Other people go through this too... right? RIGHT?!?
Current mood: depressed
Category: Life
OK, so the blog hasn't been updated in a while due to a) being busy and b) my efforts to keep my blog as bawww-free as possible. As some of you no doubt already noticed, last month was booked solid with family time. My sister spent over a grand to send herself and her two youngins, my nephew and niece, to Michigan for two weeks. And of course, along with the joy of seeing them also comes the post-parting depression from wondering whether I made good enough use of that time and how much longer it'll be before I'll ever see them again. With gas prices and scheduling, it could be years from now. Fun fact: I can't ever truly allow myself to enjoy anything.
On top of that, this past week has been a sobering reminder of who my friends are, and who they are NOT. Betrayal isn't really anything new, but when it's one of those life-altering backstabbings it tends to sting a little bit more. It brings to mind someone else who stabbed me in the back... someone who always called me an idealist. Maybe that's true. I dunno... sometimes I just expect things to work out the way they're supposed to and for the professional and personal relationships I have to work both ways. Call me fucking crazy. I'm not angry and I'm not willing to waste energy trying to figure out why... I just have to move on.
Make a long story short, I'm unemployed again. I've already taken one major step to increase my employability appeal. As unhappy as I was to do it, it had to be done. Sigh... well, at the very least, my birthday weekend was fun. Much alcohol was consumed, games were played (or at least attempted) and as many of my true friends as were able to be there in person showed their support. It is deeply appreciated.
Alright. Bawww moment over. Time for some mental potpourri while I'm thinking about it:
1. The Xbox is one of the best purchases I've ever made. Live Arcade has been pounding out the quality. I may not have played Bionic Commando when I was a kid, so that's why I'm glad I'm playing a prettier, more forgiving version of it now. Besides, enough shit happened back then to make me a bitter adult. Oh, and that Geometry Wars score will go back up very, very soon...
2. Still not watching WWE, and now it's been at least a month since I've watched TNA. Maybe it's just that I'm bummed about missing ROH, but I think it has more to do with stagnant product.
3. More big things coming from Peacedogman. In the meantime, I'm very proud of this here interview with Mike Coffey from STONE VENGEANCE. A great band, and a great dude. Clicky!
Currently
listening
:
None So Vile
By
Cryptopsy
Release date: 2001-04-17
Chuggin’ Along into the Digital Age
Current mood: bored
Category: Music
"My dreams are all dead 'n buried Sometimes I wish tha sun'd just explode When God comes 'n calls me to 'is kingdom I'll take all ya sons-a-bitches when I go!"
"Do not touch tha trim!"
There was a point to this blog... what was it?... oh yeah...
Due to many accumulating factors, I've started writing and recording music again. I've got a decent set-up right now, mostly thanks to James and what he's taught me. It sounds rough, but that's fine. I'm also lacking keyboard and drums (obviously), but for starters guitar and bass are enough. I'll create a page and post stuff when there's suitable material to share.
The truck-boat-truck will have to wait... there are tunes to be laid down...
Currently
listening
:
Lost to the Living
By
Daylight Dies
Release date: 2008-06-24
Complaints and Grievances
Current mood: anxious
Category: Blogging
Time for some random thoughts:
1. Why didn't anyone warn me about how bad Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 is? Yeah, sure, it's the only true next gen wrestling game and it's got all the fancy-pants fighting styles and whatever, but in no way is this a game that can suit any of my needs. Everybody knows I'm a sucker for Create-A-Wrestler (Caw-caw, caw-caw!), but explain this to me: What's the point of having such a well-polished 3D wrestler when a) the moveset is so damn limited and you have to unlock all the cool moves, and b) your custom wrestler has such low friggin' stats off the bat that's it impossible to win against anybody? But wait! In order to beef up your wrestlers' stats and movelists, you have to play the agonizingly tedious Career Mode where everything from autograph signings to wiping your ass causes massive amounts of fatigue. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, wrestling games have finally gotten TOO realistic. I'll go back to Fire Pro now, thank you very much.
2. More wrestling: Looks like the NWA heavyweight belt is, for all intent and purposes, the official championship of Ring of Honor. I do have my reservations about this, of course, because the NWA is now gonna stick their noses in everything and bitch and moan if ROH isn't being "traditional" enough. If any company can make the NWA legacy viable again, though, it's ROH. Time will tell...
3. Even more wrestling: After a disastrous WWE draft on Monday and even more disastrous PPV last night (which I'm not even going to bother talking about because I'll just get angry), there is one shining moment of promise worth mentioning: the debut of Ted DiBiase Jr. I haven't gotten a chance to check him out in action yet, but from what I understand, he's at least partially become the heir to his pappy's "Million Dollar Man" gimmick. I for one am curious to see how he lives up to the legacy. As you can see, though, he looks quite a bit different from the original, especially in the physique dept.:
He just looks like he was born to be a heel, doesn't he?
4. The folks that designed the levels for N+ on Xbox Arcade are evil, evil, evil, evil, EVIL.
5. The new NACHTMYSTIUM fucking owns. Just when we all thought we'd seen it all in the black metal genre, this beast comes along. I've heard it described as "stoner black metal"? Not sure about that, but they're definitely onto something. Highly recommended.
Mental Potpourri
Current mood: animated
Category: Blogging
Some random thoughts:
1. BANDWAGON!My economy stimulus check magically turned into an Xbox 360.Now I'm officially back in the loop, though I've noticed some things.First, as I figured was going to happen, I find the Xbox Live Arcade far more intriguing than the actual games, although the number of actual games I've played is pretty low.Second, as a result of being out of the loop for so long, I now absolutely suck at video games. It doesn't help that my connection is slower than Mrs. Butterworth.Knock, knock… hey Ryan…?
2. At least five weeks free of WWE programming and I feel fine.Do I need to out and say that Vince's Million Dollar Giveaway is a desperate act of the highest degree?No?Didn't think so.TNA, on the other hand, is getting much better.Especially the Knockout division.The signing of Mickie Knuckles and the guest appearances of such SHIMMER talent as Daizee Haze and Daffney earn them major points from me.It's sad but true… because of the mindset of the average wrestling fan, SHIMMER probably won't ever be able to stand as a successful promotion on its own.At least with the aid of TNA or ROH (preferably the latter, where the SHIMMER title is officially recognized), it'll flourish.
3. Further BANDWAGON!In addition to tidying up my profile (F-you, Thomas' MySpace Editor!), I also put one of those damn Truth Boxes on there.Bring on the insults, ya pansies!
4. The new HOLLENTHON pwns harder than the fist of an angry god.The new PRIEST and DEICIDE, on the other hand, are kinda boring.Hopefully I'll warm up to both of 'em after a few more listens.
5. I also finally got around to listening to TRYPTYKON, the new Tom G. project to arise from the ashes of CELTIC FROST.Frankly, I don't know what to think about it. The sole track posted is just a dark, ambient instrumental.Is it an intro, or is that it?Don't get me wrong, I like Stephen O'Malley and SUNN O))), but I don't really need yet another band that sounds like that.I can just see it now… a relentless barrage of TRYPTYKON limited-edition splits and color swirl vinyl pressings… groan…
6. On the music front, expect some big things from Peacedogman, including a piece that, as far as I'm concerned, is grossly overdue.
Speaking of which, BACK TO WORK!
Currently
listening
:
No Place for Disgrace
By
Flotsam & Jetsam
Release date: 1990-10-25
Reasons to Celebrate
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Life
1. Red Wings.... Stanley Cup... yeah, you already know. As Justin put it, it's gonna make for an interesting summer.
2. HOLLENTHON is finally back! "Opus Magnum" drops domestically in just under a week, and to make a long story short, Album of the Year for 2008 may already be clenched. Check my profile (or their MySpace) to find out why.
3. I realize that there's still time to wait, but congratulations to James and Dawn! Now, um, you are going to let us know when it happens so we can share the moment with you, um, unlike some people, right?
A photo that could only really be understood and appreciated by me... and maybe Nate.
This is a screenshot from one of CHIKARA's latest episodes of "Podcast-a-go-go"...
Sooo... not only is Tim Donst a heel and in the Order of the Neo Solar Temple, but he's also sporting... HALF of King Diamond's facepaint? Um... what's going on?
....and THAT, boys and girls, is why CHIKARA pwns. That is all.
Currently
listening
:
Anthology
By
Burzum
Release date: 2008-01-29
The Future of the 2D Fighter....?
Current mood: anxious
Category: Games
OK, so I got a little sidetracked.At least I'm posting more consecutively than Justin, right?XD… j/k.Eh, life happened.Either way, a promise is a promise, and that's why I'd like to talk about:
First off, I hate the new logo.It looks like a kid drew it with a bottle of mustard.Still, this is the first real SF game to make the jump into 3D (for the record, the EX series was developed by a company named Arika, not Capcom themselves).So far, folks that have gotten their hands on the beta say that it feels just like the 2D version, and admittedly the new cel-shaded graphics do look pretty sweet.
Ken being the crap out of Ryu, as it should be!
While I don't doubt they'll be able to pull this off (even the last 3D King of Fighters game made the transition fairly well), I do have other reservations.First, take a look at this YouTube video that shows most of the roster.Look familiar?It's the Street Fighter II roster in its entirety, plus new female character Crimson Viper.There's also, as far as I know, a new generic karate dude and a masked luchador.So that's it… all the originals plus three new characters?Sounds pretty weak.I remember being all excited to play Street Fighter III because Ryu and Ken were the only familiar faces and I had a whole new roster of fighters to learn.Also, reports suggest that the gameplay has been dumbed down significantly, and the parrying system from SFIII is history.Clearly Capcom wants to breathe new life into the fighting game genre and to bring old fans back, but just for fun let's see what other companies are doing…
I picked this up recently for the PS2 (only $29.99 from Amazon):
Yeah, it looks sickeningly cute, and I may look like an otaku playing it, but it's really fun.The gameplay is deceptively complex, and the learning curve is extremely high.Plus, you've got a diverse set of characters (all female, which may be a first) and customizability between the characters and the super powers known as arcana.The only problem is that it's distributed by Atlus, the company better known for their obscure J-RPGs, so it's kind of one of those "get it while you can" sort of deals.
The point is that while Capcom is trying to cater to the widest range of people possible, there are still a few companies (SNK) and franchises (Guilty Gear) that still cater to the 2D diehards.Hell, SNK used the same hardware throughout most of the 90s and nobody even noticed.However, technology has caught up with them.Behold!
Yes, this is the PC program that allows folks to upload 2D characters, both original and ripped from existing games, and essentially create their own game.I have been playing around with this program for a little while now, and while in a lot of ways it's a work in progress, the sky appears to be the limit.So this means that SNK and Arc Systems Works should file for bankruptcy now, right?Not so fast.Legality aside, there's still something to be said about presentation, and I for one would rather have the real thing on a home console.And with SNK opening the gates to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory with all their $15 collections, there's no excuse for not owning these great games.Besides, who am I going to find who's willing to huddle around my 15" monitor to play beat-em-up anyway?
Thus concludes my rant on the 2D fighter. Stay tuned for more wrestling-related insight... sometime... maybe...
Currently
listening
:
Adagio
By
Solitude Aeturnus
Release date: 1999-02-09
Yeah, yeah, I know... the biggest night in the industry, and even if you hate McMahon and "sports-entertainment", it's more or less an unwritten law that you HAVE to get Wrestlemania every year. And with the exception of one or two of them, for the past 10 years or so that's pretty much what I've done. There were two major reasons why I refused to do so this year: a) outrageous price tag and b) apparently the most successful promoter in wrestling history has forgotten how to promote. Sorry folks, but when you want me to cheer for a boxer that's (whether it's a work or not) being paid $20 million while I have to cough up a whopping $55, I kinda take exception to that. I'll take that money and buy four DVDs at the upcoming ROH show, thank you very much.
2. My thoughs on Tom G. leaving CELTIC FROST
I just found this out on Metal Sucks, and while I'm kicking myself for not getting in the know sooner, that's about all I know to think about this one. Let's just say the members of CF are a little... um... different. For example, the original press release says he left "due to the irresolvable, severe erosion of the personal basis so urgently required to collaborate within a band so unique, volatile, and ambitious." Yeah, that excessively artsy rhetoric is definitely his. Let's keep in mind though, that we were about this close (holds up thumb and index finger with less than an inch of space between the two) to "Monotheist" being a Tom G. solo album because of another flake-out he had. Today he just wrote in his blog that there's "no turning back," but I'm not ready to say that there either is or isn't going to be a future for the FROST. I can say, however, that it'll be a damn shame if they can't capitalize off the momentum from their comeback.
Oh, and sorry about the small font being back. Without it, links look really, really stupid.
Coming soon: the future of the 2D fighter, including footage from Street Fighter 4! JOYGASM!
Me as a Cat + ANOTHER FAVOR
Current mood: bored
Category: News and Politics
First, here's a drawing of me from my friend Demona.
Damn I miss my beard...
Okay, I have another paper and another question for anyone who wants to give their two cents and... wait for it... get quoted in my next research paper! JOYGASM!
Anyway, here it is:
Does the use of deceptive tactics by journalists (i.e. hidden cameras) make it more difficult to you to trust the media?
Granted, this is a far less cut-and-dry topic than the last one, hence why I'm using a personal opinion kind of question this time around. As we've already seen with the scandal(s) surrounding our beloved Detroit mayor, sometimes it's hard to get information, especially when a topic is a messy and tangled up political issue. Still, any tactic that paints journalists in a negative light (yes, even we lowly music journalists) ought to be brought to question. Fortunately, the Society of Professional Journalsts has pretty strict guidelines regarding the use of deception, and the ends have justified the means plenty of times (i.e. putting boy touchers in jail, etc.). Unfortunately, that doesn't stop primetime news shows and local stations from using the ol' hidden camera to spice up their broadcasts for menial stuff when it's really not necessary.
Discuss.
Currently
listening
:
Banquet in the Darkness
By
Intestine Baalism
Release date: 16 January, 2006
depressed
bored
anxious
melancholy
animated
accomplished
confused
amused
