Anniversary

Dear friends...it's been just over a year that I've been doing this junk. Yippee!
Sometimes I love it and sometimes I am impartial. Most of the time I feel like people don't care to hear what I have to say, so instead I force-feed my opinions to them and cram it down their throats. So...I hope you've enjoyed that for the last year and 10 days. If you'd like to see my first blog post ever check it out HERE.

But for real...all jokes aside...thanks a bunch for feigning interest in me, my life, and my bloggings. I wouldn't keep doing it if there weren't a few people out there that actually enjoyed it, so thanks for enjoying it and thanks so so so much for supporting me in my website and my blog over the least year!

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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The Crazy Eyes

What's that? You met a cool girl? Awesome. Can I see a picture of her? Hey she's cute and I li- ...oh. Oh no. You've got to get out man. Trust me on this one. She's got "The Crazy Eyes."

11th Commandment: A Bro shall rescue any other Bro when a girl appears to have "The Crazy Eyes."

FACT: 7 in every 8 girls that you think are normal, develop "The Crazy Eyes" over time.

Now my friends, what are these crazy eyes I speak of? They are exactly what they seem to be. A set of eyes that look freaking crazy...on a girl. I could go out right now and meet lots of girls and tell you which one of those girls is secretly crazy, despite how nice and normal she seems, by simply looking at her eyes. I'll get to pointers on how to spot The Crazy Eyes later. First, we must go through stereotypical Crazy Girl scenarios to show you it is not these girl's faults. They cannot help that they have a parasitic alien attached to their brain that falls in love too easily and holds a grudge like you wouldn't believe.

Hypothetical Scenarios:

Scenario 1: We go out for coffee once and then we go out for dinner a few weeks later. It's chill. No sparks are necessarily flying, but she's nice. You text sometimes and are nice, but she seems to be getting attached already and you know there's nothing there. So you pull the plug, but remain civil via text and Gchat. So, you decide to try and take someone else on a date. You invite Girl #2 to another safe first date place like a coffee/tea place and it goes great. The next day you begin to get awkward and uncomfortable texts from Girl #1. Later that day you go look at her Facebook to see if she's mad about something in particular and maybe posted about it. Yet, while there you see her profile picture. BOOM. She now has The Crazy Eyes and you did not see it before.

Scenario 2: We've been good friends for a while and only friends. One night, somehow, some sparks fly and we kiss. The next day we don't act awkward at all, we stay friends. Fine with me. We continue to just hang out as friends in our group, until one night she tries to kiss me again. I tell her I don't think it's a good idea, she says that's fine. That night she proceeds to tell all of our friends what a jerk I am for leading her on and lying to her and ignoring me in our gang. I turn to my Bros. They know what's happening. This girl has revealed that she has The Crazy Eyes.

Scenario 3: This girl seems cool. Boom. Random hook up. Then the girl gets clingy, talks to you like you are much more romantic and comfortable with each other than you really are, texts all the time, wants to hang out all the time, posts cute song lyrics on Facebook and Twitter after you hang out. She needs to step off. There is no question about it. She has The Crazy Eyes.

Now, understand that these are just 3 short scenarios regarding the realization that a girl has The Crazy Eyes. These scenarios are not to call anyone out. They, or something like them, may or may not have happened to me or friends in the past. Now, since I am an expert of the Eyes of the Crazy, I will answer some FAQs that people have regarding these Eyes.

Definition:
1) A man with strange eyes. In most scenarios they are homeless or from West Virginia. Sometimes both.
2) A female who, when you look at her eyes, you can tell that girl is as freaking crazy as they come.
Obviously, this article will exclude definition #1 from its analysis and research.

Origins:
1) Girls are born with The Crazy Eyes
2) Girls develop The Crazy Eyes when they get too attached to something or someone.
A puppy or a guy, for instance, can be the reason for The Crazy Eyes. Yet, 99% of the time the Eyes will be because of a love interest.
Lesbians are not exempt from The Crazy Eyes, but because I lack expertise in that department, all I will say is this: Lesbians are 10x more likely to contract The Crazy Eyes but because this means both women could easily have the Eyes...it works out happily and lovingly, despite the occasional giant fight that ends with fire or broken kitchenware.

Detection:
1) Ask, "Hi. Are you Bat Sh*t crazy?"
2) Look at her eyes and see if she looks like Kaa the snake from Disney's The Jungle Book when she's around the person she is infatuated with.
If either of these methods returns results which appear to be True...it's time to run my friend.

Types of Crazy Eyes:
1) Random hook-up, now overly infatuated and thinks you're dating Eyes.
2) Crazy former best friend Eyes.
3) Crazy former acquaintance Eyes.
4) Bat Sh*t crazy relationship Eyes.
Because most cases occur with either Type #1 or Type #4, we shall try to stick to those (especially type #4) in regards to future FAQs.

Avoidance:
1) Run.
2) Kill yourself.
3) Kill her.

While these methods of avoidance may seem extreme, they are truly the only sure means of avoiding a girl with The Crazy Eyes.

What do The Crazy Eyes mean?:
1) I gave you 3 scenarios earlier. Refer to those to see how The Crazy Eyes begins to affect you.
2) The Eyes means you now have a crazed girl on the loose who will do whatever it takes to keep you around.
3) It means she will talk to you like you're dating, despite telling her otherwise. It means she will try to cuddle with you when you're just being nice and giving a hug. It means she will get offended if you do not hang out with her. It means she will try to break into your house and claw off your face when you finally get through to her with the 58th message of "I do not like you. We are not dating. Understand this!"

How The Crazy Eyes begins for you:
1) You start dating a friend. She's been so cool for years and a great piece of your gang. Then she gets The Crazy Eyes.
2) You meet a random girl and begin dating. You hit it off and make it official. Then she starts to go a bit overboard and creep you out. She was either born with, or developed, The Crazy Eyes.
3) You have a minor friend and somehow begin dating. You find her attractive and try to start dating. It works. Then, she gets The Crazy Eyes.
4) You meet a girl and you both just want a random hookup. You do the deed. Then she gets attached and thinks things are now more attached than before. Then, she gets The Crazy Eyes.

Most males cannot see The Crazy Eyes when they are attracted to a girl. Most male outsiders are the ones who can sense them, and see them, better. So, always have a Bro check the girl out before meeting her.

What do The Crazy Eyes do for my committed relationship?
1) You'll sense the Eyes and know you need out, thus promising the wraith of a Crazy Girl.
2) You too will develop the Male sort of The Crazy Eyes and you'll be a "happy couple" in your minds, but truly you are sickening, terrible, jealous, unhealthy, needy, and overprotective. In this scenario, the fights usually involve fire, feces, plates, bowls, kitchen utensils, your favorite things, pens, and gardening tools.

Timeline of The Crazy Eyes:
The Crazy Eyes has a 1-2 month dormancy period. It is during this time that the parasite grows stronger and more emotionally attached to you, and thus grows more physically attached to the girl's brain. That period is also long enough that the Craziness can be sure that the girl has sucked you in by then and you are committed to the girl. After the dormancy state has ended, the beast awakens. One of two things will happen:
1) It will not be visible to you simply because it has done it's job properly, and sucked you in first. You will remain in the relationship for a while, not realizing it...then one day, it will hit you and you can never look at her the same again.
2) You notice it right away and know that you need to get the hell out of there.

How can I get out of this safely?
Termination:
1) Let her down easy by using excuses about your current life. School work, job, moving, etc.
2) Let her down hard by telling her the truth: "I can't stand you anymore because you've gone insane. But thanks for the fun times!"


Results of Termination:
1) She will break into your place (using either the hidden spare key you showed her, or by using bare fists to break glass and spreading her blood everywhere inside, which she views as symbolic and romantic) and sh*t in your bed. Not just on top, sometimes under the covers too.
2) She will stab you.
There are no other options. She WILL either poop in your bed or stab you. Option 1 & 2 are true and will happen 99.9% of the time to a male who tries to terminate a relationship with a girl with an inflamed case of The Crazy Eyes. For that 0.1% of the time that you are not stabbed, or there is no poop in your bed, either A) the case was not reported to the UCETF (United Crazy Eyes Task Force) or B) she was secretly a dude, thus making your story even worse.


Now remember, you can prevent a long period of turmoil and hell for you by simply doing 1 of 2 things: 1) get a Bro to look at the girl first or 2) just take a step back and look at her eyes. A girl with The Crazy Eyes cannot hide the eyes as well as she would like. Simply look at her, and you can tell, if you just take the time to practice safe relationships.

I hope that this research and advice has been helpful to you all. I hope that through better research and technology, that we can successfully end the plague of The Crazy Eyes upon our world by 2022. Thank you, and goodnight.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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My Toys 2

A little over 2 months ago I posted about the gear and equipment I had. Well, here is the exact posting with updates made in bold. Enjoy my video nerdness!

"Recently, I've been trying my best to start collecting as much gear as I can. I want to try to have a good amount of decent video, audio, photo, lighting, video/photo editing, and special effects gear. So, here is a fun list I compiled of all my toys in my collection, with hopefully more stuff to come...which I could really use your help/advice on, if you can give any!

What I gots:

Camera/Video + Gear:
Canon 550d Rebel T2i (18megapixels & films in 1080i HD video)
18-55mm zoom lens
75-300mm zoom lens
8gb class 6 SDHC memory card
16gb class 10 SDHC memory card
32gb class 10 SDHC memory card
2 Canon LP-E8 batteries
Polarized filter
UV filter
2 lens cleaner kits
Canon carrying bag
Kalimar Tripod
(I got creative) 1 or 2 ankle weights that, when attached to the closed tripod, make a great flopod
Small round lens hood
Flower lens hood
MX 1000 tripod
mini tripod
bubble level/hot shoe cover
hot shoe adapter
Alzo 790L light (so far this seems to be the best bang for my buck out of everything I have)

Editing/Creating:
Final Cut Pro 7
Color
Motion 4
Compressor
DVD Studio Pro
Soundtrack Pro
PluralEyes
Celtx
The good ole iMovie/iDVD/iPhoto/Garageband combo of course
My trusty old Mac Book Pro OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard
500gb WD internal hard drive
500gb WD external drive
250gb (some random company) external drive
8gb flash drive
Adobe Illustrator CS5
Adobe InDesign CS5
Adobe Photoshop CS5

Audio:
Zoom H4n (version 1.60)
1gb SD card
4gb SD card
windscreen
Mic clip adapter
(I got creative again) Converted an old black Igloo lunchbox into a carrying case with compartments
I borrow a friend's Zoom H2 as well, when needed
And, as mentioned before: Garageband, PluralEyes, and Soundtrack Pro
Lame mono handheld mic
Lame lapel mic that I'm not even sure works (definitely doesn't work)
mini tripod (eBay)
16 rechargeable batteries
2 recharging stations (1 takes 8 hours the other takes 15 minutes)

Coming soon:
(already added above)
FireWire 400 (in the mail)
Video Hot Shoe L Bracket by Cowboy Studio (in the mail)

With these items, I want to buy them in the near future. I've been doing lots of eBay and Amazon searching, as well as reading customer reports...but I could use some help and recommendations if you've got any:
Camera flash (any suggestions?!)
Light Kit (Trying to keep it standard/simple and as cheap as possible with 2-4 lights. Recommendations?)
Green screen and stand (at least 10x20ft. Not vital, but would be useful! Recommendations?)
Tripod (these 2 tripods aren't great, so I'd like a new one hopefully, but nothing too expensive. Suggestions?)
Decent smoothcam/steadicam rig for DSLRs (I have no clue where to look!)
Battery grip for a longer lasting charge (video drains the batteries big time).
Lav mic (preferably wireless by Shure or Sennheiser)
Rode Videomic shotgun mic"


And that, my friends, are all my toys. If you have any suggestions or advice or questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Hope you enjoyed reading up on my video/audio/editing gear! I hope to keep adding to the collection and getting great gear! Take care my fellow video nerds!

If you would like to leave me recommendations or comments: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Um....what? 3

This just might be the BEST Craigslist posting I have ever seen. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

" I'm a serious bro looking for a equally/more serious bro with fancy footwork. The idea is to tie our wrists together ala the "Beat It" video and then each JO/knife fight in a profound spiritual act of consensual hetero awesomeness. I would have done this way sooner but have little faith in humanity.

Requirements:
-access to an abandoned warehouse
-old enough/built kinda awesome
-maintains good eye contact
-general intensity
-cool moves
-shades
-leather jackets ( I had to give the one in the pic back - long story, I can tell you when we finish)
-Bedazzler
-basic knowledge of knife/sword/bat fight etiquette (I can teach you what I know if you are pretty serious about art like me)
-can lift 80 lbs
-bachelor's in something or equivalent experience
-not a narc

Whereas dudes/J-ing O are both undeniably awesome, I'm a straight bro. As in not gay. I just really love MJ and being open minded about new JO scenarios. We will basically play "Beat It" over and over again while we JO and dance, occasionally parrying/thrusting. Winner finishes the most times, but points will be awarded for finishing first/accuracy. If you're the heter-bro I'm looking for, then we can JO furiously/competitively and then just hang or whatever. I've got laser tag too. I'm pretty serious about this. As in completely serious. If you touch my junk with anything but your own I will BF you in the M. Nerds/gays need not apply. I'M NOT GAY.

P.S. - And I've gotten with hot chicks as recently as just now.

"They told him don't you ever come around here
Don't wanna see your face, you better disappear
The fire's in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it" "

(this picture was included in the post)

Where oh WHERE to begin with this guy?! He would have posted this sooner but has little faith in humanity? Well, I hope you found yourself a glorious dance partner who restored your faith in many many things.

Your requirements are a bit intense though:
Abandoned warehouse? Just go to New Jersey or Pittsburgh and you should be good to go with that one.
Old enough and built kind of awesome? Well, if you were a true Jacko fan I think you should have written "young enough." Just saying.
Maintains good eye contact? Wait a second...where is this going?
General intensity? During what?!
Cool moves? Are we talking about dancing again, yet?
Shades? I think he only accepts aviators though so he can check out how awesome he looks while pretending to gaze into your eyes.
Leather jackets? Do they have to be red too? And I simply can't WAIT to hear the story behind him selling his last jacket. Oh goody!
Bedazzler? Ok, hold on. Are we really seeking an older guy? This seems like you're hunting for an elementary schooler from the 70's. I'm not so sure this guy is looking for an adult dance partner anymore! Hmmm...
Basic knowledge of knife/sword/bat fight etiquette? I didn't think there was any etiquette. I thought it usually went like this: Hey I'm mad at you, I'm going to smash your face in with this bat. End Scene. I'm pretty sure that's about as much etiquette as you'll find in that sense...and no...there is no artistic ability at all in the realm of knife fighting...unless you're Crocodile Dundee.
Can lift 80 pounds? Ah yes...probably for the Dirty Dancing lift move he plans to do. Hope you're ok placing your hands there to get some good lift on him. And he recently packed on those extra 15 pounds to make it to 80 so he will look more muscular for your JO/knife fight! This guy sounds like a perfect dance partner!
Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience? Would it be equivalent experience if I said I use knives to cook? Or I listen to Michael Jackson's music? Or I wear lots of leather and like little boys too?
Not a narc? I didn't know narcs even existed anymore. Pretty sure that was a 90's fad for cops trying to relive the glory days while still managing to be a total douche.

Alright then. Tough requirements to fill. You sound like a mean girl who has incredibly high standards and doesn't understand why she can't find any matches on her online dating site. Maybe it's because you're unrealistic and mean, you heartless wench! (sobs quietly into hands) But then our friend goes on a lovely rant for another paragraph. He REALLY is making a big deal out of defending his sexuality. All I have to say is this: I didn't read a single thing that gave me the impression that you were gay for wanting to JO, tie your wrist to another guys, wear leather, dance, Bedazzle things, and hang out in private with a guy who has a kind of awesome build who will definitely not narc on you. Nope. Nothing gay there. Of course not, especially considering he told us all he got with a hot chick just now. Wow. She sounds like a keeper! She got with you just now while you were typing up this incredibly homoerotic Craigslist post seeking another dude with intense eye contact?! Lucky guy. Hold on to her. You know what...better yet, because you seem to insist you're a true man...just tell her to Beat It.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Um....what? 2

More Craigslist ridiculousness for you all out there. This one comes from Atlanta. Apparently, this person is seeking a Chinese person who has no life? Yup. Seems like it.

"Looking for someone to ring a gong in my living room when prompted. Part time position, I imagine mostly weekends. Experience not necessary, but history of gong-related ceremony in bloodline preferred. Serious inquiries only. "

Hope you found what you were looking for!

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Um....what?

I'm keeping this post as simple as humanly possible. People post ridiculous stuff on Craigslist. Some you can find in the Best of Craigslist section. Some you just stumble upon on your own. I plan to blog a few of these so please enjoy this one I literally just found on my own.

"I'm looking for a Lil Wayne impersonator to preform at my sons birthday. My son is blind so it doesn't matter what you look like. As long as you (sound) like Wayne it's cool with us. This job pays 500$. Please call Mike @ (XXX-XXX-XXXX).

Please be ready to give me your best Wayne line over the phone, I don't have time to schedule appointments to interview everyone.

Thanks,
Mike "

Awesome. Simply awesome. Good luck, Mike! I hope your search ends well, my friend. Until then, I recommend you start drinking purple drank and begin working on your own Weezy impressions because the market is pretty small on that front, man.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Blogging?

So recently, I've been slacking in the blog department.

But whyyyy Tyler? We just love your blogging so much!

Ok fine, I'll explain then. I've been busy. I'm currently pursuing a job that requires me to make a few videos, so I've been very busy. I also have been traveling some. Lastly, I'm just out of the blogging groove. It takes a little time and devotion to actually sit down with the sole purpose of blogging. And sometimes, my mind can't help but think that blogging is ridiculous.

Think of the concept: Hi there, you and I are total strangers but thanks to this new-fangled interwebs and such, we can totally become the bestest of friends! Or bffs as they say!....idk! LOL! ;)

It's kind of weird. Might seem a little vain. Might seem a little pompous.

But...then I remember how totally awesome I am and how much people love me and love my life and are so totally jealous of everything that I do and are totally in awe of my skills and abilities and they wish they had a fashion sense like me and they wish their car had $15 WalMart spinnahs on it too and they wish they wrestled with bears on the regular too and had the super power of being able to summon Chinese food on command at any moment from 9am to 10pm.

Hatahs hate. I'll keep blogging for the loyal fans out there in the blogosphere or interwebs or whatever it's supposed to be called! This one's for you. Peace.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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The "If" Book

Whenever I want to relax, unwind, destress, or pass the time...I've started reading again. I love books. My favorites are Lord of the Flies, Grendel (NOT Beowulf), Animal Farm, 1984, I Heard You Paint Houses, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and a few other ones. Yes, I know, they're mostly darker books that are stereotypical "guy" books. But I don't care. I really enjoy them. They take my often cynical thoughts and make me question them, change them, and challenge them by making me realize there is much more hope and optimism in the world than I often times think. Well, a few examples of my other favorite books are Life of Pi, BELIEVE (about Desmond Tutu), and The Five People You Meet in Heaven. Those are all "cheery and happy" books...so there...I'm not as bad as some might think.

And recently, I've started flipping through the pages of another book I recently received as a gift from my lovely girlfriend. It's called the If Book. "If... (Questions for the Game of Life)" is the title of it. It asks you questions, questions that aren't typically asked, and makes you think about them and answer them. Some are silly, goofy, weird, and some are actually quite thought provoking. Here are a few of the questions...feel free to comment and reply with your answers if you'd like!

If you could solve one unsolved crime, which would you solve?

If you could choose the music at your own funeral, what would it be, and who would play it?

If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do?

If you could visit only one more place in the world that you have never been, where would you go for this final voyage?

If you could only say one word to Adolf Hitler, what would it be?

If you had to sell your soul for one thing, what would it be?

If you could throw a party in any existing interior space in the world, where would you have it?

If you had to eliminate one odor from the earth, what would it be?

So there you have it. Some of the great questions inside of this great book. I've had a lot of fun flipping through it occasionally. Sometimes, I only answer a question or two before I put it down again, because sometimes you can truly spend a lot of time and thought on a single question. Alright then. I hope you all enjoyed the questions and had fun thinking of your answers! The only one from above that I can't answer is the Hitler question. I feel like one word just isn't enough. Anyways...have a good night!

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Cha Cha This, Fool!

So listen...I was looking for another way to make some money on the side recently, so I looked into ChaCha. You know, the thing you text when you don't know the answer, and so it finds the answer for you? Yeah, well apparently when you send in those texts, real people answer them. And they get paid. Catch: they don't get paid well. Oh yeah, and it sucks. I went through about 2 days of watching videos, had to take a test to prove myself, and then finally got the go ahead a few days later. And now that I get to answer these questions...half of them are CRAZY, the other half are partially mean-spirited and partially actually normal, answerable questions.
Here's the kinds of questions I encountered in my first session, which only lasted an hour, in my own words so as to not reveal anything private:

- My ferret has diarrhea. What kinds of foods cause this?

- Why are you such a #$@# !&*# @!*! ?

- How do I tip off the cops that the people that live near me are drug dealers?

- What happens in the movie "Ice Queen?"
Side-note: Terrible movies make me laugh. "Ice Queen" was on the Chiller channel, right after "Jack Frost" (no not the nice one, this snowman kills people). So I watched the first 45minutes...and in that time only 1 person died, the Ice Queen hadn't even left the 2-man cargo plane she began in, and there was an avalanche that lasted EIGHT minutes on screen. EIGHT minutes. That's a long time in a movie, my friends! It was the most boring avalanche I have ever seen. And yes, I've seen many, thanks for asking. So I left, sat down, and began my first session of ChaCha. And here we are again!

- Can you send me a dirty joke?

- I'm sexting with someone. What should I say after a guy says "$#@ !#^ %^# ##?"

- My daughter might have run away. What could happen to her?

- What should I do if my wife is always complaining to me, about me?

And so on and so on. Some of these are just ridiculous.
Your ferret has the squirts? Well I recommend you just not own a ferret. It's pretty much a weasel. No one likes weasels. Especially a weasel dat gots da runs, fool.

Some of these are really quite sad. Yet, what the heck are they doing asking ChaCha?!
Your neighbors deal drugs? Your daughter ran away? Your marriage might be falling apart?
OMG...why are you asking ChaCha?! Get a counselor. Call the cops. Something. Quit wasting your time waiting for me to respond with an answer. Geez. It's ChaCha...not Dr. Phil.


For kicks, let's get on their site right now and see what other ridiculous questions we get. Here we go!

-What is it like to get high on black tar heroin?

-What kind of time should I get in my swim meet tonight?

-Where can I get a McRib?

-Can a person still live after breaking every bone in their body?


And that, my friends, is the weirdness that I experienced while answering questions for this website. Awesome. Want to know what's even better?! I answered questions for exactly an hour the other night and I made just over $1.00. Awesome. HUGE waste of time. I can't wait to do that again. Best 2 cents a question job I've ever had.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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My Toys

Recently, I've been trying my best to start collecting as much gear as I can. I want to try to have a good amount of decent video, audio, photo, lighting, video/photo editing, and special effects gear. So, here is a fun list I compiled of all my toys in my collection, with hopefully more stuff to come...which I could really use your help/advice on, if you can give any!

What I gots:

Camera/Video + Gear:
Canon 550d Rebel T2i (18megapixels & films in 1080i HD video)
18-55mm zoom lens
75-300mm zoom lens
8gb class 6 SDHC memory card
16gb class 10 SDHC memory card
2 Canon LP-E8 batteries
Polarized filter
UV filter
2 lens cleaner kits
Canon carrying bag
Kalimar Tripod
(I got creative) 1 or 2 ankle weights that, when attached to the closed tripod, make a great flopod
Small round lens hood

Editing/Creating:
Final Cut Pro 7
Color
Motion 4
Compressor
DVD Studio Pro
Soundtrack Pro
PluralEyes
Celtx
The good ole iMovie/iDVD/iPhoto/Garageband combo of course
My trusty old Mac Book Pro OS X 10.6.6 Snow Leopard
500gb WD internal hard drive
500gb WD external drive
250gb some random company external drive
Adobe Illustrator CS5
Adobe InDesign CS5
Adobe Photoshop CS5

Audio:
Zoom H4n (version 1.60)
1gb SD card
windscreen
Mic clip adapter
(I got creative again) Converted an old black Igloo lunchbox into a carrying case with compartments
I borrow a friend's Zoom H2 as well, when needed
And, as mentioned before: Garageband, PluralEyes, and Soundtrack Pro
Crappy mono handheld mic
Crappy lapel mic that I'm not even sure works

Coming soon:
Flower lens hood for the 550d (in the mail)

With these items, I want to buy them in the near future. I've been doing lots of eBay and Amazon searching, as well as reading customer reports...but I could use some help and recommendations if you've got any:
Camera flash (any suggestions?!)
LED Video light that mounts on the hot shoe/side bracket (at least 64 LEDs; temp: 5500K.)
Light Kit (Trying to keep it standard/simple and as cheap as possible with 2-4 lights. Recommendations?)
Green screen and stand (at least 10x20ft. Not vital, but would be useful! Recommendations?)
Tripod (this tripod isn't great, so I'd like a new one hopefully, but nothing too expensive. Suggestions?)
Mini tripod (to use for table top shots, propping up the Zoom H4n on tables. Advice?)
Decent smoothcam/steadicam rig for DSLRs (I have no clue where to look!)

If you would like to leave me recommendations or comments: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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2011

Happy New Year everybody!
Hopefully everyone had a decent time doing whatever it is you people do.

I've never been a huge fan of New Year's Eve...but I still try to go out and have some fun. I even spent one year having just gotten my wisdom teeth out, and so had my sister, and we sat on the couch, watched the ball drop, then went to bed.

New Years is kind of a weird holiday. Here's what you're supposed to do: dress up, go out, drink, kiss somebody, drink, and stay out as late as possible. But wait...that just sounds like a regular old college party. That's because it's pretty much the same. The only difference is that everyone waits for midnight, and there's a lot more pressure on the night to be awesome.

Well....for this New Year's Eve I had a great time with my friends in Philly. I went with my gang from JMU. It was the guys who I lived with, plus the girls who lived down the street. We were missing Jared and Colin, and Chris showed up New Year's Day. But the night before, we had a lot of fun. We went out to this Italian restaurant named Il Cantuccio that was on North 3rd Street in Philly. It was BYOB so we brought cheap champagne, a few wine bottles, and a couple bottles of Guinness. We were ready to eat our hearts out. It was a 4 course meal: Antipasto, Il Primo, Il Secondo, and Dolce. I only took 2 years of Italian but I'm pretty sure I remembered that right.

Before the meal: Bread was on the table that was nice and soft in the middle, sesame seeds on the outside, and some bonus stuff on the table. There was olive oil for us to use, along with a bowl of pesto and tomato-based spreads for our bread. It was delicious. Hollins even made a cool combination of all 3 things that looked great and she swore by it. Too bad Emily is essentially allergic to photosynthesis and couldn't have that pesto...or anything else green. Poor Em. And our waiter was this guy who was a perfect mash-up of Philly and Italy with his accent, attitude, Italian pronunciation, and his love of people and food. He was a fantastic waiter, the only one for the tiny little restaurant all night actually. Yet, the service was phenomenal and he always provided a good laugh about one of us non-Philly folks.

Antipasto: We got to choose between Caprese salad, the house salad, and mussels. We all got the Caprese or the mussels. Both were delicious. I stole a few mussels from Doug and I can't remember the last time I had food that good! The mussels were in a kind of tomato-based sauce that was perfect for them as they soaked it up in the bottom of their shells. The Caprese had the juiciest tomatoes, great cuts of mozzarella, cracked black pepper, and the fresh arugula with it was delicious and made a fantastic antipasto for me to start the night with.

Primi: Our choices were Gnocchi (made of ricotta cheese I believe), Orecchiette with salmon, or some other pasta that none of us ordered either. I got the Orecchiette (which kind of looks like shell pasta but it's not) and it was served with a thick creamy sauce and roasted salmon which almost tasted like bacon somehow. But I didn't ask questions, because all I had time for was stuffing my face with this meal! Best pasta dish I have ever had in my entire life! That's how good it was. I scraped the bottom of my dish for the sauce after I was done just to try to get more of that meal.

Secondi: Our choices were veal marsala, tilapia with some seafood sides, and chicken with some veggies. NOTE: these plates all were SUPER Italian but I forget some of the details so "some veggies" doesn't exactly do it justice. Forgive me. Moving on...because we had our reservation at 9pm (the last shift going through) they ended up running out of veal and substituted chicken for it. I ordered the tilapia that was baked in a delicious sauce with basic seasonings on top, a lemon on the side, and a few shrimp and clams on the edge of the plate. I could try to stab my fish with my fork and it just flaked and fell apart. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. It was so light but juicy and flavorful and when adding a few squeezes of lemon it got even better. While we had shared our food with each other all meal long, I only had one bite of Christian's chicken and veggies, I didn't really want anyone else's food. My fish was perfect. I wanted it all.

Dolce: Well...because we were last group, as I said before, they had somehow run out of dessert. So our table of 11 only got 2 cream puffs and 2 slices of tiramisu. The tiramisu was heavenly. So light and fluffy. So delicious and rich. It was just kind of unfortunate that they ran out of dessert for us all...especially Emily, because it was her birthday on Sunday. One of the girls told the waiter this, so he grabbed a plate off the table as if he was cleaning it up, yet it had 1 cream puff left. He speared a birthday candle into it, lit it, and turned around to get the whole restaurant to sing "Happy Birthday" to Emily. It was perfect.

It was a great start to the night. All of us dressed up, having a great time, chatting it up with the waiter who kept uncorking our bottles and making fun of us, and catching up with everyone who we hadn't seen in months. Sipping a nice glass of red wine while eating some delicious Italian food and getting ready for the ball to drop with my best friends was great. We left the restaurant at 11:15pm and discovered that several important streets were closed/blocked off. So we got stuck in traffic. We found the ball drop on the radio with about 7 seconds left, counted down, and cheered out to everyone around us in the traffic with our windows down and music blasting. Then, fireworks began to explode overhead and we all stuck our heads out the windows for a good look. People stepped out of their cars, or stopped on the sidewalk, as the fireworks exploded and lit up the sky. So, it wasn't exactly the way we had imagined spending the ball drop, but it makes for a good story of my New Year's Eve.

The next day, we woke up kind of early, had breakfast, and got dressed and ready to go see the Mummer's Parade. If you don't know what it is just check out my pictures below, Wikipedia it, and know that it's a bunch of men (and a few women and children) in costumes doing awesome things. It's so cool. I loved going to see the parade...and I don't like parades much at all. That's saying a lot.

Anyways...I hope you had a great New Year's...and don't forget:

-New Year's resolutions are ridiculous. Why pick only one day a year to take an active role on improving yourself for the better? Instead, do it every day of the year. Yet...I guess a New Year's resolution can't hurt, can it?

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Christmas Eve

So it's the 24th of December again. Sweetness. I'm pumped. We always do cool stuff on Christmas Eve at my house that lots of other families don't. It's just become this giant night of traditions that we just started up as a family...and they're pretty awesome. So tonight will be filled with family, a dinner buffet, church, the Jefferson Hotel, Christmas lights, 1 present, left-over buffet food, then bed. I'm REALLY pumped.

Not only is today a great day, but the winter time is great as well. One of the main reasons for that is because people come back. In Richmond, it's a little lonely sometimes because lots of my friends work 9-5s, are in other cities, or are still in school.

Well, not right now they ain't! My brother and his girlfriend are coming from the MD/DC area, Cummings is back from school, Dreiling is back from school, Clint is back from NC, Rob came back from San Diego, my girlfriend came to visit last week, Erin is back from school, Chris is back from Haiti, Jithu might be visiting, I might even see Caitlin as well, and there are probably dozens more people that are around that I hope to see while they're home to visit! Then for New Year's Eve I get to get together with my old roommates/best friends/the girls & the guys and have a good time in New Jersey. Why are we going to Jersey you ask? Beats me. But regardless, I get to see my old gang who I haven't been together with, as a group, since graduation. Some of us will still be missing...but it could be worse. We'll definitely miss the ones that won't be there, and we know they'll miss us too. So, on this Christmas Eve, I'm just really thankful for this time of year for multiple reasons, The Reason for the Season...etc., but to keep it easy on you...I'm thankful that old friends are reunited and there is so much cheer and happiness in one of the coldest and dreariest months of the year. Thank you December.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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My Nicknames

Sorry for the hiatus my friends. It was only 3 days though! I'm back now.

One thing I thought about recently was the plethora of nicknames I have had over the years. Some have been inappropriate and will then not be directly mentioned/featured on this blog post, but they will be hinted at for your amusement. Yeah...these just randomly came to mind when I saw an old friend a few days ago and he called me by an old nickname that I haven't heard in a long time. Here for you now is a listing of my nicknames, some with a back story, some without. Deal with it. Use your imagination.

In my life I have been called:

-Mr. T (from the Conta side of the family)
-Ty
-T-Bird (From my Grandpa Conta)
-Conta (Not exactly a nickname)
-A slight change of the last name by only 1 vowel (and from that there are 5 nicknames branching off of that one)
-Con-Man
-T-Con (A personal favorite)
-Tubby (A personal least favorite)
-Tubblegum
-Tippecanoe (Given by 7th grade gym teacher and stuck)
-Tippie (Abbreviated from the name above)
-T-Y (High school and surprisingly given to me in college as well. My personal favorite)
-T-Y? (Must be said as a question. Volleyball guys)
-Tyco
-Ty-Guy
-T (Too easy, folks)
-Ty Baby (Given by Heidi)
-T-Dog (Didn't catch on with many)
-T-Man (Didn't catch on with many)
-T-Dizzle (Didn't catch on with anyone)
-T-Time
-Batman (From a variety of people)
-Mac (Based off my middle name)
-Cloudy (Based off my middle name)
-McLeody (Obviously based off my middle name)
-Captain (From a good old friend)
-Tyla (Not too hard to get to this one)
-TC (Initials, of course)
-T (Too easy)
-Taco (Given by the JMU O-Team 2k8 after our retreat. It began with Jithu screaming "TACO TACO!" during a name game where half of the room had no clue what our "language" meant, except they had heard me say "Taco" previously. So, her best bet was to simply shout "TACO TACO!" the instant she walked into our room. After that, and a short reflection about the importance of clear communication, the nickname stuck. It's another of my personal favorites.)

AMENDMENTS:
-Samson (Given as the name of a character I played in a terrible skit with some friends, while I wore an old man mask and called my friend "hot dog man.")
-Tywa (Given by my sister, who couldn't pronounce my name exactly right, while we shared a room as toddlers)
-Rock (Given by Jess, my loving cup of chicken noodle soup.)

As far as I can remember, those are nicknames that I currently have, or have had in the past. If you know of any that I forgot, or can think of any to add to it, please let me know by leaving a comment at www.tylerconta.blogspot.com ...well...that's all from me for today folks! Hope you enjoyed the history of the Tyler nicknames.


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The Little Barbershop of Horrors

Welcome to the Little Barbershop of Horrors

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I recently got my hairs cut. I know...you're thinking: "But why?! Your hair looked perfect the way it was!" And while I agree with you, 95% of my family and close friends do not.

Option 1: Find a new family and friends
Option 2: A haircut

It was actually a surprisingly tough call to make...but I chose haircut. So I went in, having been so proud of avoiding a formal barbershop haircut for months, maybe even over a year! I can't be entirely sure! Once my hair was cut...I lost all my memories as well as my gorgeous flowing locks. Anyways...as I walked inside, my senses were bombarded. My nose was filled with shampoos and conditioners that were fruity with a hint of floral. My ears were filled with the humming of whatever that thing is that sits on a woman's head while she's wrapped in foil. My eyes were attacked by the sight of hair on the floor, being swept by an incredibly old woman. I was in hell.

When I get a haircut at this lady's place, one of the only things that I like is not having to talk. I just sit in her chair, which is not as big as you once thought it was...way back when you were 5, and I stare off at the ceiling or into space. We usually talk for a good 5-10 minutes to catch up, then fortunately she knows her role and after that short convo. will only ask "How's this?" That's what I'm talking about. You better shut your mouth when you're running your fingers through my hair as you wash it with water of the perfect temperature and shampoo that has a hint of coconut to it. That's when I'm in heaven.

Sadly, I return back to the terrible things surrounding me as I sit up. My heels are too far back, and prevent her from spinning the chair around so she can begin cutting. But they're comfortable thereeeeee. Ugh. Fine...but now my heels hurt. Then she begins to cut. We finish our conversation. She has been instructed as to the hair style I am hoping to achieve. It was something brand new this time, so "How's this?" was asked more than usual...but I didn't mind this time. What I did mind was the evil businesswoman sitting next to me. She talked loudly on her cell phone while I was getting my hair cut. She had her head shoved up in that ugly bubble, while her nasty old mangy hair was wrapped in tin foil. I can only assume she was attempting to reach her home planet. She started complaining about having to yell at someone for doing a bad job on the job site the other day...as if she ACTUALLY hated it. She loved it. I could hear it in her voice and see it in the curve of her nasty grin. Literally...she liked it. Then, like her head was a Thanksgiving turkey cooking, a small timer went off, my lady stopped and ran over to the female Grinch wrapped in foil. She did her thing, then came back. She got back to work. Then she was snatched away from me again just a few minutes later when crazy ole bat lady said she simply had to go to the bathroom and needed help out...no matter what was going on with her hair at the time. Nice. Now I'm positive I know why your hair looks terrible...because you don't follow instructions, lady. Sheesh. Can't you hold it and not take my lady away from me again? Also...your clothes are hideous. Are you actually 40-ish? You dress like you're senile or a 6-year-old girl playing dress-up. How do you have a position of authority? Grab a power suit then let's talk.

Well, as my haircut finished...it actually looked really good, considering we tried something new. Yay! It wasn't so bad after all. Oh wait...it's time to take this zebra-striped drape off of me that is covered in all my hair so that I can get up and the Hair-Hoarding old lady can sweep the hair up? Ok. What's that you say? You can't wait to pull it off so I can get small bits of hair down the back of my shirt all afternoon and so that a huge wad of hair will fall onto my stylish white canvas shoes and remain there for days? I'm game, lady!

Best ending of a haircut ever. No one cares if they see a guy reaching his arms down his back to scratch like a flea-ridden monkey...and if his shoes appear to be related to gophers...you know why?! Because that guy has a killer haircut.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Epic Shows

My post from yesterday, about seeing fun. and Steel Train play, got me thinking. My mind started running as I thought about all the shows I've been to. Last night was the first time I've seen that many "hipsters" in one place. Last night was also my first indie show..I think...I think? Regardless, I'm going to lay some facts down on you all, and list off as many of the concerts/shows I've seen and what was so good about them. This list will include even some smaller bands you might not have seen and will list off many bands, individually, that I saw perform together at festivals or concerts.
The list is also a bit strange, but please remember my evolving taste in music that somehow began with ska and jam bands:

Eric Clapton- DC show. He is talented beyond all belief. Held the audience captive with his rock and even his slow acoustic blues set. Yet, he never speaks to the audience. Sad stuff.
Derek Trucks Band- DC show. Not bad. Also, didn't really stand out as anything special to me.
Girl Talk- Only go if you're in to having fun and getting sweaty. It's just a giant dance party. I'm 2 for 2 when it comes to getting on stage as well. Nice.
Keller Williams- He's my favorite artist. I've seen him more times than I can count. He's great every time. Looping is one special thing he does that always blows my mind. Has hundreds of songs under his belt and can jam like a monster, so every show is different and amazing.
moe. - Richmond show. Phenomenal show. They are a jam band that knows how to rock too. The great light show kept everyone dancing and jamming all night. Great live band.
Steel Train- Charlottesville show. Opening band that's way too good to open. Energetic, talented, and slightly awkward bunch of guys. Loved them.
fun. - Charlottesville show. Fantastic music and fantastic musicians. You can tell they love their jobs and they create great live music and interactions with the crowd. Stellar show.
Rihanna- NOVA show. Meh...she was ok. She didn't sound as good live. But not terrible.
Kanye West- NOVA show. Honestly, one of the best shows I've ever seen. Amazing performer. I don't care what your opinions are of him...he is straight TALENT. Flawless show.
Lupe Fiasco- NOVA show. My favorite rapper, and he is way too good to be the opening act. That made me mad, but everyone had a great time as Lupe dropped his amazing lyrics and his fast-paced flow on us. I can't wait to see him again some day.
NERD- NOVA show. Barf. All I can say is that "all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom"...are actually there because your terrible music makes them want to vomit. They definitely got the audience on their feet and moving though. Good for an opening act.
String Cheese Incident- Richmond shows. I've seen them a couple times, and they're always good. They don't do many shows anymore after they broke up, but they do them occasionally. As many jam bands are, they are amazing live performers. Incredible musicians.
Jimmy Eat World- Richmond show. Back in high school, way back when. Their music back then was good, I think it's better now. Not bad live. Vocals were a little off, but good live music.
LIT- Richmond show. Bleh. They were ok live, but they just don't have a lot to offer. Their music isn't that great.
Casey Cavanagh Band- Harrisonburg show. Casey's a great musician who definitely has a talent for getting out there and making sure you know who he is. Lots of talent in Casey and the whole band. He always puts on a good, fun live show. It helps that you know he's a good guy too.
Yonder Mountain String Band- Richmond shows. Seen them a few times. They're great live when their voices are all spot on. If they're a little off/raspy/etc then it's a little tough on the not-stoned crowd members. They're great live, even though their studio album proves they sold out.
Carbon Leaf- All over. My favorite band. I've seen these guys more times than I can remember. They always put on a great show. I've seen them in tiny bars or in giant concerts, and no matter where, they always make it fun and exciting for the crowd. Great vocals and crazy good musicians.
Sons of Bill- Harrisonburg show. Saw them open for Carbon Leaf. They sucked. Yet, I've listened to a couple of their new songs and they're not bad. Maybe they've gotten better?
Cocaine Mortgage- Harrisonburg shows. My friends Mike and Danny are a sick DJ duo force to be reckoned with. They always put out great tracks, have great shows, and give you a great time. Don't ever miss one of their shows or you're an idiot.
Railroad Earth- Richmond show. They have a great sound to their band when they're live. A fantastic combination of acoustic instruments and harmonizing vocals. Good live show.
Michael Franti & Spearhead- Richmond show. I wasn't super impressed. I also think Franti's new stuff is good, but nothing like his good old stuff! Give me Bomb the World again, man! Highlight of the show was a crazy drum circle that when on forever. Decent live show.
New Monsoon- Richmond show. Not super memorable. Didn't really impress.
Umphrey's McGee- Richmond show. Kind of like New Monsoon...they weren't super memorable. They're not bad though, they definitely put out some great music and make you want to dance. But overall, I just think they're decent.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones- Richmond shows. I've seen them twice, but I prefer when they are the only act, like their U of R show. That was one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen in my entire life. I was stunned at what incredible talent they all have. No set breaks, instead 1 man was left to have a 10-15 minute jam session while the other guys took a break. I can't speak highly enough of their talent and musicianship. No vocals at all, by the way. Fantastic live show.
Menya- Harrisonburg show. Crazy live show. They get hype. Not super stellar though, but wow do they make you have fun!
Lights in the Fog- Harrisonburg show. For a small local band, wow do they pack a punch! Incredible vocals that tingle the spine and lots of talent on the guitar. Usually pretty chill in live shows though, but I dig it.
RJD2- DC show. Wow. This guy breathes talent. Creates music DJ style on the table yet also has a band with him, where he plays guitar and provides some vocals, to create other music. Incredible live show that had the encore pack a punch with the first 2 songs making everyone go crazy and dance, yet he ruined it all with an acoustic guitar final song. Buzz kill, man.
Phish- Charlottesville show. Wow. Their lyrics might suck more than anything else in the world, but they sure can play. The house was packed, they played a fantastic set filled with a variety of their songs, and the light show was out of this world. Literally, I would go just to see the lights again, they were that good. If you want a fun way to kill some time, go look up who does the Phish lights and how he does them. That's talent. Speaking of talent: Phish. Great musicians who can jam forever and still make it interesting. Ben & Jerry love them, so do I.
Murphy's Kids- Richmond show. I saw them waaaay back when. They were good, but I've listened to more of their music since then and think they're pretty awesome. They have a good sized following for a reason: they've got talent. Go check them out.
Sequoyah Prep School- Harrisonburg show. These guys have got me hooked. I saw them open for Casey Cavanagh and I HAD to have their album. Ever since then I've been crossing my fingers they'll bring their acoustic instruments and incredible voices somewhere nearby.
Reel Big Fish- Richmond show. One of the best shows I've ever been to because of so many reasons. The band is fun, they have fun, they talked to us and joked with us, the leader singer's voice sounds EXACTLY like it does on the studio albums, and their instrumentals were spot on other than the drunk trumpet player. Amazing live band, even though they're different now.
Ben Folds- Harrisonburg show. He's an artist. He's so talented. I sat kind of high up and just chilled with my friends during the show, yet I still felt involved in the entire thing, thanks to Ben. He got us to sing parts, conducting sections of the crowd while standing on his piano. He even joked with us and told us he would play the mythical Brown Note so we all pooped ourselves. Other than that little scare, I had a great time and was amazed at how good he was live.
Andrew Rohlk- All over. Seen him play a Richmond open-mic and a bunch of Harrisonburg shows. Recently, he won a competition in Harrisonburg, which just proves how good he is. He's a quiet guy who will surprise you with his powerful voice that is almost always spot on. Not only that, but he kind of sounds like John Mayer, and plays guitar like a champ as well!
Doug McPherson & the E Street Band- Bahamas show. I'm in an amazing karaoke group with some of my best friends. We're awesome. We're sexy. Let's leave it at that. Cross your fingers that you'll see us one day on the reunion tour.
NOFX- Richmond show. Forgettable stuff. They weren't bad...they just didn't stand out.
Andrew W.K.- Richmond show. You gotta love this party animal. Who cares if every song is about drinking and partying? He still gets you excited, pumped, make you want to dance and party, and puts on a good live show! He's weird but he's worth going to see for sure!
Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels- Harrisonburg shows. Trent puts on a great show. He's a fantastic musician and has a very unique voice that fits his style perfectly. I heard him play one afternoon as I walked in Harrisonburg and have been hooked ever since. He usually plays small gigs but that's one thing that makes Trent's shows better: you feel like he's playing for you...and he is. He's a simple guy and you can tell he values every single fan.


Alright everybody...there's definitely some artists I forgot, and a few I purposefully left out because they're just straight-up not even worth my time. In the future I'll probably have some posts about shows I plan to go to in the area, such as STS9, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and others. So, for now I'll just keep on blogging....and let me know if you've had any experiences with some of the artists I've mentioned in this post!

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Hello People of the World

This is a simple "thanks" to everyone that has ever read my blog on
www.tylerconta.com or at www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

In the last month tylerconta.com has had over 500 visitors!
Since the beginning of this summer, tylerconta.blogspot.com has had over 2,400 visitors!
In the month of September alone, my blog had juuuust under 1,000 visitors!

So, that's just proof that while most of what I blog is ridiculous...maybe people like the ridiculous, random, and weird (plus the good music). I'm rather proud of the fact that so many of my friends, and even random people, have visited and read my posts. My way of saying thanks is to give a shout out to the readers. According to the stats on my blog, I can see what countries have had viewers check my blog. So...I'm just going to say "hello" to all the peoples of those countries in their official language(s), as a sign of my respect and gratitude...with help from Google.

Belgium: Hallo (Dutch), Bonjour (French), Hallo (German)

Japan: こんにちは (Japanese)

Denmark: Hej (Danish)

Spain: Hola (Spanish)

Sweden: Hej (Swedish)

Brazil: Olá (Portuguese)

Russia: привет (Russian)

United States: Yo (English)

United Kingdom: Oi (English)

Canada: Bonjour (French), Eh? (English)


Alright then. Hello everybody. I looked most of these up to be accurate, but some I just knew from things such as stereotypes and assumptions. And yes...you're especially welcome for the blog posts that keep you so entertained, you poor cold Canadians.

Thanks for the support as I keep up this site everyone!

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Black Friday

Thanksgiving is over. Yay! The holiday that celebrates genocide, treaty-breaking, and land-stealing with gluttony! Hooray America!

Today is Black Friday. Time to go shopping at 4am and wrestle crazy mothers for Tickle Me Elmo and Furby, right? Right. OR...you could do something like one of these 2 things:

1) The Richmond SPCA is having a deal for adopting black cats and dogs today. 50% off the regular adoption price. Now that's the kind of Black Friday I'm talking about! Giving a loving home to an animal that truly needs it. If animals aren't your thing then how about option #2...

2) My roommate Chris sent out an email (in our giant email chain) yesterday saying what he was thankful for. He's in Haiti right now, working to try to help the Haitian schools. And what he sent was a great way to view Thanksgiving, in my opinion. Here's part of what he said:

"So as you're sitting down to eat today I hope you'll think briefly of people who have nothing to eat and don't know where they're next meal will come from. One of our students came from 3 hours across town yesterday to check if we had a little money to pay for his food - he has none and doesn't know when he will eat next. It was his birthday (I'm not [kidding] you).

I know, you don't need reminding. I know, you probably haven't forgotten, but there's not a lot you can do....But it's really true; almost a billion people deal with hunger every day.

It's just a suggestion: wfp.org
or go to kidsconnectionhaiti.org and sponsor an at-risk Haitian youth"


Now, in case you don't know me, I'm weird about certain holidays. Thanksgiving is kind of iffy for me. I like it just fine. Yet, I think people forget what it means to be thankful (and I'll admit I forget sometimes too). It doesn't mean you should just sit on your butt and enjoy your family and say you're thankful for lots of stuff. Sure, please enjoy them and be thankful for them, but you can do more. You should do more. We're practically obligated to do more because we are privileged. I always believe people can do more. I felt weird being home this Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving 2008 and 2009 I was in New Orleans working with The Phoenix of New Orleans to help rebuild homes. There is a JMU group down there as we speak, working. I wish I could be with them, or with Chris, or somewhere where I can put all the things I'm thankful for to good use. I'm thankful for the talents, skills, privileges, and perks in my life. I'm thankful for a home, family, friends, my girlfriend, food, occasional work, health, and love all around me. But as I understand, as Chris put it, and as I hope you understand...you should be thankful in an ACTIVE way. DO SOMETHING. What's so hard about giving a small gift or donation to places/people/causes that need it? You can give like $12 and purchase a few rabbits for a family through Heifer or World Vision. If you're opposed to dealing with animals like that, give a donation to a mosquito net, AIDS pills, soccer balls, education, clothes. If you don't have lots of money, then give your time/energy/love. Tell someone you love them, volunteer an afternoon, support a cause.

- Quit talking. Do something. Show why you're really thankful by putting to use what you should be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving and Black Friday my friends.

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The Boy Who Took-Over-My-Teenage-Years

Harry Potter is back. This time it is a film of his 7th, and last, year at Hogwarts. Yet, the film is split into 2 parts. Ok...so I might be getting myself into trouble here, considering I haven't even seen the movie yet, but I already think that is ridiculous. Who makes a movie and says, "Actually, no, let's not make it 1 regular movie. Let's make it 2 half movies, but stretch it out longer to seem like a normal movie, and we can make tons more money, waste much more time in the average person's life, and of course we can also make viewers angry that Part 1 ended so awkwardly and without proper resolution!"

Genius. Sounds like a winner to me.

And that is why I don't like the idea of the new Harry Potter and the Whatever Whatevers, Part 1 movie. I can't wait for a whole 'nother movie to come out so I can figure out how it ends! Oh wait...there were 7 books that already did that? Did I read all 7? I wish I could say "no." Am I currently reading book 7 to remember what happened so I can possibly go watch the new Part 1 movie, thus giving me more fuel to rant and rave about it? I wish I could say "no." Don't judge.

Anyways, if you saw the new Harry Potter movie, let me know what you think! If you want to sass me back with a piece of your mind saying that I'm a jerk for bashing a movie I haven't seen...don't waste your breath. I haven't seen "Octaman" yet I know that's a terrible movie. Boom. Lawyer-ed you. Tyler, out.

If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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Happy Birthday Pops

I'm not sure when it started, but a few years ago I started calling my mom and dad, "momma" and "pops." I sort of say it with what little Southern accent I actually have. Well...today is my pops birthday. He's kind of a weird guy. I think I look a lot like my mom and act a lot like my dad. Thus meaning I too am weird. Yet, I'm pretty sure my dad is weirder.

Examples:
My dad's career involves working with, and testing, dirt. Weird.
My dad gets up before the sun rises, takes hours to eat breakfast and read the newspaper, and he often goes to the YMCA to exercise in his morning routine as well. Weird.
My dad randomly bursts into song. Weird.
My dad makes terrible jokes, usually puns. Weird.
My dad attempts to pound it and make Your Mom jokes, but fails 95% of the time. Weird.
My dad tucks his pants into his socks when he's in the woods. Weird.
My dad built a machine called an amoozemeter. Weird.
My dad's favorite food is pasties....and they are disgusting. Weird.

As a matter of fact, we only eat pasties on his birthday because one time, when I was 11 or 12, we had them and I realized how much I hated them. They're like chicken pot pies but replace all the good stuff with crap, beef, and possibly little bits of Count Chocula. I can't be sure about the Count. Just a theory. Anyways...I hated it so much I cried and pretty much couldn't eat it. It took me over an hour to finish it. Every bite was torture. I gagged dozens of times too. Well...my dad may be a little weird sometimes, but then again I do some of those weird things he does too. And I love my dad and I will do my best to attempt to eat some pasties tonight. Yum.

Happy Birthday Dad!

If you wish to find a recipe for a pasty...please...don't look it up. And if you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com

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