Tag Archives: AiXeLsyD13

Rock N’ Roll Movies ๐ŸŽฌ

Posted on by Standard 3

I like rock n’ roll movies. I’ve seen a bunch. I still need to see a lot of them, or it’s been too long to remember what I thought of them.

What are your favorites? Mine are noted below: โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜… is good โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜† is bad. I just threw them in a table, then sorted by rating then title.

Please don’t say Rock of Ages. I have no interest in musicals. ๐Ÿคฃ

I used AI to partially successfully create a table with as-of-now correct IMDB & RT ratings. I’ll copy & paste it below, & link to my spreadsheet.

AiXeLsyD13’s Rock N’ Roll Movie List!
Movie:My Rating:IMDB:RT ๐Ÿ…:RT ๐Ÿฟ:Category:
A Mighty Windโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.287%82%Comedy
Airheadsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.222%57%Comedy
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventureโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.081%75%Comedy
Boom: A Film About the Sonicsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…8.9n/an/aDocumentary
Empire Musicโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.831%84%Comedy
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sagaโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.563%81%Comedy
Fat Kid Rules the Worldโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.484%61%Drama
Heavier Tripโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.091%n/aComedy
Heavy Tripโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.094%85%Comedy
Honeysuckle Roseโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.360%74%Drama
Josie and the Pussycatsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…5.653%53%Comedy
Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitchโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.789%88%Documentary
Mad Tigerโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.767%57%Documentary
Mission to Larsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…6.781%70%Documentary
Pick It Up!: Ska in the ’90sโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…8.0n/an/aDocumentary
Rayโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.780%87%Biopic
School of Rockโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.292%64%Comedy
The Other F Wordโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.278%82%Documentary
The Punk Syndromeโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.894%87%Documentary
This Is Spinal Tapโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.995%82%Comedy
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punkโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.882%93%Documentary
Walk the Lineโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…7.882%90%Biopic
Willie Nelson & Family (series)โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…8.386%100%Documentary
8 Mileโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.275%54%Drama
Anvil: The Story of Anvilโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.998%89%Documentary
Beware Mr. Bakerโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.698%81%Documentary
Bill & Ted Face the Musicโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†6.082%65%Comedy
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journeyโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†6.356%56%Comedy
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramonesโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†8.190%91%Documentary
It Might Get Loudโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.680%84%Documentary
Muscle Shoalsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.797%90%Documentary
Ordinary Worldโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†5.553%46%Drama
Searching for Sugar Manโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†8.295%92%Documentary
Sound Cityโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.8100%90%Documentary
Straight Outta Comptonโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.889%91%Biopic
The Blues Brothersโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.973%87%Comedy
Wayne’s Worldโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†7.079%84%Comedy
Whiskey on a Sundayโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†8.9n/an/aDocumentary
A Complete Unknownโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†7.4n/an/aBiopic
Almost Famousโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†7.989%92%Drama
Metal Lordsโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.762%84%Comedy
Metallica: Through The Neverโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†7.182%74%Drama
Onceโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†7.897%91%Drama
Rock ‘n’ Roll High Schoolโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.781%70%Comedy
Rockstarโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.352%57%Drama
Some Kind of Monsterโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†7.589%86%Documentary
Studio 666โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†5.756%80%Horror/Comedy
That Thing You Do!โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.993%82%Comedy
The Rockerโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.241%57%Comedy
The Runawaysโ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.570%66%Biopic
Wayne’s World 2โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†6.260%61%Comedy
CBGBโ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†6.67%39%Biopic
Hired Gunโ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†7.240%72%Documentary
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School Foreverโ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†4.6n/a55%Comedy
SLC Punkโ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†7.463%89%Drama
The Dirtโ˜…โ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†7.039%94%Biopic
Hysteria: The Def Leppard Storyโ˜…โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†โ˜†6.6n/a57%Biopic
Becoming Led Zeppelinn/an/an/an/aDocumentary
Bohemian Rhapsodyn/a7.960%85%Biopic
Cadillac Recordsn/a7.066%68%Biopic
Elvisn/a7.377%94%Biopic
Gutterdammerungn/a7.6n/an/aWeird
Heavy Metal Parking Lotn/a7.583%78%Documentary
High Fidelityn/a7.591%90%Drama
Jimi: All Is By My Siden/a5.768%41%Biopic
Junen/a7.5100%83%Documentary
Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Parkn/a4.8n/a60%Action
La Bamban/a6.991%78%Biopic
Metal: A Headbanger’s Journeyn/a8.090%91%Documentary
Punk’s Deadn/a4.6n/a36%Drama
Punks Not Deadn/a7.090%76%Documentary
Rocketmann/a7.389%88%Biopic
Sid & Nancyn/a7.088%84%Biopic
Sound of Metaln/a7.797%90%Drama
The Buddy Holly Storyn/a7.1100%82%Biopic
The Decline of Western Civilizationn/a7.5100%83%Documentary
The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Yearsn/a7.276%76%Documentary
The Decline of Western Civilization Part IIIn/a7.2100%80%Documentary
The Doorsn/a7.258%83%Biopic

As I have finished up, damnit I forgot Filmage, Tenacious D’s Pick of Destiny (& the TV show), Crossroads, Purple Rain, Frank, CB4, Big Money Hustlas, Salad Days, Pump Up The Volume, We Are Lady Parts, Popstar, Beavis & Butt-head, Breakin’, Pirate Radio, & more. I’m gonna have to do a part 2. Or maybe this is part 2 or 3 already? I blogged about rock movies back in 2012 a bit, & about rock docs.

You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes

Posted on by Standard 2
You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes (Front Cover)

Well then, it’s finally here. I finished maze book number two! This one is better than the last one, I promise. The first was sort of a test run just to see how Amazon KDP works. I wholeheartedly appreciate everyone that bought that book, but this one just objectively looks better and much more time was put into its creation. It ought to be much more challenging and enjoyable, IMHO.

It’s called You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes. Thanks to @brain.d.37 on Threads for suggesting the title!

This book a collection of a bunch more larger mazes, and a few small ones that I have been drawing since late 2023. There’s no common theme other than most of the mazes have a silly vibe. A few have no vibe at all. There’s aliens, rodents, yard work, holiday stuff, rock n’ roll, a treasure map, food, retail aversion, gross stuff, & more.

You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes (Front Cover)
You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes (Front Cover)

I hope you consider picking up a copy for yourself, & maybe even one for a friend? If not, just sharing the link to someone who you think may enjoy it, or just sharing it in general would be awesome.

The link is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9Y7SFXS and I’d love if you could share it, review it, favorite it or save it to a list… anything to help even if you’re not interested in a purchase. You could give me a good (or terrible) review or add it to your list on GoodReads too, if that’s your thing.

I had fun making a collage with punk ‘zine vibes for the cover. I busted out the mixed media, printed on weird paper, got two cutting, ripping, & coffee staining… and unearthed the leopard & cheetah print tape.

All of the mazes were hand-drawn, scanned in, edited (& “solved”) in paint.NET, & put together with Open Office. I haven’t stepped into the world of digital drawing yet, and I like my free programs. Someday, I’ll probably dive into GIMP a little more.

You Can See Yourself Out: A Collection of Fun, Irreverent, Festive, & Wild Hand-Drawn Mazes (Full Front & Back Cover)

I love drawing the mazes, and it’s a great creative outlet like blogging or making music or playing out live. I’m sitting on a pile of old ones that I can convert into a book… but I need to make sure they’re all solvable and do the solutions.

Find the tone! Guitar amp stack maze collage.

Some are too big to fit on my scanner, and scanning with my phone has less than desirable results… so I’m gonna have to go somewhere like a FedEx Office store and hope they can help before they all disappear. I have a problem picking up any notebook that catches my eye and is the right price, regardless of size & paper type. I like the feel & the calming of pen on paper.

Some of the ones that I have posted here in writing goofy emails/letters to companies probably can’t be included because of copyrights or trademarks when I include their products. (Unless La Choy/Conagra, Pizza Hut, Sheetz, Dollar Shave Club, Pepperidge Farm, Disney/Lucasfilm & more sign off on it, or it falls under fair use? I guess I could have included this one or these two.)

I guess I did figure this whole thing out.

Because I have been excited about this, and I made a small collage with leftover bits, I popped up some new merch designs in my TeePublic & RedBubble stores with that new collage & the book cover images. I do have some older designs there with a few of the mazes that are featured in this book too. If you have an account & follow me on either of those sites, it may help my stuff get seen a bit more. I’d appreciate any form of liking/sharing/tagging if you’re so inclined!

TeePublic "You Can See Yourself Out" merch by AIXeLsyD13
RedBubble "You Can See Yourself Out" merch by AIXeLsyD13

In fact, check out all these designs from or inspired by the book, you can get them on all kinds of merch at each store! (I ordered a sticker, a magnet, a coffee cup, & a hoodie so I’m already in the hole.)

Cover & Collage Designs:

Mazes featured in the book:

So, what do you think? Any of it catch your idea? Any ideas for maze merch? Think you’ll pick up a copy?

If you happen to get something, post a photo or video of yourself with it, & tag me on social media! I’m @AiXeLsyD13 pretty much everywhere.

I wish I had a pedal-mobile.

Posted on by Standard Reply

I don’t have a pedal-mobile like the savagely sardonic Pat Finnerty, but I do have some weird mostly cheap pedals. You’ve seen my guitars, you may have heard some of my musical output, but I need to set up a spot to rock again after letting chaos accumulate in my jam space.

A bunch of guitar pedals on the dirty concrete floor.
Pedals-Schmeadals

I posited the following to social media, and AI:

How would you hook up the following components to maximize use/effectiveness of the given equipment for a guitar rig?

The Amps:

  • Gorilla TC-35 (Combo)
  • Fender Blues Jr. (Combo)
  • Positive Grid Spark (Combo)
  • Lil’ Smokey (Combo)
  • Orange Micro Terror (Head)
  • Laney 2×12 (Cab)
  • Yamaha MSR 100 (PA)

The Pedals:

  • D’Addario/Planet Waves PW-CT-04 Tuner
  • Ernie Ball 6185 Wah
  • Quinnamp Dirt & Ernie (Distortion/Boost)
  • The Spamp+ (Amp / Preamp)
  • Ammoon Pock Loop (Looper)
  • LiveWire Solutions ABY1 ABY Box
  • Joyo BAATSIN (Overdrive/Distortion)
  • Crazy Tube Circuits Unobtanium (Overdrive)
  • Mooer E7 Synth
  • DigiTech Trio Band Creator + FS3X Footswitch

Is there a good order to the pedals? Typically I have the Trio going out to the Yamaha PA, and the ABY going into the Micro Terror/Laney and the Blues Jr. Ignoring the Spark & (sadly) the TC-35. I’m not sure which way to order the pedals, though.

Also, do I split the signal early & put different effects to each amp? I have done that with the wah and it sounds neat.

I get that it’s all subjective, but I love to over-think things… so help me do that.

I did ask Perplexity, ChatGPT, & Gemini for advice, and they seem to provide pretty standard stuff that you may see in guitar forums.

From Perplexity:

๐ŸŽธ

To set up your guitar rig effectively, the goal is to optimize signal flow for tonal clarity while integrating the ABY box and DigiTech Trio Band Creator with your PA system. Here’s a structured approach:

Pedal Order Recommendations

  1. Tuner (D’Addario PW-CT-04):
    Place first to ensure a clean signal for accurate tuning136.
  2. Wah (Ernie Ball 6185):
    Follows the tuner, as wah pedals interact best with an unaltered guitar signal135.
  3. Distortion/Boost (Quinnamp Dirt & Ernie):
    Early gain staging preserves dynamic response. Stack with subsequent drives145.
  4. Overdrives (Joyo BAATSIN, Crazy Tube Circuits Unobtanium):
    Order these based on preference (e.g., lower-gain first into higher-gain)146.
  5. Preamp (The Spamp+):
    Acts as a tone-shaping buffer. Place after drives to avoid coloring their response34.
  6. Synth (Mooer E7):
    Position after drives for consistent tracking. Synths can behave unpredictably with distorted signals45.
  7. DigiTech Trio Band Creator:
    Place here to analyze your processed guitar signal. Route its output to the Yamaha PA for bass/drum separation24.
  8. Looper (Ammoon Pock Loop):
    Last in the chain to capture the entire signal, including the Trioโ€™s guitar input. This ensures loops include all effects34.
  9. ABY Box (LiveWire ABY1):
    Split the final signal to your Orange Micro Terror/Laney 2×12 and Fender Blues Jr.2.
    • Enable ground lift/isolation if using both amps simultaneously to avoid hum2.

Amplifier Configuration

  • Orange Micro Terror: Connect to the Laney 2×12 cab (ensure impedance matching).
  • Fender Blues Jr.: Use as a standalone combo.
  • Yamaha PA: Dedicated to the Trioโ€™s band mix for a full stereo/backing track experience24.

Key Considerations

  • Experiment with Drive Order: Test the Joyo BAATSIN and Unobtanium in different sequences (e.g., BAATSIN as a mid-boost into the Unobtaniumโ€™s higher gain)14.
  • Synth Placement: If tracking issues arise, try moving the Mooer E7 earlier (post-wah)5.
  • ABY Ground Noise: Use the LiveWire ABY1โ€™s ground-lift feature if humming occurs2.

This setup balances conventional signal-chain logic with your specific gear, ensuring the Trioโ€™s band tracks and dual-amp rig work cohesively. Always test and tweak to suit your playing style!

Citations:

  1. https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/comments/w23bgj/my_first_pedals_in_what_order_do_i_put_them/
  2. https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarpedals/comments/18q86t2/aby_with_pedal_boards_and_2_amps/
  3. https://spartanmusic.co.uk/blogs/smblog/12314153-the-essentials-of-setting-up-ordering-your-guitar-pedals
  4. https://www.strymon.net/setting-up-your-effect-signal-chain/
  5. https://www.earthquakerdevices.com/blog-posts/aarons-bass-hole-get-in-line-pedal-order-101
  6. https://articles.boss.info/is-there-a-perfect-pedal-order/
  7. https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-the-best-pedal-order/
  8. https://catalinbread.com/pages/pedal-order-101
  9. https://www.laney.co.uk/blog/an-easy-guide-to-ampless-guitar-rigs-explained/
  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSEigSiXXY
  11. https://articles.boss.info/the-ultimate-guide-to-guitar-effects-pedal-order-and-signal-chain/
  12. https://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=22000
  13. https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/news/141962/
  14. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH9FO1EMIPQ
  15. https://www.radialeng.com/blog/understanding-aby-switchers
  16. https://thejhsshow.com/articles/understanding-pedal-order
  17. https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/lqs3c2/trading_orange_micro_terror_and_cab_for_a_blues/
  18. https://www.musiciansfriend.com/effects-pedals
  19. https://www.reddit.com/r/GuitarAmps/comments/11gnatf/how_do_people_setup_multiple_amps/
  20. https://forum.orangeamps.com/viewtopic.php?t=20110

Answer from Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-would-you-hook-up-the-foll-tU6VWW5dR1eQrF1her2o1g?utm_source=copy_output

๐ŸŽธ

Perplexity would not generate a schematic, but ChatGPT & Gemini did… or they tried. They look cool upon first glance, then get real weird when you zoom in… and they don’t even follow the advice of the chain setup. Clearly there is a disparity between the text generation & the image generation. Some of the pedal representations are really cool though, especially with GhatGPT. I can’t help but wonder where it is stolen from. Guitar mag/website rig rundowns?

Gemini generated pedal schematic.

I dunno when Fender started using orange tolex & separate heads… but the pedals look fancy.

ChatGPT generated pedal schematic.

It clearly used the Dirt & Ernie art for the Unobtanium, but it stole that gorgeous Micro Terror from somewhere… and WTF is a Crazy Tauloc? Sounds like an extra on Star Trek.

Granted, I am generally a plug-in, crank the gain, and keep the volume low kind of player. I don’t so effects much. I would like to monkey around with that I have.

Here is where I solicit your advice in the comments and on social media. ๐Ÿค˜

AiXeLsyD13 maze T-shirts in the wild!

Posted on by Standard Reply

Well. One.

I have sold a few, but I love being tagged on social media if you get one, like this post on threads.

Made a sale & got tagged on Threads!www.threads.net/@funnypunkba…It looks neat on a T-shirt!

— แ—กส๊™…โ…ƒษ˜XiA ฦ†iะฏฦŽ ๐ŸŽธ (@aixelsyd13.bsky.social) 2025-01-25T21:51:13.757Z
https://twitter.com/AiXeLsyD13/status/1883271326363996579

Check out all the stuff in my merch stores on RedBubble and TeePublic!

Hit me up on all the socials if you do buy a sticker, T-shirt, book, or anything. I’m @AiXeLsyD13 pretty much everywhere.

Oh yeah, I ordered my Ohio Valley Style Pizza T-shirt, too… and a sticker & some maze stickers. They look neat on stuff!

Will Teriyaki Tenacity Lead to Teriyaki Triumph?

Posted on by Standard 1

This morning, I was emboldened by a comment on an old blog post where I drew a maze and sent it to Conagra to accuse them of lying to the people about discontinuing their delicious Teriyaki sauce in favor of pushing a gross one filled with seeds.

Commenter Cory told me that there is a Change.org petition to bring it back. My most-likely delusional headcanon is that I definitely got Totino’s to change their microwave instructions. So, of course, we will push this forward so I can restore my Teriyaki stuff to its former glory. Here, we double-down on things that really have no consequence or significance. This is World (and Lunar) Domination.

The closest thing I have found is the Essential Everyday brand that I got from Shop ‘n Save, and there are always rumors of them closing and becoming yet another Giant Eagle.

If you’re also a fan of inconsequential chaos and delicious Teriyaki, please follow the saga, and sign the petition!

Others have awakened:

Also, try to solve the maze, and post in the comments or post it & tag me (& Conagra) on social media!

TeePublic Merch Sale!

Posted on by Standard Reply

TeePublic is having a sale, and they encouraged me to spread the word. I did on various social media platforms, and Ill post those here. I’d appreciate a share if you have the time or are so inclined, and it would be cool if you’re inspired to pick something up for yourself or as a gift!

Check out http://tee.pub/lic/AiXeLsyD13 for $16 T-shirts, and other merch for up to 35% off!

There’s also always my RedBubble shop and Maze Book, too. (I’m still slowly working on a 2nd book.)

Apologies for the shameless pug, but I have to get the word out somehow. I don’t pay for advertising, as the artist profit for print-on-demand services is pretty small. If I can simply fund my creative outlets, it’s a nice lil’ personal win.

@aixelsyd13

@TeePublic is having a sale, which means you can get my desings in T-shirts for $16 right now, g 9ther stuff for up to 35% off. Cheoc out my stiff, get yourself a treat, or donaome holiday shopping! http://tee.pub/lic/AiXeLsyD13 #Maze #TeePublic #AiXeLsyD13 #Pizzq #Christmas #guitar #cat #turkey #banana #Thanksgiving #LEGO #witch #๐Ÿฆƒ #๐ŸŒ

โ™ฌ Father Christmas – The Kinks

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@aixelsyd13/post/DCuBGbtxwut

So, TeePublic is having a sale, which means you can get my art on all kinds of stuff for cheaper than usual. It's mostly mazes, but I may occasionally do other silly stuff.tee.pub/lic/AiXeLsyD13Check out some unique stuff for yourself or for your holiday gift list! Maybe share too, please?

— แ—กส๊™…โ…ƒษ˜XiA ฦ†iะฏฦŽ ๐ŸŽธ (@aixelsyd13.bsky.social) 2024-11-23T16:25:35.045Z
https://twitter.com/AiXeLsyD13/status/1860351933292150951
https://nextdoor.com/p/9JPMNSTc3rxx

Ohio Valley Style Pizza: Sometimes You Just Like It Raw

Posted on by Standard 2

Sometimes you get goofy ideas. Sometimes you follow through on them before anyone tells you no.

For some reason, Ohio Valley Style pizza has made the rounds as “Pittsburgh Pizza,” and that’s fine with me. We just had Beto’s the other night. For me, it’s delicious, inexpensive, and filling. It seems to be rather polarizing. I know DiCarlo’s & Police Station Pizza have their followings, too.

Does anyone else do it this way?

The trip inspired me to do this…

A slice of Beto's pizza, Ohio Valley Style pie from the Banksville neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA, with the caption "Rawdog the cheese & toppings... Ohio Valley Style!"

And, now that design is available on all kinds of stuff in my TeePublic & RedBubble shops.

T-shirt @ TeePublic
Apron @ RedBubble

Check it out, and tell your friends. Buy it on something you dig it. Both stores have T-shirts, stickers, magnets, hats, & so much more!

Of course, I really enjoy Aiello’s, Badamo’s, Slice, & Italian Village Pizza, too. Also, if you catch a Fox’s on a good day, it’s pretty good too! There’s room for all styles at the table.

Hit me up in the comments with your pizza manifestos because people seem wildly adherent to their opinions, and drop your design critiques too!

Is AI music toothpaste out of the tube?

Posted on by Standard Reply

So, I guess I had no idea that AI music was as advanced as it is. I assumed the stuff I saw on social medial was from paid or sophisticated programs. I have been monkeying casually with text prompts at ChatGPT or Meta AI, and image generators at DALL-E 2, Craiyon, & in the PicsArt app for a while. Luma AI even animates photos in the creepiest way possible. I have recently started messing with Google’s Gemini, too.

While the first two AI song generators that popped up when I googled did not require me to download an app or pay any money, I was able to have them bang out a song in less than a minute. The second one even let me insert lyrics, so I used ChatGPT & Gemini to write lyrics. Of course I chose punk rock, and the subject matter was just me poorly describing the blog. This stuff is wild.

The prompt was: “World (and Lunar) Domination” a punk rock song about drawing mazes and writing goofy letters.

For some reason, I can’t seem to embed these ones. ๐Ÿคท

AI Music Factory automatically spits out 2 songs from the same prompts.

All of the songs are generic pop punk, street punk, and a weird attempt at some uncanny valley-ish horns. They are formulaic pop punk, of which I could certainly be accused of doing when I was actively playing in bands. The weird part is that is not all that dissimilar from my actual creative output. The lyrics have some interesting ideas & hooks too, if I’m being honest. Does that mean I am a terrible and generic songwriter? Perhaps my lack of commercial success in that area speaks to that. ๐Ÿ˜†

Self-depreciating humor aside, I feel like I have been involved in the creation of some fun, silly, & kick-ass music, and I was never really doing it for financial gain or recognition. It was an itch that I needed to scratch. I needed to make art via punk rock.

The above songs are derivative of a thousand different punk bands, but the one vocalist sounds oddly like Bad Religion. All of it is stealing from something though. Is it scouring the whole internet? Is it using Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Music, or Amazon Music? Is it creeping on hard drives in home studios or at record companies?

I feel like this is really close to having the ability to be passed off as a real band. It even reminds me of Crotchduster,

Is it theft, or inspiration? I would not have picked up a guitar and tried to write punk rock songs if I had not heard the Ramones & the Misfits doing what they did. Led Zeppelin’s entire catalog is arguably not entirely derivative of everything that passed through Jimmy Page’s earholes. (I mean, George Lucas did the same thing with Star Wars – it was just Flash Gordon, The Seven Samurai, The Hidden Fortress, & Dune.)

It can be argued that the music is soulless. I get that. I need music to move me in some way, in order to feel that connection. There are already lots of human generated songs out there that don’t really hit me that way. It’s terrible when a song evokes no emotion. I feel that way about Nickelback, even though it’s unironically cool to like them now. Ha ha.

In keeping with the theme of this post, I also used a bunch of AI image generators with various prompts about my blog, and got some weird weird wild stuff. None of them seem to accurately display text whatsoever at all… but the compositions, colors, & design choices are interesting. Is is stolen work though?

It was said that Robin Williams was notorious for stealing bits, but I have read/heard that he was always “on,” and just pulling in ideas and churning out jokes at a constant speed… he may not have realized that his thoughts weren’t entirely his own. But then again, were they? Everything we think, say, & do is a response to our own audio & visual input. (And, all the other senses.)

If AI is putting something out, and the way it “senses” is browsing the internet, what’s wrong with that? Is it stealing because it is not alive? Is it just a tool like a paintbrush or a calculator? Is AI song generation different than loops or sampling or guitar pedals that drastically change a tone?

Images generated by various AI image generators, with prompts pretty much just describing my blog.

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Because every single one of my thoughts also has an incomprehensibly tangential aside, I just did this as the idea came to me while blogging:

๐•ฟ๐–๐–Š ๐–‰๐–Š๐–†๐–™๐– ๐–’๐–Š๐–™๐–†๐–‘ ๐–๐–Ž๐–™๐–™๐–Š๐–“ ๐–˜๐–”๐–“๐–Œ – I had ChatGPT write those lyrics a long time ago to be silly. It deleted the chat from the history as it found the content to perhaps be “inappropriate.” Luckily I grabbed a screenshot. I just used my last freebie at AI Music Factory to make this, and unlike with the other songs, I actually downloaded the mp3’s because I find it wildly amusing. AI plays guitar better than Kerry King.

A gothic metal style painting of an adorable black kitten dining with a fork and a knife, created by Meta AI as an album cover for a song generated by an AI song generator.
“FEED THE KITTEN” album art by Meta AI
Claws like razors, eyes like night My little beast, always ready to fight Hungry and restless, a bundle of fury I open the can, to feed the furry Feeding my kitten, hear her growl Tiny teeth and a vicious scowl Feeding my kitten, blood and meat Ripping and tearing, nothing sweet Pouncing and hissing, she's always keen Greedily slurping, the viscous cream Bones and gristle, she loves the gore My little predator, always wants more Feeding my kitten, hear her growl Tiny teeth and a vicious scowl Feeding my kitten, hear her growl Tiny teeth and a vicious scowl Feeding my kitten, blood and meat Ripping and tearing, nothing sweet Pouncing and hissing, she's always keen Greedily slurping, the viscous cream Bones and gristle, she loves the gore My little predator, always wants more Feeding my kitten, hear her growl Tiny teeth and a vicious scowl Feeding my kitten, blood and meat Ripping and tearing, nothing sweet My little monster, a killing machine Feeding frenzy, a fearsome scene No mercy, no pity, no retreat My kitten's hunger, can never be beat!
“Feed The Kitten” by ChatGPT

So, did I just write a song? No. But… I had the idea for one. It, much like my own artistic output, was a silly idea. (I was always sad that Gasoline Dion never completed songs that we were working on, including but not limited to “667, Across the Street From the Beast” and the ever poetic line “Let me put my meat hook in your beef curtains.”)

I just let my 10yo daughter hear the metal kitten song. She laughed and said it sounds like everything else I listen to (she’s a Taylor Swift fan). When I told her it was AI generated in under a damn minute & that ChatGPT wrote the lyrics, her eyes got wide and was all “That’s not good…”

She immediately understood the implications. Anyone could make a hit album. We could all be Milli Vanilli. Even better, you could probably create a video avatar of an artist or band. I haven’t delved into AI generated video past the tiny Luma AI clips.

Would using AI as a muse, or to flesh out partial lyric ideas be “wrong?” Are we in an era like the early days of sampling where soon someone will figure out how to give artists royalties for music or artwork being fed into AI? I know there are already cases out there. I also know you can’t copyright AI images. Not sure about music, though? I know Mรถtley Crรผe was accused of using AI to write songs.

Will commercials, social media, radio, TV, & movies forgo traditional composers and just make their own jingles, scores, & soundtracks?

It was fun to play with, but do I like it enough that I will pay for it? I doubt it. I can’t think of a practical use for myself other than making a fictional band or something… and who would want AI generated crap content right now? If I paid to put it on streaming services (if you can even copyright it), how would that generate income or even be sustainable? Live shows would be (for now) out of the question. I don’t think it would “feel good” to put that out, like it does to release actual music you created. Maybe kids will dig AI music in the future… or our eventual robot overlords might.

Because I can’t stop, Luma AI animations of AI generated images:

OK, I went back & messed with Udio again. I found where you could pop in the kitten lyrics from Chat GPT. I do not like the output nearly as much, but it’s still pretty wild:

So, what are your thoughts on AI generated stories, art, music, & video? Are we in the wild west? Do you use any of it? If you do use it, what sites/apps, and to what end? Please, hit up the comments!

Oh yeah, those sites automatically generated videos I could download too.

I got to test a new camera bird feeder.

Posted on by Standard 14

You may have seen my previous birdwatching post. I guess I have developed an affinity for my bird videos. I have a whole YouTube playlist of ’em. I have participated in the Netvue Birdfy Community Facebook group (& a private group for soliciting feedback), and posted stuff on my Instagram, TikTok, & other social media platforms.

I have really enjoyed seeing the wildlife in my backyard through my Birdfy Feeder & my Birdfy camera (& the accessories). The folks at Birdfy reached out to ask if I would like to test a new product, so of course I said yes! I have been using it, sharing my camera feeds with the company, & providing feedback for a while now with the company, & uploading photos/videos to a private Google photos album. It was exciting to see them respond & change features/settings as the testing went on. They really improved tracking, AI recognition, & picture/video quality rather quickly.

It has ben hard to keep quiet about it & not share the video or photos!

As a company, they’re constantly reaching out to solicit suggestions on product ideas, design, features, and more. They have recently updated their app to enable editing of AI tags as per customer suggestions.

I’m relieved to be able to share the fact that I have been helping to test the new camera, & to finally share the photos/video.

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Here my son helped me film the unboxing/setup, if you want to see a really poorly edited video. I have set up over 7 Birdfy cameras at this point through the app, and all of them have been really simple.

The product I got to try out is the new Birdfy Feeder 2 Pro, and full disclosure: If you use my affiliate link to purchase any Birdfy products, I earn a small comission: https://www.birdfy.com/?ref=AiXeLsyD13

The one that was sent to me has two cameras, the Birdfy 2, & the Birdfy 2 Pro, and it’s a Duo feeder with the Pro camera mounted in the middle, and the 2 mounted on the side. It also came with a solar panel. I mounted it on a pole that I had purchased from Amazon.

The Birdfy 2 Duo Feeder with the Birdfy 2 Pro & Birdfy 2 cameras.
The Birdfy 2 Duo Feeder with the Birdfy 2 Pro & Birdfy 2 cameras.

I like the looks of it, and the color when compared to the original feeder. It just seems a bit more elegant or classic of a design. The bamboo feeder is really nice looking, too. I also like that the lid of this newer model opens up & back, so you can see better into the hopper as you’re filling it… and that the cameras are wholly independent of the housing for ease of access. I have removed the two plates per Birdfy’s request, as the bords seem to have more room to perch without them in the way.

The cameras take a while to charge at first, but the solar panel typically keeps it close to 100%. Occasionally, I do have to bring a camera in for a recharge across all the products. (I don’t have a nest or a hummingbird feeder yet, but maybe someday.)

The app is easy to navigate from the setup of the cameras, to checking out the various videos and photos captured. It has a daily highlights feature, and a monthly recap. The FB community is great for ideas and seeing others’ setups and the birds (& other animals) #CaughtOnBirdfy, and Birdfy support is incredibly responsive.

The video & photos are what shines here, though. The Pro 2 has two cameras, one that moves & tracks the birds. Videos can be downloaded, shared with the community or “collected” in the app, and you can see both cameras at once from the live view. I had to quiet the notifications, because I literally get them all day. The AI bird recognition is pretty good, and getting better, especially now that functionality for correcting the tags has been implemented.

American Goldfinch, Northern Carinal, & Blue Jay - captured form the Birdfy 2 cameras.
House Finch, White-Breasted Nuthatch, & Tufted Titmouse - captured form the Birdfy 2 cameras.
Squirrels - captured form the Birdfy 2 cameras.
Screenshots of the Birdfy app.
Photos from the Birdfy Duo Feeder with the Birdfy 2 Pro & Birdfy 2 cameras.

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If you have any questions about the feeders, my setups, or anything related to this… don’t hesitate to ask in the comments or reach out on social media. I enjoy vegetable gardening, keeping a nice backyard, and living in harmony with nature even here in the suburbs. These feeders add to the enjoyment. I don’t have to be outside all day to catch a glimpse of nature at work. I try to plant flowers for the pollinators, I’m working on a birdbath and may eventually make a little pond. I have bee/butterfly baths & bug houses.

Bird people seem to be mixed on the squirrels & chipmunks though. I love to watch them, too. Ha ha. I have a squirrel feeder out with a camera trained on it, but may use a Birdfy camera to build into a squirrel feeder eventually. Maybe a barstool style feeder? I’ll have to fortify the wires, as sometimes they can apparently chew them and be quite destructive.

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I am in the suburbs just south of Pittsburgh, PA, and I use a varying mix of fruit & nut mix, dried mealworms, a songbird seed mix, sunflower seeds, & sometimes some hot pepper seed mix or cayenne pepper or chili powder. The latter tends to keep the squirrels at the squirrel feeder, but the dust can smudge the camera lenses sometimes. I also tent to put out peanuts and corn for the squirrels (although that pulls in raccoons & deer, too).

You can poke through my whole playlist, or see some videos from just the Birdfy 2 cameras here: