Ryan Welton : Songwriter, Journalist

Feels Like Rain (Original Song)

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:28:26 -0500

Is It You? (Original Song)

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 03:20:31 -0500

This is a new tune called “Underdog Blues,” which I...

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:12:43 -0500

This is a new tune called “Underdog Blues,” which I just submitted to an online songwriting contest. The challenge was to write a song from the first-person perspective of a superhero or super-villain.

Here are my lyrics:

UNDERDOG BLUES
c. Ryan Welton 2010

VERSE 1:
I got four paws
and a ton of flaws
I’m a lovable shoeshine boy
I go medieval
When the doers of evil
Set their sights on my pride and joy

And when it’s time to hand out truth
I make a mess of that phone booth

CHORUS:
Have no fear
Underdog is here
Underdog, baby that’s my name
Have no fear
Underdog is here
Underdog, baby that’s my name

VERSE 2:
I pop pills by the barrel
Go a little bit feral
On my Polly from dusk til dawn
And when my purebread wonders
When will I return
She laments with a simple song:

“Oh where, oh where has my baby gone?”
I reappear and wave my doggie wand

CHORUS:
Have no fear
Underdog is here
Underdog, baby that’s my name
Have no fear
Underdog is here
Underdog, baby that’s my name

BRIDGE:
I bark in rhyme
To combat sinister crime
We don’t need no Riff Raff ‘round here
But my motives are suspect
‘Cause I’m in love with a girl
‘Cause I’m in love with a girl
‘Cause I’m in love with a girl who’s a dog

Just figured this was the appropriate song for the day. Well,...

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 00:51:47 -0500

Just figured this was the appropriate song for the day. Well, unless you know of another song called “Flood.” To be honest, this tune does nothing for me. So, how about this:

End the weekend on an old-school vibe. Good example of a...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 23:48:35 -0500

End the weekend on an old-school vibe. Good example of a song/track that works with just two chords.

soonerterp: June 12: Today is the 40th Anniversary of Dock...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 01:53:53 -0500

soonerterp:

June 12: Today is the 40th Anniversary of Dock Ellis’ no-hitter (while tripping on acid) vs. the San Diego Padres.

This is truly one of the most fascinating stories in the history of American sports.

Quick Thoughts on a Busy Week

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:34:00 -0500

I’ve been eating much, much better this week than, well, just about any week the past six...

R.I.P. Marvin Isley. One third of Isley Jasper Isley died on...

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:16:33 -0500

R.I.P. Marvin Isley. One third of Isley Jasper Isley died on Monday of diabetes.

I know. You’re asking, Isley Jasper Isley? You mean the Isley Brothers, right?

Well, for me, my first introduction to any Isley was Isley Jasper Isley back in 1984. As a 14-year-old, I asked for this cassette for Christmas, and it’s a cassette I still own. It’s music I still listen to.

“Caravan of Love” was the hit, well, on the R/B charts. My only exposure to the song had been from BET videos. Yes, once upon a time, BET regularly played videos, too, especially in the after-school afternoons if memory serves. Great, great 80s soul music.

This album featured great tunes like “Insatiable Woman” and “If You Believe In Love,” which had (I have always said) one of the best bass grooves in the history of pop.

Well, Marvin was the bassist. He was 56.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a big Jon Lajoie...

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:00:00 -0500

Those of you who know me well know that I am a big Jon Lajoie fan. Most of you know him from FX’s show “The League,” but I have followed the guy’s work on YouTube for much longer than that.

He’s often a bit vulgar and almost always NSFW — but his satire and commentary is often biting, smart and periodically poignant. In this case, Lajoie satires the pop music industry with his parody called “Pop Song.”

One comment about this one: I think the public underestimates how many ADULTS listen to pop music. Way underestimates. Might be marketed to the tweens and teens, but its impact reaches way, way beyond them.

Nevertheless, Lajoie speaks, er, sings truth here.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:59:00 -0500

Truth be told, I’ll likely have 3-4 more days off at least this summer before football season...

adamiss: Twelve (Imperfect) Ways to Clean the Gulf - Op-Chart -...

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:00:31 -0500

adamiss:

Twelve (Imperfect) Ways to Clean the Gulf - Op-Chart - NYTimes.com

soonerterp: girlwithatie: allisonwonderlandd: (via...

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:08:44 -0500

soonerterp:

girlwithatie:

allisonwonderlandd:

(via squidlove)

WANT!

Audio

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 16:22:38 -0500

Friday night dinner. Nothing fancy; I am definitely not...

Sat, 05 Jun 2010 00:29:27 -0500

Friday night dinner. Nothing fancy; I am definitely not proclaiming that I made something awesome. However, I did just get my toaster oven, and this is my first non-toast-oriented dish.

It’s just chicken breast + mushroom soup + mushrooms.

In all, it is about 680 calories, and for dinner, I had about half of it with a simple side salad and some mixed veggies. In all, about a 425-calorie dinner followed up by a bowl of Fiber One cereal and some Lactaid milk.

BTW, do I sound like an old man or what?

Oooh, side note: In my current obsession with all-things Jillian Michaels, I saw in a chat she did with the Washington Post that she advises against men consuming soy, presumably soy milk and soy protein powder. I had to check my milk; I drink Lactaid. Also, my protein powder is whey. I think I’m good.

I also calculated my BMR tonight, and it came out to 1997.53 for my starting weight of 211. BTW, 211 isn’t my highest weight. I’d say I have probably inched close to 220 at some point over the past 10 years. However, my recent low was about 198.

The problems there were numerous. I suspect I was working from an “energy deficit” as Jillian might have said. See, you take that 1997.53 BMR and multiply it by 1.375 (for a guy who exercises 1 to 3 times a week, which historically I have) to get my daily caloric intake.

That number is over 2740 calories a day. Working at a deficit of 500-cals a day, I can do up to 2240 theoretically. Last year when I dropped 11 pounds or so, I was eating 1500 to 1700 cals a day. Probably a bit too much of a calorie deficit. See, I dropped the pounds but didn’t have the energy day-to-day to workout.

Tangent city. I feel like I ate a ton today and only took in 2,005 calories.

The downside to this is sodium. Canned soups are terribly high in sodium, which gets stored in the body making one look all puffy. Going to start looking for the reduced sodium labels to see just how much lower they are.

Video I shot (a whopping :42 worth) on Feb. 27 at Roll-A-Way...

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:51:59 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Video I shot (a whopping :42 worth) on Feb. 27 at Roll-A-Way Rink in NW Oklahoma City as the Oklahoma City Victory Dolls roller derby team opened its season with a win over the unconfortably named Assassination City (Dallas).

I say “uncomfortably named” when the Oklahoma City’s team initials are “VD.” Ha!

Here’s the truth: I am a sports fan, and I enjoyed the heck out of this. Took a little pre-bout research to figure out the scoring, but once I understood, I totally understood. Don’t have time to get out to NW Oklahoma City too often — but if something pops up like this in Norman, I’m liable to check it out.

I don’t touch on the sub-culture aspect of roller derby much, but it’s definitely punk. I’ll let this documentary speak to that. Put together by backup Oklahoma Sooners QB Hays MacEachern and Andy Gibson, this mini-doc sort of introduces you to the Victory Dolls through the eyes of a woman who, um, doesn’t quite have her health insurance yet.

Here’s what I took away from the work the OU students did: I’m sorry it was only five minutes. It was very well done and interesting. Enjoy.

That’s How I Roll

andygib | MySpace Video

adamiss: “Talent is God given; be humble. Fame is man-given: be...

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:25:30 -0500

adamiss:

“Talent is God given; be humble. Fame is man-given: be grateful. Conceit is self-given; be careful.”

- John Wooden (1910-2010)

Yummy Concoction

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 17:33:39 -0500

Surprisingly good: Brown rice, canned peas, tuna, tbsp. of Miracle Whip. Now, the problem: It was...

This looks very funny. Roger Ebert gave this three stars (ergo,...

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:12:50 -0500

This looks very funny. Roger Ebert gave this three stars (ergo, a good review). “Get Him To The Greek” is a Judd Apatow movie, and Apatow has gradually turned himself into the John Hughes of this generation.

Apatow + good Ebert review = will go see.

Workout Strategy

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 13:44:43 -0500

My workout strategy was to have audio of Jillian Michaels yelling at me constantly. However, all I...

Woman Unusual (Smooth Jazz / R and B Demo)WOMAN UNUSUALc. 2009...

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 02:33:00 -0500

Woman Unusual (Smooth Jazz / R and B Demo)

WOMAN UNUSUAL
c. 2009 Ryan Welton

Alone but alive
My pen speaks
Words but not wise
To what you seek
If I knew, I could solve this mystery

CHORUS:
Here’s to woman unusual
Here’s to ordinary man
Here’s to curious, crazy love
We should take it if we can

A fool and his pride
The lady speaks
A pain she confides
To me, she seeks
A steady shoulder to rest her weary head

CHORUS