Tag Archives: YouTube

The Studio is Live

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After tons of research, contemplation, internal fights over whether I was crazy or not and lots of consultation with my “production engineer” Cody I finally made my podcasting studio decisions. Even more, I acted on them.

Doctor Who Podcast Studio

That’s the studio as it is today, Tardis and all. In fact, when I posted an earlier version of this image on Facebook, almost the only thing people could focus on was my giant Tardis in the background. No joke I had half a dozen people ask me if I had an actual Tardis in my apartment. Of course the answer was yes. Yes, I have a real Tardis in my apartment.

To be honest, I’m just happy that I have so many awesomely nerdy friends who knew what a Tardis is. Whovians unite!

I wrote in a previous post about the items I was purchasing to build out my studio. What you see above is a little different due to some hiccups in the process and some lessons learned. Continue reading →

Why Do I Want to Podcast So Badly?

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I’m not really sure what has come over me but for the last few weeks I’ve been obsessing with the idea of podcasting again. It’s doubtful that any of you remember my old days of podcasting back in 2006. It was a short-lived experiment in the burgeoning medium but a fun one.

The_JC_Show

Back then all I had was a Dell laptop and crappy RadioShack microphone and a quirky friend named Callie who laughed at everything I said and made the most ridiculous statements. Our show was called The Justin & Callie Show partly because we were so incredibly creative (snark) and because we thought it funny to have a “J C” show that wasn’t about Jesus.

I told you she laughed at everything. Oh dear Callie, you were too good to me. Continue reading →

Learn How to Make a Perfect Negroni

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A lot of you know that I’m obsessed with wine. A handful of you know that my love of wine extends into my love of craft beers. A tiny number of you know of my love for old world cocktails. Recently I discovered a cocktail called a “Negroni” and I’ve been obsessed ever since.

How to Make a Negroni

Not just with this cocktail but with cocktails in general. I’m thinking about starting a YouTube channel where I teach people how to make amazing, old world cocktails and complete each one in under 60 seconds. There isn’t really anyone on YouTube doing something like this. There really aren’t any people doing reliably decent and regular cocktail videos which boggles my mind.

I decided to give this a go and make a pilot video. This was built from start to finish in Adobe Photoshop CS6. That’s a first for me, never thought about doing a video in Photoshop but since this was an experiment and since I only shot photos I figured why not? Any who, here goes!

The Perfect Negroni

  • 1.5 ounces Carpano Antica vermouth
  • 1.5 ounces Tanqueray gin
  • 1.5 ounces Campari
  • 1 orange

Fill an Old Fashioned glass with cracked ice. Pour on top of it each of the liquors. Zest an orange over the glass. Express the orange peel (inverted pinch to release the orange oils across the glass) and drop into the glass. Do a gentle stir and enjoy!

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Mary Lambert is an Incredible Artist who Must be Heard

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Macklemore & Ryan Lewis The HeistLast October a video hit YouTube and absolutely exploded. I intended to do a writeup about it back then but life was busy at the time and I just didn’t get around to it. The video was a single from the debut of Macklemore and Ryan Lewis‘s first full-length album, The Heist. It’s one of the best albums I’ve heard in a good while.

The video is titled, “Same Love,” and is about the experiences Macklemore, Ben Haggerty, encountered in his life in regards to homosexuality and how it has shaped his beliefs on equality. The song is amazing, giving me chills running across my arms as I remember back to scenes in the video.

Macklemore explained that the song also came out of his own frustration with hip hop’s positions on homosexuality. “Misogyny and homophobia are the two acceptable means of oppression in hip hop culture. It’s 2012. There needs to be some accountability. I think that as a society we’re evolving and I think that hip hop has always been a representation of what’s going on in the world right now.” Wiki

In the song you hear an incredible female vocalist named Mary Lambert. She is to me the Adele of America. Not just because they have a similar look but because their lyrics and voice are magnificently emotive and powerful. They sing from the heart, from their real-life experiences. They are each beautiful in their own right but it’s their powerful storytelling that stole my attention.

Portrait of Mary Lambert by Seattle photographer Lauren Colton

Portrait of Mary Lambert by Seattle photographer Lauren Colton.

Mary Lambert is a Seattle local, singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist. Her songs are known to tackle women’s issues and speak to a level of honesty and depth that few of her contemporaries have ever explored. Her songs remind me of those by Antony and the Johnsons without the orchestral flourishes. Go check them out as well. Continue reading →

Rick Perry disgusts me

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I try not to make it a habit of writing purely political posts but the new Rick Perry YouTube video threw me over the edge. If you like the video, you probably won’t like this post.

There is no shortage of reasons I don’t think Perry should be a presidential candidate for the Republican party. I don’t even think he should be the Governor of Texas. It’s not just because he’s a goof who embarrases most people from Texas, like myself, it’s the way he markets himself as a candidate.

For whatever reason, the loud, far right conservative politicians on the scene these days treat culture and intelligence as negative attributes. They forget that Christian law, much like Sharia law, is not United States law. They forget that smart people create solutions where others can’t. They forget a lot of things, many of which were their founding principles. I’m not talking about all Republicans, I’m talking about people like Rick Perry.

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Anti-DADT Repeal Runs Over After Debate

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Wow, and I thought the debate last night was eye-opening. We have already discussed here the remarkable reactions Republican candidates have been getting to things such as killing of criminals, “Yeah! Cheers! Horray!” and sick people who are uninsured, “Let him die!” My friends and I cringed when we heard these reactions during the primary debates.

Then, last night, Rick Santorum (just Google him) shared with the audience that he would like to re-instate ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, which was just repealed this week. Here’s how it played out. Be sure to read on to the outrageous poll after the break. Continue reading →

There Are Two Rules…

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When I’m working with someone who wants to start a blog, there are typically two rules I suggest they follow because they are the rules everyone says people should follow.

  1. Be consistent by update regularly and chronologically.
  2. Stay on topic or follow established, rotating topics.

Ironically, on my blog I follow neither of these rules. I post about things that are going to happen next week, followed by a post of what happend last month. The next post might be a review of some gadget or perhaps a political rant. With me at the helm, there really is no rhyme or reason to my blog. Though I do sometimes post some of the photos I’ve taken that I’m actually proud of.

I love how disorienting this photo is. It’s like Escher himself created this room, or this blog post for that matter. Let the fun continue! Continue reading →