Tom Smith and his Digital Acoustic LJ

2013 Hyperspace Hoopla

2013-05-18T14:12:41Z

Yes, Star Wars fans, once again it's that most magical time of the year: Time for the Disney's Hollywood Studios Star Wars Weekend Hyperspace Hoopla!

Suits That Fly

2013-05-16T01:56:42Z

I'm showing you this:

so I can show you this:

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1620019.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Catch-All Spoiler Thread

2013-05-13T12:49:30Z

Game Of Thrones, Doctor Who, Once Upon A Time, Iron Man 3, The Great Gatsby, whatever -- have at it.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1619955.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Free MarCon 2013 Concert

2013-05-11T01:39:24Z

I'm going to update the main web site next week, some new live shows and a few other things. In anticipation of that, you can go here to download a free live show, my MarCon concert for this year. (The file is about 170 MB.) This is good until I wake up on Monday Morning, so have at it.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1619694.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

A Few Kickstarters Of Note

2013-05-08T12:28:35Z

TUG, a really fascinating RPG experiment. Seriously, watch the six-minute video on this one and see what you think.
Lawless Jerky, small-batch hand-crafted beef jerky with some great-sounding flavors. I'm going for the Hawaiian Teriyaki. Or the American BBQ. Or maybe the Bacon, Salt & Pepper. Only a few hours left on this one.
Adventure Maximus, an RPG that both kids and adults can play... and run!
Gigabot 3D Printing, wherein you can get your own 3D printer for something near reasonable cost. Another one ending soon.
Creating a RepRap 3D printer, so a guy with no prior experience in 3D printing can prove it's not that big or expensive a deal to make your own (and then he'll print you something with it). Ending in just two days.

Any other crowdfunding we should know about?

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1619448.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Farewell, Ray Harryhausen

2013-05-07T20:52:35Z

Great sadness -- one of the legends has fallen. Filmmaker Ray Harryhausen has passed away at the age of 92.

I'm not even going to bother listing his technical accomplishments, or all the filmmakers he inspired; you can read 'em at the Wikipedia link above. What Ray really did was make our dreams visible, right up there on the movie screen. We saw moving skeleton warriors and a raging Cyclops and the horrific Medusa and a woman transformed into a snake and men transformed into birds and dinosaurs being herded by cowboys and flying horses and RELEASE THE KRAKEN and and and and and.

No one had really done that before. Certainly not on the scale that Harryhausen did. It was literally his life's work, and the result is... well, in one way or another, many of the films of the fantastic we've enjoyed for the past seventy years.

Rest well, sir, and thank you for making our dreams live.

So what's your favorite Harryhausen film, or animation sequence? Even though the skeleton fight in Jason and the Argonauts is considered better, I have an undying love for The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1619132.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Catch-All Spoiler Thread

2013-05-06T23:55:22Z

Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Once Upon A Time, Iron Man 3, whatever. Read at your peril.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1618862.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Geek Weekend

2013-05-04T14:34:40Z

Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you*).
Free Comic Book Day.
Huge opening weekend for Iron Man 3.
Fantastic image of the Horsehead Nebula that's gone semi-viral this week.
The Kickstarter for the Dr. Demento documentary went nuts the last two days, and funded easily.
And I got a book I did not know existed last week: the Nexus Omnibus Volume 1 by Mike Baron and Steve Rude.

All in all, definitely a Week In Geek. And this weekend especially.

I'm going to get a few comics, come home and clean a bit, and then work on music. All while enjoying a gorgeous Southeast Michigan spring day. You?

* I accept that this has become popular, and I really don't mind going with it, but I'm old school: In my heart of hearts, Star Wars Day will always be May 25.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1618539.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

IRON MAN 3 Spoiler Thread

2013-05-03T19:52:14Z

Let fly. Those who haven't seen it yet, read this thread at your peril.

One non-spoilery thing: The acting is, top-to-bottom, great, especially RDJ and Ben Kingsley.

Another: Stay through the (very long) credits. Of course.

Another: The IMAX 3D was really cool. But you don't need it.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1618247.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger

2013-05-03T14:44:27Z

Ninety-four years young. Teacherken at dKos has a great selection of videos. Feel free to link us to more.

What's your favorite anti-war folk song? Mine, without question, is "The Band Played 'Waltzing Matilda'" by Eric Bogle. And Tom Paxton's "What Did You Learn In School Today?" is right behind, followed by Phil Ochs' "I Ain't A-Marchin' Anymore".

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1618042.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Dr. Demento Film Kickstarter at $85,000 - make that $95,938

2013-05-02T12:41:08Z

Forty-two hours to go. Holy crap, we just might make it.

ETA: Holy frijoles. Somethin' just happened -- in the past hour, they've gone up over $10,000, to a current total of $95,938. I think we're gonna do it!

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1617886.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

My Facebook Page, or Whither LJ?

2013-05-02T12:37:57Z

I've noticed that I do a lot more posting directly to my personal Facebook page lately.

Part of this is simple convenience of technology: The FB App turns out to be pretty darn good. Not perfect for posting, necessarily -- it's much tougher to edit a post from a mobile device after the fact -- but brilliant for checking my news feed, which I never really did much before but now do all the time. And I comment more, and share more, and and and.

I suppose since many of the posts I make directly to FB are in fact shares, it's not something I have to worry about much. But I can't help but notice that, the more I do on FB, the less I do on LJ. (And the irony of this being cross-posted to both services and Twitter after I originally wrote it on DreamWidth is not lost to me.)

I guess what I'm saying is, I'll keep using LJ/DW for in-depth stuff, video links, web pages I want to share... it's not like I'm using my iThingie for everything, or even a lot of things. But I am using it to be more active directly on FB, and so you might want to check my feed there now and again.

What are your current social media sites of choice? I've pretty much abandoned MySpace, LinkedIn is trying so hard to be a one-stop shop that they've obscured what made them important in the first place, and I simply haven't had the inclination to explore Google+. But I like Pinterest.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1617475.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Musical Freebies

2013-04-29T11:58:41Z

Toontrack has released EZdrummer Lite and EZmix 2 Lite for free. (You do have to sign up for a Toontrack account if you don't already have one.) The authorization process is a bit of a pain. Available for both PC and Mac.

And, if you have an iDevice, especially an iPad, you should try Zap Guitar, a free app that lets you "strum" a "guitar". It's pretty cool. (Although not quite as cool as its big brother, Songful, that comes with a huge database of songs. But that app costs $2.99.)

Any other cool software we should know about?

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1617393.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Spoilery IRON MAN 3 Clip

2013-04-27T02:26:32Z

Right here. All I'll say is, it's about a minute of character work. By RDJ and Gwyneth. Don't want spoilers, don't watch.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1617006.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

PenguiCon

2013-04-26T20:51:35Z

A reminder: PenguiCon is going on right now at the Marriott Centerpoint in Pontiac, MI, and I have a performance Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the Fairway Lounge. Should be about an hour and a half. There are also a gang of musical performers in the evening, including devospice, Wax Chaotic, and Inverse Phase. Should be a great weekend.

Who's planning to be at the con, or what are you doing if you're not there?

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1616665.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE

2013-04-24T14:14:53Z

Breaking news this morning: Five dead in Illinois shooting.

ENOUGH!

Enough with the goddamn guns.

Enough enough enough.

I haven't even had my fucking Egg McMuffin yet, and a half-dozen people have been shot.

Y'know what, gun-rights-über-alles folks? You're correct. Guns don't kill people. PEOPLE WITH GUNS KILL PEOPLE. A lot more easily than they do with pretty much any other method short of WMD.

When I can't get through my freakin' morning web pages without a bunch of people being shot, that's fuckin' it.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1616407.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD Trailer

2013-04-23T19:28:42Z

Yeah. Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah. Haven't even got past IRON MAN 3 yet, and I'm already jacked to the max for this. And they got Rene Russo back!

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1616357.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Farewell, Richie Havens

2013-04-22T21:54:01Z

Great sadness. Folk music legend Richie Havens has passed away at the age of 72.

Havens first came to real prominence by performing at Woodstock. As in, opening the show. With a nearly two-hour set. After that, well, he only stopped touring last year.

If, by chance you haven't heard his work, here's a YouTube mix of 41 Havens songs. Bluntly, start anywhere.

Rest well, sir, and thanks for all the music.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1615884.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

New THE LONE RANGER Trailer

2013-04-22T15:23:51Z

In spite of my gut feeling on this one, I have to admit the trailers make me want to see it.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1615763.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

2013 Filk Hall of Fame Inductees

2013-04-21T01:15:53Z

Many congratulations to the newest members of the Filk Hall of Fame: Volker Tanger, Roberta Rogow, and Cecilia Eng.

(h/t hms42)

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1615579.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

PenguiCon and UITA Con

2013-04-19T18:43:54Z

After a bit of confusion (as opposed to ConFusion), I have indeed been confirmed for both PenguiCon (next weekend in Pontiac, MI) and Up In The Aether Con (Memorial Day weekend in Dearborn, MI).

The PenguiCon concert should be interesting. I'm not getting a ballroom -- I'm getting a lounge. As Tim, head of programming, describes it, it's "a very comfy lounge adjacent to the Hotel restaurant... a very intimate setting for a performance". Sounds great, actually. We'll have us a Silly Like Sardines ol' time!

Other musical guests include our buddy Devo Spice, Wax Chaotic, Nikola Lazar Whallon, and GOHs Inverse Phase. They all have concerts in the evening, so it should be a hell of a good loud night.

And the other guests aren't slouches either, including well-deserving Author GOH and most excellent buddy Jim C. Hines!

And as to Up In The Aether Con...? Just go to their web site and mouse over Programming. They've got an astonishing bunch of stuff, including Voltaire. (I'm not on the web site yet, but I promise I'll be singing at the con.)

So. Who's interested in going, or already planning to go, or what else are you doing those weekends...?

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1615151.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Attention: If You're In Boston, Stay The Hell Indoors

2013-04-19T12:23:13Z

Overnight, things apparently went completely berserk in the Boston area. Information is obviously sketchy (here's a good aggregate at dKos), but two men suspected of being the Boston Marathon bombers killed an MIT police officer, robbed a 7-11, hijacked a Mercedes SUV, and then got started.

One of the suspects is dead, the other is considered armed and dangerous, and a number of communities around Boston (as well as Boston itself) are on no-fucking-around lockdown.

If you are anywhere in the area, keep your doors locked and your heads down. This is serious.

ETA: Liveblog from the Boston Globe.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1614969.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Attention: VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER Cutting Across The Midwest

2013-04-18T17:55:28Z

Long, narrow band of intense storms along a front slicing diagonally from Missouri toward Canada. Under the gun: Indiana, southern Michigan, surrounding areas (esp. the Ohio Valley). Weatherdude at dKos has the 411. Stay alert, stay safe, check in when you can. I'm likely to bail out of here myself in an hour or three.

Worst Week Evar.

ETA: I'm fine so far. The storms were loud but brief. On the other hand, all I saw this afternoon was the southern edge of the front. There's still a whole lot of wet coming up from Indiana, and while it may not be severe weather it certainly is soggy.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1614755.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

New MAN OF STEEL Trailer

2013-04-17T16:53:06Z

Definitely intriguing. Thoughts?

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1614538.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.

Farewell, Richard LeParmentier

2013-04-17T14:08:51Z

Sadness. Actor Richard LeParmentier has passed away at the age of 66.

For those of you who don't recognize him, here's a little reminder:

Yep, good ol' loudmouth Admiral Motti was the first guy we ever saw get Force-choked.

LeParmentier worked in a number of other movies and TV shows (most notably Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), but without doubt that scene will always be his most famous, and most iconic. Rest well, sir, and may the Force be with you.

This entry was originally posted at http://filkertom.dreamwidth.org/1614183.html. You may comment there or here, although LJ tends to have a livelier conversation at this time.