This is going to be an interesting ride...

I've moved my blog over to Tumblr.

I can now be found over at my new MeshBoats site.
If you have bookmarks, please update them, as any new content will be at Tumblr. Most of my posts will still be duplicated here, but check on the Tumblr, just to be safe.

Thanks!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 8

I'll keep it short this week, since I'm super late, and there's not much to say. It was rock & country night this week, and there were only 6 groups left. Sadly, Delilah were the ones to go this time around. Their performances, while emotionally charged and entertaining, were just not good enough to keep up.

I'm highlighting two performances this week. Vocal Point did great, with a killer performance of Rascal Flatt's remake of "Life is a Highway."



This will be the first week I'm not going to gush about Pentatonix. Also it's the first week I'm blatantly lying in a post.



I think they're my winners this season. They are extremely consistent, and more creative than the majority of the other groups, as well as sounding bigger than the quintet that they are. I'll be first in line to buy their album.

Until next week,
TTFN!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 7


This week was a week of medleys, and I found it highly enjoyable. I'll keep this brief, since I'm so late, and I have a movie to finish watching. ;) I'll start off my highlight reviews with one word...

Holycrap. Pentatonix did it again! (Pun intended) Taking on Britney Spears in a way I never thought possible.



Afro Blue did a fun and ambitious arrangement of Janet Jackson tunes.
Delilah is still back in action, slamming through an Alicia Keys medley. Loved it!



The YellowJackets were the ones to say goodbye this week, although they did do some nice Billy Joel renditions. It was their swan song, however, that really reminded me of just how amazingly amusing they are. Obviously they will never stop.



Urban Method did great this week, killing some Rihanna. The arrangements were a bit different, which was nice. Loved the layering they did in some sections. (Stop looking for the video. I didn't post it.) Last year's champs, Committed, made a guest appearance and did their own medley with Chris Brown hits. They lever let me down. Their confidence on stage has vastly improved since they were last on the show, and I still absolutely love their crazy chord transitions. Jazzy. Love it.



Once again, a good time was had by all. I'm pretty sure. Well, I wasn't there, after all. I was trick-or-treating with the kids. So anyway, back to my movie.

Peace OutSide!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 6

This week was hip-hop week, which is really interesting because hip-hop is pretty difficult to pull off a cappella. But the majority of the groups really pulled it off. Some didn't exactly keep with the hip-hop feel of the original song, but in these cases, it was a risk worth taking. The groups who took those risks did not fail. Case in point. Vocal Point, actually. One of the guys had recently returned from Australia, where his father had recently passed away from cancer. This was dedicated to him, and was very touching.


They're not my favorites, but I loved this performance. Then there's Pentatonix. 'Nuff said.


BAM! Once again, they just nail it. What really surprised me this week was how Delilah finally picked themselves up out of the gutter they had been steadily sliding into. They were one of the risk-takers, and it really paid off for them. For the first time in weeks, they were not in the bottom two. That made me happy.


This was also the first time the bottom two actually had a "sing-off." The Collective and The YellowJackets both had to perform Nelly's "Just a Dream." The collective just wasn't up to par this week, and they were the ones to be dropped this time around.

So that's it for this week. I'm keeping it brief, since I really don't have much to say about it. Having said that, I think it's time to go watch a movie or something.

Peace OutSide!

Not Always Right - 100% Chance Of Disaster

100% Chance Of Disaster

| WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND | TECH SUPPORT


(I answer calls for technical support within the company.)


Caller: “My computer is a fire risk.”
Me: “What makes you say that?”
Caller: “It gets hot. There are papers near it.”
Me: “If you’re worried about it, you can move the papers away.”
Caller: “I am moving the papers, but you must send someone to look at it.”
Me: “Computers usually get warm–”
Caller: “You don’t understand. My computer is a fire risk!”
Me: “Okay, I’ll log a job and get someone to look at it.”
Caller: “When? It is very urgent. I need someone to come now.”
(I log the job and ring the technician to explain that the customer is very keen to have someone come as soon as possible. The next day, he rings me back to tell me what happened.)
Technician: “You know that computer that was a fire risk?”
Me: “Yes?”
Technician: “She meant it was on fire.”

source:
Not Always Right | Funny & Stupid Customer Quotes » 100% Chance Of Disaster

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 5

This week the groups did "guilty pleasure" performances. I won't post as many vids as I did last week. I realize that was overkill. ;) The first half, I feel, was dominated by The Collective. I'm not a huge fan of the song they picked, but I absolutely loved their arrangement. The two leads blended so well together, which is difficult when both singers have such power. But they did so so well! I loved it.


I wasn't surprised North Shore went home this week, because they just aren't up to par in this competition, as classic and good as they are. One of my other favorites, Afro-Blue, really slammed the second half into gear.


I really enjoyed their arrangement, and those frikkin' jazz chords and arpeggios they throw in just make me melt! My love of both techno and extremely precise vocals makes me love Pentatonix in a big way. They amaze me with their "remixes" every time.


Urban Method performed Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" and I thought it was great fun. I won't post the vid, but just take my word for it. They're great. Oh, and one honorable mention. The YellowJackets, while not my favorites, are always entertaining. This week was no different, when they did a rather energetic "Wannabe." (Spice Girls) It was very, very amusing. The Deltones were the ones to be cut during this half. Honestly, that doesn't bother me because, by the end of the show, I had already forgotten what it was they had sung. Don't get me wrong, they were good. But they are one group that I have consistently found to be forgettable. Another good night on the Sing-Off stage.

Back next week with more!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

I Thought It Was Called "Singing"


This is from a real ad! Are these people frikkin' serious?! And it wasn't just a simple mistake, because it's in there twice! I sure hope this is done in the comfort of your own home, because I certainly wouldn't want to go to a bar where everyone's belching out a tune. 
FAIL!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 4

This week's show was pretty good, with another of my favorite groups performing well, although not quite well enough. But I'll start at the beginning.

As I said in the previous post, the groups were doing their versions of current hits and 60's classics. This week was the second group of six. Pentatonix, in my opinion, did a fun rendition of Kesha's "Your Love is My Drug." Throwing a male lead in there was a great choice and really switched things up in a good way. But nevermind that. The beginning of the arrangement was somewhat plain. Two-thirds of the way through, they completely remix themselves and flip it into a dubstep version, with pseudo-electronic effects and everything!



What?!? Yeah, vocal dubstep. Killer. (For those of you who don't know what dubstep is, go here and go to 1:28.)

Sonos brought out Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" and made it sound so smooth. They didn't have a bass voice for this tune, but it sounded so nice and intimate that way. I don't feel like it was missing anything.


The Collective slammed out Far East Movement's "Rocketeer" and check out the lead girl singing with laryngitis! Power through, much?? Impressive.


The second half, of course, was the 60's tunes. The only one I'm going to bring up is Sonos. They are the ones who, sadly, got eliminated this week. The competition will now miss an extremely innovative group, because... well, just LOOK!



I heard a different version they had done awhile back, where they had a male lead, and it was just as smooth. It's a shame, but they already have a career going, so I'm not terribly concerned for them. But still. I wanted to see what else they would do. *sad face*

So that's it for this week. I'm off to dream some more.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Symphony X - Paradise Lost

I'm in love with Symphony X's "Paradise Lost" album right now. Everything is epic, and the title track's no exception. Love the slow build in intensity.

 

Then there's this beauty at the end. Like I said. EPIC!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 3

This week, one half of the groups did renditions of current hits and songs from the 60's. As usual, there was one performance that blew me away, and this time it was Afro-Blue. I usually fall in love with the jazzy groups, simply because they pull out some crazy chords and progressions that blow me away. This group is no different. Check out what they did to "American Boy." (Especially pay attention to what happens right around 1:12)



And I really can't stop there. Urban Method was a lot of fun to watch, too...



And Vocal Point was just so damn believable!



It was just a really good night.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Umm...

(click for full size image)

Something doesn't quite add up here. Is it me?

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Anathema - "Are You there?"

I absolutely love this version.

The Sing-Off Week 2

One word. Pentatonix. Holyfrikkincrap!! I'm sorry, but I've never heard a white guy do so many killer vocal runs/riffs in my life. Shawn Stockman (of Boyz II Men) agrees at 4:08. Dude was channeling Brian McKnight or something for a minute there. The group as a whole is very entertaining, very talented, and very tight. I mean, look at this!!


Right now I'm reading Stephen King's "The Mist"...

...so you can imagine how creepy it was driving to work this morning in the most intensely thick fog I've seen in a very long time. WoOoOoOoOoO! (That's my creepy ghost noise.)

Friday, September 23, 2011

The Sing-Off Week 1

Guilty pleasure; I'm an a cappella junkie. I sang in a small group back in college. Now I live vicariously through groups like Delilah, shown below. NBC's The Sing-Off is an a cappella competition I fondly follow every year. There has only been one episode so far this season, but I'm already floored by some of these groups.

Like Delilah...



*picking my jaw off the floor and signing off*

This is really cool...


More pics on the site! Check them out!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

:(

*sniff*
I'm... all out of... Twizzlers.


(This is a problem.)

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Los... Angeles... California...

I went to CVS on my way home from work yesterday. Right before I headed to the checkout line these two elderly ladies walked in and headed for the counter on the far side of the store. So, as I'm waiting behind someone in line to finish checking out, I hear, "Los Angeles, California." Naturally, I'm thinking Okay, they must be using one of those automated 411 services.

Now, I'll admit it, I absolutely hate any automated telephone service that I need to speak to. If I can't talk to a human being (and trust me, I don't like to be on the phone in the first place), then I don't want to talk at all. If it's a machine, I'm pushing buttons. That's it. I don't talk to machines. I type at them. I feel the same about people sometimes, too.

So there was a pause, then, "Los Angeles, California." Obviously it didn't work the first time. They never do. This is why I hate them. After another pause, "Los... Angeles... California." Still not workin' for ya, eh, Lady? You'd think after all these years of perfecting voice recognition software, they might make something that works. But no, it continues. By this time, the cashier, the lady in front of me, and I are quietly chuckling to ourselves. The lady checking out remarks on how she never liked those things. I nodded.

"Los Angeles... California!" See? All this technology; the ability to create bionic limbs, play video games without ever touching a controller, make cars that park themselves, print body parts and organs, and yet we can't seem to program one simple information service that can recognize 3 words without probably connecting you to Tahiti instead of Boston, because they sound so similar. *twitch*

Anyway, back to the crazy lady and the idiot 411 machine. She kept trying. I'll give her credit for persistence. By this time, I'm at the front of the line checking out. "California!" Oy... "CALIFORNIA! CAL-I-FORN-IA!" Please, Lady, just give up and go Google it or something. "LOS... AN-GE-LES... CAL-I-FORN-IA!!" I'm dying inside here. I want to both fall down laughing and grab the phone and chuck it across the store. Perhaps I would fall down laughing after chucking it across the store. But neither happened.

I finished checking out, and I hear it one more time. "Los Angeles, Califooorniaaa..." Great, now she's singing to it. As if it's an improvement over speaking 'Cause that worked like a charm. I left the store and lost it. I'm glad no one was out in the parking lot, because I would've looked like a crazy fool laughing to myself on the way to my car. I hopped in and decided that I just had to share this experience. It's too good not to.

And with that, I bid you PEACE OUTSIDE!!

P.S.
Los... Angeles...

More Funny from XKCD

click to view full size
Those few who escaped found the emergency cutoff box disabled. The stampede lasted two hours and reached the bottom three times.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Tourist Trap Commission

I did this for a good friend of mine, who's graduating class wanted a carnival themed board with the faces cut out for photos. (For those wondering, yes, that's the bearded lady.) It's a 5-foot square piece on plywood with stands. I had a lot of fun doing this, even though it's not the style I usually paint in. Gives me some ideas, though...
Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

Eye Rant and Eye Rant...

Okay, it must be said. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this. Or perhaps I'm the only one who would think about this. But here it is.

You know those things above our eyes? No, not the eyebrows. Lower. There ya go. Right on the lids. Those little hairs. I know they serve a purpose. Their one and only purpose is not to make eyes look prettier. It is to keep things, like dust or debris, or small animals, from getting in our eyes. What a concept! Sounds good, in theory. But consider this. While they are busy keeping things out, what is the one thing that always goes right in your eye?? A FRIKKIN' EYELASH!! Shouldn't we have a secondary line of defense against that first line of defense? Perhaps another row of eyelashes. Yeah, so when the first row tries to drop one onto our precious little orbs, we have that added protection. But then there's the chance that the second line of defense drops one of their little soldiers in. Really, we're screwed. Eyelashes defy their very purpose by not being immortal. If they never got old and fell out, we wouldn't have this issue. But no. Our tiny eyeball troops are as human as we are, and don't last forever. So they drop. Then we pick them up (or out). Then what do we do? We make a frikkin' wish on it before breath-blasting it into oblivion! You know what my wish is? I wish my eyelashes would stop falling out.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Li'l Chaos 5/4/11

Me: Trin, you might want to go in the bathroom and wipe your face. You have a big glob near your mouth.
Trinity: Okay.
Me: Did you brush your teeth this morning?
Trinity: Yes.
Me: Well, that's what it must be from, then.
*five minutes later, after she puts her shoes on*
Me: Trin, please go in the bathroom, look in the mirror, and wipe that glob off.
Trinity: Why do I need to look in the mirror?
Me: So you can see where you need to wipe.
Trinity: How do you know it's there?
Me: Because I'm looking at you!
Trinity: But I brushed my teeth last night. And I wiped my face last night.
Me: I know you did. And you also brushed them this morning.
Trinity: How do you know that?
Me: Because you told me! I asked you if you brushed your teeth this morning, and you said "yes." And now you have a new glob.
Trinity: *blank stare*
Me: *eyefork*

Friday, April 29, 2011

I've refrained, but I simply must say it...

...Will someone please shoot me?



Seriously, don't even watch the whole thing. You'll wish you were never born.
This is one of the most awful things I've seen on YouTube. And believe me, I've seen some pretty awful things on YouTube. There are too many problems with this to list. But suffice it to say that (1) this girl sings like a geriatric robot, (2) she didn't even write this stupid song, so (3) some stupid adult wrote this stupid song for this stupid kid. All the good talent flying around out there like the Wicked Witch's monkeys, and someone digs HER up?! C'mon now...

And then someone shot me. BLAMM!!!



I've died and gone to heaven. (Or maybe thats Hell.)
All is as it should be.
Balance has been restored yada yada yada...
Now get back to work.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Conversation with Oblivia (the 7-year-old)

Livy: I want to give Trin my dollar, because Julia spent all her dollar and I spent all my dollar then PopPop gave me another dollar and Trin and Phoenix don't have anything.

Me: But they don't have anywhere to keep it, so you might as well put it back in your wallet and keep it yourself.

Livy: I can just keep it in MY wallet for them!

Me: (facepalm) In your wallet! Gee! Why didn't I think of that?! (this conversation is hurting my head)

Livy: ...Really, Dad? You never thought of that??

Me: (facepalm number 2) I'm walking away now.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Li'l Chaos 1/8/11

I had gotten Trinity vanilla wafers and milk for a snack today. I put a small amount of milk in a tiny bowl, figuring we'd save milk and it would be easier to dunk and harder to spill. I had turned away from the table and headed back down the hall when I heard:

Trinity: Um, Dad... I spilled it.

Me: You did what?

Trinity: It spilled... (pointing at the bowl, which is now resting on its side in a puddle of milk)

Me: How did that happen??

Trinity: I don't know. It just happened.

Me: Well, I'm not sure how you pulled that one off, Trin. I gave you a bowl because it was supposed to be harder to spill! 

Trinity: It was a accident!

Me: Well that's a bit weird. Bowls don't just flip themselves over while you're dunking cookies.

Trinity: ...

Me: I'm just saying it's a strange thing to happen... Unless you did it on purpose.

Trinity: But I DID do it on purpose!

Me: ...

Another eyefork conversation comes to an end.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Happy New Year and some such rot...

Well, I hope everyone had a great, fun, and safe holiday. I know mine was chaotic. Not a bad chaos, mind you, just the usual that can be expected with 4-5 kids (depending on the day) aged 8 and under. But this isn't about the kids. No, it's about me. Hi, I'm over here!

(incoming sarcasm)
It's that time of year when everyone makes their New Years Resolutions and attempts to change their lives. Well, that's fine for some people. Not me. You know what my New Years Resolution is? To not have a New Years Resolution. Yeah, I said it. No resolution. I want nothing resolved. I want to leave life wide open. Come and get me. Every year it's the same thing, and don't act like you haven't done the like. We pick one (or a few, if we're feeling especially delusional that day) thing that we'd like to work toward for the year to make it a good year. Then we try to work toward it. Simple, right? Then halfway through the year, we've either forgotten all about whatever resolutions we made or have given up on them altogether. "Oh, I'll try again next year," we'll say. Uh-huh.

I don't know about you, but I've been working on resolutions year after year, and have only had a few go to completion. That's why I'm simplifying my life this year. This is foolproof, people. If my New Years Resolution is to not have a New Years Resolution, then I've already won! I feel good about that. Only a week into the new year, and I've already accomplished what I set out to do. This also leaves me wide open for random opportunities to present themselves while I'm not trying to do anything special. Because that's how life works. And you know what? I think I may do it again next year. (exit sarcasm)

That said, I hope you all have a great year ahead of you. Stay safe and sane. To quote Counting Crows, "Maybe this year will be better than the last."

Peace OutSide!