Ryan Thomas Goodenough

That’s right, it’s the holiday season!

I’m a very holiday-y guy, but the iTunes holiday singles very rarely do anything for me.

This one’s not bad, especially if you like Tony Bennett (which I don’t). He doesn’t change anything drastically, it’s well-produced, and it doesn’t really stray far from the orginal.

Not doing anything for me, but I’m not mad, at least.

Grade: B-

My pilot is leaving for closer, if not greener, pastures. Guess that means that I need a pilot’s license….

Press Release: UAS Names New Executive Director

Following a competitive selection process, the University Auxiliary Services (UAS) Board of Directors at the University at Albany has appointed J. Eric Smith as the not-for-profit corporation’s new Executive Director, effective December 15. Smith replaces Dr. Julia M. Filippone, who retired from the position in May.

Smith is an alumnus of the United States Naval Academy, the Naval Supply Corps School, and the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College. He is a former Naval Supply Corps Officer whose professional experience includes ten years with the federal government managing complex, high-value contracts and budgets, and twelve years as a not-for-profit operations, development and public relations director. He most recently worked for the American Institute for Economic Research (2007-08) and the Rensselaer Newman Foundation (2002-07). Smith has also been active in the Capital Region’s arts and music communities since settling here in 1993, working as a music critic for Metroland and hosting Time Warner Cable’s award-winning Sounding Board. He is a South Carolina native who currently lives in Latham with his wife and daughter.

UAS provides quality of life services to the University at Albany community, including dining services, the University bookstore, SUNYCard ID services, banking, laundry facilities and vending. For more information about UAS and its programs, see http://www.albany.edu/uas/.

A panorama from my front porch (yes, I’m home for Thanksgiving)

Download the new firmware upgrade for the iPhone to use the new Street View in Google Maps.

It’s back! From Amazon.com:

Welcome to Amazon Customers Vote 2008, your chance to compete for our most ridiculous deals of the season. The products that get the most votes in each of six rounds will be offered at ridiculous deal prices, and the runners-up will also be offered at slightly smaller discounts. (But they’ll still be sweet deals.)

• Step 1: Vote.
  Browse our six rounds of great products, and vote for the ones you’d like to buy at an amazing discount.
  
• Step 2: Check E-mail.
  Check your e-mail the day before each buying round to see if you’ve been randomly selected to participate in the race to buy.
  
• Step 3: Go!
  If selected, make sure you come back and log-in early on race day. We will have many more participants than deals, so the race is on. Good luck!
  

Keep in mind:

• You may vote in all six rounds on the same day if you like.
• The day before each buying round, you will be notified by e-mail if you’ve been selected to participate in the race to buy. You may also return to this page to find out whether you were selected.
• Customers Vote is a race. If you’re randomly selected to participate in the race to buy, you still need to check what time the buying starts for each deal that round and log-in early, as we expect to have many more people participating than we have deals available.
• If selected, you may choose to purchase any or all of the items for that round, not just the product you voted for, as long as supplies are available.

http://promotions.amazon.com/gp/cv/

Thanks Mom!

My computer at work went slightly crazy today and produced this beautiful, albeit very annoying, artwork every time I tried to move the mouse:

Try it out (I got an 18/25):

I like the theories behind this song, much like last week’s single. Good harmonies, nice melodies, and more, but it all falls apart some where. Maybe it’s the vocals–a bit too meek and muffled. Or maybe it’s the arrangement–nothing changes.

But I think the main problem is that it feels like a “build” song. It feels like there’s going to be some great hook. But by 3 minutes into this 4 minute song, you realize that nothing’s going to happen. Nothing’s going to change. There’s no hook, there’s no payoff, just a slow fade.

And unlike last week’s single, the foundation isn’t even that good.

Grade: C+