tankt

…let alone end, but I’m gonna try and make it worth your while. What follows is my new favorite song from America’s sweetheart, a light-hearted romp down memory lane, a thoroughly delightful rendition of a timeless classic, full of energy and life. Ooh, and it’s saucy (um, she’s saucy!). And it’s perfect. For me to poop on. Yes, it’s Celine Dion covering AC/DC’s You shook me all night long:

In the interest of full-disclosure, I actually did listen to the video in its entirety, but could not watch it all (I turned away the moment I saw the silhouetted air guitar solo at the very beginning). Nonetheless, I offer it as a gift to you on this Christmas Eve. And while we’re at it, let’s all dare to dream that more of her contemporaries to go diggin’ in the crates (DITC!) for even more painful classic rock anthems to butcher.

At any rate, this reminds me of a song I actually do like, in spite of liking neither song to begin with… ‘You humped me all night long’:

Before the end of the year, I have two much longer posts on music that I’d like to share. But today was a day of much needed rest and relaxation. Ran some errands, stocked up the fridge, opened some gifts, avoided the mess caused by four plus weeks of nonstop work and a quick trip back home. Much to do, as always, but doing stuff is fun again (I’ve been really inspired as of late). Can’t wait to get back to it tomorrow…

More soon.

Okay, I tried to resist it, but damn if this isn’t the second funniest thing I’ve seen all week. Andy Samberg is a genius.

And while I’m on the subject, I’m thrilled that even stodgy old NBC has realized that I won’t sit through 90 minutes of SNL to find the three minutes worth watching (I’d rather let my friends on the internet do that for me). Not only that, but they even released the uncensored version (appealing to my laziness and my crude sense of humor?!!).

This is the future of ‘television’ (we’ll know it has arrived when we call it something else), which is why Google’s acquisition of YouTube will go down as one of the shrewdest moves of this decade. I rarely watch the tv anymore, but I see just about everything I want to see online. But I’ve been saying things like this for years now… It reminds me of when Abby and I ditched our landline and went with cell phones only back in 1999. Now, who has a landline anymore?

Kevin and Kate introduced me to MXC last Saturday night after dinner, and I haven’t stopped laughing at the thought of it. YouTube doesn’t have much, but this brief clip pretty much sums it up. Honestly, I don’t know that I’ve ever laughed so much…

And in spite of that imbalance (or maybe even because of it), I have been enjoying myself. I feel useful. Productive. Invested. Engaged.

Ztail is slowly coming into focus (not without a herculean effort, but that’s what makes it even more satisfying). The product is taking shape, the key features and functionality are gaining definition, and perhaps most important, the pitch (the sale, the value, the reason to be) is revealing itself. I hope to share more in the first part of the new year, but for now just know that I am very pleased.

Working this much, this intensely, means I have headphones wrapped around my head almost the entire time (it’s the only way I can concentrate). As a result, I’ve been pouring over each and every piece of music I’ve acquired this past year. I’ve always wanted to do a ‘year-in-review’ post of my favorite albums, singles, and songs. Ideally, I’d simply pick and choose from reviews that were already written over the course of the year, but since I have nothing of the sort, I’ll be starting from scratch. Interestingly enough, for every obvious winner, there’s an equally surprising one, which makes me smile (I love nothing more than music that improves over time). I hope to share this list with you in the coming weeks as well.

I often struggle with this blogging thing. On one hand, I feel obligated to make it more than a ‘hey look at this’ linked list, opting for more involved and more (hopefully) cohesive thoughts (tonight’s post excepted). But that means so many of my less-than-fully-formed ideas fail my lame-ass litmus test, never to see the light of day. I am aware of it and focused on finding a better rhythm.

That said, I won’t resist the urge to point you to a free download of The Areas of My Expertise audio book by John Hodgman on iTunes. Trust me, it’s worth every penny. He’s a frequent contributor to the Daily Show as well as the PC in those ubiquitous Apple commercials (I think he’s far more compelling and the much more likable of the two—it pains me to say that out loud, given my deep dislike of anything Microsoft). I only wish I would have had it prior to my trip back to Ohio this past weekend. I threw some pics up on flickr if you’re so inclined.

I have much more to write, but I’m fading fast. Hope to be back soon.

I happened to check my feedreader for the first time since early this morning. Hugh links to this brilliant post by Fredd Kambo:

I don’t bother “networking” anymore, instead, I try to build relationships with people I find interesting, and who I think are doing interesting things. And I make it my mission to help them in any way I can to achieve their mission. I find this much more satisfying, much more honorable, and much more fun. And this is the cool thing about people….When you help them out in this way, they help you out. Not because it’s a tit for tat deal, but because both parties are engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship that extends beyond the next favor.

While I have always lived like this (or at least imagined so), I don’t know that I’ve ever been this successful with it. Things are moving quickly, but everything feels slow. It’s kinda weird to say, but it seems like my talents and abilities finally match my opportunities. And more importantly, I can finally make it happen in such a short period of time…

In less than a week, I met Annie Decamp for the first time and agreed to help her with her new website. We never even talked about a fee, I never showed her any of my work, it was just something that I / we immediately knew I / we wanted to do. =)

It’s still very much a work in progress (show me something in my life that isn’t!) but I am thrilled with it so far. Her work is exquisite, and she is about to become very, very big in Hollywood (yeah, not my scene either, but it’s an absolute must for her). I am honored to be a small part of her success.