Check out this new construction in Snohomish, built by my team 

This project is one the first I’ve seen from concept to build. It’s of particular importance to me. I was at the site anyways, and thought it would be fun to share it with you. Check it the video below.

Yeah, I realize I shot all the clips in portrait. Ugh! 

Anyway, this house is for sale. Have your agent put an offer on this one! Don’t have one? I can fix that for you. 

We’re looking forward to getting someone in there. That’s the best part of this job. 

Oh Dear God, More Autoplay Video Annoyances

 

Ok, gobs of us non-silicon types have vented on the internet about auto-play videos. But instead of listening to us, webdevs are now playing “here, hold my beer” in a case of outdoing each other in obnoxiousness. Just loaded a site that flooded my office with a cacophony of raucousness reminiscent of the Tower of Babble.  About 1 second in, I no longer cared, much less remembered, what I opened the page to read. Closed it and moved on, as is my policy.

So, again my webdevy chums, I know you folks need to capitalize on your work. I get it. But don’t render your site useless in either blinding greed or desperation.

Love Is All You Need

​Love is all you need
Against rampant cruelty
Bigotry destroys 


Cultural brutality destroys beauty. I found this video powerful, disturbing and thoughtful.  I present to you: “Love Is All You Need”, exploring sexuality, bullying, and the social pressure to conform. 
https://youtu.be/3ROXTFfkcfo

Feeling Hopeful

My son just introduced me to this video by the British group “Bars and Melody“: Hopeful. The guys sing/rap quite well, but I find the anti-bullying message of this song powerful. It looks like this is a key part of their identity, which I fully support.

Now, it’s important to note, this video is from 2014. They have a pretty cool story of rising up via Britain’s Got Talent, getting a recording contract, and making a way via the arts through one of the new arts delivery channels.

Anyway, enjoy the video and let me know what you think in the comments.

Oh, YouTube Red, so close, yet so far

I’ve been hoping for YouTube to make upgrading to Red family plans easier for a few months. Imagine my delight to read this, then:

 

So I scurried over and clicked the “Upgrade Now” button, and…well…nope:

I thought myself so clever, setting up my family on a Google Apps “Standard Edition” (ancient predecessor for G Suite) back in the stone age (they stopped supporting it in 2012). It’s been nice having the family email accounts all together and under my administration (“Dad…I forgot my password…again…”). So, no Red Family plan for us…for now, at least. I suppose I can use an independent gmail account to do this. I wonder if I can share with a G Suite account from a personal account? Hmmm…

Anyway, I’m annoyed. Not angry, not going to abandon the Googleverse just yet. But, well, “harumph”!

Harumph
Harumph

The Cure’s “A Forest” and the Evolution of a Band

I’ve heard this song countless times. Today, Youtube popped this up in the recommended list and I happily listened. Seeing other versions in the sidebar from 1979, 1981, and 1992 made me wonder about how different each one sounded. I enjoyed witnessing the evolution of Robert Smith’s personal style as well.

Below is the 1979 version, which has a more traditional punk vibe (it says something that I can say “traditional” and “punk” without any sense of irony).

This one is from 1981. Not a huge transition, but I notice a less punk style and something that becomes much more recognized as The Cure.

 

By 1992, we have a clearly distinctive style that is The Cure, and not confusable with anyone else.

 

Thanks for giving a few minutes of your journey through the vast wasteland that is the internet. Let me know what you think in the comments, and give me a share, if you’re so led.