New official ComfyCon Vendor’s Room!

comfycon

The official ComfyCon Vendor’s Room is now on the main ComfyCon.net website! Go there for all the good ComfyCon merch!

ComfyCon 2013! It’s here!

comfycon

It’s that time, boys and girls! Time for the easiest, most stress-free, relaxing, COMFIEST convention you’ll ever attend! ComfyCon 2013 is here! Three days of geeking out your own way, you can watch the panels, host your own panel, do whatever you like, because you never have to leave your computer, or even put on clothes, although if you want to cosplay, that’s fine too, we won’t judge! The convention happens entirely online! No need to pack a suitcase, no need to book a flight, because there’s no place to go!

The brainchild of Randal (“Something Positive”) Mulholland and Danielle (“Girls with Slingshots”) Corsetto, aided and abetted by a bunch of other webcomic artists, the first ComfyCon last year was created for people who couldn’t get to go (or didn’t want to hassle with going) to San Diego Comic-Con. Danielle and the others used YouTube to host the panels live and streaming, with much craziness and pantslessness, at least from what I could see. At any rate, the ComfyCon program is here, at ComfyCon.net, check out all the panels, I can guarantee they’ll be the easiest to attend, and you don’t have to worry about filling up the room or dealing with those horrible uncomfortable chairs (unless you have some yourself, for some reason)! Best of all, no con funk! Unless, again, you have it yourself, in which case…

Update!  Now that the official ComfyCon Vendor’s Room is open, beat feet there and scarf the sweet sweet merch from the artists!  THEY HAVE DEALS!

“Welcome to Tokyo” Olympics promotional video by “World Order”

There’s a musical group in Japan called “World Order“, started by a former kick-boxer and now choreographer and composer (why have just one career?) named Genki Sudou. The group has made several music videos, and their signature style is to dress in expensive business suits and march in robotic unison through crowded streets in Tokyo, followed by pop and lock dancing to music composed by Sudou. They’ve been featured in ads for some companies in Japan, as well as performing in different places around the world.

Since Tokyo won the rights to the 2020 Summer Olympics, “World Order” made a “Welcome to Tokyo” video, where they perform their song and dance in various famous (and not so famous) places in Tokyo, such as Akihabara, Asakusa, Ginza, Roppongi, and Tokyo Tower. It was neat seeing this, because I’ve been to most of the places they perform in this video, which makes me wish I had been there when they were recording this! Seeing familiar places also makes me want to go back again, although with my current employment situation that’s not going to be possible for a few more years.

At any rate, here is “World Order” performing their song “World Order” in Tokyo.

Enjoy!

Power tools dubstep…

One of my favorite Youtube artists is Joe Penna, the “Mystery Guitar Man“. I’ve posted about him before, he’s a master at taking small video segments and literally “playing” them as notes in pieces of music. He’s also experimented with stop-motion animation, odd mechanical contrivances for making music, recreating old technology, and other unusual things. He’s worked solo and collaborated with other musicians and Youtubers to create short musical video pieces. His enthusiasm about the technology of video and music is undeniable, and he always looks like he’s having tremendous fun creating his works.

This video he made has been out for a little while, but I recently re-discovered it while roaming Youtube. I kind of like some music called “dubstep”, but not in any great way (some performers make pieces that go on for a good part of an hour, and that’s way too long for me). This short clip is kind of an interesting take on the genre. Using only video clips containing the sight and sound from various tools he used while building a sign for the sponsor of this video, he manages to make a very presentable “dubstep” piece.

Enjoy!

What? No Otakon 2013? What gives?

Well, I haven’t updated this site in a couple of weeks, last weekend I was at the 20th Otakon in Baltimore, and took a whole mess of pictures. Since then I’ve been busy working on a new website. I’ve decided to move most of my photography from this site, and make a more semi-pro portfolio site, using one of my old domains. Instead of trying to force this site into the form, either with a separate theme or try to figure out multi-site, I decided to just bite the bullet, buy a real photography theme, and build a new site. I’ll still have links from here to the new site, but the actual photos will be over on lexonia.net. Check it out!

Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Pipeline”

This is guitar work of the highest order! One of my favorite “surf” songs, performed by Dick Dale and Stevie Ray Vaughan for the 1987 movie “Back to the Beach”. Two guitar greats, one fantastic song, and a high-energy performance that won them a Grammy nomination. This video show them performing the song, with lots of scenes from the movie interspersed.

They just don’t make them like this anymore, although Dick Dale is apparently still touring in his 70’s!

Enjoy!

Shakespearean “Who’s on first?”

So, in honor of the discovery of the “original” William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, I got it into my head to look for other “original” classics by the original classic. What strange notion caused me to think of “Shakespeare’s ‘Who’s on First'” (which was later performed by Abbott and Costello) I have no idea, but I discovered a pair of actors who perform that very thing!

Verily, prithee direct thine attention hither, that thou mayest indeed partake the wit and flummery of said thespians, as they parlay with merriment and tomfoolery the verbal antics of a pair of ballers of the basest kind!
(apologies for the degradation of the video towards the end, it’s the original uploader’s problem)

Mayhap, enjoy!

“Old Hippy 3” – Bellamy Brothers

I wasn’t old enough to be a hippy, by a few years, and I likely wouldn’t have been one if I had been old enough, but I can definitely feel the weight of the years since then. The Bellamy Brothers first recorded “Old Hippy” back in the early 80’s, then did a sequel in the 90’s, and this looks to be the third. The first one gave the point of view of a 35 year old, then a 45 year old, and now a 55 year old. Interestingly enough, the opening verse is spot on, “He turns 55 next Sunday” and I turn 55 two Sundays after this post. Most of the other parts of the “old hippy”‘s life, I can’t relate to, never having been married I have no grandkids, but my brother and sister do. I do relate to the feeling of trying to be closer to God, and being more reflective in seeking the quiet times. There are parts of the song that are universal, too, to anyone stuck in middle age.

The man who made this video recorded a ride on his motorcycle one Easter day, and it’s a great accompaniment to the song, as he looks to be about my age.

At any rate, enjoy this, even if you have to turn the volume up more than you used to!