Author: R. Petty

Lindsey Stirling in Nashville: The Follow Up

On By R. PettyIn Concerts/ShowsLeave a comment

Lindsey Stirling played Music City on June 28, and I had the pleasure of seeing for the second time. The first show was great, but she has definitely grown and learned from her strengths and experiences.

Seeing the evolution in her performance from year to year is one of the coolest things I’ve ever witnessed. In 2013, she played the small Cannery Ballroom, which fits about 500 people standing. This year, she played the historic Ryman Theater, which seats more than 2,300.

Show highlights:

1. Set list. She recently released her second album, so she has plenty to pick from. At the first show, she played nearly her whole album. This year, she played for 2.5 hours and had a great mix of new, fan favs, and new songs.

2. Higher attendance. Last year, my RevPub partner and I went. This year, I had to buy six tickets! They were more expensive too. It’s a great example of an up-and-coming artist really making a name for herself. It was my oldest brother’s first concert too, and he’s 26 years old. In another year, she will sell out an even larger venue.

3. Lights and screens. I was impressed with the light show. Every song was different and complemented her playing well. My favorite was the little 8-bit Link that ran along the screen during Zelda Medley.

4. Dancers. Lindsey has a great pair of back-up dancers, but last year there was no room for them. The Ryman’s stage allowed them to dance, play, and have a dance-off during her breaks. They tossed her around and picked her up, all while she never missed a note on the violin.

5. The band. She has a live keyboardist and drummer on stage at all times. This improves sound quality beyond the normal noise that dubstep can sometimes project. I could tell the group really cares for one another, and it was very much like a family. You don’t see that closeness often, especially in bands, because of ego and entitlement issues.

6. A personal view. At one point, Lindsey played a photo slideshow of her growing up. Not only can you hear her emotions and experience in her playing, but you could see that at an early age she loved to play and dance. A lot of performers fill in break time with random messages or images, but Lindsey wants you to know her. I’ve never seen an artist open up on stage the way she did.

If you never seen her, you should. I’ll let this video speak for itself 🙂

Video by pixiegirl2426

Whoever vs. Whomever

On By R. PettyIn Grammar and PunctuationLeave a comment

GrammarTips

Whoever vs. whomever isn’t commonly used, but every now and then it comes up. Just this past week I had a lovely coworker ask me this rule. It takes a little thinking, but if you can remember him and he, you can remember which one to use.

Common Terms Used in This Post:
Pronoun: A word that takes the place of a noun. Eg: He, she, it, I, me

You’ll need to think about the sentence and replace the pronoun with either him or he:

Whoever: him + he

Pick [whoever/whomever] volunteers first.
Pick him. He volunteered first.

Whomever: him + him

We will visit [whoever/whomever] you recommend.
We will visit him. You recommend him.

I know it feels a little weird, but never fear! There’s a great quiz, so you can practice as much as you like. Of course, you can always cheat and just reword the sentence – which I also suggested to my coworker.

The Cheat

Please let me know [whoever/whomever] is the correct source to contact for the article.
To avoid usage: Please give me the most appropriate contact for the article. Who should I contact for the story?

No matter what you choose and as long as its correct, your readers will appreciate the accuracy. And if you’re ever in doubt, look it up or ask someone. It only takes a minute. Happy writing, everyone!

Source: The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation, my brain

Artist Spotlight: Ike Petro

On By R. PettyIn ArtLeave a comment

This month we’re spotlighting a young man who I have known his whole life 🙂 He’s a talented 15-year-old who is truly passionate about video games. Not only does he play them, he creates them! Ike has played video games since he was three years old and beat his first game at four. Thanks to Ike for being this month’s artist spotlight!

Be sure to subscribe to his YouTube channel at Ike Petro.

1. What are your favorite things about video games?  The fun I usually have (emphasis on usually) and the challenge. I almost always have fun when I’m playing games, and challenge in the games keeps them from getting stale. I mean, who would want to beat a game without trying?

2. What inspires you to create new stories and games?  Nothing in particular, really. I just have a very creative mind. My friends sometimes make me think about something, but that’s about it.

3. What are your goals when creating games?  I don’t have much experience yet, just my RPG Maker DX. It’s hard to figure out where to set up grinds and side-quests. My main goal is to learn more and more from this software to eventually create a full-fledged game, complete with challenging bosses, creative stages, and great characters. I haven’t done it in a while, mainly playing games with friends in the meantime.

4. What are your favorite games and why?  My favorite game of all time is Dragon Quest 8 — Journey of the Cursed King. I love turn-based RPGs and always will. This game is challenging, has a great world to explore, has great side-quests (Love the Monster Arena personally).

5. Why do you want to be a game designer/programmer?  People always say do what you love, and if you don’t play video games, where does that lead you? Possibly to some random job down the street you don’t enjoy doing. I’ve loved video games all of my life (People, I started when I was 3), and I’ve loved them ever since. So, I’m sticking with what I love to do, and that’s fact.

6. What makes a good video game?  People have very different opinions about this. I think what makes a good game is if you enjoy it. Sure, it might not be the best, but if you like it, don’t let anyone make you think differently. I personally like some challenge (aka, not a ball-busting game or Kirby’s Epic Yarn, for the matter), has an ok at least story(i don’t care that much anyways bout the story, it just helps), and it has to be fun.

 

7. What makes a bad video game?  Where to start? Start with the opposite of what I said previously — not fun, too easy [Kirby’s Epic Yarn (cough)] or too hard. Story, as I said, I don’t care much for, but it’s ok with me. A lot of people hate bad voice actors or bad writing. It can be annoying, but I don’t think that aspect itself makes or breaks a game. It doesn’t change how the game itself plays at all; that’s why I have no problem with it. Now, the main reason … bad gameplay. If this is bad, the game is BAD. There’s nothing changing this, not a great story, scenery, etc. If you screw up on this part, it isn’t going to be good. Who likes a game you can’t play? While glitches are usually a problem, I mostly laugh at them. If they screw up a quest or objective, yeah, then that’s bad (looking at you Skyrim).

How to Be Cool According to Be Cool

On By R. PettyIn MoviesLeave a comment

How does one be cool? What is cool? The definition varies depending on who you ask, and sometimes being cool is just being yourself. You may not be cool to everyone, but you’ll be cool to someone.

And what better example to use for discussion, then a movie entitled Be Cool? Often criticized for not being as good as Get Shorty, Be Cool  is the sequel to Get Shorty and ranks as one of my favorite comedies of all time. It’s not as well written and it’s silly, but it’s fun and hilarious. It has a star-studded cast who you can tell had a great time filming and working together. I can’t think of a single character or actor in the film who isn’t cool.

So, if you want to be cool, you must decide what kind of cool you want to be. Here’s a breakdown of the main characters in the movie:

Chili Palmer (John Travolta): Suave, slick, fearless, and dressed in all black. He knows how to work people and isn’t afraid to take risks.

Edie Athens (Uma Thurman): Cute, smart, and sexy. She’s a great example of a woman who’s not afraid to live without her man, especially because he gets killed in the opening scene.

Linda Moon (Christina Milian): Adorable, can sing, and sexy in a good-girl way. She’s cooperative and works hard, and her enthusiasm for music makes me feel like I too can do anything I want to do.

Raji (Vince Vaughn): Dresses like a pimp, silly, thinks he’s black, and not very bright. One of the best roles Vaughn has ever done, and paired with The Rock, the two make this movie.

Elliot (Dewayne Johnson): Has a variety of styles, looks smokin’ in a blue cowboy suit and shiny red boots, gay, and happy. And he even does the People’s Eyebrow!

Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer): Rich, successful, classy, thugish. He’s the perfect mix of gangster meets Hollywood dad.

Dabu (Andre 3000): Careless, not bright, overly excited about killing people. He’s a great complement to Sin and brings his own personality to the movie.

Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel): Suave, know-it-all, but not as slick as Chili. Great example of an older man trying to stay hip in a fast-paced society.

Once you decide what kind of cool you are, run with it. Just be yourself and have fun, and if you haven’t seem the movie and like comedies, definitely check it out. If you have any favorite scenes or lines, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section!

Take a Risk: Change Is Good

On By R. PettyIn OpinionsLeave a comment

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”
― Helen Keller, The Open Door

Life. We go through the same routine, day after day, thinking everything is “normal” and maybe everything will always be this way. Then something changes and opportunity presents itself.

For the last couple months, I have been overwhelmed by the amount of changes that have happened around me. There’s been love, loss, new jobs, life-changing decisions, and lots of emotions. And for the most part, positivity and excitement overflowed us. It has been one of the longest roller coasters I’ve been on in my short life.

How did we all get here? We took a risk. We said yes or no. We challenged ourselves. We changed. We chose to live and not just exist.

It was all necessary to get where we are today – even though some of us are terrified – and we are well on our way to becoming better, stronger people. This week, I want to offer some tips on dealing with change, and this post is dedicated to all those amazing people who inspire me!

1. Admit how you feel. Don’t try to push it down or ignore it. It’s okay to be scared, excited, nervous, whatever. You’re human, so you’re probably going to feel all of those at the same time, and it’s okay. Owning your emotions will help you process them.

2. Don’t apologize. You can’t make everyone happy all the time. You’ll be lucky to make a quarter of the people you know happy all the time, so don’t feel bad or apologize for your decisions. I’m not suggesting being insensitive, but if you decide to change jobs for example, don’t feel bad about it. Embrace the new opportunity!

3. Decide what you need and stick to it. This is the hardest part for me. Women especially tend to put themselves last because we are caretakers. We also need care. If you want to cry or scream, do it. If you want a drink, have a couple. If you want bread, dig in! Treat yourself how you treat those you love.

4. Dive in. Change can be scary and it’s very easy to get stuck. Refuse to settle and just jump in. It may or may not work out, but at least you tried and know instead of always asking yourself “what if”.

5. Don’t doubt yourself. This one may be the hardest to do. Keep in mind you are strong and can do anything you set your mind to. Seek advice and help from people who love you, and lean on them whenever you need. Don’t worry, you’ll have to return the favor one day.

Try to take a risk today! Even if you buy a lottery ticket for fun, dance while you clean, or call that person you’ve been admiring from afar. Maybe it’s time you check out jobs or take a hike instead of cleaning your house. Whatever it may be, remember you’re the only one holding yourself back!

 

Artist Spotlight: Chris Boehm

On By R. PettyIn ArtLeave a comment

It’s our pleasure to spotlight Chris Boehm this month. Chris runs the Etsy shop Upcycled Marketplace, where he makes functional and attractive furniture from unused and unwanted materials. He works as an energy efficiency engineer and is active in the American Ninja Warrior world. We encourage you to check out his merchandise on www.facebook.com/UpcycledMarketplace!

Chris Boehm Rev Pub: What are the basic materials/tools you use?
The materials I use to build my projects are any unused, unwanted or scrap materials. My most popular materials are old pallets, cabinet doors, windows and old shelving.
I use a miter saw, table saw, circular saw, jig saw, random orbit sander, and a drill. I am slowly building my tool selection as I go. I started making my first piece with just a circular saw, and I’m lucky to say I still have all 10 fingers! Future additions will be a drill press, bench sander, impact drill and a scroll saw.

 

Rev Pub: What inspired you to start Upcycled Marketplace?
I grew up being good at making things with my dad. He taught me construction, furniture making, electrical skills – anything a modern-day Renaissance Man should know how to do. I have also always been interested in reusing materials when I can, and when my wife and I moved into our house, we needed some furniture. So instead of spending a lot of money on decorations and furniture, I decided to use free materials (pallets and discarded wood from my dad’s workshop) to make a bar cart, coat rack and platter centerpiece.

Rev Pub: If you could make anything, what would it be?
I have always wanted to make something that incorporates solar photovoltaic cells such as a coffee table or wall hanging that does something functional like charge your cellphone or power a clock.

Coffee table upcycled marketplaceRev Pub: What are the challenges working with recycled materials and wood?
The challenges with using upcycled or recycled materials are making the material look good enough to go in a house but still retain its recycled nature. Keeping the rustic nature of the material while still passing my wife’s inspection. It’s also challenging to maintain the recycled idea of project because it would always be easier to go to the store and buy what you need instead of finding it in a junk yard or the free section of Craigslist.

Rev Pub: Do you have any tips or advice for someone wanting to start a similar hobby/business?
Have a game plan for what makes your projects different (in my case, the upcycled aspect helps me stand out). Stay true to your game plan, and don’t bite off more than you can chew. If you work full-time like I do, don’t try to complete too many projects at the same time – take it slow and do one project at a time if you have to.

And be sure to check out this awesome video about Chris’ main project last year — a dining room table and chairs!