Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Do You Know Ronald Jenkees?



'Cause, if you like music, you should.  He has some funky glasses and is a little strange, but he's smokin' on the keyboard.  Check out his site here.

Watch a bunch more videos here, if you're interested.

I came across his music on Pandora while listening to The Glitch Mob station.  I find lots of cool music through that station, and I made a separate one for Jenkees.  Enjoy the music!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Art With a Hint of Conservation

Transforming Shattered CDs into Animal Sculptures - My Modern Metropolis:
'via Blog this'

Some people are really talented, and resourceful! I'm always impressed when someone can take something that would end up in a landfill and turn it into something beautiful. I would say these sculptures rise above just being crafty. His use of color, movement, texture, and the posing of the animals definitely speak to a higher art. Below are a few of my favorites.






Saturday, February 18, 2012

James Roper | Fubiz™

James Roper | Fubiz™:
jamesroper28
'via Blog this'
These are some very nice illustrations by James Roper. He does a great job of varying up his textures and creates some interesting images. Some remind me of old master paintings of Jesus up in the clouds, only here we see the figures made out of cloth, and only deep shadows where their faces would normally reside. Too heavy on the symbolism?

I enjoy the movement he creates with the turning and folding of the cloth, and by letting your eye flow from one texture to the next. You can make out human figures in some of them that seem to deform or explode; they remind me of sausage or balloons that have been tied off. Others have a very strong resemblance to intestines and cell walls.


Follow the link at the top to see more of his images, or go to his site linked in the first paragraph. I'll post of a few more below. Enjoy!


 


jamesroper20 


jamesroper17 


jamesroper12

Friday, February 17, 2012

Resident Evil: Retribution



I'm surprising interested in seeing this movie.  I've seen some of the early Resident Evil movies, and they are entertaining, but not great.  I think it's the grand scale of this one that makes it look more promising.  What's up with everything being so apocalyptic these days, though?  It's a weird current going through mainstream culture.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

The Story Continues

2013 Subaru BRZ and 2013 Scion FR-S: A Study in Comparison and Contrast - Feature - Car and Driver:
'via Blog this'

It looks like there might finally be a price tag on these bad boys, "about $26,000." That's not terrible, but I wonder how much the upgrades will add on to that figure. I like the idea that there is some space left under the hood for a turbo someday in the future; that's promising. However, the more I keep up on this story, the less excited I grow, as if they are trying to make too much out of something that isn't that special. Maybe a test drive would change that feeling.


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Gerhard Richter Documentary

Gerhard Richter Painting:

Gerhard Richter Painting trailer from Kino Lorber on Vimeo.


'via Blog this'

A documentary on Gerhard Richter, you say? Count me in! This has potential to go down in history as one of the great art documentaries. I need to see if I can get my hands on any of the older ones on Picasso, Hans Hofmann, and Pollock. Should be exciting.

Friday, February 10, 2012

R.I.P. Theophilus Brown

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/10/BAE51N59PQ.DTL&feed=rss.news
"Self Portrait" by William Theophilus Brown, 1994. Courtesy of Thomas Reynolds / Courtesy of Thomas Reynolds
It's always sad to me when a great painter dies. I'm not as familiar with Brown as I am some of the others from the Bay Area Figurative movement, but he certainly ran around with a lot of my heroes: de Kooning, Diebenkorn, Picasso, and Bischoff.

He lived a long life, may we all be so lucky.

Game of Thrones Season 2!!!

Photo Gallery: Game of Thrones Season 2 - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com:

'via Blog this'

Game of Thrones season 2 is coming up, who's excited? You know I am. A big fan of the books, I wasn't super happy with how season one turned out, but I'll still take it. This time around, I'll be able to watch it in HD instead of standard definition on a channel that didn't come in so well. So, I'm doubly excited about that. Let's hope the directing/acting gets better as we go.

If you haven't, check out the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin that the series is based on.  It is a good escape into a fantasy world, and well worth the read.  There are five books out so far with two more to go.  I'm hoping he wraps it up well, as I was a little disappointed with the last book.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

DUBSTEP

PUMPED UP KICKS|DUBSTEP - YouTube: ""

'via Blog this

Marquese Scott has some pretty smooth moves. My brother-in-law pointed me to this video. I knew I liked the music before I knew there was a whole genre. Dubstep has become one of my favorite types of music, with bands like The Glitch Mob, Bassnectar, Skrillex, and many others. Enjoy the video!

Here is another one that is pretty good:


Tuesday, February 7, 2012

2014 BMW M3

2014 BMW M3 Sedan Spy Photos – News – Car and Driver:
2014 BMW M3 sedan (spy photo)
'via Blog this'

The M3 has long been held tightly in my heart. It is one of the "more affordable" cars for a driving enthusiast.  (Compared to a super-car anyway).  Personally, I invite the move from a V-8 to a V-6 with Turbos. Hopefully, it will mean less weight and more fuel-efficiency.  I will miss the hood bulge from the recent model if they do end up taking it away, but I wouldn't want it there just for looks.

I'm still waiting on my affordable, fuel-efficient, performance car. Yes, I want it all.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Why French Parents Are Superior

Why French Parents Are Superior by Pamela Druckerman - WSJ.com:

'via Blog this'

I think there are some interesting points in this article. I definitely think some American kids get away with too much and aren't given any boundaries. Check it out, it's a good read.

Reminds me a little of the book I'm reading by Jane Nelsen: Positive Discipline.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Some More Music from the Drive-Through Guy



The first song is the best, make sure to listen closely to the entire track.
My wife says he should try out for American Idol.

Here is his website.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Because Global Warming is Just a Left-Wing Conspiracy

THE ISLAND PRESIDENT—A Documentary Film By Jon Shenk |:




'via Blog this'

The Island President looks like it'll be a good documentary. It's sad though, because it might already be too late to do enough before sea levels overtake the Maldives. Sounds like that means Manhattan, too (and many other cities/nations that are close to sea level).  Hopefully, this film will raise more awareness and spur more action.

Knowing how things go, people (and governments) will just deny it and wait until major catastrophe strikes before even thinking about changing their way of life. Millions of people are going to be affected by rising sea levels. I hope we can pull together and do something more than just say, "It sucks to be them."

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Just for fun


This is my son when he was very young...under a year old.

Alaskan Klee Kai, Miniature Alaskan Husky, Mini Husky

Alaskan Klee Kai, Miniature Alaskan Husky, Mini Husky:

Alaskan Klee Kai dog
'via Blog this'

This is one of the cutest dogs I've ever seen. I saw one in my building recently and had to inquire about the breed. If I ever get a dog, I would seriously consider this one. Of course, it is pretty expensive.

After searching the internet for pictures, I couldn't find one as cute as the one in my building, but I'd still consider getting one.

To Nanny or Not to Nanny

Do you use a nanny? Would you? As a stay-at-home dad, I see a lot of nannies at work in the parks. Maybe this is just the case around the East Bay (I have seen this in both Alameda and Albany), but I would never trust my child with these people.

Most of the time the nannies are either talking on the phone or with one another, but they are not paying attention to the children. Often, they seem to have too many children to look after as well.

Just the other day, a child ran off and the nanny did not even notice. A nearby worker who was using a leaf blower to clean out gutters noticed the child and had to call over to the nanny to get him. This was not an enclosed park, there were no fences, there were streets nearby, and there was construction going on nearby. This nanny was lucky that someone else was looking out for the child, and so were the parents.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

This is pretty awesome




I love creative people, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.