and on a more life-affirming note...

It's not all gloom and doom and political conflict here at the Hairy Chasms. Here are some videos that might make you go "Wow!" and even restore, just a little, your faith in humanity.

First up: a young dude with big plans to rid our oceans of waste plastic:


Next: a video about animals reacting to music. My only bone to pick is when they show Paul McCartney's concert: I don't think the insects there are reacting to music so much as to light. Otherwise, enjoy... especially the final scene in which the bird reacts to Céline Dion:


Traditional Irish dancing is simultaneously thrilling and a bit awkward, what with the insistence on keeping one's upper body rigid. (This is what got Michael "Lord of the Dance" Flatley in trouble with traditionalists: he allowed his troupe to move their arms.) This group, however, begins with an American country hoe-down style of foot-stomping and clapping before switching to more traditional moves. You'll also notice that the ladies seem, overall, better than the gents at keeping their arms straight.


Lastly, we've got Michelle Steilen, who's bringing back roller skating to a 70s beat. There used to be a blogger who went by the moniker "Skippy Stalin," and whenever he wrote one of his randier posts, he'd say things like, "Her ass spoke to me in a language only I could understand." That's about how I felt while watching this video. I'd follow that ass anywhere.