Surf the Wave, Not the Web, Brah!
Well, a lot less fanfare than I would have liked... Ah, well.I got an invite to Google Wave last night! A victory from a two-week struggle of contacting individuals who had invites to try and snag one for myself. Great thanks to @sidoyle for actually floating me one.
So... I can't really give you a great review so far, because I don't know anyone else with Wave. Meaning I can only search public Waves... LAME. So, until I get the invites (and supply my wonderful POW readers with some), I'll leave you with these two vids explaining what Wave is.
The first is a short, basic video explaining the very basic idea of Google Wave.
The second is crazy long (almost an hour and a half), and explains almost every use and feature of Wave. If you're a tech dude or gal, this vid is WAY worth it.
Em Dub DOS!!!
For those of you who don't attend college/live in a dorm, you need to understand one thing.In dorm life, video games are king. Especially first person shooters (FPS).
So, imagine Suite 413 (where the crunk kids on our floor live) for a moment. If you've never been there (which none of you have), I'll fill you in.
Normally, our door is open, and the stereo is on full blast. This means that across the entire hall you can hear explosions whenever we're playing FPS. EVERYONE on the floor knows when we're hooked in.
The game we're usually playing? Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Quite possibly my favorite (REALISTIC) FPS, I'm addicted to that game now. So imagine now my excitement for the sequel, MW2. I can't stand it. And we aren't getting the game until this weekend!!! ARRGH!!!!
It upsets me.
To clue you in to how awesome this game is, I'll throw down a gameplay vid for you. (Shyeeeeah!)
Pan-Dimensional Space Beatles.
There are people in this world who astonish me. These people are those who get on the internet and try and sell ideas that are more or less complete junk. Those conspiracy theorists who put so much work into making something believable... Silly, all of them.What brings me here today is a website I discovered by way of @aemaury, who you may know from his remixes for RAC. He posted a tweet containing a link to a website called...
The Beatles Never Broke Up
Basically, the author claims to have traveled to a parallel dimension where he met a dimension traveler. He then claims to have stolen a tape from this world containing a yet unreleased in this world Beatles album called Everyday Chemistry. Because everyone knows The Beatles are super-intelligent, pan-dimensional beings.
The site is constructed with his story, pictures, an FAQ section, and a download of the entire album.
Here's the catch.
I downloaded the album, to find some GREAT remixes of some songs that members of The Beatles wrote while they were in solo mode. I mean, the songs are all great! But they're obviously just remixes of non-Beatles songs containing Beatles members. Nothing more.
I'd suggest going to check out the site. It's good for a laugh, and you can pull an entire Beatles remix album. Good deal, in my opinion. I'll leave you with a handy guide to the tracklist that includes the original titles, in case you want to check my detective work.
The Beatles - Everyday Chemistry1. Four Guys (Band On the Run - Paul)
2. Talking to Myself (I'm Losing You - John)
3. Anybody Else (Somedays - Paul)
4. Sick to Death (Gimme Some Truth - John)
5. Jenn (Hard Times - Ringo)
6. I'm Just Sitting Here (Watching the Wheels - John)
7. Soldier Boy (Listen to What the Man Said - Paul)
8. Over the Ocean (You are here - John)
9. Days Like These (Soft-Hearted Hana - George)
10. Saturday Night (Cold Turkey - John)
11. Mr. Gator's Swamp Jamboree (Instrumental, no lyrics to determine original)
Winter 09? That is... SOON!
Is it pathetic that I'm already incredibly excited? I'm dying to know what bands are headed around this summer...
Rollin and Scratchin.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Is that what I think it is?" Yes. Yes, it is. I'm thinking that your thinking is correct. I think.
What that is... IS A CONTROLLER FOR A VIDEO GAME!!! The game in question is called DJ Hero. This game is quite possibly the greatest thing ever. From what I know (which is very little), it's exactly like Guiter Hero, except with a turntable. Apparently you have to scratch, with fingers on the buttons, like you're holding different spots of the record? No idea. I don't know that much because I want the first time I play it to be the most mind blowing experience of my life.
BUT... I DO KNOW THIS.
I know of two artists that are playable: DAFT PUNK AND Z-TRIP, both of whom I've talked about in this blog before, one of whom I've actually met!!! Which means my life goal of meeting and talking with someone who's in a video game is complete.
I'm literally gnawing on things looking at these pictures, and I need to stop. I just wanted to introduce you to the game, and to tell you to go check it out. DON'T tell me about it until I've played it. I'm begging you.
Waking the Dead Now!!! (The Dead Being POW Blogs...)
Sup fresh, it's my REturn, baby!I feel like I've disconnected for long enough. I need to get back to blogging to make my life sane again. I've got nowhere to vent, man! It's crazy! I feel like... I don't know. But here we go.
Def been getting back into gaming since moving on campus. We've got two of the three power consoles in our room (Wii and PS3), so it's pretty great for us. This newly discovered boost in my gaming life has led to me playing some pretty legit games/demos, so let's talk about that!'
Red Faction Guerrilla
This game is pretty bomb. Pun intended. Basically, you're this dude who has signed on to the cause of a rebellion. ON MARS. And the goal is to attack the government by blowing up their assets. You've got charges, rockets, and best of all.... THE HAMMER OF THOR! Well, it's not called that, but it might as well be. It's pretty sweet. Add in a multiplayer mode that is all about blowing up as much as you can in a minute, and you've got yourself a sweet game. If you've got a 360/PS3, check this one for sure.
Here's a little flash game to get you in the blow-stuff-up mood.
Building Blaster
Portal (Orange Box)
(Props to Big Download for the screen)Perhaps one of my favorite games of all time, Portal has SO many things going for it. I'm so stoked that we've got it in the room. Portal's main attraction comes from the gun that you use in the game. Called the Portal Gun (very out there name, right?), it can shoot things called "portals" in the walls. Now, the basic concept is that you can shoot two portals (orange and blue) and that they connect. So if you jump through the blue one, you'll come out of the orange one. They're sort of like doors. It's hard to explain, but trust me. IT'S GREAT. And Valve hits one out of the park with the mysterious (and crazy creepy) storyline.
If you want a little taste of the action, try the flash version online!
Portal: The Flash Version
Coming Soon.....
(Props to Evolved Gaming for the screen)My current obsession will be the focus of the next post... AND I HAVEN'T PLAYED IT YET!!!
Hotel Vacancy: Open for Guests
My attempts to keep this thing updated regularly is failing. Horribly. So, in an attempt to save the blog, I've decided to take posts for possible upload on POW. A lot of people get posts guest written for their blogs, so I've decided to do so.Now, I know that by doing this, the fundamental part of this site is broken down. But, I think it could be good. For one thing, no additional authors will be added to the site. This means that every post-to-be has to run for me, and I have all authority to shut it down. This leads to point two. I will have much more strict guidelines for posts than I've had in previous projects, so it better be GOLD, Pony Boy. And my last point, people don't ever listen to me. No idea I've had like this has ever taken hold before (TKK = exception), so if this fails, so be it. I'm just trying to keep this place in shape.
My last bit of input: go for WHATEVER. Poetry, parody, pirates? Send me absolutely anything. Pictures, videos, whatev, man.
If you're interested, go ahead and send a shout (or a possible post, even) to
powblogs@gmail.com
(If I shoot one down, that doesn't mean you're out of the count forever. Keep going, punk.)
Hound SMASH!
So, some of you haven't seen my Hulkfists in a while. Thought I'd give you a peek. They're painted red and silver (UIndy Hound colors), with a band of the opposite color on the wrist. I think they're pretty rad right now. Yeah.
Transmit the Bit!
As you can see, there's a new addition to the right bar called "The Vid-Stat." It's through a service called robo.to that syncs with Twitter to produce visually-based tweets. I thought it was a pretty fresh idea, so I'm trying it out! I'm giving it a few days, and we'll figure out whether it works or not.If you're on Twitter, you should definitely try it out and drop me a tweet! There's a version of friending through the site that I'd like to try out as well. It can also connect to Facebook, and will drop the video right in your friends' News Feed!
Check it! robo.to
Back to Business. (???)
Alright, let's throw this thing down. It's been a busy week, and I owe all y'all some reviews. Let's set up the first, shall we?Attack Attack Show
Last Monday, as I said in the last post, I caught Attack Attack at Emerson Theater here in Indy. They were INTENSE. Just as much energy as they had at Warped, and it was SO much better inside. (But I wasn't front row this time, which wasn't as cool.) They SHOOK that place. Here's a vid.
UPDATE!!! I found a better video! Check around 1:02 and 2:44. I'm on stage both times, on the left end! YEAH! It's sorta hard to pick me out the first time, but once you know I'm there, it's easy to see! Grey shirt. AWESOME!!!
(I apologize for the guys language in the intro to the song.)
Emerson is THE venue of Indy for my style of music. There's not a lot of places here to rock concerts, so this hardcore joint is going to have to work for me. However, there are some extreme problems with it. First, it's not the greatest part of town. You're definitely going to want to stick to the main thoroughfares if you ever hit it up. Also, the venue itself is pretty jank. The walls RAIN dust, paint chips, etc. if you hit it even slightly. Also, the restrooms are DISGUSTING. But, if you're in the mood for a hardcore show, there's no place I've found that better suits that scene.
Moving on... Dance RAWR Dance 3!!!
One of (if not THE) best show I've seen yet. iRival, Queens Club, Cash Cash, Breathe Carolina, and Family Force 5. (I should probably mention that I was in the FRONT ROW FOR EVERY SET. YEEEEEAH!) Tofu was with me the whole time, which was pretty rad, because we don't get to hang much anymore. Also, got to "meet"(?) Jade! That was fantastic. Like the pizza party, haha. (End inside joke.) The bands were all enjoyable too, but I'll say that I liked each band more than the band before. The order they played was the order (from least to greatest) that I enjoyed their show. iRival and Queens Club were both good, but I'm only going to cover the last three.
Cash Cash was AMAZING. They had some of the greatest synth sound I've seen live. (They should, because it's half their band.) They had a CRAZY dance vibe, and made everybody move. I will say that I got much closer to the singer than I ever thought I would. TWICE. The two times he jumped off the stage, he decided to sing right in front of me, standing on the crowd barrier's step. I got way too much face to armpit time, man.
I'm ecstatic that I waited to see Breathe Carolina for a club show. Seeing them for the first time at Warped would have ruined it. Their light show was off the hook! It was pretty much a rave, with a bit of hardcore mixed in. Just the way I like it. The best bit of their set HAD to be "See You Again," a Miley Cyrus cover. (For those of you who have been living under a rock and didn't know that.) It made my night. I had no clue they'd be playing it. Oh, and if you ever get the chance to talk to their screamer, do it. He's one of the most legit dudes I've ever met at shows. Very gracious.
Last but CERTAINLY not least, FF5. They kicked it (like always), but had some awesome additions. I'm speaking of Keep the Party Alive and Ghostride the Whip. The new songs OWN, y'all. You've gotta hear them live to hear how great they are. I can't express enough how much I love the direction they're headed. Other than that, I've talked about FF5's stuff enough in old posts.
I hope you're still with me. (In this post and just keeping up with the blog in general.) If you are, thanks. College is killing my blog time, something I hope to change at some point. But I can't promise anything.
Monday Came Suddenly!!!
In light of recent events (and the fact that I'm seeing Attack Attack! tonight), here's the unofficial video to one of my favorite songs right now.This goes out to the Swann.
Update... and Keith!
So, I'm really sorry about the lack of quality posts this last... month. Getting ready/arriving/being here at college has taken up so much time... It's really ridiculous. So, expect me to start posting quality at some point.But for now, gaze upon one of the most amazing images on the web...
THE KEITH RICHARDS DEATH CHART!!!
Drop the BEAT!
It seems the greatest things in life happen when you least expect them. Tonight, a friend and I headed downtown (Indy) to walk around, see what's up, etc. I decided to call in another friend from back home who lives in town. But, right after I made the call, some girls came up to us, gave us free Red Bull, and told us that there was some rad music being played twenty yards down the street. So, we investigated.What we found was the best party I've seen in my life. There was a DJ playing, a stage for a break dance group, graffiti, a few people working on bikes, an "open Red Bull bar," and a video game station. Awesome.
The "Red Bull Bar" was pretty sweet. There were some girls behind a counter, giving you your choice of Red Bull, Sugarfree, or Red Bull Cola. It was great. Here's a shot of the whole thing (with seating on the lower and upper level, making it like an outdoor club).
The graffiti was pretty great, too. They were up there the whole night, so the mural slowly transformed as time went on.
The best part of the evening was the second DJ we saw, DJ Z-Trip. Recently voted the #1 DJ in America, Z lived up to that on every level. He covered Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, ACDC, and Kanye in a few of his mixes. Everything he threw down I liked. Check out some of his stuff (with a MASSIVE number of free downloads) here.
Major props to Red Bull for tonight. It was one of the best evenings I've had in a LOOOOOONG time.
This Town WON'T be the Downfall of us All!
I love Indy, so far. I finished my first round of classes today, and it looks to be a fairly good semester. Welcome Week was a blast, filled with awesome activities and great chances to meet people.Here's a scene from the last activity of WW!
Last night was AMAZING. They hauled a big inflatable screen out on the mall, and we watched STAR TREK. If you didn't get the memo, ST recently won a very prestigious award.
Ok, I gave it the award. Happy? But you can't deny, it earns it, man.
So, here ends the last personal update I'll do for a while. I need to break the random out.
(Shoutout to Shane Richards, because he asked.)
Dance or Be Mortally Wounded!
Just realized I hadn't posted the DOD vid yet. If you haven't seen it yet, get out from under your rock. Enjoy!
Flames, Knives, and Scorpions. DANG.
Apparently, the Campus Program Board knows how to book entertainment. There was a mini-circus tonight, led by a man who was actually on America's Got Talent! Here's his vid from there. Note that he did the exact same trick tonight. It was EPIC.You can find more information about the group that put the show on here.
Life a la UIndy!
So, today was my first day on campus. I've moved in, and am fairly organized. This won't last, I promise. But, it looks good now, which is all that matters. (Note the touches from home, such as my Hulkfists and the Starbucks sign. There's a very small Yoda toy there as well.)
The first day was only lame because of my fatigue and hunger. It got me really cranky and paranoid, two issues that have been corrected as of now. Tomorrow should be a lot better.
I will say that I have barely anything in common with a lot of people here, because I failed almost every icebreaker we had today. Yes, it's possible. But, I'll get over it.
Well, I'm off to bed for my first night away from home. Boo-yah.
Introducing... MY BAND!!!
Days before I head to college, I have officially convened...
FISHTANK WITH TWO K'S ON THE END!!!
Ours is a ska band, currently with six members, 3 pictured here. Members pictured (from left to right): Mr. Wonderful (Saxophone),The Ultimate Soda Pop (Saxophone), and Uncle Bunker (Percussion). 3 members could not be interrogated at press time for photographs or further information.
A brief intro of of our first three members...
The Ultimate Soda Pop can digitally transform dinosaurs to disco.
Mr. Wonderful enjoys a nice pair of pajama pants, and a nice dress shirt to clash.
Uncle Bunker can't swim in jelly, as far as he knows.
Look to POW Blogs for more information concerning the band, as it is the official source of FTW2K news.
Look for us in the next 1.5-2 years for our first gig!
(UPDATE!!! The other members have been found! The remaining players include... Rusty Milkbucket (E. Guitar), Dr. Smooth (B. Guitar), and Sir Scar (Saxophone). The gang's all here! Now to find some actual horns...)
Jigga-What?
Another video! YAY! Except I didn't make this one. I found it on the interwebs. I think this is insane, and the one who did it deserves MAD props. Check it.
We Be In The Land O' Facebook Now!
WBITLOFN, everybody!Just letting you know that POW Blogs now has a Page on Facebook. Why is this a good thing? I'll tell you! Now some of my friends can find out about the page, and then when I drop inside jokes in posts, readers will get it!
But that's not the main reason. Pages on Facebook have what's called Discussions built into them as a tab near the top of the Page. This means that POW Blogs can basically have its own forum with me doing absolutely no organizing work! Woo!
I wanted a forum so people could have a little bit more input. Because the comments system here is rarely utilized, I don't have a great idea of who actually reads the blog, or what people think about it. With the discussion board over at the page, you can tell me! (Hopefully. Or it just may flop, which is what I'm thinking is actually going to happen.)
Either way, it's there, and I'd love it if you'd become a fan and contribute!!!
PAGE 4 POW BLOGS!
Rippity RAP!
So, I did this really lame freestyle thing for the "My Story" bit of my Modlife profile tonight, which can be found here. But the thing is, I sort of liked it!So here's the really lame freestyle from the lamest rapper you know.
So here's little tale about a midwest dude, trying to make it big and bust some moves. He rises in the west, sets to the east, flipping things around is what he believes. Gotta put a little chaos in monotonous life, if you want to leave strife, all your troubles behind. You know, we're only here for some definite days, we need to make them pay or get yourself on your way, huh. Break down the barriers, bust some chops, life's not fun if you're afraid of the cops. Make a change, bring some rain. All you gotta do is shout my name if you wanna have fun. Party in the sun, yeah.
This Music Definitely WON'T Be The Death Of Us!
So, I grabbed what could be my most anticipated album since Dance or Die today. (DODWAV doesn't count, it wasn't an original album.) This Will Be The Death Of Us, by Set Your Goals is the album in question. Good, but not EXACTLY what I was expecting.
I got SYG's Mutiny as an experiment. I'd heard a lot about them in Alternative Press, and saw their album was about pirates. That's about all I knew when I bought the album. So, imagine my delight when I pop it in to hear fast paced punk, laced with a singing style just as unprofessional. I was hooked.
Flash-forward to this evening, when I threw the new album in the player of the Crunk Truck v2. I was DEFINITELY surprised to find vox that sounded like they should be in a pop-punk band of the likes of All Time Low or Forever the Sickest Kids. Sure, it wasn't predominant, but it was there. The new sound definitely sounds different, but a couple times through the record got me through that little hiccup, and now I'm thoroughly enjoying it.
My favorite point on the album is definitely Hayley Williams' (Paramore) performance in the song "The Few That Remain." With DEFINITE hip-hop influences, Hayley throws it down like I've never heard her sing. It's incredible. I'm not a fan of Paramore, normally. They've got too poppy of a sound. But after hearing the combo of their lead singer and SYG, I've got half a mind to give them a shot.
End result? If you want to push, shove, make noise, and rise against the oppresion, grab this album. JACK ENDORSED. Haha.
A Long Time Ago, In the 765!!!
So, I did another 3OH!3 parody. I didn't want to do another one of their songs, but I've had this idea in mind for a while now. I don't think I like it as much as GreenW*tch, but I still think it's decent. So... Yeah.The song being parodied is "Don't Trust Me" by 3OH!3.
My song about Star Wars, Episodes III-VI. If you know the story/characters, you should be fine.
Here we go!!!
Don't Trust Me (Order 66)
Here we go!!!
Don't Trust Me (Order 66)
by: Jack Attack!
Cody, with an army in tow.
I've got my troops out to get me, and there's nowhere to go.
My name's Kenobi. (Kenobi)
It should be easy, I know.
But, when The Empire's comin' for you, man, it just isn't so.
D-d-d-droids are no longer the foe.
Republic soldiers hunting Jedi through the sun, wind, and snow.
The power's shifting with a turbulent flow.
Palpatine is at the wheel and Sidious will be revealed.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
X-Wings drifting out into space,
Leading is a boy starting to realize his fate.
He's a Jedi. (Jedi)
Last one of his kind,
Cuz all his other comrades had already died.
Old-Ben-Kenobi told Luke the tale
All about the Clone Wars, how the Jedi had failed.
But the ending (ending)
Has not yet begun.
Emperor's defeated, father saves his son.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER NUMBER SIXTY-SIX!
(I said)
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER NUMBER SIXTY-SIX!
(I said)
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER SIXTY-SIIOOOOOOOOOO...
(Woah, woah, woah, woah, oh, oh, woah, woah, woah)
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
Cody, with an army in tow.
I've got my troops out to get me, and there's nowhere to go.
My name's Kenobi. (Kenobi)
It should be easy, I know.
But, when The Empire's comin' for you, man, it just isn't so.
D-d-d-droids are no longer the foe.
Republic soldiers hunting Jedi through the sun, wind, and snow.
The power's shifting with a turbulent flow.
Palpatine is at the wheel and Sidious will be revealed.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
X-Wings drifting out into space,
Leading is a boy starting to realize his fate.
He's a Jedi. (Jedi)
Last one of his kind,
Cuz all his other comrades had already died.
Old-Ben-Kenobi told Luke the tale
All about the Clone Wars, how the Jedi had failed.
But the ending (ending)
Has not yet begun.
Emperor's defeated, father saves his son.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER NUMBER SIXTY-SIX!
(I said)
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER NUMBER SIXTY-SIX!
(I said)
TROOPERS, GO FOR THE NIX!
EXECUTE THE ORDER SIXTY-SIIOOOOOOOOOO...
(Woah, woah, woah, woah, oh, oh, woah, woah, woah)
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
They're killing Jedi. (woah)
Nobody knows why. (woah)
Why'd they have to die? (woah, woah, oh oh)
Don't trust a clone.
Never trust a clone.
Won't trust a clone.
These are the Clone Wars, baby.
Forward Can't Be Stopped!
That may be a TDWP line, but I'm here today to talk about Family Force 5. (I know, what's new?) But this time I'm asking for your help.A few months ago, Tofu and I had the awesome opportunity to watch the new FF5 music video for Dance or Die. It is the best video I've ever seen, and it would be even if I didn't know about FF5. Let's just say... If you've ever wanted to see the Power Rangers dance, you should want to watch this video. Haha.
Where am I going with this? I'm glad you asked! mtvU (apparently a branch of MTV, though I've never heard of it...) has a weekly competition called The Freshmen. In this comp, they have 5 new bands' vids that the audience can vote on to put that video in the show. You don't understand? I'm not surprised. I can't explain anything.
So, here's mtvU's explanation: The following list is our lineup for the next installment of our new artists show The Freshmen. The show spotlights emerging artists on air and online, with the chance for one of the videos to get an automatic add into rotation on the channel the following week. Fans can vote on these videos online, starting Monday morning 11:00am (EST), and votes will end on Friday at 2:00pm (EST) and be tabulated.
So, if you could, I'd REALLY like you to help FF5 out, and GO VOTE!!! The link is below, and you can vote as many times as you please, I've been told. (Because of my dial-up connection, I can't participate. So put in a few votes for me, y'all!)
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!
Game Screening: Banjo-Kazooie!
For those of you who have been with me here at POW Blogs for a while, you'll remember that Banjo-Kazooie is my favorite game of all time. In it, you find a well developed platformer with witty dialogue, fantastic design, and a fresh take on a classic video game genre. Its sequel, Banjo-Tooie, delivers just as much of a punch as the original, giving the series something not many series have: the continuity of awesome.
If you're interested in more info about the game, check out Spiral Mountain. It's the best BK fansite I've found yet. Paul, Luke, and the rest of the staff really know what they're talking about.
(Credit for the screen goes to teamXBOX.)
104! (Courtesy of @lil_meg_91)
As some of you may remember, I described my idea for POW Blogs' 100th post a few days ago. And you will remember it didn't work out. But later that day, somebody on Twitter decided to be awesome and made the image above for the 104th post. Thanks, Lil' Meg!
I am a Pirate, You are a Princess!
So, Tofu happens to be in DISNEY WORLD as I type this up. Lucky dog. He's been tweeting about it all day, enough to make me go back through my pictures from a year ago. Man, that place is INTENSE! I've been there a few times, and every time it's so much better.
My favorite ride there would surprise many of the people who know me well. It is not Pirates of the Caribbean, but is in fact The Haunted Mansion. Disney redid the effects a couple years ago, making it the single greatest thing in the Magic Kingdom. It's like you're in a movie, the effects are that great. The singing statues have never felt so alive, and some of the mirror effects the Imagineers use are INGENIOUS. It's probably one of the most surreal experiences of my lifetime.
Pirates, on the other hand, had a few changes made to it a few years ago, as well. They decided to stick Captain Jack Sparrow and some other characters from the movie in the ride. Though it's cool to see the new features, I will say it spoiled the ride for me the last time I went through. It's not the same ride I knew as a child, and I'm sort of upset by that.
Here ends my random blog about Disney World. Short, sweet, and to the point. Kind of like a sword dipped in sugar, right?
Game Screening: Super Mario World!
So, I thought I'd try something new out! I'm doing a new feature that I will have quite a bit of fun with. It's called "Game Screening." (You could have probably guessed by the title.) I will be throwing down a screenshot of a game that I played in my childhood, a game I like now, or a screen that has been put up of a future game. Sometimes I may elaborate, but don't expect it with every screening.
Super Mario World may have been the single game that really got me hooked to video games. I never owned a SNES, let alone the original Nintendo, but I had family that did. So, while Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt will always be my first video game, Super Mario World will always be the game that really got me into gaming. I remember spending LOADS of time trying to get the Blue Yoshi, who could FLY!!! He was like a dragon, man. That game is by far the greatest SNES game to me. But, sentiment probably clouds my judgement.
Magic! (Without Tears!)
The past few days I have been living in ignorance. I was under the impression that no theaters were allowed to sell Harry Potter tickets until today, because a small cinema close to me was told that by their distribution company (or something like that). So, I waited until today to go grab my ticket.Yet, when I arrived at the larger showplace farther away, I was greeted by multiple signs telling me that tickets had already sold out. I will now point out that these signs were put up BEFORE the theater opened. UGH. I was also greeted (to my surprise) by two individuals from a local paper and a camera. They were doing a story on people who were to stupid, lazy, and just plain dumb to check about tickets or get them early. Yes, I was one of those people. So, I did the interview like a good little ex-member of KISS TV 5.
You can find the article here. (I was going to just put it in here, but legality, etc. prevented me.)
In the end, I did get the tickets. So, at midnight, I'll be headed for my local filmhouse, ready to rock some magical movie time.
Happy 100th, Y'all!!!
NO WAY! Something I made as a little random project a few months ago has now reached 100 posts! Sure, some of them are pretty small and slightly meaningless, but still! I'm pretty impressed that I've gotten this far. Usually, I just start something and it dies. Horribly. But somehow, I've gotten past my ADD moments and have actually worked at something! WOO! So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I'd like to thank a few folks who have definitely helped me keep going in the blogosphere and have helped get the word out about POW Blogs.Tofu, The Tech Guys, Jade, Family Force 5, Lil' Meg, Taylor D., The Benefit, and... uh... Gigantor. Those are the major names, if I've left you out and you deserve to be in, I'll get you a cookie sometime. Yeah.
So, I had a pretty sweet plan for the 100th Post. I was hoping to get one of the guys from FF5 to hold up a 1, another one would hold up a 0, and a third would hold up a 0. Get it? Yeah. But, we couldn't get pictures at Kings Island over the weekend. So, because of that, I had to get a Plan B.
So, here's a picture of me with who I think would be President of Rock (if we had an election): KEVIN LYMAN.
Crunk, Coasters, and Confusion!
So, for a break in Warped recap, I'll take you to the scene of ANOTHER concert I caught yesterday. Every year, Kings Island (the closest theme park I've got) throws a Christian music party, bringing in some of the biggest names in the genre, and having a SWEET festival. This year, Family Force 5 happened to be playing. So, me the fam (two cousins of mine), and another dude hit KI for their show yesterday.The day started out chaotically, but I won't get into that. Let's just say we left at least an hour (probably more, I forget) later than we had planned, with a different member in our party that we had planned. But, after that, things were pretty smooth. We got down there just fine, I didn't get us lost! Woo! (I was the official driver of the day.) We stopped at Taco Bell for some grub, and things were finally looking up. Right? WRONG.
We arrive at Kings Island to find rain, and the biggest crowds I've ever seen there. We parked about the farthest away you could park. (I'm really not exaggerating here. Seriously, we were a hundred yards away from the entrance to the parking lot.) Then, every ride had a line exceeding the area designated for the line to follow. So, we waited a WHILE to ride Face Off, then hit Top Gun. Pretty fun, though. After that, we headed out to see Fireflight and FF5.
Fireflight... Good band, but I'm really not into them. I ended up energy drink hunting during their set. But then, FAMILY FORCE 5!!! Though we had horrible seats, (Section 12 if you've ever been to the venue) the show was AWESOME! It made up for all of the junk we went through that morning. Those guys know how to party. I must say that my fave bit of their entire show was during Radiator. In the place that they inserted a Katy Perry bit @AP, Soul Glow Activator did something else instead. "I'll be a Radiator just like you... AND YOUR MOM!" Seriously, a your-mom-joke. AWESOME.
After the set, I hit up the meet and greet, where I had a mini-convo with the guys about random stuff. After the very small chat we had, I can tell you all they really do care about their fans. Trust me. I'd heard this from a few people, but from what ChapStique and Soul Glow told me, it really confirmed it. Thanks guys, you made my day right there in that little tent.
So, for the rest of the night, we went to Burger King, grabbed some grub, and caught Diamondback. DEFINITELY the best coaster there. (Fatty and Qwygon enjoyed it, we saw them on the ride in front of us, then caught 'em in line again after we rode.) We rocked the Wild Thornberry's ride as well. GREAT, that.
So, now for the ride home. I'm pleased to inform you all that we got lost. Maybe three times. I was FREAKING OUT. Seriously. But, Grizzle (my cuz) got me through, making me remember some stuff from earlier in the day. So, we made it home, and there ends my story. Sorry it took so long. Yeah.
Hip to the Hop Don't Stop!
Alright, let's take a look at some more Warped artists, shall we?Shad
As you can see, I caught the lyrical stylings of a certain Shad at Warped Tuesday. (Check the stripey hat, y'all!) I noticed he had an ad in Alternative Press before the show, and was excited to know that there was a hip-hop artist doing Warped. So, I caught his set, and I was impressed. Easily one of the best rappers I've heard for a while, I'll stick him up there with N.E.R.D and The Roots in my mind. Though not as big, he's DEFINITELY got the talent. A lot of his show was freestyling his transitions, making fun of emos along the way, which was HILARIOUS. One of the more fun songs he did talked about living with his parents, saving cash. That was the premise of the ENTIRE song. Seriously, check him out. He's the bomb.
3OH!3
Though they may not exactly be hip-hop straight up, they're still enough like it to lump them in this category. Their show was (again) amazing. Though, their set does have its faults. The major one being that it hadn't changed. I heard the exact same songs in what seemed to be the exact same order. I was a bit bummed about that, but the energy of the crowd made up for it. By the time they were through, I had left the pit, fearing a blackout, which almost occured. If I hadn't had grabbed some water... Dang. But the best part of their show was this kid, who climbed probably fifteen feet up a light post in the back of the pit. The duo both commented on it. After jumping from his perch to be caught by the crowd, I saw nothing more of the dude. Then, that night, I read this tweet from Sean Foreman of 3OH!3:
kidquizine: to the kid who climbed the light post. Brilliant. sorry you were kicked out!I had no idea he got thrown out of the place! That's hardcore, man.
Big D Wears Prada!
So, I'm definitely not going to go in chronological order to describe each band's set. Why not? No clue. I just really don't feel like it. So, let's get started!The Devil Wears Prada
Here's the story behind me and listening to TDWP. I'd really never given them the time of day, until last year's Warped. Even then, I only listened to a couple songs from their set, because All Left Out was about to play. Then, last Christmas, I had a change of heart and decided to check them out. OH, MAN. I was amazed. For some reason, their hardcore sound is much more relaxing to me than what emotions hardcore usually evokes in me. Since then, they've become one of my favorite bands, even thought I only have their two latest records.
Enter Tuesday. They were probably the #1 have to see band on my list. So, I had to get there. However, when I did, the crowd was so HUGE! It was definitely the hardest crowd to maneuver that I had ever seen in a pit. So I was stuck three quarters of the way back, my worst spot for any band that day. Though, I was happy with it later, because their sound was much better from that position. I forget which song they started with, but I do know "Reptar, King of the Ozone" was one of the songs at the beginning of the set, which OWNED. Really, I only didn't know one song, though I could only sing along to a few. (Haha)
They've got such a stage presence, MUCH better than I thought they would be. The crowd got SO energized during their time on stage, and I was no exception. Halfway through the show, I was FRANTICALLY looking for someone I knew, in an effort to do something I had never attempted before... I texted a friend, who didn't get back with me in time. But then, FOUR PEOPLE TO MY LEFT, were two kids from my school! I KNOW!!! So I ran over, handed them my gear, and headed back to a couple of dudes that were standing near me. I tapped them on the shoulder, and pointed up. They knew what I was talking about.
And then I crowdsurfed to "Assistant to the Regional Manager." YES. It was one of the greatest things I've ever done at a show. AMAZING. (I actually got the Dwight TDWP t-shirt in homage to that experience.)
Finally, they ended with the greatest song possible. "Hey John, What's Your Name Again?" was Tofu and my ending song for The Show for I don't know HOW long. For TDWP to end with it was AMAZING.
Big D and the Kids Table
(I won't take so long this time, I promise.) Big D was the second band I saw Tuesday, right after Less Than Jake. For those who don't know them, they're a ska band. An AWESOME ska band. They threw on the most fun show all day, definitely. From their two girls in the back doing b-ground vox (from Tip the Van, check that band out too!) to the awesome crowd, there wasn't one bad part of their set.
The crowd definitely made the experience. It seemed like EVERYONE there knew how to skank! It was awesome! It made me love ska even more. I also learned how to mosh while skanking. That was fun. At one point, we had this ring of six or seven dudes, all skanking in a circle. It was like a Russian kick-dance thing line, except to ska, and turned in at the ends.
(Oh, and for those who don't remember what skanking is, check this site.
That's it for today, I'll try to make other set descriptions a little more compact.
Kodak Moment!
Disgusted yet? Good!
Kevin Lyman's Fantastical Wonderland!
Woah. Yesterday was crazy, man. I'm telling you, it is no worse than last year, even without FF5! Here's the deal, though. I've got about a week's worth of posts from one day alone, so I'll be doing things a little bit differently than normal. I'm not going to talk much about the actual sets today, I'm just going to run you through the timeline yesterday.Here we go.
So, me being so excited for Warped and all, I decided to get up early. And when I say early, I mean 5:30am. Yeah. I know. This gets me to Noblesville around 8, about when I arrive at Verizon Wireless Music Center (or whatever) and find out that the PARKING LOT doesn't open until 10, only one hour before the event starts. LAME. So, I head to the local outdoor mall, where a bunch of Warped enthusiasts have also taken as their own. So here I am, walking around this place, when I see somebody I know. Already, I assume the day is going to be filled with me running into familiar faces. I was right.
So, after hanging with them a little bit, I hear that the dude at the venue told some people 9:30. Piece of junk. We took off, and low and behold, it was 9:30. So, I took off for the line, to find myself behind two VERY awesome people. We started talking, and then one of the girls handed me a voucher, which gave me VIP treatment at signings, free water all day, and the ability to go to the bands' bus area! YEAH! She became my insta-friend.
The doors open (after a KEVIN LYMAN sighting, I was crazy pumped) and we took off to go claim our VIP wristbands, grab the limited ed. Vans shades, and to see who was playing first. My first band happened to be Less Than Jake. So, while heading to see them, I run into the one, the only, @MINKUS!!! WOO! She recognized me AND called me by name. What up? I had a very brief conversation with her, and then started my day.
I saw a ton of bands, but I didn't stay for a lot of most of their sets. Here's the bands I saw more than half of the set or all of their set.
Less Than Jake
Big D and the Kids Table
Shad
Lights
The A.K.A's
Streetlight Manifesto
The Devil Wears Prada
3OH!3
The White Tie Affair
A Day To Remember
Looking at the schedule now, I am baffled how I saw some of them, because their sets were at the same time. Huh. I'll figure it out later.
I'll talk about all of those sets throughout the week.
So, nothing extraordinary happened apart from the shows, so I'll skip to the end of my day. After select Warped dates, there is an afterparty, hosted by Denny's. 5 or so bands come out, and you can chill with them, whatever. I decided to head out there. Turns out, I saw NONE of the bands that were there, though Breathe Carolina was there, who I LOVE. So, after grabbing a meal with the same two girls I met in line at the beginning of my day, I headed over and chatted with BC about DRD3, and then consulted Dance Gavin Dance about album art. Haha. But then... It happens. The highlight of my day.
I was walking out of Denny's, when... KEVIN LYMAN APPEARS. I did a double... no, TRIPLE take, and then knew I had to say something. I went over, and we talked. Our conversation was longer than I had with Minkus or ANY of the bands. It was awesome. We talked about ska, and he gave me a few bands to check out. FLIPPIN' SWEET. Then, I tried to get a picture, but my phone wouldn't work. BUT, Mighty Mendoza (the organizer of the party) came to the rescue. It'll be up on the Denny's site in a few days, and I'll DEF post it here.
So, yeah! No pictures, no autographs, just a day full of music. DEFINITELY a day to remember. (Hahahahaha, look at the pun!)
More in the upcoming days, I promise.
THIS... IS... WARPED TOUR!!!
What, didn't you know?
Haha. Unless you've been in a cave recently, you know all about Warped Tour. The heat, the music, the madness. Well, tomorrow is the Indy stop, which means this dude's gettin' his ROCK on. For those that know me, they know I've been obsessing over the tour for about a month. I've got lists out my ears, and my pack has been getting packed for a week. I'm SO ready.
I did mention lists. Overall, I have 33 bands to check out. My 3 main lists are comprised of three categories: Have to See, Want to See, and Bands I've Heard Of. (Yeah, I laugh at the last one too.) Plus, there's a couple of hip-hop acts that haven't made my list yet. So, 55 overall.
Here's the Have to See:
3OH!3
A Day To Remember
Attack Attack!
Breathe Carolina
Hit The Lights
Less Than Jake
NOFX*
The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere)
The Ataris*
The Devil Wears Prada
(A * means that certain band is only appearing in Indy)
I tried to mix it up a little, but there's a LOT of hardcore in there, which means I'll probably hit a few of those bands at Cincy.
So, yeah! I'll give you a full report later this week, and may even throw down some pics here (POW Blogs) and Twitter tomorrow! On the Twitter note, I'll be updating that with bands I'm seeing all day. So if you're interested, and don't use Twitter, just point your browser here and you'll be able to see it.
One Line KO! (CAPTAIN Jack Sparrow)
I have no sympathy for any of you feculent maggots and no more patience to pretend otherwise. Gentlemen, I wash my hand of this weirdness.
POW! The Twitter PHENOMENON!
Hey! So, for all you Twitter users out there who follow the blog, I've set up a Twitter account especially for blog posts! Using a bot system, the Twitter account will update every time I post something here on POW Blogs. I may drop an occasional shout on there every now and then, but it will be mostly for blog updates. So, if you'd like to know when I post something new here and not have to check for nothing, check out POW Blogs on Twitter!Link: @powblogs
A Little Hint, From Me To You.
So, for those of you who know me (or follow me on Twitter, hint hint), you know that this week has been ALL about preparation for Warped Tour, which hits Indy this Tuesday, July 7. So, yesterday I began to get my bag together with stuff that I'd need. (sunscreen, pens, shades, etc.) But, a thought occurred to me along the way that I thought I'd share with you.Last year, I wasn't planning on carrying any sort of bag at all.I figured it would get in my way in the pit, and was just stupid to carry. NO. BAD JACK. A bag is actually the best thing to take with you. Why, you ask? If you've never been to Warped, you have NO idea how much free stuff you can get. I didn't get as much as I could last year, but that was only because I couldn't carry it.
Now, this free swag comes mostly in the form of posters, stickers, pieces of paper that have download links, etc. All things that would get tossed, turned, and crumpled normally in a pack like I'm taking. (You should see my Forever The Sickest Kids poster.) So, I was trying to think about that yesterday in Walmart to fix that situation, when....
DING! Light bulb! I'd take a Composition book with me! For those of you that don't know, comp books are those black/white notebooks you used for journals in middle school/early high school. You can get them for 75 cents (that's with tax) at Walmart, and they would be SO handy for Warped! Not only can you stick all of your thin swag in there, you can also write bands you want to see, bands you DID see, make a schedule for the day, AUTOGRAPH BOOK.... You see where I'm going with this. Also, it's not too heavy, or at least I didn't think so. (Oh, and if you're worried about keeping it closed, I'm using one of those huge black clips that you open by pushing the opposite silver tabs... I forget what they're called. Sorry. Just use a clip of some sort!!!)
There's my wisdom for the day. Hope it helps! Email me if you do it, I want to know how it works for you! powblogs@gmail.com
Taking a Break from Taking a Break. Yeah.
So, as you may have noticed, I've taken a break from blogging this past week. I've even been bugged via text to get back on the blogwagon. Yes, you know who you are. Yes, you're in trouble.So, instead of giving you a thought out recap of my awesome day last Thursday, which ends in eating pizza with the AWESOME band All Left Out, I'm going to hit you with something different. Something my followers on Twitter have already seen.
Last night, it dawned on me. "Hey, self!" I thought, "You should TOTALLY make a Jackozord tee! Then, during welcome week at UIndy, people would remember your name!" "That's awesome!" I thought back, "I might do that!"
So, I designed a very rough idea using images I stole from Google Images. I plan to obtain the Clipart needed, and speak with a local printer in the next couple of weeks to figure out cost, etc.
Here it is! Hope you like it!
Edwon, Edwon, Read All About It!!!
Hey, everybody! Just got word from the Family Force 5 camp that I could release a new piece of art/story for the Dance or Die Vid!!! WOO!!! Aren't you excited? I know I am!!!So, HERE IT IS!!!
So, if you could help me and FF5 out, just start droppin' a link to POW Blogs EVERYWHERE!!! (Use the Twitter and Facebook links below!!!)
LET THE CIRCULATION BEGIN!!!!
I Have a Warped Sense of Style!
Tonight, the 2009 Vans Warped Tour Pit Reporter held a haiku contest via Twitter. Because I am such an avid fan of Warped, Twitter, and @minkus, I decided to enter.Now, for those of you who don't know (which is a lot of you), I've never seen myself as a poet. In fact, I think I've tried to avoid every poetry project I've been able to avoid for my entire K-12 career. Me and poetry don't usually work together well. But, because it was Warped, and I was slightly bored, I thought I'd give it a shot.
I submitted a few entries, here they are in order of submission.
The sweat on my brow.
The sun beating on my face.
Music is my life.
The raucous voices.
Fans shedding blood, sweat, and tears.
This is harmony.
One moment, I fall.Decent, huh? I know I was surprised.
Through the chaos, they aid me.
Brotherhood of sound.
However, the climax of my surprisement came in the form of these 2 tweets:
minkus: Aaaaaand the winner is!
minkus: Tada! @jackozord!! "One moment, I fall. // Through the chaos, they aid me. // Brotherhood of sound."I KNOW!!!! I was shocked too!
Yeah! She then posted a couple links dealing with the contest. Link 1 is a Pit Blog with some more of her favorites, and Link 2 is a TwitPic with my package, shipping out tomorrow! YAY!
Link 1
Link 2
BOOMIN! (Out the Six Flags Ampitheater!)
So, this weekend was sort of GIGANTIC for me. I did so much in a two day period. Friday got me kicked off at UIndy, then I headed to KY with some awesome folk who joined me in rocking Six Flags: Kentucky Kingdom.Registration at UIndy was pretty fun, we did some activities, learned about tradition, etc. Much more exciting than I thought it would be, though. That was good. Also, I found out that I got accepted into the Residence Hall I wanted, which is AMAZING! But you'll hear about that later.
After that, we ran down to a truck stop, where the KY Crew was stopped. I left the padres, and joined the party.
(The next day...) Six Flags wasn't as great as I thought is was going to be. Compared to King's Island (my usual spot), it just doesn't hold up. SF has a grand total of 3 major coasters, and they aren't extremely spectacular in the first place. However, on a hot day, their waterpark works NICELY. (We had a heat advisory out Saturday. Just sayin'.)
So, after the mostly disappointing theme park, we headed to the amp(itheater) to watch Tobymac and the Diverse City band. I was, again, disappointed. The only folks who were allowed to be in the front were those who had paid $10 for the VIP spot. Stupid. So, I was about halfway back, a row from the closest I could possibly be. Then, Toby played the same stuff I'd seen the last three times I've seen him. So....
Not my best concert experience overall.
But, if I ever get a chance to go for as cheap as the prices were this weekend, I'd probably take it.
Battle of the Ages... (Not Really.)
So, I've been thinking about this situation, and I'm not sure what the answer is. I have absolutely no idea, actually. The bit goes like this:MEGAZORD VS. OPTIMUS PRIME
Seriously, who would win this fight? It's tough,man.
Megazord's got the power of all 5 Zords, plus that KICKIN' sword. Also, it has the advantage of the Power Rangers, a team of super awesome teens who guide it. I think that gives it somewhat of an advantage.
But Optimus is used to fighting giant robots, so that sword would be no problem, right? And a group controlling one thing is probably going to be slower reacting than a single mind controlling the entity. Maybe Optimus is the choice here...
But, if the different Zords were to converge on Optimus in his Semi travel mode...
Hm... I think it's tough, but the winner is...
OPTIMUS PRIME!!!
Even if he were a semi, he can transform instantly. Also, he's got his entire team of Autobots to call on.
It wasn't even a rough decision after all. Wow.
Rocko's Ancient Life...
Hey, everybody! I finally named the mascot! WOO! His name is Rocko, and he's amazing.As you can see, Rocko has been around for a while. In fact, he's so old, his organs, muscle, and skin have all fallen off. (Yet, he's still alive. Hm...) Suffice to say, my main giraffe over there has had some great times.
Every now and then, POW Blogs will feature a piece from Rocko's journal, speaking of his exploits. He's led a pretty exciting life, so this should be fun. (And I'm even in some! WOO!)
So, let's check one out now!
Rocko's Journal
26 Feb 1638
I woke up at sunrise, then began to eat.
Then, I took a walk.
After that, I had another snack.
Great day, huh?
R.
Sharing's Fo' Playas!
If you are very observant, you'll notice a few new badges here and there around the blog. Most are for sharing, but there are a few that are links to my social networking profiles on other sites.First, the profile badges. You can find them in the Author Info section over on the sidebar. They're pretty self explanatory. Also, keep an eye on that area, because any profiles I add/find, I'll add a badge!
Now, the rest of the buttons. There is a new category under every post labeled "Share." These buttons allow you to share single posts with your friends by use of a few mediums, if you choose.
The first is "Tweet It." This will create a tweet that will give the title of the post, the specific url of that post, and an @mention to me, the author. It will look something like this:
Reading: Let It Go (or Be... Hee Hee) by @jackozord http://www.flyinggiraffes.com/2009/06/let-it-go-or-be-hee-hee.htmlI suggest changing the link to a bit.ly, but you should have room with most posts.
Next, there's an option to Digg the post. I'm a beginner on this site, but it's basically a gigantic ranking system for online news/videos/etc. So, if you're into Digging stuff, there it is!
Finally, the Facebook option may be the most useful for the lot of you. If there's something I say that you want to show your friends, just hit the Facebook badge, and it will be posted to your profile, with a url to go with it! Yay!
Hope you like (and utilize) the new additions!
#4! No, wait, #3!
I've found the answer to Tuesdays. Seriously. It's called Buzztime at Buffalo Wild Wings. It's quite possibly the greatest thing ever.Let me explain. Before tonight, I had never been to BWW (or B Dubs, as it is affectionately known). I had heard so many great things about it. The food was apparently out of this world, the atmosphere was fun and great, and apparently was thought provoking, according to my high school math teacher.
Mr. B told us one time how he went to B Dubs and played the trivia game there, usually winning. (He's an insanely smart dude.) Now, Most of us thought that it was pretty weird to play a trivia game at this B Dubs, but we accepted it.
Fast forward to tonight. A bro and I decided to hit up our local Hangtown, which has a B Dubs. So, after we got there and had been seated, we look over across the room. To our surprise, there was Mr. B, ready to rock some trivia. So the two of us, like any good students, decided to grab a game board and challenge him.
Now, the game is played via electronic "boards" and TV sets. You look at the TVs for the question, and then answer with your board. So, we jumped in late one game, and got 14th. The next game we got in the Top 10, maybe 5th. (I forget specific rankings). We were doing well, though.
But alas, our teacher still OWNED us. He's the man, seriously.
So, we played for 2 HOURS. They kept starting new games, and we kept playing. It was insane. At one point, we decided to register as a player, giving us a definite name every time we go. TECHNO is our handle. Nice, right? We thought so.
So, after tonight, we will probably be going every Tuesday, because the wings are cheap (40 cents!) and the fun is HUGE.
If you're ever in B Dubs around 6, grab a board, and GO.
Let It Go (or Be... Hee Hee)
As a lot of you know, I've already quit that new FF5 fan project I started about a week ago, for no apparent reason. It would seem rash and confusing at a glance. But really, it's farther from that statement.TKK was supposed to be a way for me to express my love for FF5, and tell people about other things that their fans might enjoy. But as I put more and more time into its creation, I realized how weird it was getting. I realized that I had been putting FF5 before much more important things in life.
I really realized this after seeing some drama go down in the FF5 fanbase. When I saw this, I instantly saw how much our obsessions controlled my life. It's one thing to be a fan. It's another to spend all day on a computer talking about how much I love them, creating a site about them, and spending all day just doing... nothing. I was definitely in this category. I'm just happy I never had to defend myself or argue about some online obsession, like some in the first camp.
Now, I'm not trying to condemn anyone, or go after anyone. Far from it. I'm just pointing out my mistakes in an effort to allow others to examine their position.
But, back to my story.
In that moment of craziness, I realized how I needed to let it go. I miss the days where I was a "casual" hardcore fan (Oxymoron? Probably), who listened to their music all the time, but didn't let it affect my life. I realized that I was putting FF5 on a pedestal, over LOADS of important stuff in my life. That stops right now.
I'm saying this right now to make sure the rest of you have your priorities straight. Some of you can deal with the type of stuff I was doing, and still put the right things above them. Some of you can't. That second group is the one I'm going for. If you see yourself in my shoes, let's go together. I know I'll need help. Let's put some of this behind us for a while, and enjoy the cornucopia of other things life gives us to enjoy.
Don't get me wrong, I'll still be a fan. I'll hit loads of their concerts. I'll dance, scream, and try to get that fist bump from Soli's Hulkfists. But, I'm done with this crazy online FF5 stuff. I'm stepping away for a bit, to get things straight. After that, who knows?
But for now, I'm taking a nap. (That's a metaphor, for those of you who missed it.)
Mashable! (Nothing to do w/ Potatoes.)
If you're reading this, you're probably aware that I am on the computer A LOT of the time. You may even know that (for someone who lives where I do) I am ahead of most people, in terms of online knowledge and use (knowing what Twitter is/how to use it, etc.) So, it would be no surprise to know that I also like to know what's going on in the social media.Enter Mashable.
Mashable is like the CNN of social networking news. They produce articles on what's going on with services such as Facebook and Myspace, and also create How To articles, to educate the masses on using a general or precise function of these same services.
Mashable has a pretty large online presence, with over 824k followers on Twitter alone. This means that at any given time, one or more Mashable stories are in the Top 10 Trending Topics on Twitter. If you're a Twitter beginner, that's sort of a big deal.
I really just wanted to promote these guys. For anyone interested in learning how to use any given social networking site, check Mashable. If you want to learn more about Google, or their new rival Bing, check Mashable. In a nutshell, Mashable rules. Check it.
Mad Ad!
I did this for two reasons.
1. It was a sweet cover for a binder at my graduation party, and
2. I can throw it up around campus next year for promotion.
Woo! I think it's pretty grand, don't you?
The Office (of the Internet).
So, as I mentioned a couple posts back, I started a new project called The Kountry Klub. Little did I know how much work it would be. I think I've put more time into that than I have into POW Blogs. (Ok, that's a lie.)But, seriously! At first, I had to work the layout out, which took FOREVER. Then, I had to read the applications, appoint authors, start a Myspace page, do THAT layout, and now I'm cleaning up shop around the blog and the Myspace. It's tiring, let me tell you. (But CRAZY fun.)
Funny enough, all the work on TKK has left me NO time to post on it! Haha, I got to run a small bit about the Myspace page, but that's it. But, at least it's giving me stuff to do with my UNLIMITED amount of summer time. I mean, I could go be outside and enjoy the nice weather.... But I'm lazy. Darn.
So, yeah! There's an update on me right now. BOOM!
The Giraffes be FLYIN, Bro!!!
WOAH! Did you see that? I did too! The blog got a url! I KNOW! Finally!!!www.flyinggiraffes.com
Haha. Yeah, I went and got a domain yesterday. That'll make it easier to tell people about the site, and makes it a lot funnier for me.
Oh, and for those of you thinking that I'm going to change the name of the blog, or wondering what Flying Giraffes have to do with POW Blogs, no worries. It's completely random, and the name of the blog's not changing. Though, if you refer to POW Blogs by saying, "I read a rad post on Flying Giraffes yesterday!" I wouldn't be offended.
Hope you like it! Paz, my blogobros.
I Give A Speech! (Run.)
So, here's a rough copy of the speech I'm reading right about now at my graduation. It'll be almost exactly what I say, but I'll add/drop a few words here and there. I'll try to get the video, and put it up. So, yeah!Congrats, '09. It's been a blast.
And now for something completely indifferent... The clichéd lines of the stereotypical graduation speech. Let's reflect on some of the things many valedictorians of the past have counted on to make their speech special, in an effort to boost my reflections today.
So, we're here. The class of 2009. Congratulations!
As I began to write this speech, I realized I had absolutely no clue what to say!
This is the beginning of the rest of your life.
It's so sad to see you all go... We've been through so much together! (sniff) (Splash) I'm sorry, I promised myself I wouldn't cry!
Insert ridiculous quote here.
I think if I kept going with these phrases, you'd become bored. I know I felt dull and lifeless reading them. If I filled my speech with stereotypes, nothing would be achieved and you all would be angry with me for wasting your time with trivial information. The same thing applies to life. If we allow stereotypes to fill our lives, it will become a bland canvas of individuals with no impression of character, guided by the actions society deems appropriate based on their ascribed status, or an attribute they have no control over.
I've had it with these stereotypes, I'm done with immediate classification. To be our age today is to constantly struggle with the snide comments of others, who believe we are a group whose only ambition in life is to engage in promiscuity and use loads of drugs and alcohol. Teens have achieved this bad name, and now we must deal with the many obstacles brought about by our reputation. But, we're no strangers to overcoming this fact, are we? I mean, in sixth grade they wouldn't let us out of arms reach! We were classified as “the worst class to come through West Side.” But, over the years, we have matured. (cough - somewhat) Compared to then, I'd say we're pretty dignified individuals now.
It seems everyone in life needs to prove someone wrong to amount to something great. We look back and see the rise of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Such adversity has never been overthrown with the power and grace that King wielded. Like him, we must cast off the judgment passed to us by those “above.” To truly achieve success in life, our generation must transcend our faults and rise to our full potential. Only then can we prove the masses wrong, and show them we are a force to be reckoned with.
Let's take a moment to look at another individual's life, who has become known across the globe for overcoming the situations I've been describing. He is born to an ex-hippie, straight out of the 60's. He grows up generally accepting his youthful stereotype, becoming outspoken and trying some drugs with his peers. Early in his adult life, he is tested by his race and former religion, two things that will leave him in a poor position for occupation and success in many places. But, he overcomes those stereotypes, gaining a position in his state legislature. After a few years, he moves through the political ranks. Today, President Obama is one of the most well known individuals in the world, and one of our most well-known leaders. Pretty good for a stereotyped kid, right?
In the years to come, I don't mind if you forget my name. I really don't mind if you forget my face. I will have no problems dealing with that fact, for we all must lose things along life's path. Also, I don't care if you don't consciously remember my words today. They're only plucks of the vocal cord, anyways. No, the only thing I care about is that you help me change their minds. We are the future, we must deal with what's ahead. Class of '09, you are the hope of many. I ask you to step up and fill the role that the world won't ask you to occupy. Take a stand, or have a seat.
Thanks for the memories, y'all. God Bless.
Join The Klub!
I started a new Family Force 5 fan site, one that won't be exclusively about FF5. It's gonna be pretty neat, so you should probably check it out. RIGHT NOW!!!
The Kountry Klub
Uh-Oh! REEEMIX!!!
So, with the help of Family Force 5, I've found some AMAZING music. The stuff in question is done by The Remix Artist Collective (RAC).I first heard RAC without knowing it. They did a mix of Love Addict for FF5, which ended up on the Heart Support Tour's ad/vid. I fell in love with it, man. Then, they did some more remixes for FF5 on Dance Or Die With A Vengeance, under the names of Andre Anjos (a member) and The Pragmatic (a band consisting of members of RAC).
So, I went to their website. Turns out, they've done remixes for everyone from FF5 to RADIOHEAD! Yeah, I know. That's awesome, right? I thought so. The website also gives out loads of FREE DOWNLOADS, which is another amazing thing. So, I downloaded the Nintendo vs Sega EP, because I'm a vidgam geek and wanted to hear more of their sound.
IT WAS AMAZING. They did a Super Mario Bros. Remix, 2 Sonic mixes, and A Link To The Past was redone as well. I must say, the Super Mario Bros. was my favorite, but that's probably only because it's my second favorite game.
Then, I went to The Pragmatic's site, and got their newest, Circles. What's really cool about this is that there's only one song on the entire album. The song (Circles, duh!) by The Pragmatic is first, followed by 7 remixes from other artists. (ONE BY SOUL GLOW!!! Woot.) I'm in the middle of it right now, but so far it's kickin! A little more mellow than the RAC stuff, but good all the same.
So, here's the sites. CHECK 'EM!!!
The Remix Artist Collective
The Pragmatic
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