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X-Factor Favorites

Pretty much a guilty pleasure but I don't feel guilty about being surprised by people and their singing abilities. Here are three contestants on the show that surprised me:

Posted: permalink October 24, 2011; 09:40 AM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music, TV
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Roll a D6.

Roll a D6 from Connor Anderson on Vimeo.

Posted: permalink May 04, 2011; 10:37 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music
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Not abandoned

Posted: permalink May 02, 2011; 03:00 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Photography
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Worth the cost?

Worth the cost?

Posted: permalink May 02, 2011; 08:57 AM     Discussioncomments 1 comments
Filed in: Photography
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A Storyteller's Story

I want to tell you a story - a story about my dad. It was from him that I first learned about stories, while sitting on my his lap (well I was still too young to even sit up, actually). It isn't hard to smile when I think of the tales he has told me over the years. I have heard many of them again and again. Recently I had come to ask him if I should just "play the tape". Usually he just kept going despite me giving him a hard time. My dad has shaped who I am more than I even know yet. I often find myself thinking, I am sure, many of the same thoughts he had as a younger man. We share a lot of traits, my dad and me. We are both ambitious and amicable, contemplative and caring, idealistic and at times impractical, sensitive and stubborn.

My dad’s stories taught me about him but also about life. It was through his stories that I learned about music, art, history, and literature. His stories introduced me to The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and to how classical music has stories of its own. He brought me to museums and inspired my early artistic endeavors such as drawing and photography. My political education started with my dad’s stories of Roosevelt, Kennedy and others and of the war stories he would tell.

Later in life, we comforted each other with stories of woe as we looked to the politics of the day and the state of Minnesotan pro sports teams. Ever the storyteller, my dad began sharing his stories with the world through his blog. All of those stories were true, give or take a lie or two.

My dad, never the picture of health, overcame a bout with nearly debilitating rheumatic fever as a child to go on to join the Air Force and travel the world. He made a home away from home in Turkey while in the service and I couldn’t get enough of the tales of adventure there. When he returned home he moved onto the business fast track and may have still been there today had heart troubles not derailed him onto a more slow-paced way of life. However much my father inspired me to professional success with his career accomplishments, it was with his embrace of a simpler life that he taught me the most valuable lessons. He understood what is important in life and has shown me ways to be more appreciative of my family and friends. It is a lesson, I am sure, that he will continue to provide me even now.

I know we are all currently grieving, but we have to remember that this grief is ours. It is for what we have lost, and what we remember, and what we will not experience again. I will miss his stories – just sitting and talking with him about any of hundreds of topics he could go on about. I will grieve the loss of those stories. But it is my grief. It is not my dad’s. My dad lived a great life, with few regrets. He shared his love with many and touched countless lives. His advice to us, with how to deal with our grief, was simple – in a letter written just 7 or so hours before his death, my dad made it clear:

Just, just, just get over it!

Now that’s what I’ll have to try to do.

Posted: permalink January 24, 2011; 05:43 PM    
Filed in: Personal
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Teddy Bruschi nails it regarding the Vikings and Childress' ineptitude.

Posted: permalink November 01, 2010; 04:09 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Sports
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Another example of the elitists in their ivory towers just expecting people to "know" the 1st Amendment.

Posted: permalink October 20, 2010; 02:39 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Society, Politics & The Media
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I am facinated by these spots

Posted: permalink June 30, 2010; 02:27 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Advertising, Pop Culture, TV
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What are you afraid of people seeing?

Underwear by FM Belfast (Music Video) from Daniel Scheinert on Vimeo.

Posted: permalink June 14, 2010; 04:43 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Movies, Music
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The Little Duck

Now we are ready to look at something pretty special.

It is a duck riding the ocean a hundred feet beyond the surf,

And he cuddles in the swells.

There is a big heaving in the Atlantic.

And he is part of it.

He can rest while the Atlantic heaves, because he rests in the Atlantic.

Probably he doesn’t know how large the ocean is.

And neither do you.

But he realizes it.

And what does he do, I ask you.

He sits down in it.

He reposes in the immediate as if it were infinity – which it is.

That is religion, and the duck has it.

I like the little duck.

He doesn’t know much.

But he has religion.

-Donald Babcock, The Lyfe Poems of Donald Babcock

Posted: permalink April 19, 2010; 10:00 AM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Spirituality
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Pretty amazing rendition of Parton/Houston classic.

Some have commented that they think he is lip syncing. This video, where he shows some dance moves too, should dispel that.

Posted: permalink April 14, 2010; 09:58 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music
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Festival envy

Its that time of year again where I am envious of all those other areas of the country that have cool music festivals near them. Also, I'm envious of the folks who can take off the time and hang out in a field for 3 or more days. Just looking at the lineups (and the venues) has me planning roadtrips. Too bad the one that looks the best to me is on Memorial Day Weekend - when I have plans.

The Gorge

Sasquatch Music Festival 3 hours outside Seattle at the Gorge has an amazing lineup. These are just the acts that I know I will love and it isn't even half the list!

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Vampire Weekend
The National
MGMT
Band of Horses
The New Pornographers
The Middle East
Nada Surf
The xx
Freelance Whales
Tegan and Sara
Camera Obscura
Brother Ali
OK Go
She & Him
Passion Pit
Broken Social Scene
The Posies
My Morning Jacket
LCD Soundsystem
Dirty Projectors
Local Natives
Martina Topley Bird
The Mountain Goats
Dr. Dog
Aziz Ansari

Posted: permalink April 12, 2010; 09:38 AM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music
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iPad limitation no more

I have some thoughts on the iPad to share, perhaps in a subsequent post but right now, Apple is unveiling multitasking support (in it's own somewhat limited way) for the new iPhone (iPad) 4 OS.

Here is what multitasking support will open up:

Getting closer to a done deal for me. I wonder if their second rev will be lighter. I really would like about a half pound shaved off.

Posted: permalink April 08, 2010; 12:35 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Software & Applications
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Who can brown do for you?

Posted: permalink December 06, 2009; 07:42 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
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In honor of this weekend's Zombie Pub Crawl in Minneapolis

My Body's a Zombie For You - D...

Dead Man's Bones (aka Ryan Gosling's band) in conjunction with a children's choir. Really a lot of this is very good in an Arcade Fire sorta way. Check out this video too:

Posted: permalink October 08, 2009; 12:47 PM     Discussioncomments 1 comments
Filed in: Music
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My life story

I have been reading posts that my father has been making on his newly minted blog. They are great, they give me insights into what my dad's life has been like and I can see him how he sees himself via the oft-recounted stories now told in the new medium of the web. Several of his posts thus far have been about his exploits with the ladies. From the Turkish bellydancer, Zeckiya, to the time when he "met three birds and we enjoyed each other immensely" reminding his readers on several occasions that it was the 60's and a different time.

My dad has varied and colorful experiences, most of which I will not share. I met Jena in high school and have more or less been with her for the past 18 years as of yesterday, 11 of which as husband and wife. An earlier version of myself would have felt a bit sad about the contrast of my dad's crazy life and my own relatively normal one. And I guess this current version of myself does feel a bit sad, but not for me.

I will be able to write my reflectionary weblog posts with Jena as my editor, correcting my spelling errors (believe me she will be busy). I will get to write those posts knowing that I have found and shared all that I have experienced with the person who has known me best, who has grown up with me, and who continues to make me so very happy - through a span of time exceeding that of all of my father's marriages. So I guess I do still feel a bit sad. My dad won't ever be able to spend time with the person who has known all versions of himself. Then again, maybe that is why he is telling her of himself via the web.

Photos of young Ben and Jena

Posted: permalink August 18, 2009; 09:52 PM     Discussioncomments 5 comments
Filed in: Personal
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Love the megaphone "choice"!

Wish I could follow the Akai International Tour! (MySpace) Montreal, New York, Cleveland!

Posted: permalink August 11, 2009; 09:44 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music
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Can't wait for Spike Jonez's take on Where the Wild Things Are

See the trailers and a new featurette at apple.com. And they could not have chosen a better band/song than Arcade Fire's Wake Up to embody youthful enthusiasm and rebellion.

Posted: permalink July 28, 2009; 03:33 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Books, Movies, Music, Pop Culture
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Even better way to get news than the Daily Show?

There are 6 of these now and they are all awesome.

Posted: permalink July 27, 2009; 04:20 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Music, News Media, Pop Culture, The Web
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Media Center Creation Project Log #1

Spurred, in part, by a dying Tivo Series 2 and in part by the obsolescence* of a small 2-inch TV Jena had been using as part of her morning rituals, we at the Edwards' household are in the midst of a Media Center creation, or rather coalescence project.

While I didn't quite plan it this way, the first part of the media center is now in place, a 37-inch Samsung LCD. Samsung is a great choice for LCD's as they have great reviews and are generally innovators in their TV production. I briefly flirted with the idea of the LED but the smallest was 40-inches and for this particular room and space we needed it to be no larger than 37-inch. As it turns out, I was able to talk myself out of the more expensive 37-inch model primarily because I really do not like the Auto Motion Plus 120Hz™ feature that is supposed to smooth transitions between frames but ends up making everything look like it is shot on a hand-held HD video camera. Also the higher-end model achieved at least part of its 100,000:1 contrast ratio by shining up the screen surface, which in our house, like in the store, resulted in significantly more glare being produced. In this case, going to the store to see the products in action** also saved me money as I got this TV for just under $800 rather than the $1200 I was ready to spend.

NEXT UP: HD Antenna Selection

* The little LCD TV served us well for over 10 years, but the idea of getting a digital signal converter for it made me throw up in my mouth a little. So I installed a 22-inch LCD upstairs for her and connected the set to a hidden HD antenna with Scott's help.

** I also brought my MacBook Pro and and a Mini Display Port to HDMI Adapter.


Posted: permalink June 24, 2009; 03:09 PM     Discussioncomments 0 comments
Filed in: Art & Entertainment, Computer Hardware, Gadgets, Games & Gaming, Hacks, Tips, & Tricks, Movies, Music, Software & Applications, TV
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Hi, I'm Ben Edwards and I have been posting my thoughts and ideas online since 1995. For nearly that long Alt Text has been a place for writing and experimentation with the web. Currently it most resembles a weblog. // read more
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