A spark of creativity

This is going to be one of my more wordy posts; indeed the topic at hand is more of a lexical intrigue, so if word usage and choice isn't of much interest to you you might not get what it is I'm trying to explore throughout this post.
As always, I give fair warning that many of my posts here are, by their nature, not very polished. I write on my blog not to have some shiny finished product to offer, rather as a means of developing and shaping that which is in my brain, getting it out on 'paper' in some way.
The topic at hand comes from some reflection on the Creation (with a capital 'C') and the various accounts we have of it. The most common account, of course, is that of Genesis (ch. 1), which describes the creation with very powerful vocabulary: "created" (v. 1, 21, 27), "make" (v. 26), "made" (7, 16, 25, 31). This account has always evoked images of, well, genesis. Creation. In brief, the existence of something that simply wasn't there before, I always assumed, somewhere in the back of my head, that God merely spoke and the world was. From nothingness there became something. But this is only one account.
Upon reading in the book of Abraham (in the Pearl of Great Price) one finds very different vocabulary at use (ch. 4): "organized" (v. 1, 12, 14-16, 25, 30), "formed" (1-2), "form" (26-27), "ordered" (7, 9, 11, 18), "prepare" (11, 20-21, 24). To me, these words speak more of shaping something already there, of manipulating some pre-existing matter. I think they are all very well summed up by the verb "to organize." One very good definition of "organize" as found on the interwebz is: "arrange into a structured whole; order."
Now, hold on a minute, both the Genesis and the Abraham accounts speak of the same event, right? Written by different prophets (Moses and Abraham, respectively) at different times in mankind's history, it is probable that when the revelations were received they were each directed to the people of that time period, using language and a direction best suited to the spiritual maturity of the people in that time. We know that the people whom Moses led were not exactly quick to follow the Lord; see the subsequent 4 books of the Pentateuch for evidence of that (i.e. Law of Moses). Thus it is not surprising to see that things were dumbed down for them. However, we can assume by the same logic that Abraham's family/people/contemporaries (we really don't know a lot about him) had a larger understanding of the universe and were more obedient to the Lord, thus were able to understand something a little more in depth regarding the organization of this world.
The thing that really got to me, though, besides just comparing these two accounts, was realizing that not only was the event they were describing the same, just on differing levels of understanding, but that really, the words they use are the same. Obviously, if you put in ("create" == "organize") you're going to get returned a big fat boolean FALSE. The words themselves are, of course, different. But the thing they describe is actually the same. What did God do when He created the earth? He organized the matter that was there. (This of course makes perfect sense with our best theory of how the world came to be, the big bang, which states that the world came together out of drifting, unorganized, matter, most of it basic stuff like hydrogen. Now unfortunately, it would seem that Abraham and his compatriots were not nuclear physicists, or perhaps we would have a better idea of how God acted on those basic particles to shape them into a solar system and a world and everything else. As we stand, though, and as far as the purposes of this post, I'm going to shelve those questions and return to the lexical discussion at hand.)
So what is creation, then? We know that God "organized...the earth" (Abr. 4:1), "divided the light" (:4), "ordered the expanse" (:7), "the waters...gathered together" (:9), "organized the earth to bring forth grass" (:11), "organized the lights" (:14), "prepared the earth [to bring forth animals on it]" (:24), and "form man" (:26), but there doesn't seem to be any evidence of him blatantly bringing new material into existence. Even with our own spirits, God didn't pull us out of nowhere, rather we learn that Abraham was shown "the intelligences that were organized before the world was" (Abraham 3:22, emphasis added). Indeed, the laws of science stipulate that matter cannot be made nor destroyed (laws of conservation of mass/energy). So what was the process used to create our world, but careful and well planned organization of the fundamental building blocks of the universe? What is the creative process in and of itself, but organization of surrounding materials and ideas? This leads me to my first realization, that to create is to organize.
Where this is of greatest import to me, however, is personally. For my entire life I have characterized myself as one devoid of any creative ability. I continually excuse myself or under represent myself by stating simply "Oh, I can't/couldn't do that, I'm not very creative." Because to me, being creative or exercising creative ability has always meant being able to pull ideas out of nowhere. Bringing substance from the void. Now, however, I'm starting to gain a greater appreciation for what is going on inside of "creative" people's heads. Just as the earthly creative process involved assembling and ordering blocks of matter, any other kind of creative process merely involves assembling and ordering ideas, thoughts, stories, characters, designs, colors, songs, words, etc. That's pretty easy to say, but to actually do it is another matter entirely. I'd take a guess that most people aren't even aware of this when they create. The building blocks that go into their works are brought in over their lifetimes and filter through their subconscious, where they gradually build up until noticed by the awake brain. It is there they start to become something new.
There's a scripture in Proverbs that was very helpful to me in understanding this new meaning of "to create" which is found in chapter 3 verses 19-20:
"19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.
 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew."
I like this passage for several reasons; primarily it is speaking of God's power over the earth including the founding thereof (note the verb used: found). Moreover, it is the attributes of the Lord by which He affects all these things that really caught my attention: by His wisdom he hath founded the earth. By His understanding hath he established the heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up and the clouds drop down the dew. By looking at these three attributes, wisdom, understanding, and knowledge, we can better understand how the creative process works. After thinking about it, I ordered them thus:
1) To create, you must first understand the resources at your disposal. You must be able to get a sense of what you have around you before you can ever hope to use them to create, or organize, something. As a writer, having words in my head isn't going to do me any good if I don't understand what they mean or what they connote, what feelings they evoke when put together in a certain way. You must first understand the building blocks from which you can draw.
2) To create, you must then have the knowledge to put them together. God has a knowledge of how all physical matter interacts; that is how he is able to manipulate it however he wants. A sculptor has a knowledge of how his medium is best shaped, of how to carve the wood or chip the stone so it will look exactly how he wants it to appear. To create you have to have knowledge, or experience, in assembling your creative building blocks.
3) Above all, you must have wisdom in order to create. Your ideas must amount to something. No one can just start putting words in sequence and hope that they will weave a great story. You must have wisdom, or a vision, of what it is you want your building blocks to assemble into. Perhaps that is why we still look to the creation/organization of the earth as the supreme example of creation; not only was it the largest scale creation ever accomplished (that is known about among humankind), but it also has the most sublime purpose; the perfect environment to pass through our mortal journey and gain the preparation we need in order to return to live in God's presence again (see 1 Nephi 17:36).
In this light I begin to understand that I really am a creative person. I think back to my mission, where at a certain point I started using certain teaching strategies, or making changes to our apartment, that I hadn't done before nor seen done before. When my companion commented on one of them, I told him (and myself) that it wasn't anything I hadn't already seen one of my previous companions do. However, that wasn't entirely true. What I had done was take an idea or a concept that I had observed from a former companion, and then I ordered it to fit the new situation. In reality, it was not was I had seen my companion do; it was based from that, but that was merely a creative building block in the process of creating something new.
The implications to this, for me, are enormous. It means that my range of what I define as "creative," or "creation," has vastly expanded. It means that I can no longer tell myself or others that I am "not a very creative person" without doing some serious reflection, upon which I will probably realize that I actually can create. It means that I can stop feeling like I can't take credit for things I produce when the inspiration comes from outside sources (because that what all creation is; taking bits and pieces from outside sources and shaping them, forming them into my own). More than anything, it helps me be more creative myself.
The implications are not limited to the secular realm only. Another implication of this realization is that I have a better understanding of the journey we must make to become more like God and Jesus. To help explain what I mean by this consider the following:
The Egyptians believed in two basic, opposing forces in the universe: isfet and ma'at; chaos and order. In their pantheons the gods were upholders of ma'at, preserving the existence of creation against the degradationary effects of chaos. Isfet, or chaos itself, was sometimes given form in the shape of a giant snake apophis that regularly did battle with the sun god Ra. (An interesting aside, we know that Abraham spent some time in Egypt; I wonder how big the flow of ideas was the went between the two.) To the Egyptians, ma'at was the symbol of good and of order, while at the same time being representative of their gods.
Not only has my understanding of creativity increased, but my appreciation of the divine nature of creativity has deepened. I've come to realize that acts of creation are acts of divinity, reflecting potential within us to improve on our estate and return to our Father in Heaven. Therefore, I am more aware of those around me who create, and I can appreciate that they are striving to unlock their divine potential.
I also understand that creation can take place in many different forms. There are the more obvious ones, done by authors and artists and architects, musicians and dancers and singers, but there are also the creative works that take place under the hands of teachers and mentors, who create a better person, or a more capable student. Any organization of existing resources in the wisdom of creating a better society, or person, or simply creating a new idea, is an act of good and also an expression of gratitude to He who bestowed those talents and abilities in the first place.
So let me be just one more among thousands and millions who create every day. This simple blog post, like my others, is nothing special, and isn't seen by many, but I do intend it, to some degree, as a means of thanks to God who gave me my inquisitive and analytic mind. I intend to continue discovering more about myself and about this life while I can, looking for enlightenment and understanding in the world around me.
That's as far as I've thought through this for now. I might add more as more thoughts come to mind, but this seems to be pretty inclusive. Best to have it all written out than to have it lost in the recesses of my mind. Though it's strange to think; I never would have spent this much time on a paper for school I guess that shows where my priorities lie (not in English class!).
That's enough from me for now. Take a break from my monotony while enjoying some of my favorite creative people:


And another:

Merry Christmas

Well, it's been another Christmas. My first white Christmas in 3 years. It's been a good one. I love low-key family events, the ability to just chillax, not go outside at all, and eat and play with family. In honor of this special time and what it represents, I thought to attach a letter that I prepared for some of the wonderful missionaries whom I know. I already sent it off to them, so they would get it before Christmas, but I think that my thoughts are applicable to anyone. So, without any edits, here it is, my missionary Christmas letter:
"At this time last year I was biking around the small town of Chascomús (pcia. de Bs. As.) in short sleeves, sweating profusely. On Christmas eve, after enjoying a barbecue at the mission president’s house and then an asado at a local member’s house, we returned to our apartment and delayed sleep until about midnight because 1) it was so hot anyways it was hard to get to sleep and 2) the fireworks started up at midnight. The next day, on Christmas, we celebrated by skyping with our families from the church computer, and then...just doing missionary work. Trying to visit people, clap houses the usual. And as was also usual in Chascomús, we did so without much success.

"This year I was worried I wasn’t going to be able to leave Utah because of the snow which on Thursday canceled flights and grounded planes (luckily my flight was on Saturday, so I missed that). Both in Utah and here at home, snow covers the ground. I retreat indoors to keep warm and drink eggnog. I enjoy various christmas programs from my student and home wards. My focus is much more personal, focused on my school work (or presently, resting from it) and trying to figure out my future. And yet, between the two experiences, there is something in common. That is Christmas. Stated with the greatest simplicity by President Monson in this past Christmas devotional, “To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ.”

"There is something that ties every experience together, both mine and those of other people, from this year, years past, and years to come, be they seasonal or random, joyous or tragic.. That tie is the fact that each experience had on this earth are for our learning. They are an essential part of our eternal progression, as we exercise the great gift of our agency and search to return once more to our heavenly home. I know my place in that search, as do you. We know our roles. But something that this special season helps us remember is why that search has an end. why it is ultimately possible to arrive in our Father’s presence once more. That reason, very simply, is Jesus Christ.

"In this eternal plan of salvation exist the competing demands of mercy and justice. Without Christ’s sacrifice (a 1-time act) and mediation (a continuing act), we would all forever be subject to justice. And that’s not part of God’s plan (see Alma 42:13-14; heck, while you’re at it, go ahead and study the whole chapter!). I just heard a wonderful talk in my home ward’s sacrament meeting/christmas program where the speaker (the Boston, Massachusetts Mission president) commented on the humble circumstances into which Christ was born. He especially focused on the fact that Christ had complete control over where and how He was to be born, and that the fact that He was born into such humility should teach us something about how to act. I take that one step further, pointing out the ultimate sacrifice Christ made, which was to humble himself before His Father and take upon Him the bitter cup.

"We, too, need to act with such humility before God, and recognize that we are constantly tracing out our path in the plan He has set for us. Let us follow Christ’s example as we remember his birth this Christmas season, and not yearn for the glories of men or to be lauded on high. Instead, let us be content with the shepherds’ song, the manger for a bed, and be constantly grateful to our Father in Heaven for all He has given us. As a natural follower to the holiday of thanksgiving, let us not lose that spirit of thanksgiving in the festivities of Christmas. We depend on God. We are lost without Christ. We need the strength and continual guidance of the Spirit. This gospel is the anchor to our souls, the beacon which shines even into our hearts.

"As someone who has already completed my term of missionary service, I can testify to you that wherever you are is exactly where the Lord wants you. He is deeply interested by the things that happen to you and is lovingly aware of every moment. I hope that during this Christmas season you can gain a greater sense and appreciation of His love for you, especially since you are on His errand, and that through you, those whom you teach and contact can also feel that love.

"It is because of God’s love for us that He sent His Son to earth. So let us remember that love, that we may share it, as He would have us do, with the rest of His children.

"I know that what I have shared and written is true. I know that this church, the one on your name tag, is led today by Jesus Christ himself, through a living prophet. The Book of Mormon, more than any other book, testifies of Christ and His divine purpose among us and for us. Having this good news in my life brings me peace from doubt, joy in times of stress, and love in spite of contention.

Thank you for your service, and continuing example. Learn from this experience the most you can, be willing to change and learn from the past. Be open to the inspiration of the spirit and the counsel of your companion and leaders.

"Most of all, be happy :)

and have a Merry Christmas!

-Jansen H. McQuivey"

There it is. Enjoy your Christmas, or what little there may be left of them (on the east coast it's already 11:35), but remember to keep the spirit of Christmas, or of Christ, with you for the whole year.

And of course, enjoy this amazing video (#lovethepianoguys):

Thaw the Frozen heart

A bit of introduction: I'm always very analytical about things, and more so since I've come back from my mission. I attribute this to the practice I had analyzing and looking for applications for things from the scriptures. Well, since being back home I've found that analytic approach starting to apply to other things, especially movies. Hence the somewhat recent post about Hunger Games. Well, another movie I saw over the thanksgiving break was Frozen, Disney's latest installment. Fair warning, I will be speaking about the movie as if you had already seen it, so if you haven't seen it yet you might want to let it pass.

My thoughts about the movie have focused themselves on Elsa, and the transformation she undergoes through the movie. As is natural for me, the thinking also translates itself to personal application as an aid for deeper self-understanding. So in the interest of streamlining and clarifying my thoughts, I will start off talking about Elsa and the changes she goes through, then include an aside in the end for how it applies to me.
Throughout the course of the movie, Elsa undertakes a journey of self-discovery that traces several different steps, progressing from a limited understanding of self and low interaction with others, until she gains a full understanding of who she is and how to use that to help others. The first stage in her progression is the stage I like to call "I don't want to build a snowman." Having discovered the danger inherent within her abilities, Elsa withdraws from all, even her sister. This is the proto- stage of her development, as she traps herself inside her own fears. This is no better description of this stage than the lines she herself sings in dreading anticipation of her own coronation:
"Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know." 
Unfortunately, it would seem that this, the "I don't want to build a snowman" stage, is the stage she spends most of her life in. It is characterized by placing higher value on the opinions of others of her, rather than on her own self-evaluation. This leads to an exaggeratedly high level of self-restraint (well demonstrated by the lack of contact with the outside world). She deals with her problems by avoiding them ("But it's only for today"). In this stage her attitude very much resembles ice: cold, distant, and untouchable.

However, as is wont to happen, that changes. Elsa's life shifts dramatically when her secret is revealed and she runs away, unable to deal with the fact that her control slipped. At this point, she is still in the first stage, her running away prompted by the avoidance aspect of her personality. However, while in the mountains, she progresses to a different stage, one I call "The cold never bothered me anyway."
The key to the transition between this stage and the previous one is the realization that other people's opinions and expectations don't need to govern Elsa's actions and attitudes. Again, this phase is well described by her own words:

"It’s time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me
I’m free"

Elsa is no longer driven by the cares and opinions of others, but she has overshot the mark. Her attitude now is entirely the reverse of what it was before: she values only her self-estimation. She has lost all restraint. She has found "freedom," but only insofar as she has progressed from an outward-dependent attitude to a self-dependent one. She is, on the surface, more confident, more able, but at her core she is still ice. The difference being that she displays different qualities of the ice:

"Beautiful! Powerful! Dangerous!
Ice has a magic, can't be controlled
Stronger than one, stronger than ten
Stronger than a hundred men!"

The irony of the "The cold never bothered me anyway" stage is that, while thinking she is control, in reality Elsa is completely out of control. This is evident from the altercations that proceed from her interactions with Anna, and the resulting loss of control that she experiences as she is taken prisoner by Hans and the resulting blizzard.
Indeed, there was only one thing that could get her to progress past that stage and into the final one, which I call the "Thaw the frozen heart" stage. It was accepting a true act of love. Anna's act of true love was genuine, and because of it she thawed. However, the change wrought in Elsa happened as she accepted that Anna truly cared about her, truly loved her. This forced a(nother) realignment in perspective. Elsa realized that she couldn't live her life aloof from the opinions and thoughts of those around her; that while she didn't need to be subservient to them, she couldn't completely ignore them, either. Her restraint was restored, but to a happy medium. She knows what she is capable of, but also has a more egalitarian approach to life.
This is because her sister's act showed her not only that she is loved, but it also thawed out, or unlocked, her own heart so that she, too, might love others. This is what brings about the biggest change in her, and what allows her to exist in this new, stable, state; she has learned to love. In a sense, Anna's act of love thawed out Elsa's heart, which in turn was able to fill with love for her people. She has learned to put the needs of others first, and allow those needs to permeate her existence. She is no longer buffeted about, fearing the judgments of others, nor is she so removed as to give no thought to what those around her need. It is this stage that she finally begins to find fulfillment, as she is able to serve and at the same time come into her own abilities and personality. It was necessary for her to pass through the other stages in order to reach this stage, but the key to reaching the "Thaw the frozen heart" stage was in accepting those acts of love which were done towards her.

"An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart."
A heart full of love will keep the frost at bay.

I classify this last stage the most "real" of all the stages. I think that, to some degree, it is the stage to which all of us are trying to get to. But it takes some doing, especially because for most of the time we are not aware of the journey as we are taking it. Perhaps part of the reason I was able to break Elsa's progression down like this is because I am seeing a similar pattern in my own life. Though I definitely came at it from a different direction. To not bore you with the details, I started realizing that I was not as focused as I would like to be on other people; I kind of go about my own life without much thought to other people. I set a goal for myself, a while back, to give more compliments to people, but it hasn't gone anywhere, mainly because I just don't notice other people. I'm sure there's something there regarding the way my brain processes information, but that's food for further thought. What really made this whole thing stand out to me was when I realized that as hard as it is for me to notice other people's good points, it is just as hard for me to accept compliments from others. So I started wondering if maybe there's a connection between the two.
This, combined with the thinking about Frozen, and Elsa's progression, made me realize that I am, to a degree, still too much in the "The cold never bothered me anyway" stage. I've probably been in this phase for almost the last two years, and it has probably intensified upon returning home from my mission. And just like Elsa, I was content to be in that phase, content to be "free." I was eager to echo her triumphant exclamation: "Here I stand in the light of day/Let the storm rage on." But I've realized that that's not enough. It's not enough to merely provide for my own needs, to "see what I can do," or to care only about my improvement. In order to accomplish a stable state of being, of self discovery, it is of paramount importance that I learn, as did Elsa, how to make sure that those around me are a vital part of my life. As what happened with Elsa, I have had many demonstrations of love shown towards me this past semester. No one turned into an ice statue in order to protect me from physical harm, but my friends have been invaluable supports to me in helping me get through hard moments, and even just sharing a meal and conversation. Little by little, those acts have been piling themselves up until I couldn't help but notice that for some reason, other people care enough for me to help me out. It's really a humbling realization, because I know that there's no innate virtue of awesomeness within me that just makes people want to be nice to me; rather, there are just some really nice and awesome people in the world (and luckily, in my peer group) who have already learned how to love and have helped to thaw out my own frozen heart.

Just as Anna's hands show the signs of her love and determination, my life is marked by the efforts of my friends.

Now, I still have a ways to go before I can magically create skating rinks in the middle of summer, but I feel confident that I know what steps i can take in order to progress to the "Thaw the frozen heart" stage. I can accept the acts of love that people offer me. I can pay more attention to those around me. I can reciprocate those acts with my own acts of service. I can listen better. I can lift those around me. I can take more time out of my schedule in order to spend more time with my friends. More than anything, I can trust in the guidance of the spirit, and trust in my Heavenly Father to help me turn my thoughts and desires toward the benefit of others. Contrary to what the trolls tell Anna: "People don’t really change," change is real and it is possible. Elsa underwent a lot of change in an effort to find out who she really was as a person and queen. Christ suffered the atonement to give us the real possibility of changing, of becoming better than we are. And as part of His plan of salvation, we are all here on this earth together, with opportunities all around us to serve and love.
Consider this a public recognition of my best groups of friends that I had the opportunity to meet this semester, and with whom I am excited to return this coming year. As with the doors of Arendelle, I intend to not close myself off to the world again.
As always, thanks for reading!

I hate surprises

びっくりします. That's how to express "surprise" or "I'm surprised" in Japanese.
おもしろくなかった. That's how to say that something was un-fun, or not happy making. These things are pretty related in my head, I'm realizing.
I think we're past all the normal disclaimers about the fact that this blog is just my way of shaping thoughts and getting them into a written form, so that disclaimer will end here.
Short story: today I took my last finals; coincidentally it was also the last day of finals week. As far as my work schedule was concerned, I thought I would only have to work on Sunday and be off for the rest of the week. This, even though I work every five nights, because the calendar/schedule only goes until Thursday. So imagine my excitement when I found out, last night, that I would be working tonight. Now, the events up until now are not, in and of themselves, reason for great concern. Looking at the circumstances logically, I might have imagined that I would work tonight, as it was 5 nights since my last shift. Also, I ended up having no other plans for tonight except maybe getting an early(er) night's sleep. Also, my shifts are in no degree hard or demanding; this is evidenced by the fact that I am composing this blog entry meanwhile. No, the thing that really got me worked up was the fact that this was just not in my own plan for life.
This might be a habit/fixation that I developed on my mission (call it how you will); I feel a very strong need to know what is coming next in my life...and if I don't have something planned out then at least have the assurance that it will be completely up to my decision at the moment. In the mission, of course, the more plans I had the better, but in life outside the mission I'm finding it helpful to have a nice mix of plans and free time periods. It just feels good, having control over my own life, knowing what I'm going to do each day and knowing that, at the same time, I have complete control over whether I end up going through with it or not.
I don't know that I would classify myself as a control freak, because my reaction about break of my control are not huge... rather I'm just left with a sense of frustration and helplessness that gradually weighs me down, bit by bit. All this to get to the point that I don't like surprises. Now, people may say that that's silly, you can like a surprise if it's a good surprise.
No.
That may work for some people (all of whom I can think of, incidentally, happen to be in a movie or tv show, or book), but upon reflecting upon this I realized that I really am better able to get excited about something if I know about it ahead of time. Case in point: For as far back as I remember I've always known what big gift I was going to get for Christmas or my birthday. I mean there's the little stuff, but the bigger stuff is always something I'm generally pretty particular about, so it becomes known earlier on. Which is part one of me not liking "good" surprises: the intent usually doesn't match my expectations. Which is probably why my parents always ask me what I want, because it's the easiest way all around. And on the plus side, I can get in weeks of excited anticipation for my gift, as opposed to the moment of unwrapping something and having the moment to get excited for it. So there's the side of not liking happy surprises, the fact that I won't be able to react well in the moment. However, if there's something I know about in advance, I can get hyped up about it and be properly excited.
Even easier to understand should be my preference to have advance notice of unhappy surprises. Think about it logically; if something bad/unfortunate should occur, is it better to find out in the moment, or find out with time; a week, a month, a year, to prepare yourself for it? I remember the first time I went to EFY; my dad must have told me 4 or 5 months in advance I was going to go. Short personal history: I was very shy as a younger person (0 - ~16 years), so the idea of going to a week long camp with a ton of people, none of whom I knew, was not very exciting for me. But because I had the notice in advance, I was able to prepare myself mentally so that I was actually ready for it when the time came (and of course, it turned out to be an amazing experience).
So that's just some personal info. I don't like surprises. You might be like me in this respect, and you might not. I don't really care. Oh, and here's a video!  I found them from facebook (thank the social netwebz), and have fallen in a cappellove.