Month: December 2015

Karaoke Corral (Karaoke at H2O Lounge)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Everyone has at least one long-standing friend. I count myself lucky to have many friends that I’ve known for a decade or longer, but having a life long friend is something special.

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While he and I have never really shared the exact same set of hobbies, and our political and spiritual views haven’t been known as the ties that bind us together – those qualities are not why we are friends. At least it’s not why I think we are anyway. What it comes down to for me is that we both share a love of pop culture (largely music and movies), on of life’s great equalizers, and more importantly, we don’t judge each other’s life choices.

It’s quite a curiosity to me that something as simple as abstaining from obvious and unnecessary remarks can be what allow friendships to exist and then flourish. And that sometimes friendships become so strong that your friend won’t put up with your garbage behaviours and WILL call you out on whatever you are doing wrong in your life.

Think about it for a minute.

No one wants to go through adversity in life just because, there has to be value and a purpose for it. When we gain respect and trust with someone, that allows real connections to exist and we have a sounding board. So that no matter what the circumstance, that person will be there for you. They’ll see things through with you.

This is why friends are important dear readers. We all need someone for support and encouragement, a shelter to seek respite from our problems.

We all need people who can challenge us, encourage us, and share with us.

You never want someone in your corner that doesn’t let you grow and become a better version of yourself, and so it does help to have friends that challenge you – friends that will cheer for you, especially when life can seem difficult. When the chips are down and hope is in short supply.

This is why tomorrow night, I’m going to partake in one of my favourite pastimes for my oldest friends birthday. The musical kind of pastime that requires you to call up your favourite song on a screen and share it with a room full of strangers.

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Ah the empty orchestra. A concept where you can sing along to known songs and pretend to be the lead singer all while you generate a fan-base and the accompanying cheers that arrive from hard-won admiration.

Websites like edmontonkaraoke.com exist for the people. It allows them to get their karaoke fix by location or date and to ensure this act of lovemaking never dies.

I love karaoke, because not only do you get to sing along and pretend you are an accomplished singer for 3-5 minutes, but there are challenges to tackle with it as well. It boils down to life choices really.

  1. You have to decide whether to imbibe or not, knowing that you might lose your voice once you start down the path of yelling.
  2. It forces you to think about sharing. Should you make friends with strangers and let them sing a song with you if they get super excited?
  3. Know your audience. It might be better to sing a duet VS being a microphone hog.
  4. Do you want an intimate affair with a handful of people or do you want to fill the room with your posse?
  5. If you choose rock songs, there is a good chance you will be at the mercy of a guitar solo. You should have a game plan to fill that minute long silence
  6. Which usually means you need to either commit to the song or know when to walk away. But don’t drop the mic.
  7. Think about your song choices some. Theme songs and Disney songs are solid choices, and hip hop doesn’t require singing ability necessarily.
  8. And last but not least – are you willing to give a performance to win the crowd over? Sometimes its a simple matter of having the most fun of anyone, and not how well you sing the song.

If you are looking for inspiration, this article about the 13 greatest movie karaoke scenes of all time might just do the trick. There is a particularily awesome live performance of Vin Diesel performing Stay by Rhianna in there as well, but I couldn’t just link to that. so I decided to share it with you direct.

I’ll be heading out to H2O Lounge myself this weekend, but don’t forget about this option to improve your social comfort zone. And believe it or not, you CAN sing karaoke without drinking, and it will build your confidence to perform in front of strangers. It’s a natural fit for it, but that’s just a theory. And one I’ll share another time!

Please leave some comments Have a great weekend folks!

Tim!

 

 

Wizards & Wisdom (Actualized)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Okay folks, let’s talk turkey. It’s Wednesday and that means I need to share some wisdom with you.

Wisdom about self-improvement.  Big topic, I know, and one which I can probably spend a countless number of posts on in the future. *Hint* I’m going to *hint*

Oh come on now, you know I can’t keep secrets from you guys and gals.

That’s right, you must have sensed that I would dedicate today to share a resource (and set up future resources) with you that cover specific skills and traits that can be worked on. The kind of pragmatic stuff we need to level up and become the best versions that we want to be and should be.

That stuff related to physical health, mental health, emotional health, and spiritual health.

The stuff we all quietly promises ourselves we will get to but often struggle with the time or simply figuring out where to start looking.

But before I begin the fabulous and (hopefully by now) familiar practice of sharing a resource, I’m going to share a theory with you. Unfortunately it is not my own, so I can’t take any credit for it, however, it’s too brilliant not to share, so I’m going to source it and we’ll go from there.

The person who came up with this thought on the matter was writing about wisdom as it exists in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, specifically the 5th edition, but let’s face it, it’s damn useful for pretty much anyone.

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So here is what Kindulas of reddit has to say about wisdom –

First off, the 5e description is “Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.” …The big thing I realized while thinking of Wisdom vs Intelligence as worldly vs academic knowledge is that animals have high wisdom. Low intelligence, high wisdom. Animals do not have streetsmarts or worldly knowledge, they don’t actually know the kinds of things wisdom is sometimes explained to cover. So I began, instead, to think of Wisdom as all the intelligences animals do exemplify. Perceptiveness and intuition – instinct and purely sensory awareness and alertness. We know Wisdom has to do more than just physical senses because insight, but that’s the place to start pondering.

So I came to the conclusion, especially seeing how 5e handled Intelligence (Investigation). Intelligence is all higher cognitive thinking and all conscious knowledge. Worldly knowledge, booksmarts, all just different expressions of intelligence. Wisdom is subconcious intelligence and sensory awareness. It’s your ability to spot things offhand, your clarity of thought and presence of mind, the accuracy of those “feelings” you get about people.

Now if we are really interested in wisdom in all it’s forms and variations then that sounds pretty dang good doesn’t it?

Well look no further, I’m going to share a ridiculously rad resource I totally and randomly stumbled onto when I was taking my lunch break about a week ago and when I was thinking about toxic behaviour of all things. And yes, I’ll share the first video I watched to give you a potential jumping off point, and if you are interested in letting go of what others think about you.

Actualized.org is a website dedicated to advanced personal development. Leo Gura is the founder and face of this project and has accomplished some rather impressive things in his life thus far. This claim to fame is that he teaches you life lessons which roll up into a skillset. A skillset that let’s you take advantage of your full potential and realize it so that you are consistent in your output.

The topics he covers include happiness, motivation, productivity, money, emotions, confidence, enlightenment & meditation, health & fitness, dating & relationships, sex, depression, life skills, and an assortment of other areas of life.

He has over 80 hours worth of free videos but some of his most popular videos are titled as such –

  1. How To Make A Girl Squirt – Give Your Girl An Explosive Orgasm
  2. How To Stop Caring What People Think Of You
  3. How To Meditate – The No Bullshit Guide to Meditation
  4. How To Become A Millionaire – The Truth No One Tells You
  5. Why Am I Depressed? – The Shocking Truth Behind Your Depression

What is great about timotheories.com is that I am sharing with you stuff that I read, stuff that I watch, stuff that I try, and because of this, all of these posts feature content which is met with trial by fire, trial by combat, or whatever your favourite method of filtering is and won out.

If you want to face your personal challenges head on, you should check out what Leo has to say. Now having put that down, I have not signed up or paid for his “Ultimate Life Purpose Course,” but I am considering it a viable option to focus my own efforts. And besides, the free content alone is enough to make use of.

Why not spend some time building up that wisdom? Otherwise this is just a theory until you can prove it otherwise. See you tomorrow with something timely.

Tim!

 

 

 

Welcome To Americana (American Ultra review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

What do you know about mind control dear readers? Daresay I say it, but I hope the answer is nothing.

Not because your minds have been wiped, but because it’s a really weird and controversial topic and I’d rather stay away from conspiracy theories if I can help it. But they are theories… So maybe I will write about them sometime.

Anyway, today’s Theatrical Tuesday entry is about mind control. But is the movie worth watching or should you forget I ever shared it with you?

 

 

 

American Ultra (2015)
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, Connie Britton
Director: Nima Nourizadeh
released on blu-ray November 24, 2015
******* 7/10

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IMDB: 6.1
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%, Audience Score 48%
The Guardian: **/*****

From the guy that brought you Project X and literally nothing else so far. Nima Nourizadeh is a fairly green Iranian-British director. Before he he made Project X (and American Ultra) he made music videos for Dizzee Rascal, Pink Grease, Franz Ferdinand, Bat for Lashes, Santigold, Hot Chip, Yelle and Lily Allen.

Interestingly enough I think directing music videos helped him get his first gig (Project X) which was a giant party movie, and in turn this movie, which is a stoner/action movie. It’s all about proper transitions, dear readers.

But what is the story about?

Mike Howell (Jesse Eisenberg) is in a holding cell, waiting to be interrogated. A man enters, while another watches and Mike experiences flashbacks of the past few days.

Cut back to Mike in West Virginia with his girlfriend Phoebe (Kristen Stewart). He had planned a trip to Hawaii where he was going to propose, but they missed the flight because he was having a panic attack in the bathroom. Coming back from the airport, they are stopped by the local sheriff, who has a longstanding relationship with Mike.

He then returns to his job at the local convenience store, which is incredibly dull.

Victoria Lasseter (Connie Britton) is a CIA agent reviewing files  that is interrupted by former assistant Petey Douglas (Tony Hale). She receives a scrambled phone call saying “Tough Guy” is moving in on the “Little Man”. She confronts Adrian Yates (Topher Grace) because he is responsible for Mike and a program she made called Ultra. Yates says Mike needs to be terminated and mocks Victoria before kicking her out of his office.

Mike and Phoebe getting high on the hood of his car while they watch a tow truck and several cops remove a crashed car from a tree. Mike starts to cry because he believes the tree stopped the beautiful car and that he represents the tree while Phoebe is the car. She tells him that is not true.

The next day, Mike meets his drugdealer Rose (John Leguizamo) to pick up fireworks in order to propose to Phoebe.

Back at the convenience store, working a night shift, Victoria approaches Mike and speaks code to him. He looks confused, and she leaves. When Mike goes outside to smoke he sees two guys with his car. He confronts them and they pull knives. Instinctively Mike reacts by throwing hot soup at one attacker and stabs the other guy in the neck with a spoon. He then shoots both of them. He calls Phoebe, who comes over in time for the sheriff to stop by and arrest them both.

Yates realizes that Victoria has “activated” Mike. He orders two Tough Guy agents, Crane (Monique Ganderton) and Laugher (Walton Goggins) to eliminate Mike and Phoebe, and locks down the town. The agents kill all the police but Mike and Phoebe escape the firefight. Just as they are leaving Crane throws a grenade, but Mike catches it, and throws it back, blowing up the station. 

The couple go back to the store. But Mike freaks out, and Phoebe calms him, while his is happening a bag blows onto Mike’s car, setting off an explosion. They stare in disbelief.

 

Stop! Hammer Time. But seriously, I don’t want to give you any more plot.

Pros: I continue to think that Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg work well as an on-screen couple and look forward to seeing them in the new Woody Allen pic. Topher Grace and Connie Britton also played well off of each other. The cinematography and pacing were also excellent.

Cons: It doesn’t quite reach that level of absurdity, violence, and comedy that would have made it a 9 or a 10. We needed a little more of everything.

Runtime: 96 minutes

Points of Interest: The movie is a reference to the MK Ultra program that the CIA develop to combine American and German information about the subject of mind control. This is the second movie that Kristen Stewart and Eisenberg made that has a character potentially go into anaphylactic shock.

If you’ve never heard of MK Ultra, and your interest is piqued, give it a shot. If you’ve never heard of MK Ultra, and your interest is piqued, give it a shot. If you’ve never heard of American Ultra… It’s a fun movie, give it a shot.

 

 

 

What were we going on about again? Oh right mind control.

What do you know about mind control dear readers? Daresay I say it, but I hope the answer is nothing. Till next time!

Tim!

Country Talk (Eric Church Mr. Misunderstood review)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

Driving on the highway can do a lot to clear your head I’ve found. Especially when you are all alone. And sometimes that silence forces your mind to work through ideas that you’ve been ignoring for weeks. 

I’m sure you’ve heard metaphors about the highway before dear readers, and the common associations of a highway representing life and everything on it.

And why is that the country music genre seems to tackle that association so well? And seemingly so often?

I have to wonder if it’s a misconception or hard won strength of the genre.

 

 

 

Eric Church – Mr. Misunderstood
released November 3, 2015
********* 9/10

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Kenneth Eric Church, known professionally as Eric Church, is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Capitol Nashville since 2005, he has since released a total of five studio albums for that label.

Before I lean too far into this review, I should warn you, I’m not really a fan of modern country music.

That statement is probably difficult to pin down because there are so many forms and variations of country music, but what I think of when I use the term “modern” country music is specifically music that has come out of the 1970s and onwards. Think John Denver, Garth Brooks, The Dixie Chicks, Carrie Underwood and all of their like. I would have included Taylor Swift in that mix, but she turned heel at one point and became more mainstream. Check my Stimulating Sunday post from yesterday for more personal revelation on that.

This album had an atypical release, which I think is an important component to consider in the totality of the album experience of today’s world.

It was recorded in a month and was sent via mail to his fan club first.

Let’s reread that that sentence and break it apart. The Church Choir premium members all got copies of the album sent to them, via the postal service. But every fan member got a hold of the album in some form. And they got to hear it first. And they didn’t pay for it.

What an incredible notion for an album release. Something get’s quietly released to the most die-hard fans before it hits the ears of the critics. That means they got an unfiltered listen before the opinions started to crop up. In the days when instant communication is almost inescapable. This method of delivery very clearly highlights the intimacy and awkward delivery of the album’s contents. All of the tracks address various difficult issues with measured lyrics and thoughtful melody – ego (Mistress Name Music), heroes (Record Year), wisdom and youth (Three Year Old), identity (Mr. Misunderstood), loss (Mixed Drinks About Feelings), and language (Kill A Word).

I think my favourite track is probably Record Year, because it appeals to love and loss, both of which I have personally experienced. However, the one that will sit with most parents and anyone facing a period of cynicism is Three Year Old. Church is a father to two little boys and he realizes that the wisdom of a child is as powerful a truth as it ever has been.

 

I understand that his last album was supposed to be an arena effort with lots of studio power, this one feels like it’s meant to sit with you and not let go. That doesn’t mean you won’t immediately enjoy it, but it does mean that it will stay in your rotation for years to come.

The fact that Church’s influences come from country, folk, hard rock, alt rock, and metal is quite apparent to me. This is an incredibly nuanced album which has made a fan of someone who had lost interest in new works from this genre for the better part of his life.

 

 

 

While Eric Church doesn’t sing about the open road on this album at any point, he did manage to cover some well worn topics and rejuvenate them. And he rekindled my interest in the genre.

I can see why he might feel misunderstood, but I don’t think it will last too long. That’s it for today, I’m going to hop in my car and go for a drive with my new friend. Till next time.

Tim!

Licensed To Steal (Artist As Collector)

Posted on by Tim Kuefler

I’ve been thinking about what I should write for today pretty much all of my waking hours this past week.

Sometimes I chew on a theory for months (anticipating the date to share it with you), other times the theory appears in a flash of light. And sometimes theories just work themselves out naturally in the moment and I kind of surprise myself with the results.

It’s a similar experience that many artists have when they create work. Nothing happens perfectly, but relying on moments of inspiration is incredibly draining and risky in terms of output. That is why it is so incredibly important to set up a routine and a space that works for the individual, so that bursts of creativity can happen naturally and “seemingly” spontaneously and the disciplined efforts can cover of those moments of creative silence.

It really is amazing that our unconscious minds are working in our favour though when you stop to think about it.

We organize information, experience, and our interests to produce something special, and if we do it correctly, we create a work of art which looks and feels unique, whatever the source of inspiration.

The reason why I’ve been thinking about this process today is because I have this theory that all good artists steal ideas (not an original idea either), but the best ones steal from everyone and everything in their lives. They do this because of an honest appreciation for life and an attachment for what already exists in the world.

To put it simply, every artist is a collector. On the surface it could appear that they store objects, but the reality is that they have enduring love for the object(s) which house much more than the literal contents we observe in passing.

This TED Talk by Austin Kleon details the point quite well.

Nothing is original. All art, from the bad to the great, references what came before it.

So why do critics sometimes comment as if we should operate in a vacuum? I’m not entirely sure. I think it is likely that nuanced truths are harder to swallow than obvious ones, if I am being perfectly honest. Which can be a full blown topic for another Stimulating Sunday.

But that is not what today is about.

Today is about the theory of artist as collector. And the inspiration for today’s post is from a very talented artist who I am sure you have heard of at one point or another, whether you like their work or not.

Here is a sample of my favourite song from the record.

Walking through a crowd
The village is aglow
Kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats
Under coats
Everybody here wanted something more
Searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before
And it said

Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York

It’s a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat
Forevermore
The lights are so bright
But they never blind me, me
Welcome to New York
It’s been waiting for you
Welcome to New York
Welcome to New York

I’ve highlighted particular lines because I think they are especially relevant for the topic at hand.

This song is from the album 1989 by Taylor Swift. Yes, that’s right.

But that’s not what I was listening to on the drive home to Edmonton from my girlfriend’s parents home in Lacombe today. I was listening to Ryan Adam’s cover album, also titled 1989, with the exact same number of tracks, with almost identical lyrics, in the same song order.

Let’s break this thing down for a minute.

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Taylor Swift, who is incredibly talented, let Ryan Adams, who is also incredibly talented, “steal” her work and create his own version of it.

In fact, she gave her instant approval, when he asked. She is a genius.

If you think about it for a second, there have been reviews claiming he did a better version of her work, and that he made it more meaningful.

I call bullshit on that. But not for the reasons that lots of people are.

He was a vehicle that proved how powerful her lyrics really are to everyone, whether people choose to see it or not, is a completely different matter.

This is especially important to note for those who don’t listen to her music and pass if off for cookie cutter pop. Taylor Swift is an incredibly talented songwriter. Period.

And, she gracefully pointed that out with her title track, without being a jerk about it.  Let me illustrate – while we might all be “searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before,” 99% of the time, the sound already exists. It’s because someone loved it, and made art about it, that we can appreciate it the new art. 1989 by Ryan Adams is a great album, but it wouldn’t exist without 1989 by Taylor Swift, and Taylor’s is definitely the better album because she made something “original” without making it obvious what she “stole” from to get inspiration.

And she understands that sharing is caring.

My girlfriend, who is a super fan of Taylor Swift, realized this brilliance of TSwift years ago, I’m finally starting to see it myself. I hope that other creative types make that leap sooner than later, and I also hope that everything I just stole from makes this post worthwhile. And that’s all of the theories I’ve got for tonight.

What do you think? Leave comments!

Tim!