Thatfeller's Finds

CBN Report on Miracles

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Miracles are breaking out in North America, and they come with a growing belief that any Christian can be used if he or she wants.

A New Way to Cook a Turkey

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:47:00 +0000

I've never seen it done this way, but it looks like it really works! I want to try it!

Fifty

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:53:00 +0000

This might be the greatest introduction ever.

noreply@blogger.com (thatfeller) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:49:00 +0000

The Vendor Client relationship - in real world situations

noreply@blogger.com (thatfeller) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:42:00 +0000

If you've ever worked as a contractor (construction, architect, sound, video, whatever) of any sort, this will be hilarious. I've you've worked with a contractor, it will still be funny. If you buy everything from retail shops, this may be confusing.

Confessions

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:06:00 +0000

If you are involved with music or technology at church, you'll identify. If not, this may not make sense.

If Architects Had to Work Like Web Designers (Or consultants, or contractors)

noreply@blogger.com (thatfeller) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Please design and build me a house. I am not quite sure of what I need, so you should use your discretion. My house should have somewhere between two and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms can be easily added or deleted. When you bring the blueprints to me, I will make the final decision of what I want. Also, bring me the cost breakdown for each configuration so that I can arbitrarily pick one.

Keep in mind that the house I ultimately choose must cost less than the one I am currently living in. Make sure, however, that you correct all the deficiencies that exist in my current house (the floor of my kitchen vibrates when I walk across it, and the walls don't have nearly enough insulation in them).

As you design, also keep in mind that I want to keep yearly maintenance costs as low as possible. This should mean the incorporation of extra-cost features like aluminum, vinyl, or composite siding. (If you choose not to specify aluminum, be prepared to explain your decision in detail.)

Please take care that modern design practices and the latest materials are used in construction of the house, as I want it to be a showplace for the most up-to-date ideas and methods. Be alerted, however, that kitchen should be designed to accommodate, among other things, my 1952 Gibson refrigerator.

To insure that you are building the correct house for our entire family, make certain that you contact each of our children, and also our in-laws. My mother-in-law will have very strong feelings about how the house should be designed, since she visits us at least once a year.

Make sure that you weigh all of these options carefully and come to the right decision. I, however, retain the right to overrule any choices that you make.

Please don't bother me with small details right now. Your job is to develop the overall plans for the house: Get the big picture. At this time, for example, it is not appropriate to be choosing the color of the carpet. However, keep in mind that my wife likes blue.

Also, do not worry at this time about acquiring the resources to build the house itself. Your first priority is to develop detailed plans and specifications. Once I approve these plans, however, I would expect the house to be under roof within 48 hours.

While you are designing this house specifically for me, keep in mind that sooner or later I will have to sell it to someone else. It therefore should have appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers.

Please make sure before you finalize the plans that there is a consensus of the population in my area that they like the features this house has. I advise you to run up and look at my neighbor's house that he constructed last year. We like it a great deal. It has many features that we would also like in our new home, particularly the 75-foot swimming pool. With careful engineering, I believe that you can design this into our new house without impacting the final cost.

Please prepare a complete set of blueprints. It is not necessary at this time to do the real design, since they will be used only for construction bids. Be advised, however, that you will be held accountable for any increase of construction costs as a result of later design changes.

You must be thrilled to be working on as an interesting project as this! To be able to use the latest techniques and materials and to be given such freedom in your designs is something that can't happen very often.

Contact me as soon as possible with your complete ideas and plans.

PS: My wife has just told me that she disagrees with many of the instructions I've given you in this letter. As architect, it is your responsibility to resolve these differences. I have tried in the past and have been unable to accomplish this. If you can't handle this responsibility, I will have to find another architect.

PPS: Perhaps what I need is not a house at all, but a travel trailer. Please advise me as soon as possible if this is the case.

Lightning Strike on Video

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:31:00 +0000

Coolest Wedding Entrance Ever!

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:46:00 +0000

An Intro to Compressors for Live Sound

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:19:00 +0000

A compressor or limiter is an automatic volume control. Learn about the functions and controls of compressors/limiters, plus get tips on setting up PA sound systems, in this free professional music video from an expert PA system designer.

Office 2010 The Movie Doesn't Star Tom Cruise

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Here's the trailer for Office 2010: The Movie, full of matrixy characters and missionimpossibly situations.

Thankfully it's just a promo and there won't be any Office 2010 movie. It was created for Microsoft by Dennis Liu, who also did the how to pretend you are working video. [Thanks Dennis]

Office Team Lead: Guys, we need something really exciting to make people excited about Office 2010.
Some Office Programmer Guy: Can we call Google to hint at ChromeOS to take the heat off of us when we launch on Monday?
OTL: Already done. We need a video.

SOPG: What should it include? A little run-through of the program? Sort of a screencast that folks can watch and understand and then maybe get excited about Office 2010? Maybe we can put some Feist in there? Make it really minimalistic?
OTL: No. We need an action movie.
SOPG: What?
OTL: We have a huge marketing budget and nothing to spend it on. Let’s hire some dude to make a movie.
SOPG: But that won’t tell anyone anything about the product?
OTL: Who cares. We don’t need to sell Office anymore. People will just buy it without thinking. People are dumb.
SOPG: But what about Google Apps?
OTL: A red herring. They’re unusable. This is much better.
SOPG: Can I move onto the XBox team?
OTL: Soon. Soon.

From Gizmodo via CrunchGear.

In Lieu of Fireworks, Chinese Villagers Hurl Molten Iron at a Wall

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:17:00 +0000

During the Lantern Festival last month, one village in China celebrated the same way they have for 500 years—by throwing molten iron at a wall to create showers of make-do fireworks.
The villagers of Nanchuan, China put on an hour-long performance each year called Da shu hua (beating the tree to produce flowers). The iron throwers are protected from all that molten metal by nothing more than a hat and a sheepskin coat. Is it dangerous? The throwers joked that it's not, as long as you're not afraid to die.

Manny Marroquin's Mixing Techniques

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Multi Platinum mixing engineer Manny Marroquin reveals his mixing techniques. In these samples, he contrasts Kanye West's "Stronger" with John Mayer's "I don't trust myself".

Wonderful Country Western Song

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 01:20:00 +0000

If my nose was runnin' money.....

Partly Cloudy

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:34:00 +0000

from Pixar

XBox360 on a 160' screen!

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 03:04:00 +0000

The 72 x 160-foot LED wall at the center of the new Cowboys Stadium is certainly impressive enough when it's showing game highlights or concert footage, but no giant screen ever truly earns its credentials until it's been put to some real use: playing video games. Thankfully, Jonas Brothers video director Steve Fatone somehow pulled himself away from concert preparations to do just that earlier this week, and apparently became the first person to ever play Xbox 360 on the display in the process. The two certainly seem to be made for each other, although it looks like the controller can get a tad touchy if you stray too far while trying to play it.

Tour Bus vs. SM58!

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 02:13:00 +0000

You've heard about road-testing mics? You've never heard it like this. Tour bus vs. SM58!

Mackie's Mythbusters: Torture testing small mixers

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:12:00 +0000

Watch as the Mackie MixBusters pit the 802-VLZ3 against the competition in a no-holds-barred destruction challenge.

Of course, these are certainly not "real world" tests for most of the world. When shopping for mixers, I'm not necessarily planning for driving over the mixer with a big truck. I'm planning for clean inputs and outputs (which Mackie also has, as do its competitors) straitforward operation (ditto) and actual product availability (whoops!).

On the other hand, it's really fun to watch pro audio gear getting beaten up!!

Raised From the Dead: Beheaded!

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:40:00 +0000

I know both the gentlemen who are telling this story. I know them to be trustworthy men. This really stretches me!

Straight Talk to Men

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:44:00 +0000

This is the best video I've ever seen on men and women. (Skip the first 5 minutes of announcements.)

David Crowder*Band's studio.

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:40:00 +0000

David Crowder*Band's studio. With David Crowder*Band's screwball sense of humor.

(If you're having difficulty seeing the video, click the title at the top of the page.)

The Worship Team vs. Audio/Video Tech Team - Shocking Frustrations Finally Confessed

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:56:00 +0000

Have you ever thought about how tech people and musicians see each other? These secret interviews were recorded over the last several months. Names have been changed to protect any innocents.

David Crowder*Band Rockumentary

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:38:00 +0000

Dude, you can't solo over the entire song.

World Tech Update: Kindle, Robots, and Windows 7

noreply@blogger.com (thatfeller) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:08:00 +0000

World Tech Update: Kindle, Robots, and Windows 7

A "Road Test" for Shure Mics

admclain@gmail.com (David McLain) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:01:00 +0000

If driving over your mic isn't a "road test," I don't know what is! Flogging Molly helps test the SM58, SM86 & SM57. What a hoot!