Saturday, December 15, 2012

The best albums of 2012

Lana Del Ray: Born to Die

An album full of retro inspired classics.

Damon Albarn: Dr Dee

Funny to say, but it's the "best new opera".

Lost In The Trees: A Church That Fits Our Needs

Baroque ballads.

Beak: Beak II

Non-verbal droning, with a cool beat.

The Temper Trap: Temper Trap

A master crooner.

Chairlift: Something

Catchy tunes, and I liked the lyrics.

Grimes: Visions

High pitched electronic music.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Advertising for men

Dollar Shave Club! How much do I spend on blades a month? Now I have to find out!

Friday, September 21, 2012

The top song

I like the steam-punk vibe, but I think the video itself is somewhat vulgar and unoriginal.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

The top song

Sam and the Womp, and as far as I know, the vocalist isn't Bjork.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

#GOP2012 Saturday September 1

The lights are being removed from the Tampa Bay Times Forum (have fun trying to count them):

Removing lights from Tampa Bay Times Forum

The tents are coming down:

Tents are gone from the Tampa Bay Times Forum

Remnants of tent system at RNC

And a "Newt 2012" sticker has been left on the sidewalk:

Newt 2012 sticker on sidewalk at RNC

As has a pile of signs for Senatorial hopeful Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV:

Pile of Cornelius Harvey McGillicuddy IV signs next to trash

The memorabilia stand at Channelside is enveloped in a shroud of plastic:

Real Delegates... Go Nuts!

And the anti-Obama store:

RNC memorabilia store

Is already looking for a new tenant:

RNC memorabilia store up for lease

The city is calm, the streets are dead, and some merchants have even put up "Gone Fishing" signs:

"Gone Fishing! See you on Tues Sept. 4th"

Color layering

A technique I've noticed in music videos--they take video of a performer, reduce it to a single color, and overlap several layers each reduced to its own color.

It can be done in a simple, synchronized way, as in The Veronicas' "Lolita":

Or in a much more sophisticated, unsynchronized way, as in androp's "Boohoo":

Thursday, August 30, 2012

#GOP2012 Thursday August 30

Street art the city missed, outside of downtown:

"Obama 2012! Power to the 99% 4 More Years"

Some shops sold ponchos, because when it rains in Tampa, it pours:

"We Have Ponchos"

Guys with a "Fix the Debt" petition talked to people riding the "freewheelin" vehicles:

Red and Green

A lone woman protested both Republicans and Democrats:

Protesting everybody

Doctors For America told everyone who would listen of the wonders of Obamacare:

Doctors for America

They handed out fans with propaganda:

Fan from Doctors for America

And talked to people from booths in white coats:

"The Doctor is In"

It ended up being crashed by a woman who wanted to mention Mitt Romney's dog:

"Dogs Against Romney"

(I didn't say anything to her about Obama eating his.)

The Westboro Baptist Church was still protesting, and people were still filming it:

Westboro Baptist Church being filmed at the RNC

A woman there was handing out pamphlets, and I took one. It told how natural disasters are caused by angering God:

Inside Westboro Baptist Church pamphlet

And how to not make God angry:

Tips on how to prevent natural disasters

It may seem weird, but it's better than another religious pamphlet I was handed by someone else. It was one long paragraph:

Back of religious postcard

People were also handing out anti-lawsuit newspapers:

"The Lemon"

This man was unimpressed by Ron Paul supporters, he wore a "Ross Perot '92" T-shirt, possibly ironically:

Perot '92 T-shirt

A global warming beach party (because even non-religious people wanted to tell me the world would end):

Global Warming Beach Party

And a man on a reclined bicycle with an Obama shirt:

Man on reclined bicycle with Obama shirt

I saw what was on the "Vote Pro-Life" truck. Aborted fetuses and pocket change:

"Vote Pro-Life"

This man was miffed that Florida's Attorney General gave a speech awkwardly (I'm not kidding):

"Blondie Bondi Blows it Big Time"

And the man on this street corner was reading the bible, out loud:

Man on corner reading from bible

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

#GOP2012 Wednesday August 29

Is this sign true?

"Generalissimo Buckhorn Declares Victory--Free Speech Dead"

"Generalissimo Buckhorn Declares Victory Free Speech Dead"

Let's see!

Down the street, the feminists from yesterday's post, had been allowed to protest so much they were taking a rest:

"Women are Pro-Choice and We Choose Obama"

There was a flurry of activity over at the Westboro Baptists Church protest:

Photographers huddled around Westboro Baptist Church

It was because of a woman, with a "God bless these homophobic jerks" sign:

"God Bless These Homophobe Jerks"

People, like those selling Romney/Ryan pins, stopped to watch the show:

People watching the back and forth at the Westboro Baptist Church protest

There appeared to be a group taking turns holding the sign:

Another woman with "God Bless These Homophobe Jerks"

(About the Westboro Baptist Church:

If you've ever been to a state fair in America, you may have seen a clown sitting over a tank of water who hurls insults at people. The audience pays money to try and dunk the clown.

The Westboro Baptist Church has that act down cold. People seemed to enjoy yelling back at them, and I wonder if, in a way, the Westboro Baptists don't provide a type of scream therapy. When people are frustrated they often don't have anyone to vent their feelings towards, especially negative ones; the Westboro guys provide that.

I'm not sure if people need this type of therapy offered so aggressively though.)

A guy nearby was selling cookies, Obameos or Romneos:

A man selling Obameos and Romneos (cookies)

Also around was a Ron Paul supporter, still angry about the change to convention rules:

'The "Ayes" Have it? Who you try'n to Fool?'

As with every other day of the convention, there weren't many protesters. But there were a lot of photographers and film crews, taking pictures of anything they could find:

Some guy filming himself

Film crew interviewing someone

Film crew setting up outside MSNBC stand

Unfriendly looking people having their pictures being taken

This is the "Real Delegates... Go Nuts!" memorabilia vendor, and there was a film crew jammed inside taking pictures of customers:

"Real Delegates GO NUTS!"

At the MSNBC stage, people were lined up taking pictures, they hoped of someone famous:

People photographing the MSNBC stand

Some guy at MSNBC, being photographed

Finally, I found some more protesters; this time union guys getting ready to picket:

"America Wants To Work"

And I found out what the Biotechnology Industry Organization was doing in Tampa; handing out water and yogurt bars:

Swag from the Biotechnology Industry Organization

Strangely, the yogurt bars were "100% natural":

NuGO bars from the Biotechnology Industry Organization

Regardless, they both have my endorsement!

Ron Paul supporters started setting up another protest at a street corner, with a big "Ron Paul for President" sign:

"Ron Paul For President"

At this point, I don't think the Ron Paul guys are impressing anyone. In fact, they're making the case for everything they're protesting against.

The smaller protests seemed a lot more personal, and effective. Like these two people at a street corner:

"By Grace You Have Been Saved Thru Faith"

Or this guy jogging with "Obama 2012" written on his undershirt:

Jogger with "Obama 2012" handwritten onto shirt

Finally, I saw some Guardian Angels, who are known as a vigilante group. The police were there to make sure no one volunteered to help too actively:

Guardian Angels at the RNC