringleader of the kids, and loves adventuring (and wears blue). Louie is... well, known as the evil triplet. I don't know how else to describe him, but you'll be able to tell. He's the one that wears green. Some people say their voices sound off, because they're played by grown men, and sound nothing like the originals. And it did throw me off a little at first. However, I think it was a good idea: now, we don't have four characters doing the Donald Duck voice!

Webby, their first new friend at McDuck Manor, is a huge expert in the history of the McDuck family, and wants to go on adventures like her hero, Scrooge McDuck. We've got Launchpad McQuack, the crash-prone chauffer/pilot for Scrooge (aka, Mr. McDee). There's Mrs. Beakley, the housekeeper at McDuck Manor, Webby's grandmother, who is decidedly not the secretary. These characters are all fun characters, whether they're the same as their 1980s counterparts or not.

And then we've got Donald Duck. As I said in the last post, it took a couple of times to get what he was saying, and there are one or two parts I still don't understand. (This is rather unusual, since I can normally understand what he's saying in other cartoons). Still, I think Donald is great. The character's a little overprotective of the boys, but it seems this comes in handy later on. I won't say how, but I will say that the point of a laser death trap is not to touch every single laser while humming your own theme song. Donald is also still very... um, temperamental.

In short, the characters were great. They were well acted, and I loved them. Even the villains were simultaneously evil and funny, without becoming idiots. "He thinks he's SO rich and SO Scottish, when I'm wearing a kilt, McDuck--A KIIIIILT!" And not only that, but both the younger and older characters together play a role in saving the day: something that few cartoon shows have today.

Moving on, the show is well written, with several hilarious parts. However, it doesn't overdo the comedy or include unnecessary jokes. Its main focus is the characters and the adventure, which is done very well. But, when it does try to be funny, it is very, very funny. And this next point makes it all the more special to me: it has no bathroom jokes. Those get on my nerves so much, and even the best of cartoons have had them. But none are to be seen thus far.

But you know what the best part was? This was one reboot among many, many reboots--not just by Disney, but in general. Most of the reboots I've seen have been awful, feeding solely off of people's nostalgia for the original story, while also having no regard for those people or the original story. Others require a full knowledge of the original story to be able to understand it at all. DuckTales is neither.

Several fans of the original have said that this is a great show. Some have not liked it, but several have. I personally can vouch for the fact that people can enjoy the new show without any knowledge of the old one. It's a show that can stand on its own feet, and doesn't have to rely on nostalgia, while also appealing to it at the same time.

Oddly enough, there are similarities between this remake and another. We have the Old School Hero From the 80s, who's been out of the action for a while and doesn't do anything interesting anymore. He is called back into action by the antics of the Clever Tween Sidekick(s), who are his nephews/niece. They go to stop the Sworn Enemy Rival from evildoing. With the aid of the Smart Tough Helpers/Supporting Characters, they stop the Sworn Enemy Rival and capture the henchmen.

Sound familiar?

However, in Inspector Gadget (rebooted), the title character is an idiot and no longer the main character. The Clever Tween Sidekick does everything, and the Smart Tough Helper does nothing but get chased around. Even the Sworn Enemy Rival is an idiot. Over the top ridiculous humour takes the place of all storytelling and characters. At least in the original the villain was intimidating, and there was actual danger.

But in DuckTales, everyone has a point, and no one is boring. It has a great story, great characters, and a good balance between bold adventures, dramatic mystery, and hilarious comedy. There's a lot of potential to be found here. My only tiff I have is that the next episodes can only be watched on TV channels. However, I hear the show may come out on Netflix at some point, so I need to master the virtue of patience. In the meantime, I think I'll watch a few episodes of the original show.

My rating? Five stars out of five. Go watch it now.

Mid-Week Music #12 - DuckTales

Ah, now this time, I will be doing the theme song of a certain show. This is one of the rare instances where I will post two videos, simply because there are two versions. Allow me to tell you why I chose this song.

I've always loved Scrooge McDuck. I mean, he's Scottish, he's a capitalist, he's an adventurer, the creator of the character mentioned cathedrals and old-fashioned values when talking about the character--basically, there's a lot to like for someone like me. And when the first episode popped up on my YouTube screen, I felt like watching it. I knew there had been one of these back in the 80s, but I'd never watched it. So after a while--to be precise, this past Sunday--I watched it.

I was not disappointed. The show was awesome! I love the adventure, and the characters are a lot of fun. And when it was funny, it was very, very funny. There were a lot of reasons why I liked it, but guess what else? It was a reboot that was actually great. My family, who watched it with me last night, loved it too. I cannot wait to see the next episode. So now, here are the two versions of the theme song of... DuckTales! Woo-oo!

That was the original opening. I like the horns. I like the sound. Someone made a video combining the music of that one with the visuals of the next. Which is good, because I think the next one is more exciting, more befitting, visually. (Let me know which one you like better in the comments below!)

Life is like a hurricane
Here in
Duckburg
Racecars, lasers, aeroplanes
It's a
Duck blur

Might solve a myst'ry
Or rewrite hist'ry
DuckTales!
Woo-oo!

Every day they're out there making DuckTales
Woo-oo!
Tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales
Woo-oo!

D-d-d-danger lurks behind you
There's a stranger out to find you
What to do? Just grab onto some
DuckTales
Woo-oo!

Every day they're out there making DuckTales
Woo-oo!
Tales of derring-do, bad and good luck tales
Woo-oo!
Not pony tails or cotton tails
No, DuckTales!
Woo-oo!

(OR:)
[Tales of daring, bad and good
[Not pony tails or cotton tails
[No, DuckTales!
[Woo-oo!]

Mid-Week Music #11 - Agenda

Hi there! Firstly, sorry I've missed a post. I usually seem to do one normal post then two MWMs. I will need to catch up a little. Second, I think I also missed a post on different kinds of iconoclasm. That will happen! Third, this week's Mid-Week Music is by an artist named Neal Morse.

You may recognize his name from a Mid-Week Music post from last month: Ways of a Fool. This song is very different, and a bit odd. Make sure the sound isn't really high, because it starts out loudly. But really, it is quite a weird song. Reminds me a teeny bit of this show called Phineas and Ferb. Go figure.

I had been trying to figure out which song to do today, and this was the one that stuck in my head. Come to think of it, I have been trying to figure out schedule things. And it does mention summertime, and this is almost the end of that. But, anyway, this funny little song is called... Agenda!

***

Agenda
My beautiful agenda
The one that never dies
I'll shout it in a megaphone
I'll wear it like a French cologne
I'll scream it in the telephone
Hey, hey-yeah

Agenda
My beautiful agenda
To give it all away
It's shockin' as a shootin' star
It's crankin' like a cable car
It's sweeter than the cookie jar

Hey, hey Joe!
There's a place I know
Where the grace won't blow away
And everything is fine
In the summertime
And the battle lines are grey

Remember
My beautiful agenda
I'll sing it to the skies
It throws you like a boomerang
It frees you from the chain gang
It's every song you ever sang

Hey, hey Joe!
There's a place I know
Where the grace won't blow away
And everything is fine
In the summertime
And the battle lines are grey

Agenda
My beautiful agenda

***

Agenda
My beautiful agenda
The one that never dies
I'll shout it in a megaphone
I'll wear it like a French cologne
I'll scream it in the telephone
Hey, hey-yeah

Hey, hey Joe
There's a place I know
Where the grace won't blow away
And everything is fine
In the summertime
And the battle lines are grey

Agenda
My beautiful agenda
The one that never dies
My beautiful agenda

(Agenda)
Agenda
(My beautiful agenda)
My beautiful agenda
Agenda...agenda...agenda
(repeat that a few times)

Agenda!

What is the Difference Between Aliens and Humans?

No, this isn't the setup for a punchline. It's a real question. In most science-fictional stories, what is the difference between Earthlings--humans--and aliens from distant planets? I knew I had to do more than one post this week, and this is one I've wanted to do for awhile. And, funnily enough, it's related to last week's Mid-Week Music.

So what is the difference? Not an outward difference, such as how they look, but fundamental differences. And a consistent difference, between humans and all aliens. It's not reason, surely. I highly doubt that it's spunk. And please don't try to convince me of that 'advanced technology' story, because I won't believe it. First, in some stories, the inhabitants of other planets are incredibly primitive. Second, who says that humans themselves won't someday reach the same degree of technological prowess?

Then what can the answer be? I have a theory--with an occasional exclusion, I'm sure--and it is this: we are different from the aliens of distant planets in that we can tell stories. And not merely telling facts in an enjoyable way, nor just cautionary tales of 'do this or you will die a horrible death': I mean creating stories with our own imagination. Allow me to show my evidence.

In Galaxy Quest (a favourite film of mine, starring Tim Allen), we see the Thermians, who are in desperate need of help from their all-time heroes... who just happen to be characters from a Star Trek-esque TV show. These Thermians believe the episodes of that show to be 'historical documents', because they have never heard of fiction. Deception, they know well enough, due to Sarris (the villain) using it on them constantly. But they've never heard the concept of telling a fictional story for enjoyment. This makes things very difficult for the had-been heroes of Galaxy Quest. But let's not stray into spoiler territory just yet.

The next example can be found in the cartoon show, Transformers: Rescue Bots. Specifically, the episode called "Once Upon a Time". In said episode, the Burnses and the Bots find themselves lost and separated in a forest. The catch? This forest is the home of fairies, according to local legend. Most of the characters couldn't care less about the legends, though one of these thinks it good for his own story he must write. Still, one or two of them wonder if these things--literal old wives' tales--might be true. Especially after...shall we say, certain strange happenings.

But this is just part of the picture. The main focus of the story is that of stories, stories that may or may not be true. Chase (one of the Bots) tells the humans that on their planet, they didn't have things like fairy-tales. They do, however, have stories like "The Bot Who Didn't Clean His Windshield": cautionary tales and such like. They usually end with the titular Bot being eaten by a giant space monster. Cybertron may have some of the most advanced tech in the universe, but I wouldn't want to live there if those were the only kinds of story to hear.

Which brings me back to my point. How many sci-fi stories have you found in which the aliens tell things like fairy-tales? It's usually just them telling what they believe to be facts, even when they are legends. To be sure, there are exclusions to this theory. I just can't really think of any. Even those on other planets (such as Malacandra) that tell stories in exciting or epic ways do not create the stories themselves: they tell those stories about things that truly happened. And this is storytelling too, good and important. But not the same kind.

And why does this matter, you may ask? I mean, fairy-tales are just people trying to explain things they didn't understand, or trying to force their little moral systems on other people, right? Only if you happen to be one of those modern, Politically Correct types. In the real world, they are something different entirely. And that leads me to a very important point.

In both of those examples from before, in both Galaxy Quest and Rescue Bots, those fictional fairy-tales... come true. In the first example, those had-been heroes from a Star Trek show are summoned by an alien people--who believe these actors to really be their characters from the show--to help defeat a space villain. As this is a comedy, in both senses, you can be assured that they save the day. I won't say how they manage to do this, but I will say that, the moment the Thermians find the stories of the Galaxy Quest heroes to be lies, they turn round to see the stories come true for the first time. And the heroes of the movie become the heroes they had before only pretended to be.

In the second example, the Burnses and Bots get lost and separated in a forest while trying to understand why its trees are falling over. They unwittingly act out several familiar tales, which you may recognize when you watch it yourself. In that way, the fairy-tales do come true, as well as in another, smaller way, but no less important. A way very similar to what they did in "The Haunting of Griffin Rock". Put quite simply, "It's Griffin Rock. Anything can happen."

I've found that people love disproving magic and fairy-tales. I personally have mainly only come across it in movies and TV shows, and such like. People in those say things like 'magic's only science we haven't figured out yet', or 'there are no such things as that!' Sometimes they're disproved, sometimes not. In Sherlock, in a great many kid's shows, all kinds of things. I've found few things that aren't specifically fantasies that include real fairy-tales and legends.

And oftentimes, folks like disproving heroes in general, showing that they aren't really great, and are just lying to you and everybody. Sometimes this goes hand-in-hand with disproving the idea of villains, showing that they aren't really bad, and are just misunderstood victims of the heroes. These things are themes running through today's culture.

And this is why we must not lose what makes us different. Aristotle tells us that what makes us different and unique in regards to animals is our reason, our logic, rational thought. This is something we cannot lose, not without losing all humanity within us. But what makes us different from those of other planets?

You know this by now, right?

It is our ability to tell fairy-tales. To create something in our own minds, to do "such noble feats as bringing forth new worlds, stories, and adventures", to weave words into an image for those who will hear it. It is to reveal an eternal truth in something that may not be true, to create characters that strive for goodness even in situations that are not, to inspire hearts for beauty. To kindle a light in the eyes of the hearers, whether they be our families, our friends, or complete strangers. Or even those who have never yet heard of the tales of Faerie: those of far-flung worlds?

Perhaps someday...