Karaoke World Championships, National Finals - Houston, TX

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Saturday, 9:30 AM :: After flying in last night and spending the night at Dad & Sherry's, Dad and I are on our way to Hush in Houston for the contest. Last night we hit up Mens Wearhouse and I got a suit for my Frank Sinatra song. Will update when we get to Hush.

Saturday, 12:15 PM :: HA! 45 contestants, and I am #44. This climb just got a little more uphill. I'll be up in about 3 hours for those who want to watch the stream!

Saturday, 2:30 PM :: About 25 singers to go in Round 1 and so far I'm not totally out of it. :) I'm #7 during round 2.

Saturday, 3:00 PM :: #30 coming up after the break... Means about 1 hour til showtime!!

Saturday, 3:30 PM :: #35 coming up (Chase - my WA homie) - tune in for me around 4:15.

Saturday, 4:00 :: #40 up now! Tune in at 4:15!

Saturday, 6:00 :: I didn't leave anything on the table. Best I've ever sang either song. Looks like they're taking the top 10 males and females into Round 3, so we'll see how it goes!!

Saturday, 11:40 PM :: End of Day 1. They had to stop in the middle of round 2 when we ran out of time. About 30 singers remaining before the Top 10 guys and girls advance to round 3. Regardless of what happens, I did my very best and had all kinds of fun. Josh's parents had the west coasters over for swimming and BBQ; lots of fun relaxing with my 'roke family.

World Karaoke Championships: West Region Finals

Thursday, August 05, 2010

Hey everybody. =) As you may know, I have a penchant for karaoke. Since moving to Seattle, I've found a great karaoke spot: Thursdays at Blue C Sushi, in Bellevue, WA. The guy who hosts it, Pete, keeps the vibe fun and playful; and the song selection is mind-boggling. There's a regular cadre of peeps who are there most Thursdays, and they are amazing to be around - supportive and accepting, just the way karaoke is meant to be.

A couple of weeks ago, one of them shot me a txt Thursday morning letting me know that that evening was a local qualifier for the World Karaoke Championships' Washington State Finals. I went, sang Ordinary People by John Legend, and qualified. A few days later, at the WA State Finals, I sang Somewhere Over the Raindbow / What a Wonderful World by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole and wasn't selected to advance any farther.

Well wouldn't you know, some of those who were selected must've declined, because I got called back! So this weekend I am journeying down to Albuquerque, NM to participate in the West Region Finals. The Top 5 males and females from a pool of contestants that is comprised of 14 states (Alaska, Arizona, No. Cal, So. Cal, Colorado, Hawai'i, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada and Washington) will advance to the National Finals in Houston, TX.

The biggest lesson I took away from the State Finals is that uptempo songs or songs people want to sing along with or dance to are the best sellers. So for the competition, I've chosen Faith by George Michael and then Mr. Brightside by The Killers.

I'll be live blogging from the event Saturday and Sunday, so check back here for updates if you're interested! Wish me luck. =)

Friday, 7:00 AM :: A few minutes until I board the plane to Albuquerque! After last night's 'roke at Blue C I'm feelin relaxed. I'd like to try to get Ordinary People switched with Mr Brightside as my #2 song. I'll try visualizing good things and hope the universe agrees.

Friday, 4:30 PM :: What trip to NM would be complete without some amazing Mexican food? It turns out a bunch of the WA singers were on the same flight, and we're bonding. :) In a few hours we'll head over to the venue for meet and greet!

Friday, 11:00 PM :: A summary of the Meet & Greet.... let's see, what's important? #1: There will be roughly 37 contests competing in total (not sure about the split between male & female). With the top 5 males and top 5 females advancing, I'd be lying if I said my hopes didn't just go up a little bit. #2: The venue is perfect for my songs! There's a stage and lots of amply lit floor space in front of it for moving around in. I'm now really excited for Faith tomorrow, because I will be using that floor space, believe you me. =) We're expected to be at the venue (Exhale Bar & Nightclub) tomorrow morning at 11:30 AM. So tonight I will be resting up and drinking lots of water. #3: One of those seemingly impossible coincidences... one of my fellow WA singers not only moved here from NYC, but actually used to work in the exact same building I did by Madison Square Park... CRAZY. See you in the AM!

Saturday, 12:30 PM :: Seems there are just over 30 singers here... I'm #11. Butterflies a'growim. George Michael, don't let me down... The venue is a gay bar after all. :)

Saturday, 12:40 PM :: Judges just announced that top 10 males and females advance...!! Odds are getting better. Gotta have faith. ;)

Saturday, 2:00 PM :: Well... That went okay. Definitely struggled with the lyrics a bit... And flat out ran out of breath at one point! But the judges said they couldn't take their eyes off of me, and they're looking forward to hearing my other side tomorrow. It's awesome to hear all the talent in the room.

Saturday, 5:15 PM :: Day 1 has finished up, and my 'Roke Roomie and I celebrated with some Sonic Burger on the way home. (For the record, he's probably going to win this thing.) Now, those of you who've ever watched any kind of competition with me might know that I tend to call things once I feel pretty confident in how I think something's going to end up. Well, after seeing everyone, I feel like I've still got a chance to crack the Top 10. There were numerous male singers who were way above and beyond me... in a different stratosphere really, but at the same time, of all the guys who went today, I feel like I might've been #1 for stage presence - meaning I interacted with with the audience, and more importantly, they had fun - which is the main reason I chose "Faith" in the first place. So tomorrow I've gotta show a different side with John Legend and hope the combination of the two songs does the trick.

Saturday, 6:30 PM :: Video from today. =) Now you can see for yourself: Had a ton of fun, but flubbed it a bit. Luckily the energy made up for a couple blunders.

Sunday, 10:00 AM :: Team Washington had some fun last night. Maybe a little too much fun. =) My roomie and I are both a little groggier for it this morning, but still ready to go and give our all in today's final round. We're gonna hit Starbucks on the way over to get some tea down our throats and into our stomachs, and hopefully by the time either of us has to take the stage we'll be back to 100%. I'll check in when I hear what spot I'm singing in today!

Sunday, 1:00 PM :: The singing is underway! I am #22 of 29 or so. Will be recording again so I can post online later. The Ordinary People in this room have so much talent...! Case in point, the first two males both have a musical theatre background.

Sunday, 2:00 PM :: 10 singers down, 20 or so to go. Really hard to say who's going to Houston at this point. Fingers crossed...!

Sunday, 3:15 PM :: 20 down, 10 to go. Really hopin I can crack the top 10. I'm so proud of my new friends; what a great weekend, and I am so thankful to know them now.

Sunday, 4:00 PM :: I can't do much better than that - 100% positive feedback from the judges. If I don't go to Houston then I can't be disappointed. Will update when the results are in.

Sunday, 7:15 PM :: No luck for me... Near perfect scores today, but my flubs during Faith did me in. Judges said it was a hard decision and I should be in Houston, but it is what it is. Amazing weekend, amazing people. Will post the video later!

Sunday, 9:30 pm :: I finished in 11th place. Ouch. =) Although if any of the Top 10 can't make it to Houston, I'll get a call saying I get to go. (That's how I got to Albuquerque after the Washington state finals after all, so why change things?) Either way, I leave here with new friendships that wouldn't have otherwise come into being, with some people that I admire and enjoy being around. I know that we will all be seeing each other again back up in Seattle now that our weekend has come to an end. And now, for those interested, video from today!

Aloha

Saturday, June 05, 2010

Hello! I hope this entry finds you well. I got back to the mainland early Wednesday morning after 5 days in Oahu, HI visiting AJ & Josh. They were easily 5 of the best days I've ever had, and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you.

As a point of reference, the film "50 First Dates" and the TV show "Lost" were filmed almost entirely on Oahu; and what you see in those productions is what you get. (Speaking of "50 First Dates," the Hukilau Cafe that you see in the film doesn't exist. A cafe by that name does exist, but the exact one in the film was built for filming in and torn down afterward. It was on my wishlist of things to see until I found this out!)

Flying out to HI at night was an interesting experience. The sky was almost entirely clear and the moon illuminated the ocean fairly widely, allowing me to take in exactly how far out in the world I was. I couldn't help but think of the ancient mariners of the sea, traveling without knowing what they would find, if anything.

Once I arrived, we spent virtually every waking moment outdoors, rain or shine. We walked a nature trail that led to Waimea Falls and the natural pool it feeds into and took a dip. We spent a lot of time on numerous beaches. Hale'iwa was my favorite; it's small and tucked away, never got crowded (even on Memorial Day) and offered a fantastic view of the sunset. Although jumping from a 30' rock into the ocean at Waimea was also pretty sweet!

I tried stand-up paddling and was quickly hooked on it. I am going to keep an eye open for a used SUP of my own. The experience was made all the better by the fact that the river we paddled up is home to at least a dozen giant turtles who just swim around without a care in the world. More than once as one passed directly below me I thought it would bump the bottom of my board. And I helped one out of a dangerous situation when I saw that it had gotten caught up in the rope attached to someone's crab trap. From a few feet away, on my board, I was able to tug on the rope and get the turtle freed up. That felt pretty sweet. As did paddling up the rest of the river, having a couple beers in a spot that felt like the last undiscovered patch of wild on earth, and then laying down on the board the whole way back down and staring at the sky, guided by the river. (If you ever find yourself wanting to rent a SUP in Oahu, I recommend Surf N Sea on Hale'iwa Beach. They were pretty awesome.)

I also tried snorkeling for the first time. (This trip comprised my first times ever being in the ocean. Crazy, huh?) I found it hard to get used to, and felt claustrophobic. It was cool to swim out amongst some rocks and plant life and see some fishies; but at the same time I couldn't get used to the breathing, and swallowed more sea water than I would've liked. :)

We visited a large flea market, where I got to take in some of the locally produced wares of Oahu. Like most flea markets, about 70% of the vendors were selling the same or very similar things while the other 30% offered some pretty cool and unique items. I also picked up some local artwork at the shop at the Deep Ecology Dive Center.

It was a relaxing and refreshing trip, and thankfully, it also reminded me that there is too much to see and experience in the world to get wrapped up in the singular view of the day to day. My job is a pretty time-intensive one, and it's easy to get settled into the routine and forget about the bigger picture. So I've come back inspired to continue to work hard, but with a stronger focus on the end goal - giving myself a chance to see more, learn more and live more. Not unlike my new favorite tree, the banyon, which I saw for the first time in Hawai'i - I want to have roots all over the place. :)

Some pics from the trip:

Why I'm Leaving Facebook... Well, Sort Of

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Hello peeps,

First off, let me start by saying that it's been a while and I hope you are doing well. Things in Seattle have been good. I'm getting out there and learning this city bit by bit, and it's starting to feel like home to me. I'd be lying if I told you I haven't missed NYC more than I thought I would, but then again, the grass is always greener...... and on that note - if you are in NYC and reading this and would like to meet up over July 4th weekend, I will be around. :)

Now, on to the show: I'm leaving Facebook.

It really started a while back - at least a year ago. I started to become disenchanted with the whole concept of being "friends" with people via some website and nothing more... few or zero phone calls, visits or cups of coffee... It's hard to describe exactly, but words like detached and artificial come to mind. And maybe that's as much a character analysis of who I've been recently as it is of Facebook... but either way I started to think the whole charade was a bit silly.

I started trimming down the "friends" list. First I stopped accepting invitations to connect with people I'd never actually spoken with, even if we went to the same school once upon a time... then went the people I'd met on random encounters but never contacted again... then went people from years ago I'd lost touch with only to "re-connect" with on FB and then never actually speak with again. I got it down to a point where I was connected to close peeps I already speak with on a regular basis and then a number of folks I simply might want to be able to contact someday.

Well, now FB is doing all this stuff I can't figure out how to undo... I am getting updates from anything and everything in my profile that has a FB page, and I have to take extra steps just to check in on the people I really care about. This is pretty much on par with picking up the phone or writing an email at this point... so why not just pick up the phone or write an email?

In a nutshell, I'm done using FB as a means of communication as of June 30. I figure this leaves enough time for peeps to get used to contacting me via other means of communication before I stop checking the page. I don't know when I will actually deactivate the account, because I do think there is some benefit to keeping it active in the off-chance that someone needs my email address or phone number.

Suffice it to say that if you and I have known each other for years and are still in touch, that's probably not going to change any time soon. But if I meet you tomorrow, I'm all about substance at this point. So let's get back to reality. :)

Why I Love Californication

Sunday, March 07, 2010

I've decided to express my appreciation for the TV show "Californication" by pontificating on my favorite Hank Moody quotes from Season 1. (As my good friend Fredie will attest to, Season 1 is the best. I may or may not follow up with quotes from Seasons 2 and 3.) Here are my favorite Moodyisms in no particular order:

"I'm disgusted with my life and myself, but I'm not unhappy about that." In my opinion, this one's about finding a positive within a negative. We all have things about ourselves we aren't proud of, and the right to handle them however we need to. Hank embraces his disgust because it's a sign that he wants something better and hasn't lost himself completely.

"It was the best of times... if only someone had told me. Mistakes were made. Hearts were broken; harsh lessons learned... I don't know how I got here, but here I am." The person I am at this moment is the cumulative result of everything that has happened leading up to it. The import of a moment often can't be recognized until after the fact. Highs and lows become clearer when there's more to compare them with. I don't know if I would go back and do anything differently, but I do wish I could've experienced the highs with the knowledge of just how special they were. Instead, all I can do is hope to reach them again with the knowledge in hand.

"Just because something is bleak doesn't necessarily make it true... Who says we have to be realistic?... No. We don't have to be. Realistic, that is. Not when it comes to love." More than once, I've found myself perplexed by what love can do to the way I think and act. Most of the decisions I make are carefully thought out. I try to be as pragmatic as I can be. And yet love, that untameable force, can blow over the carefully constructed view of reality I build for myself like it's made of straw. Love isn't born of pragmatism and is immune to rationality. For better or for worse, it simply is.

"I think we made the mistake of getting it right the first time... and that put an insane amount of pressure on us to keep it going. And we buckled."

1/13/10

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Flying is painful. Even at its finest, it’s a dreadful experience. You can take every step humanly possible to make it better – print out your boarding pass at home, check zero bags and have all of your fluids packed up in a Ziploc bag – and it’s STILL painful. This is partly due to the airlines, but is also largely due to the ignorance and malfeasance of travelers. As a rule, I expect common courtesy to take a hit any time a large number of people get packed into tight spaces – especially people in a rush. Nonetheless, an article on CNN.com about flying etiquette struck a chord with me and I thought I’d pay it forward. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/01/12/carry.on.tips/index.html)

I started noticing problems about a year ago when the whole “pay to check bags” practice became more or less standard across the industry. The airlines assumed that people would just pay to check bags. In reality, people just avoided it at all costs and brought more with them onto flights. All of I sudden, I had to worry about finding any overhead space if I wasn’t in the first half of travelers to board a plane. Anyone who has been among the last 20 travelers to board a plane in the last year knows this pain.

So, here are a few suggestions from the CNN article that I agreed with most:

1. Don’t put bags into overhead storage lengthwise. More bags will fit if they are all positioned perpendicular to the aisle; if your bag is too large to fit that way, it should be checked.

2. Put your larger item up top, your smaller item at your feet.

3. Wait until everyone’s bags are stowed, then lay your coat on top. Bags take priority.

These rules should always be in effect, but particularly so now that there’s even more baggage coming into the main cabin with passengers. (I personally think that if the airlines simply charged less for checking bags, like $10, a lot more people would do it and it would help alleviate some of this mess.)

1/6/2010

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

In line with my New Year’s Resolution to Improve, I’ve been doing some thinking about just how pivotal the role of reading was in the improvements I saw in my life last year. The old saying “Knowledge is power” proved to be very true for me in 2009. The more I read and learned about the pillars of (what I believe to be) a balanced, healthy life, the better I felt. And, among all of the hectic disorganization in my life at the end of 2009, there was a serious lack of reading going on. So as part of my Resolution, I am going to catch the reading bug and dig into knowledge and information with a vengeance. Additionally, I am going to share what I’m learning and thinking about with you as it comes.

Today I came across an article from Men’s Health highlighting 100 Fitness Tips. (You can find the full list here: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/100-best-fitness-tips/) I’ve picked my 10 favorites and included them here in no particular order, along with some reasons why they are favorites. NOTE: I’ve never received professional fitness training. I am just enthusiastic about it and try to learn as much as I can. So take what I say with a grain of salt and know that better info is likely available out there.

1. Don’t work your ab muscles every day. Your abs are like any other muscle. Train them only 2-3 days per week. I’ve read in multiple sources that exercise is essentially damaging muscles with the intent of getting them to re-build and/or grow. For that reason, a day of rest is important for giving muscles the opportunity to repair. In addition, I’ve read that exercising 3 days a week is enough to keep your resting metabolism in a state of near-permanent elevation – meaning more burn, 24/7.

2. Drink a pint, get ripped. In a new study, beginners who trained to failure then drank a supplement immediately afterward gained 5+ pounds of muscle in 8 weeks. In 2008 I focused on more exercise, but not on integrating nutrition into it. Big mistake. Muscles need materials to re-build with – protein, carbs and fat alike. In 2009 I got into the habit of downing a protein shake and a meal after working out and it improved my results noticeably; downing a protein shake before working out helped even more. Now I’ve reached a point where if I don’t have something available to eat before working out, I don’t work out.

3. Lose your weak spot. If you don’t like an exercise, start doing it. You’re probably avoiding it because you’re weak at it. Case in point for me: Pull-ups/chin-ups. I work out at home, primarily with dumbbells. This makes really challenging my back muscles difficult. Several months back I picked up one of those pull-up bars that affixes to a door frame, and if there’s one exercise that makes me feel like a weakling, it’s pull-ups. If I can successfully do 10 of those things by year’s end, I’ll consider it success.

4. Keep your stats, see amazing results. Every 4 weeks, measure a variable – waist size, body fat, bench press – that equates to your end goal. In the spring of 2008, I realized my weight had dropped from 200 lbs to 175 lbs in a matter of roughly two years. I wasn’t happy, and made gaining weight my measure of success. I ate more, then focused on eating more protein, and began lifting weights regularly. Now my weight is back up to 200 lbs and I want to shift my focus to body fat. If I can arrive at a combined 200 lb weight with 10% body fat by year’s end… well I may just stop wearing clothes around the apartment because of how good I will feel.

5. Pick up your pace. Increase the speed of your strides – not their length – to get faster. Your foot should always land under your body, rather than out in front of it. I first got a sense of this running a treadmill sometime a few months back. I thought, “Here is this fixed, small area for running, yet I can increase or decrease speeds.” The next time I ran on the street I imagined having only a few feet to work with, and it made it much easier to build up speed without getting winded. If only I’d known this as a kid playing little-league baseball.

6. Eat meat and grow. Eat meat – 4 to 8 oz. every day – to grow more muscle. See #2 or #4. Eating is a big part of being fit. One caveat here: it doesn’t necessarily have to be meat because there are other good sources of protein, but it’s hard to pack the protein punch that meat does per serving size. If red meat isn’t your think, there’s also chicken, turkey, fish and pork. Mix it up and enjoy.

7. Manage your middle. Do your ab exercises first. Your abs and core get worked during other exercises focused on the legs and arms by helping to keep you balanced and stable. If you wait until afterward to do abs-focused exercises, they may already be tired and make the exercises less effective. I’d rather target them first and maximize the workload and then move on to exercises where they are playing more of a supportive and less-stressful role.

8. Exercise one arm at a time. Do a set of shoulder presses with your left arm, then do a set with your right. “You’ll get higher quality sets than if you work both arms at the same time.” ‘Plateau’ is a word I’ve heard a lot relative to fitness in the last year. Namely – your muscles want to become efficient and streamlined, and do less work. So if you do the same exercises in the same order day in and day out, they will lose their effectiveness with time. Better to keep your muscles surprised by changing things up every few weeks – mix up the amount of weight you use; the number of reps you do; the angles at which you hold the weights; the grips you use; or whether you use one arm, both arms, or alternate.

9. Squat for a six-pack. Do squats and deadlifts… to build your abs. These two main exercises force your abs to do a significant amount of work to maintain your posture. I read somewhere that in order to have a six-pack, an average male needs less than 12% body fat. And in order to burn fat, it’s really helpful to focus on the large muscle groups – legs and back – that require the most energy to work. It takes 250,000 crunches to burn 1 pound of fat, so it’s probably best to perform a mixture of ab exercises and others like squats, lunges and pull-ups (ugh…).

10. Build real strength. Don’t use machine weights exclusively… My friend Tony is one of the fittest guys I’ve ever known and he would probably take this a bit further and recommend not using machine weights at all. Machines teach your body to be strong for very constrained movements – front, back, left, right. By using weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, medicine balls or even simply your own body weight, you can challenge your muscles with movements that actually reflect the movements you make in daily life – whether it’s playing sports, sprinting to catch a bus or loading groceries.

Happy 2010!

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Good morning, Interweb. I hope 2010 is off to a great start for you! I had a few minutes before boarding my 7th flight in the last month and so decided to write a quick entry.

As with every New Year, 2010 offers a figurative "new start" for all of us. The realist notes that the only real change a new year brings is a different way of writing the date. The optimist sees that simple change as a symbol for fresh opportunities to grow; a catalyst that drives us to act upon the areas for improvement we spend the rest of the year thinking about. The word "resolution" comes from the word "resolute," which means "firm or determined; unwavering." So if you make a resolution or two this year, be unwavering in your dedication to accomplishing what it is you set out to do. My resolution this year is simply to Improve; to finish the year a better, healthier, happier person than when I started it. The end of 2009 brought an onslought of exciting changes to my life, but with those changes came unpredictability and less stability than I'd grown accustomed to. Much of what I've learned about exercise, nutrition, finance and music has lain dormant these last few weeks, and as part of my goal to Improve I am re-dedicating myself toward living an organized and well-balanced life. Now more than ever before, I see the future I want to arrive at sooner rather than later, and I am energized and motivated to take the steps needed to make it happen.

That's it for now. Time to get going! Be well. And if you're in LA these next couple of days, give me a shout!