New Music Made with GarageBand for iOS

Here's a few songs I've recently done with GarageBand for iOS.  While one of my musical friends keeps telling me I'm limited by what the software/hardware can do/allows, it's a fun pastime.

Why I Love Thanksgiving More Than Other Holidays

There are so many people who trash Thanksgiving for various reason.  Some attribute it to the taking of land from the Native Americans, while others post things like this.  Anyway, I love Thanksgiving more than other holidays because of a few F-Words.

1.  Food.  Of course this tops my list because I love to eat.  I love to mix my mashed potatoes with butter and gravy along with my buttery and salty corn.  I love brown sugar and butter mixed with yams to make sweet potatoes (slow and low simmer style).  I love homemade rolls with more butter.  Maybe it's the B-Word, BUTTER.  Turkey is okay too, but it's not really about the turkey.  Later, I love the pumpkin pie and a second round of all the fixings.  And maybe even later, I'll have a third round of the fixings.  And don't get me started on the leftovers on Friday.

2.  Family.  I actually do love my family.  The annoying ones are fun to watch and silently judge.  I'm such an ass, it doesn't bother me when they demand their way.  The loved ones I get to be with and enjoy.  The funny ones make me laugh and laugh along with my humor.  I just love family.

3.  Football.  There's always a game or two on Thanksgiving (or three this year).  What's great about the role football plays is how it prevents awkward silences.  It keeps things moving throughout the day.  Whether it's that time after the family sports competition or between meals or desserts, there's always a game on somewhere to break-up those times where we all run out of things to share with our family.

4.  Freedom.  This F-Word is a stretch, but it stands for the freedom in Thanksgiving to just enjoy the day without the stresses tradition brings in other holidays, where gift giving is required and expected.  Thanksgiving beats Christmas out in my holidays ranking list because I don't have to work on gift ideas for everyone I'm going to see.  The freedom to just enjoy the day and the people and the nourishment is what I love about Thanksgiving.

So here's my point:  ENJOY THANKSGIVING.  Be thankful for food, family, football, and freedom.  What more can we all be thankful for than these things.  What a great holiday.  What a great time of the year.

(For my Christian friends worried I'm not thankful for God's provision and in love with Christmas because we can celebrate Christ...settle down ya zealots.  The Father and Faith are also F-Words.)

My YouTube History...Because I Don't Have Time To Blog 2

I had to start with this one, I tweeted on May 18th.



This is cool.



Acapella done acapella.



A little "pick me up" sent from @techyted



I may be getting a little tired of Nataly's voice, because there is a little too much of the same muted sound, but I feel like this sound she sounds really good.



Because it's funny that these guys did this.



These guys are just such talented musicians.  They make me want my piano back so bad.



"With the growing trend..."



Lucky or Unlucky?



Engrish is hard.



Are you kidding me?



This is stupid and crazy.

The Vortex Cannon, Nerding Out

Don't worry about the bad acting at the beginning, this is a cool science project to try at home.

My New Computer by HP

I finally purchased a new computer and so far, I love it.  I saw the ad initially in a Costco mailer, and then I went and checked it out yesterday.  In the store it looked pretty great, but when I got it home it became amazing and slightly more than I need.

For $999.99 I got a lot; two 23" monitors running at 1080p, an AMD Phenom II 840T Quad-Core processor, 8GB of memory, 1.5TB hard-drive, and more.  This is my first experience with Windows 7 and so far I am satisfied.

I think one of the first things I've realized is the speed and memory abilities.  Before, I was always frustrated with YouTube videos or using my Google Reader for longer than an hour.  My old computer would slow down and/or lag.  I would have issues with loading images or watching a video without it hanging up multiple times during playback.  With my new computer, I not only can view videos and multiple websites, RSS feeds, and more, but I was able to play an hour long YouTube video for my son, while I surfed the Internet on the second screen.  No lag.  No hang ups.  No waiting.  It is awesomely impressive.  I've never actually been on a computer that works this well on the Internet.

Anyway,  I love it...so far.  I went with HP because my employer went with HP for the company-wide computer upgrade program.  Some of the decision is probably based on pricing, but I think it also has to do with the support, strength, and quality of the products HP is building.  I'm super excited about having a hard-drive that can fit all my old pictures, my complete music library, and be set-up to automatically backed up to my external drive.  We will be able to keep ourselves and our data backed-up, something I really wish I'd been doing up to now because the power supply for my laptop died, and now I'm trying to figure out how to get my information of its hard-drive.  Stay tuned for more about my new desktop from HP.


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My Test Drive Of The 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI

There was a point in my blogging when I thought I'd do more reporting on cars and my own opinions and impressions; including test drives, looking at statistics and specs, and being more honest about a vehicle then the sponsored car magazines and blogs.  Then I realized, I don't have time, money, or that much talent.  I have to hold down a real job, love on my family, and live a real life away from the computer.  Plus, if the manufacturers are giving you a vehicle to test drive, it's not a quick loop around the AutoMall.  When you have the vehicle for a few days, as part of your daily routine and job functions, you can really get into the handling and drive of the vehicle and write a really great (although sometimes wordy) review.

Well yesterday, after a Costco visit that went horribly wrong, where our Christmas Eve tri-tip was paid for but never made it home, I went to the AutoMall after retrieving a new set of tri-tips (I say "set" because it's Costco and you can't just buy one of anything).  I was originally going to check out the new 2011 Ford Explorer, as we are in the market for a bigger, more practical, family vehicle, but on my way around the AutoMall loop, I thought about the Gilt.com 2011 Volkswagen Jetta sale (a genius marketing idea by VW) and decided to stop at the VW dealer.  And, while my intention was to check out the Jetta, the salesman asked enough questions to realize if I was actually in the market to buy a VW, it'd be a fuel efficient commuter for myself.  He asked if I'd heard about TDI, Volkswagen's clean diesel engines. Of course I had, but I had never driven one.

The 2011 Volkswagen Golf TDI

This was the Golf TDI on the lot for me.  This was the only 4-door TDI on the lot, in white, with a manual transmission, and well equipped.  It had a sunroof (I don't need), fog lamps (cool), and a rear spoiler (sweet).  It had the European style turn signals on the side mirrors and a cool feature where it gives the driver 3 blinks of the signal if a tap to the signal switch is made, rather than a full push into the on position.  It had Bluetooth that worked with my iPhone for calling, and more importantly it integrated with the iPod features.  That was great, an they still make a really great sounding stereo.  I could play music right through the car stereo, without wires or any additional configuration beyond syncing with Bluetooth.

The Drive
We took it for a spin.  Because I understand diesel is more about compression than lighting the fuel on fire, I expected it to be a little slower to respond.  Well...it was and wasn't.  The initial provision of fuel at take-off seemed to be an issue for me.  I stalled it twice in a row.  It seemed like I had to really stomp on the gas pedal to get enough diesel into the engine for take-off.  BUT, once I figured out the take-off (and I do drive a manual transmission every day so I know what I'm doing) the car got up and moved.  I loved the quickness of this car.  We were able to take it onto the freeway and I got up to speed with ease.  I did miss the instant "push you back into your seat" feeling my 1999 VW Golf 2.0 gasoline engine still provides, but I believe that's the diesel way.  I'm not saying it wasn't quick, there just wasn't the instant push.  I think it would still beat my '99 in any type of race.

The Numbers
I'm averaging between 25 and 28 MPG in my '99, which according to it's sticker is supposed to get 24 and 31 MPG.  This car boasts of 30 city and 42 highway.  That's great, but with an MSRP of $23,435 this car is over-priced. With the basic 4-door starting at $19,685 and an MPG of 23 city and 33 highway, the TDI 4-door bumps the vehicle up $3,750.  That's huge.  It would take over 9.5 years to make back that difference.  Not such a money saver when you figure that out.  Not to mention, my wife's Nissan Altima is a bigger car, handles great, has some added features over the base Golf, with similar MPG (23 and 32), and priced almost the same as the base 4-door.  If you are looking for a car that will fit the kids too, go Altima for the price.

The Verdict
Would I buy one if I had the money?  I think not.  For the price of $23,435, I'd look at a GTI or wait for the Type R that is coming.  Although the Diesel has been an interesting idea to me, the fuel savings does not afford the sticker increase.  It was a nice drive, but the instant push of a gasoline out weighs the fuel savings in the end.  Sure, my '99 is 11.5 years old, meaning I'd be into the money savings period now with the TDI, but the 9.5 years of less "get up and go" a TDI would provide would make me regret the decision.

One last thing about Volkswagen: I love them and their vehicles.  They look great, drive amazingly, get great mileage, and have some nice extras.  But they are all over-priced. I mean, they are consistently several thousand dollars over their class equals.  The 2011 Jetta is a trend towards fixing that pricing gap, but Volkswagen started as the people's car, affordable and simple.  I think they need to work harder towards returning to those roots.  Like I said, the 2011 Jetta is a start towards the pricing correction, but the rest of the brand needs to make similar moves.


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"I Am Hampton"

This is my shout out to Joe and Heather at my Hampton Hotel.  My job takes me out of town every couple of weeks, and I stay in a Hampton Hotel.  Tonight, Joe and Heather let me play the piano in the lobby for a while, and we talked about our common customer service experiences, both providing service and receiving it.  I noticed on their name badges the the phrase "I am Hampton."  I challenged them to use this phrase with their next customer.  Heather accepted the challenge and worked it into a conversation with the very next customer, telling him, "If there is anything else I can help you with, I am Hampton", (or something like that).  It was so awesome.  It was seamless, as though she says it every time.  The customer even thanked her.  Joe and I were so impressed and we both think Heather deserves a big fat raise for it.

It's a little bit of fun while I'm far away from my family.  Thanks you two.

Dear Ford, Pick Jimmy the Gun

I'm on vacation for the next week.  This means (unless my wife makes me be social) I'll be getting some blogging off my chest.  I'm working on the next "If I was the CEO" post.  But first, taking two kids and my wife 500 miles in my car, with all our luggage and kid "stuff", made me long for an SUV.  And if you haven't followed my "More Stories" links or my Twitter updates, you've missed that I'm in love with the 2011 Ford Explorer.  This prompted my first vacation post, a letter to Ford Motor Company.  Enjoy and think good thoughts for me.

Dear Ford,

I have a small family, a small blog, but a rather large obsession with what you’ve done over the last few years.  I think my obsession started with the Five Hundred and the sedan “reinvented design” feel.  Ultimately, the Five Hundred took on the oh-so-famous “Taurus” nameplate and continued its move forward to what I consider the ultimate family sedan.  

Continuing in that form, you recently revealed the upcoming 2011 Explorer.  And from what I can see, you’ve done it again.  You’ve reinvented the SUV (I better check and see if you guys are using the term “reinvented” or something similar, so I don’t look like I’m attempting to claim ownership to it).

You’ve also impressed me with your success in a time where auto sales as a whole suffered, and even some companies made the choice to take money from the government.  You took a good look at your business model and made corrections and adjustments to avoid the need to be “bailed out.”  You’ve produced higher quality cars, listened to what customers want, and maintained a level of professionalism, honesty, and integrity in your business practices.  No misleading ads, no unclear messages about your financial situation, and no dependence on the government have all led me to my obsession with your company.

As a small time blogger, who writes about all sorts of passions, from tech to automotive and beverages to music, I’d like the opportunity to drive, rate, and write about the 2011 Ford Explorer.  I’d like the opportunity to use the Explorer to start my new series of blog posts about long term test drives.  I’ve chosen this as my first request, due to my current family size, my desire to move my blog forward into a more consistent product for my readers and because I want to do something to help spread the word about one of America’s greatest companies.

Obviously, I think of this request as a super long, long shot, but I’m on vacation this week from my normal every day job of making one of America’s greatest banks even better, so I have time to kill.  Whatever your opinion of me and my little blog, I think you are a great company, led by a great group of people, making outstanding decisions to lead your company into continued success.

Sincerely,

Jimmy the Gun

VW Polo. I Need a Good MPG Car.

I love Volkswagen.  I started learning how to drive on my parents 1976 Diesel Rabbit.  And now I've had my 1999 Golf for 11 years and over 185,000 miles.  I love Volkswagen.

I wish there was a way to get my blog sponsored by them.  I'd sell myself for a Volkswagen.  Haha.

Youth Group Games

We used to do this with our church youth group kids. Enjoy.

Spoon Prank WIN - watch more funny videos

67 year old Vietnam Vet Schools a Punk

A 67 year old Vietnam Vet schools a punk on the bus after trying to be the mature one by walking away from the fight. All this, put the the Rocky Soundtrack. AWESOME!

Predators

Robert Rodriguez does good work, with favorites of mine including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Now, a classic is being reborn. Predator is now "Predators". The original starred the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1987. Now we have Laurence Fishburne.

This looks good. Predators

The A-Team Movie

I was watching reruns of The A-Team a few years ago, when I had 3 and 4 days off in a row. Man, that was the life. And now, they have a movie coming out. Although, I'm not holding out hope that his will be a good movie, I'll probably go see it as a fan of the old TV show. Here is the first trailer to be released.

It does have an All-Star cast (from IMDb) and some of the originals: Bradley Cooper ... Lt. Templeton 'Faceman' Peck Liam Neeson ... Col. John 'Hannibal' Smith Sharlto Copley ... Capt. 'Howling Mad' Murdock Jessica Biel ... Lt. Sosa Patrick Wilson ... Lynch Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson ... Sgt. Bosco 'B.A.' Baracus Dirk Benedict Dwight Schultz Gerald McRaney ... General Morrison Brian Bloom ... Pike Omari Hardwick ... Chop Shop J Maury Sterling ... Gammons C. Ernst Harth ... Gilbert Raj Lal ... Private Silyman Neil Schell ... Army Meddac Hospital XO

All The Single Ladies....This is Better

I love these tricky editing and layering music videos. This one is great. UPDATE: This one has crazy good harmony. Such a cool sound to this old song. Julie Andrews would be proud...I'm guessing.

Pepsi vs. Pepsi Natural Part 2

I drank my first Pepsi Natural last night, sharing a little with my wife. It was still not quite cold enough for the official taste test so I just enjoyed it. And I did enjoy it. To be as completely fair in this taste test, I had to pour the Pepsi and Pepsi Natural into cups with 3 piece of ice each. This way the glass bottle would not bias the experience (still does). The first thing I noticed was the amount of foam the Pepsi Natural created and how long it held. The foam head was so great it took me several minutes to fill the cup and empty the bottle. The color of the foam was also a darker shade of tan with a hint of green. The next thing I noticed was the lighter color of the Pepsi Natural next to the Pepsi. I'm not sure why this is but PepsiCo did use different ingredients for color in the Pepsi Natural (APPLE EXTRACT (COLOR) and CARMEL COLOR vs just CARMEL COLOR). I also noticed the bubbles on the sides of the glass were more and smaller in the Pepsi Natural. Again listed on the Natural is sparkling water, and on the Pepsi is carbonated water. I'm not sure if this is the reason for the difference but it may be. Finally the taste test. Really they do have similar characteristics, but the Pepsi Natural is more like a matured Pepsi. Take the familiar sweet taste of Pepsi down just a tad, reduce the sticky acid bite and teeth eating texture of a normal soda, at hints of nuts and coffee, spices, and a lighter bubble and you've got Pepsi Natural. I think I like it. I think it will work if Pepsi keeps it around.

Pepsi vs. Pepsi Natural Part 1

So here we go. I found Pepsi Natural at Target literally 52 minutes ago. I am so pumped. There were three 4-packs at the Lincoln Target, and I bought them all (one's for you Ted). Now, I'm going to blog about it more than once, seeing how I've blogged about its coming more than once. First, I'm going to compare Pepsi Natural to Pepsi. (A Rabbit trail...my wife is currently pregnant with our second kid and can't ingest as much caffeine as a non-pregnant person, without risking harm to the baby growing inside her. I poured her a caffeine free Pepsi today and set it down next to my Pepsi. I didn't pay attention to which one was which and, well, the taste test happened. Results: NO discernible taste difference between Pepsi and Caffeine Free Pepsi.) Now for part one of "Pepsi vs. Pepsi Natural." First, while the Pepsi Natural is cooling in the refrigerator, I will go over the ingredients and nutrition facts listed on a can vs. the glass bottle. On a 12 fluid ounce can of Pepsi the ingredients are listed as: CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, SUGAR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CAFFEINE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR. CAFFEINE CONTENT: 38mg/12 fl oz. On a 12 fluid ounce glass bottle of Pepsi Natural the ingredients are listed as: SPARKLING WATER, SUGAR, NATURAL APPLE EXTRACT (COLOR), CARMEL COLOR, CITRIC ACID, CAFFEINE, ACACIA GUM, TARARIC ACID, LACTIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, KOLA NUT EXTRACT. CAFFEINE CONTENT: 38mg/12 fl oz. Nutrition for both looks very similar except for sodium, total carbs, and sugar. Pepsi has listed: 30mg sodium 41g total carbs 41g sugar Pepsi Natural has listed: 35mg sodium 39g total carbs 38g sugar Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, I'm looking forward to the next steps. Drinking from a glass bottle. Tasting Pepsi made with sugar not HFCS. Experiencing a different way to make a great product. Stay tuned for part 2 later, after the Natural cools for awhile.

Pepsi Natural

On February 19th I talked about Pepsi and Mountain Dew Throwback, both the original products being made with real sugar instead of HFCS. Through researching that information, I came across a website called bevreview.com. I also saw something about following the site's updates with Twitter. So, I started following and...about 30 minutes ago I saw an update from today for a product called "Pepsi Natural." I had to check it out and this is the first thing I saw. bevreview.com also quotes the press release from Pepsi saying: An all-new premium cola, Pepsi Natural is made with all-natural ingredients, including lightly sparkling water, natural sugar, natural caramel and kola nut extract. The amber-hued cola gets its color from natural caramel and natural apple extract. From the amount of bubbles to the foam that rises to the top of beverage when it's poured, Pepsi Natural offers a brand-new cola experience. Pepsi Natural is packaged in a sleek 12-oz. glass bottle and is available in single-serve and 4-packs initially in the premium and/or natural food aisles of retail outlets in the following ten regional markets; Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Las Vegas and New York. and: Pepsi Natural Sparkling water, sugar, natural apple extract (color), carmel color, citric acid, caffeine, acacia gum, tartaric acid, lactic acid, natural flavor, kola nut extract. I've been blogging about my love for Pepsi for some time now. And part of my blogs have been about Pepsi's need to come out with their sodas in bottles again. Well, they finally heard me....at least I'm going to take credit for it on this site. I mean, they are making it with premium ingredients and calling in natural, and I'm betting it's not going to be found in the normal canned soda section, instead look in the health/premium foods section, but I've been saying glass bottles since.......March 10, 2008 and again on August 24, 2008. I am such a die hard fan, I'm thinking of taking a trip to San Fransisco to try and find some of this Pepsi Natural. Anyone want to go?

Doogie Howser to Barney Stinson...Neil Patrick Harris is Cool

I'll admit I watched Doogie Howser, MD. And now my wife and I love the show, "How I Met Your Mother." Well, being a music fan, and having played this song before in a speech class (I can explain that in detail some other time), the "SNL Doogie Howser theme song" skit was awesome to me. Neil Patrick Harris is either a great actor or he's really playing the keyboard too. His fingering look close and the rhythm is right. Hmmmm. Probably not but it would make him cooler. Yes I said cooler. He's cool now. Watch "How I Met Your Mother." And enjoy this too.

Crazy French Drivers

This is just an entertaining car chase clip from some sort of French movie. I think my friends and I would have done this if we had the place, vehicles, and money. This is sweet. The end is the craziest. Also, the stuff flying at the cameras and windshields is wild.

un homme et une femme, course poursuite
by BuzzLightYear1980

We did do some of this; just not on film. We couldn't have evidence of our tom foolery. Found on Jalopnik.

Here's My Christmas Present to You

I found this VW commercial on Autoblog. This is a great one. And Merry Christmas.