WARNING: SPOILERS
The College of Winterhold is the equivalent of the Mage's Guild in previous Elder Scrolls games. It resides in the city of Winterhold, most of which was destroyed in year 122 of the fourth era. The primary headquarters is the College itself, consisting of three parts. The main part is the Hall of the Elements, which also holds their vast library, called the Arcanaeum, and the arch-mage's quarters. The other two parts are known as the Hall of Attainment and the Hall of Countenance, both of which house the experienced and inexperienced alike. The College overlooks a vast expanse of frigid sea and icebergs termed the Sea of Ghosts. The head of the College is the arch-mage, a dark elf named Savos Aren. Although it is renowned for its extensive teaching of magic, it is often looked upon with scorn by the local Nords due to their natural distrust of magic.
To start the line of quests, you must travel to the snowy city of Winterhold and talk with the gatekeeper, a high elf named Faralda. She will ask you to cast a certain spell in order for you to cross the winding bridge to the College (note: if you don't have the spell she will sell it to you for 100 septims). When you arrive at the gate, you will receive a brief tour of the building and given a participatory lecture on how to effectively use magical wards. After your lesson, Tolfdir, a prime professor at the College, will tell you to meet him at the Nordic ruin of Saarthal. Once inside the ruin, Tolfdir will instruct you to help his student Arniel Gane find some artifacts, specifically an amulet that's required to press further into the tomb. An unexpected turn of events occurs when an ethereal figure of a member of ancient mages appears before you with a warning from his organization, the Psijic Order. Continuing down the path, you will come across a large orb, surrounded in a green aura. Tolfdir will tell you to inform the arch-mage of the artifact and to meet him down there. After talking to the arch-mage, he'll tell you to go to the Arcanaeum and talk to Urag gro-Shub.
Urag gro-Shub will tell you that he is currently out of all materials on what you'd like to research because a rogue mage named Orthorn stole them when he left the College. In order to get the three books, Night of Tears, The Last King of the Ayleids and Fragment: On Artaeum, you must fight your way through a group of rogue mages in Fellglow Keep. The ritual chamber is the last room, where resides The Caller, the keeper of the books. At this point, You have three choices: fight her, persuade her, or give her Orthorn for them. Regardless of what you choose, return to Urag after obtaining the books.
You will then talk with Tolfdir in the Hall of the Elements, who will tell you of the Eye of Magnus, the artifact found underneath Saarthal. During his conversation with you, a Thalmor agent known as Ancano will interrupt, telling you that a mysterious has asked to see you in the arch-mage's quarters, another member of the Psijic Order. He will tell you to find the Augur of Dunlain, who is revealed to by in The Midden upon further investigation. The Augur, appearing as a large orb of light, will tell you that the Staff of Magnus is required to "prevent the tragedy that you are not yet aware of." You report back to the arch-mage and tell of your findings. After doing so, you will fight your way through the dwarven ruin Mzulft to the Oculory. The Oculory will show you a map to the staff, revealing its location to be in Labrynthian. You will once again report back to the arch-mage about your findings, only to find a disturbing sight. Ancano has created a ward keeping everone out of the Hall of the Elements and is seen casting spells at the Eye. You disable the ward with Mirabelle and Savos, after which Savos casts a spell at Ancano, you white out, and wake up outside the College with Mirabelle, the body of the arch-mage lying in the courtyard. She will tell you the town is being attacked by certain magical anomalies that must be destroyed. She will send you to Labrynthian to obtain the staff and finish this once and for all.
Upon arrival at Labrynthian, there will be six spectral figures outside, one of them revealed to be none other than a young Savos Aren. They'll begin to talk to one another and appear throughout the lengthy maze of Labrynthian. Also throughout the ruin, you will hear the voice Morokei, a powerful mage called a dragon priest who was trapped by two of the three surviving mages from the original expedition led by Savos. Upon reaching the final room, you must defeat the two mages still holding Morokei captive, as well as the keeper of the staff Morokei himself. After obtaining the Staff of Magnus, you must escape the ruin. However, Ancano has arranged a special surprise for you; a Thalmor agent named Estormo who was hired by Ancano to stop you from foiling his plans. Kill him and return to Tolfdir, who will tell inform you of Mirabelle's death and that Ancano is still causing trouble. He has apparently been drawing power from the Eye and is incapable of being harmed. In order to weaken him, you must seal the Eye by using the staff on it, thereby draining him of his powers and making him killable. Upon his death, you will talk with the same member of the Psijic Order as before, who will institute you as arch-mage and take the Eye into their own hands to safeguard.
WC: 975
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Ah, the Good Old Days
Many people may remember playing a game called Pokemon when they were younger. Heck, some of the people reading this post probably still play Pokemon. But there's a lot of things that most people don't know about the game. Of course everyone knows the basic game principles. Catch all the Pokemon, train them to evolution and defeat the gym leaders and evil organization. However, there are so many factors that go into a lot of aspects of the game. For example, one Pokemon named Wurmple will either evolve into one of two other Pokemon, Silcoon or Cascoon. Now most people think that which one it evolves into is based on the gender or nature of the Wurmple. I'm afraid it is a little more complicated than that, my friends. What actually determines the evolution is a set of four ten-digit binary codes that are randomly generated when you encounter them, making it already determined which one it will evolve into as soon as it is encountered.
Another thing that a lot of Pokemon players don't realize is that being able to catch a Pokemon isn't random in any sense at all. In fact, there's actually an equation that can be used to determine the chances of catching a Pokemon. Not only that, but the equation differs from generation to generation. For instance, in the first generation, the formula is Po+P1=probability of capture, where Po=statusAilment(twelve if burned, poisoned or paralyzed, twenty-five if asleep or frozen, zero otherwise) over ballMod+1(255 is Poke Ball, 200 if Great Ball, 150 otherwise) and P1=catchRate+1(depends on Pokemon)divided by ballMod+1 all multiplied by f+1 over 256 where f stands for 255 times max HP over ballFactor all divided by the current HP over 4. Confused yet? I figured as much. Generations 2-5 only get more complicated. So complicated, in fact, I won't even go into how convoluted it actually is.
While everyone who plays it would agree with me that Pokemon is a simple game in principle, the mechanics behind the actual game are quite the contrary.
WC: 340
Another thing that a lot of Pokemon players don't realize is that being able to catch a Pokemon isn't random in any sense at all. In fact, there's actually an equation that can be used to determine the chances of catching a Pokemon. Not only that, but the equation differs from generation to generation. For instance, in the first generation, the formula is Po+P1=probability of capture, where Po=statusAilment(twelve if burned, poisoned or paralyzed, twenty-five if asleep or frozen, zero otherwise) over ballMod+1(255 is Poke Ball, 200 if Great Ball, 150 otherwise) and P1=catchRate+1(depends on Pokemon)divided by ballMod+1 all multiplied by f+1 over 256 where f stands for 255 times max HP over ballFactor all divided by the current HP over 4. Confused yet? I figured as much. Generations 2-5 only get more complicated. So complicated, in fact, I won't even go into how convoluted it actually is.
While everyone who plays it would agree with me that Pokemon is a simple game in principle, the mechanics behind the actual game are quite the contrary.
WC: 340
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Tragedy in KC
Due to certain deer-related events, I regret to inform you that I haven't watched much football this week, aside from a fumble touchdown from the Redskins with a major win for them over the Giants. However, there is one thing that has been sparked that relates to football as well. As many of you have probably heard, especially those that are in AP Lang as well, have heard about the Jovan Belcher incident with the now former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker. There are several sides to this story, but not all the right ones are being told. Things are being left out and it's being turned into something that should be a complete non-issue. Because of this, I'd like to outline what's really happening with this story.
The first part of this that I'd like to address is one of the parts they continue to leave out in this "tragedy." Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a son. Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a daughter. Yes it is a tragedy that a child lost their mother and father. But do you want to know the real tragedy? That child will probably grow up not knowing that it was their own father that killed her mother, not to mention himself. Now, most people only focus on the fact that he committed suicide after telling his coaches he loved them, a real Hallmark moment for sure. But most people don't focus on the fact that he was, indeed, a murderer. That may be a bit of a harsh statement, but it is, in fact, the truth.
The second point is based out of something much more disturbing. Jason Whitlock, a sports writer for FOX News, wrote on the events of the incident, but amongst what seems like an innocent enough article used as an elegy to his death, it is anything but. About halfway through, he starts spouting out what can only be described as nonsensible rantings about how guns kill people and how they'd both be alive today had he not had one in his possession. First of all, the guy was two hundred and thirty pounds versus a girl that was probably a little more than half that weight. Anyone else notice the disparity of force there? If he was that intent on killing her, he could've snapped her in half like a twig. Secondly, the flaw with his stance on guns doesn't match up to any statistics in the U.S. or in any other nation. All states with the highest gun restrictions also have the most gun crime. You may ask, "Why?" Well, it's because the law-abiding citizens can't use their own guns for self defense whereas the criminals who don't care about the law are using their guns for crime. Do you know what happened in England? They banned guns and now gun crime has doubled within a matter of years. As if to add more injury to insult, murder with knives went up almost immediately after the gun ban, so they banned kitchen knives over a certain length.
The third and final point I'd like to make is that the incident has brought up an issue that shouldn't even require a debate. The second amendment ensures our right to own a firearm and use it in the case of an emergency. The fictional "gun culture" that Whitlock references in his article is anything but the true stance on guns of the general public. Fact of the matter is, you are more likely to survive or stop a crime if you are a private citizen with a firearm in your possession, while most of the gun violence that occurs is between gangs who really don't care for the law anyway. But a man like Whitlock would know all about that with convoluted conspiracies about the NRA being the next KKK.
With all the attention that he's been getting, I will say that the whole ordeal is a tragedy. But perhaps the bigger tragedy is the inattention to detail in almost every way in the mainstream media.
WC: 685
The first part of this that I'd like to address is one of the parts they continue to leave out in this "tragedy." Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a son. Yes, it is a tragedy that a family lost a daughter. Yes it is a tragedy that a child lost their mother and father. But do you want to know the real tragedy? That child will probably grow up not knowing that it was their own father that killed her mother, not to mention himself. Now, most people only focus on the fact that he committed suicide after telling his coaches he loved them, a real Hallmark moment for sure. But most people don't focus on the fact that he was, indeed, a murderer. That may be a bit of a harsh statement, but it is, in fact, the truth.
The second point is based out of something much more disturbing. Jason Whitlock, a sports writer for FOX News, wrote on the events of the incident, but amongst what seems like an innocent enough article used as an elegy to his death, it is anything but. About halfway through, he starts spouting out what can only be described as nonsensible rantings about how guns kill people and how they'd both be alive today had he not had one in his possession. First of all, the guy was two hundred and thirty pounds versus a girl that was probably a little more than half that weight. Anyone else notice the disparity of force there? If he was that intent on killing her, he could've snapped her in half like a twig. Secondly, the flaw with his stance on guns doesn't match up to any statistics in the U.S. or in any other nation. All states with the highest gun restrictions also have the most gun crime. You may ask, "Why?" Well, it's because the law-abiding citizens can't use their own guns for self defense whereas the criminals who don't care about the law are using their guns for crime. Do you know what happened in England? They banned guns and now gun crime has doubled within a matter of years. As if to add more injury to insult, murder with knives went up almost immediately after the gun ban, so they banned kitchen knives over a certain length.
The third and final point I'd like to make is that the incident has brought up an issue that shouldn't even require a debate. The second amendment ensures our right to own a firearm and use it in the case of an emergency. The fictional "gun culture" that Whitlock references in his article is anything but the true stance on guns of the general public. Fact of the matter is, you are more likely to survive or stop a crime if you are a private citizen with a firearm in your possession, while most of the gun violence that occurs is between gangs who really don't care for the law anyway. But a man like Whitlock would know all about that with convoluted conspiracies about the NRA being the next KKK.
With all the attention that he's been getting, I will say that the whole ordeal is a tragedy. But perhaps the bigger tragedy is the inattention to detail in almost every way in the mainstream media.
WC: 685
Saturday, December 8, 2012
The Silver Hand is a Band of Jerks
About a month ago, I started a series on a video game called Skyrim. I'd like to continue that line of work by explaining the different factions and the storyline that is followed in each one, as well as a brief explanation as to who they are and what they do.
WARNING: SPOILERS ARE PRESENT
The first faction you will encounter is a group of warriors and mercenaries known as The Companions. They reside in the city of Whiterun with a base of operations in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr. Outside and nearby are a training area with training dummies and an archery range and a legendary forge known as the Skyforge. Underneath the forge is a hidden cave only accessible to the elite members of the group called the Circle. They are headed by the Harbinger, however they only consider the very first, Ysgramor, to be formally recognized as such.
During the second quest of the main storyline, you may run across some warriors battling a giant and, depending on whether you help or not, they will treat you with some reverence or disdain. Regardless, they will tell you to find Jorrvaskr and talk to their leader if you wish to join. After talking to the leader, Kodlak Whitemane, he says you must prove yourself in battle by fighting one of the elites, Vilkas. Once proven, you must do something for the group to officially become a member, which may or may not consist of entering a Nordic ruin that may or may not contain undead and a somewhat dangerous group called the Silver Hand to claim a fragment of a Companions artifact (hint: you do and it does). After entering with Farkas, Vilkas' twin, you will soon find yourself trapped behind a cage set as a booby trap. While trapped, several members of the aforementioned Silver Hand come in to attack Farkas, when he surprises not only them, but you as well. His skin becomes furry and he becomes more lupine in appearance, literally becoming a wolf, standing upright, tearing the now identified werewolf hunting group to pieces. After releasing you from your prison, he informs you of the Circle's secret and moves forward to get the artifact, a fragment of the axe of Ysgramor named Wuuthrad. Once returning, the Circle will tell you to go to Eorlund Grey-Mane at the Skyforge for a specialized weapon and meet with Skjor at night outside of Jorrvaskr to enter the Underforge. When you walk in, you see Aela, the only female Circle member, in werewolf form and a pool of her blood in a fountain. They tell you to drink it, starting your transformation and sealing your spot in the Circle. The episode secedes as you wake up in a field with Aela, who then informs you to kill all Silver Hand members in the area of Gallows Rock, where Skjor has already entered and against Kodlak's wishes. You get to the final room where the leader, Krev the Skinner awaits with the body of a dead Skjor as well.
Upon your return to Jorrvaskr, Kodlak Whitemane will scold you for your actions the previous night, but has more purpose behind your meeting. He reveals how they originally contracted lycanthropy, a pact with the Glenmoril witches. Along with the gift, they were unaware of the hidden curse laid upon them. In addition, instead of going to the holy place of Sovngarde after death, their soul is doomed to roam the realm of the daedric prince Hircine for all eternity. For this reason, Kodlak requests of you to bring him the head of one of the witches, as only their magic can cure their infernal disease, and eradicate their entire existence altogether. Having collected your quarry and destroyed the coven, you return to the mead hall to find grim news. During your absence, Silver Hand members have ransacked the hall, killing Kodlak and stealing all pieces of Wuuthrad. You and your shield-brothers and shield-sisters decide to seek revenge by tracking down the Silver Hand at Driftshade Refuge, eliminating the werewolf-killing savages, and recovering the pilfered fragments before returning to Jorrvaskr. The group will then hold a funeral for Kodlak and request of you one last thing. You must travel to Ysgramor's resting place with the reforged Wuuthrad, venture through the maze of chambers and release Kodlak's spirit by wrestling with the feral spirit that lies within Kodlak's. Once you return, you will officially be inducted in as Harbinger of the Companions.
WC: 749
WARNING: SPOILERS ARE PRESENT
The first faction you will encounter is a group of warriors and mercenaries known as The Companions. They reside in the city of Whiterun with a base of operations in the mead hall of Jorrvaskr. Outside and nearby are a training area with training dummies and an archery range and a legendary forge known as the Skyforge. Underneath the forge is a hidden cave only accessible to the elite members of the group called the Circle. They are headed by the Harbinger, however they only consider the very first, Ysgramor, to be formally recognized as such.
During the second quest of the main storyline, you may run across some warriors battling a giant and, depending on whether you help or not, they will treat you with some reverence or disdain. Regardless, they will tell you to find Jorrvaskr and talk to their leader if you wish to join. After talking to the leader, Kodlak Whitemane, he says you must prove yourself in battle by fighting one of the elites, Vilkas. Once proven, you must do something for the group to officially become a member, which may or may not consist of entering a Nordic ruin that may or may not contain undead and a somewhat dangerous group called the Silver Hand to claim a fragment of a Companions artifact (hint: you do and it does). After entering with Farkas, Vilkas' twin, you will soon find yourself trapped behind a cage set as a booby trap. While trapped, several members of the aforementioned Silver Hand come in to attack Farkas, when he surprises not only them, but you as well. His skin becomes furry and he becomes more lupine in appearance, literally becoming a wolf, standing upright, tearing the now identified werewolf hunting group to pieces. After releasing you from your prison, he informs you of the Circle's secret and moves forward to get the artifact, a fragment of the axe of Ysgramor named Wuuthrad. Once returning, the Circle will tell you to go to Eorlund Grey-Mane at the Skyforge for a specialized weapon and meet with Skjor at night outside of Jorrvaskr to enter the Underforge. When you walk in, you see Aela, the only female Circle member, in werewolf form and a pool of her blood in a fountain. They tell you to drink it, starting your transformation and sealing your spot in the Circle. The episode secedes as you wake up in a field with Aela, who then informs you to kill all Silver Hand members in the area of Gallows Rock, where Skjor has already entered and against Kodlak's wishes. You get to the final room where the leader, Krev the Skinner awaits with the body of a dead Skjor as well.
Upon your return to Jorrvaskr, Kodlak Whitemane will scold you for your actions the previous night, but has more purpose behind your meeting. He reveals how they originally contracted lycanthropy, a pact with the Glenmoril witches. Along with the gift, they were unaware of the hidden curse laid upon them. In addition, instead of going to the holy place of Sovngarde after death, their soul is doomed to roam the realm of the daedric prince Hircine for all eternity. For this reason, Kodlak requests of you to bring him the head of one of the witches, as only their magic can cure their infernal disease, and eradicate their entire existence altogether. Having collected your quarry and destroyed the coven, you return to the mead hall to find grim news. During your absence, Silver Hand members have ransacked the hall, killing Kodlak and stealing all pieces of Wuuthrad. You and your shield-brothers and shield-sisters decide to seek revenge by tracking down the Silver Hand at Driftshade Refuge, eliminating the werewolf-killing savages, and recovering the pilfered fragments before returning to Jorrvaskr. The group will then hold a funeral for Kodlak and request of you one last thing. You must travel to Ysgramor's resting place with the reforged Wuuthrad, venture through the maze of chambers and release Kodlak's spirit by wrestling with the feral spirit that lies within Kodlak's. Once you return, you will officially be inducted in as Harbinger of the Companions.
WC: 749
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Chanting, Upsets and Surprises
Week twelve in NFL football has come and gone with some intriguing victories, putting some teams in the right positions and others forced into a difficult situation. We'll take a look at the scores of some of the games (specifically the Thursday night games), how they got that way, and what major plays contributed to teams' victories, or in some cases defeats.
Starting off the week were three games on Thanksgiving day, overall a very happy day in football for me. The first game was a match-up between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. What I thought wasn't going to be much of a game turned out to be a real stunner when the Lions scored the first touchdown of the game on their first possession, despite a sack from Houston defensive end and lead sacker J.J. Watt. From that point on the Texans, who has been one of my favorites for a few years now, were playing catch-up the entire time. The game took another exciting turn when Forsett of the Texans made an 81-yard touchdown. What makes this so special aside from the yardage? During the run, Forsett was actually down by contact , but the coach of Detroit illegally challenged the play, cancelling the booth review, resulting in a Texans touchdown and 15-yard addition to the distance of the extra point kick. The kick is good, setting the game at 24-21, Detroit in the third quarter. After the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime at 31-31. Three field goal attempts later, Shayne Graham of the Texans finally makes the winning score at 32 yards, bringing the Texans to a 10-1 season and the Lions to 4-7.
The very next game was another hell of a game with a great performance from Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. In the beginning of the second quarter, RGIII fakes a hand-off and makes a long pass to Robinson, resulting in a 68-yard touchdown. On the resulting possession for the Cowboys, Dez Bryant fumbles the ball, which is swiftly recovered by the Redskins and returned to midfield. The turnover ended in a touchdown by Washington for 14-3, Redskins. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, RGIII throws another pass, this time to Garcon, who runs it into the end zone, out running both the players rushing after him. Redskins 21, Cowboys still 3. The ensuing Cowboys possession, veteran quarterback Tony Romo passes to Bryant, but is intercepted and eventually became a scoring drive for the Redskins, making it a 25 point game at the half. In the second half, the first Cowboys possession ends in a field goal, slightly lessening the gap between the two teams. Their following carry, Romo throws to Bryant, who runs it in for an 85-yard touchdown. In the beginning of the fourth quarter on a third and inches, a pass is made to DeAngelo Hall who rolls and runs backwards into the end zone with no one to cover him. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the young Redskins quarterback throws an interception, something that is few and far between for this player. Romo makes the touchdown pass and gets the two-point conversion, making it a one-score game. Each team kicks a field goal in the remaining time, ending the game at 38-31, Redskins. A critical win for them, they are now 5-6 to the Cowboys' matching season.
Surprisingly enough, the third game was as I expected: a complete massacre of the Jets by the Patriots. While the first quarter was completely uneventful, aside from an interception from Gregory of the Patriots, the second quarter was ablaze with one-sided activity. After a touchdown pass to Wes Welker, the Jets fumble twice (one of which quarterback Sanchez ran into his own guy) and score a touchdown on each one, racking up 21 points within a 53 second period. The first half ends 35-3, Patriots. The rest of the game was fairly uneventful as well, both teams scoring two touchdowns in addition to a Jets safety. Final score: 49-19, Patriots.
WC: 677
Starting off the week were three games on Thanksgiving day, overall a very happy day in football for me. The first game was a match-up between the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. What I thought wasn't going to be much of a game turned out to be a real stunner when the Lions scored the first touchdown of the game on their first possession, despite a sack from Houston defensive end and lead sacker J.J. Watt. From that point on the Texans, who has been one of my favorites for a few years now, were playing catch-up the entire time. The game took another exciting turn when Forsett of the Texans made an 81-yard touchdown. What makes this so special aside from the yardage? During the run, Forsett was actually down by contact , but the coach of Detroit illegally challenged the play, cancelling the booth review, resulting in a Texans touchdown and 15-yard addition to the distance of the extra point kick. The kick is good, setting the game at 24-21, Detroit in the third quarter. After the fourth quarter, the game goes into overtime at 31-31. Three field goal attempts later, Shayne Graham of the Texans finally makes the winning score at 32 yards, bringing the Texans to a 10-1 season and the Lions to 4-7.
The very next game was another hell of a game with a great performance from Robert Griffin III and the Washington Redskins. In the beginning of the second quarter, RGIII fakes a hand-off and makes a long pass to Robinson, resulting in a 68-yard touchdown. On the resulting possession for the Cowboys, Dez Bryant fumbles the ball, which is swiftly recovered by the Redskins and returned to midfield. The turnover ended in a touchdown by Washington for 14-3, Redskins. With less than 3 minutes left in the first half, RGIII throws another pass, this time to Garcon, who runs it into the end zone, out running both the players rushing after him. Redskins 21, Cowboys still 3. The ensuing Cowboys possession, veteran quarterback Tony Romo passes to Bryant, but is intercepted and eventually became a scoring drive for the Redskins, making it a 25 point game at the half. In the second half, the first Cowboys possession ends in a field goal, slightly lessening the gap between the two teams. Their following carry, Romo throws to Bryant, who runs it in for an 85-yard touchdown. In the beginning of the fourth quarter on a third and inches, a pass is made to DeAngelo Hall who rolls and runs backwards into the end zone with no one to cover him. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the young Redskins quarterback throws an interception, something that is few and far between for this player. Romo makes the touchdown pass and gets the two-point conversion, making it a one-score game. Each team kicks a field goal in the remaining time, ending the game at 38-31, Redskins. A critical win for them, they are now 5-6 to the Cowboys' matching season.
Surprisingly enough, the third game was as I expected: a complete massacre of the Jets by the Patriots. While the first quarter was completely uneventful, aside from an interception from Gregory of the Patriots, the second quarter was ablaze with one-sided activity. After a touchdown pass to Wes Welker, the Jets fumble twice (one of which quarterback Sanchez ran into his own guy) and score a touchdown on each one, racking up 21 points within a 53 second period. The first half ends 35-3, Patriots. The rest of the game was fairly uneventful as well, both teams scoring two touchdowns in addition to a Jets safety. Final score: 49-19, Patriots.
WC: 677
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Transitioning
For the next several weeks, I'll be blogging about mainly the same type of nonsense I have been about music, gaming and just random things that pop into my little cranium. However, one thing will change, as I have gotten really into football lately. Every Tuesday or Wednsday I'll try to do a recap of football games during that week, starting this past week in Week twelve. All the other posts will most likely be typed up on the normal, whenever-the-hell-I-feel-like-it basis for posting.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Insomia(ti)[ddi][(c)][t]
Has anyone ever taken a psychology course? If the answer is yes, think back to the chapter or chapters about sleep, dreaming, and sleep disorders. About REM sleep, REM rebound, the stages of sleep and insomnia. I'd like to focus on the last point in that list. In case you haven't taken any psychology whatsoever, the definition of insomnia (from Myers' Psychology textbook) is "recurring problems in falling or staying asleep." Now, I know plenty of people that claim they have insomnia because they can't sleep. Hell, I thought I did too until I took this class. But many people misconstrue this and essentially say they have when really they just like saying they have insomnia. I actually read that if you actually have insomnia, you're more reserved about it and less likely to admit to having the condition whereas if you don't you're more willing to openly say you have it. Now why am I telling you all this? Because as I stated before I thought I had insomnia and wanted to figure it out.
While in my state of "insomnia" a while back, I recalled a term used by a band my sister used to listen to. Even though I'm not sure you can qualify them as a "band" per se, Aly and AJ Michalka came out with a CD entitled Insomniatic with their own definition of the made up word. The official definition of the word, given by Alyson and AJ themselves is, "the state of mind where one becomes addicted to the deprivation of sleep caused by an epic revelation of joy." I thought about this and whether or not this was the cause of my "insomnia." In the end, I decided it wasn't. Why not, you ask? Because I wasn't always happy when I was awake. In fact most of the time, I was completely and utterly indifferent as far as my mood went. So why then did I not want to sleep?
That's when it hit me. I didn't want to sleep. I figured out the reason for my "insomnia" was due to the fact that I deplore sleep. The term coined by Urban Dictionary is someone called an insomniaddict. This is used to describe someone, such as myself, who is addicted to deprivation of sleep or stays up for no reason other than to stay up. They also say it's very common among people with this "addiction" to function even on minimal sleep, assuming you consider it a legitimate term to use. The irony of it all: I find it easier to sleep after this self-revelation.
WC: 433
While in my state of "insomnia" a while back, I recalled a term used by a band my sister used to listen to. Even though I'm not sure you can qualify them as a "band" per se, Aly and AJ Michalka came out with a CD entitled Insomniatic with their own definition of the made up word. The official definition of the word, given by Alyson and AJ themselves is, "the state of mind where one becomes addicted to the deprivation of sleep caused by an epic revelation of joy." I thought about this and whether or not this was the cause of my "insomnia." In the end, I decided it wasn't. Why not, you ask? Because I wasn't always happy when I was awake. In fact most of the time, I was completely and utterly indifferent as far as my mood went. So why then did I not want to sleep?
That's when it hit me. I didn't want to sleep. I figured out the reason for my "insomnia" was due to the fact that I deplore sleep. The term coined by Urban Dictionary is someone called an insomniaddict. This is used to describe someone, such as myself, who is addicted to deprivation of sleep or stays up for no reason other than to stay up. They also say it's very common among people with this "addiction" to function even on minimal sleep, assuming you consider it a legitimate term to use. The irony of it all: I find it easier to sleep after this self-revelation.
WC: 433
Level Up!
Last week, I talked about a game called Skyrim. Today, I'd like to talk about the leveling system and skill system. The way the skill system works is split into three basic categories, the Warrior, the Mage or the Thief, depending on the play style you prefer, each one split up into six skills. The path of he Warrior focuses on direct attack and a high defense, consisting of Smithing, One-Handed, Two-Handed, Archery, Heavy Armor, and Block. The path of the Thief is more geared towards stealth and deception and is comprised of Light Armor, Sneak, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Speech, and Alchemy. The path of the Mage deals into all things magical, including Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Enchanting, Illusion, and Restoration. Each skill has a set of perks that improve your prowess with a certain skill. The best thing about this, though, is how you don't have to choose only one path. If you want to specialize in Sneak, Illusion and One-Handed, you can do that despite them all belonging to different paths. This allows for near unlimited diversity in skill choices with interesting builds.
The leveling system goes hand in hand with the skill system. Each skill starts at level fifteen five and ten-point bonuses given to certain skills based on the race being played. For each skill, there is an experience bar that will fill up the more you use the skill, each time taking more to fill it up the next time. When a skill levels up, it adds experience to your character based on how high the level of the skill is. Each skill can be leveled to one hundred, your character up to level eighty. Each time your character levels up, it is awarded a perk point to spend in skill perks, and a choice to put ten points into health, magicka, or stamina.
WC: 307
The leveling system goes hand in hand with the skill system. Each skill starts at level fifteen five and ten-point bonuses given to certain skills based on the race being played. For each skill, there is an experience bar that will fill up the more you use the skill, each time taking more to fill it up the next time. When a skill levels up, it adds experience to your character based on how high the level of the skill is. Each skill can be leveled to one hundred, your character up to level eighty. Each time your character levels up, it is awarded a perk point to spend in skill perks, and a choice to put ten points into health, magicka, or stamina.
WC: 307
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin, Naal Ok Zin Los Vahriin
If you remember my post about Assassin's Creed, "ASSASSINO!!!!" then you may have figured out that I like to play a lot of video games. Well, I guess technically they're computer games, but that's irrelevant to the point. One game in particular has eaten up a large chunk of my time over about two years (two hundred and sixty hours to be exact) and continues to bring me enjoyment after beating the main aspects of the game. It is the fifth installment of the Elder Scrolls series, but most people just call it Skyrim. You start the game as a prisoner about to be executed for pretty much no reason at all by the Imperials. They put your head on the chopping block when a dragon appears out of nowhere, knocking the executioner down and leaving you to escape with a Nordic man named Ralof and the Jarl of the city of Windhelm, Ulfric Stormcloak. After fleeing from the execution block, you choose to either go with Ralof or Hadvar, one of the men overseeing your execution, and eventually end up in a small town known as Riverwood. From there, you must find out why the dragons are returning and face the strongest of them all, Alduin the World-Eater. In addition to this, you have your choice of joining various factions such as the mysterious band of assassins known as the Dark Brotherhood, the notorious Thieves Guild, the mage's College of Winterhold, and the group of werewolf warriors known as the Companions, each one with their own set of quests. On top of that, the combat system allows for a very wide variety of play styles customizable to your preferences.
WC: 280
WC: 280
Friends and Our Everchanging Lives Together
Has anyone out there ever watched a show called Friends? You know, starring Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox and David Schwimmer? Not ringing any bells you say? Well then stay home and watch some TV for once because it's one of the best shows I've ever watched. I grew up watching the show and continue to watch it, still laughing at episodes I've seen, quite literally, dozens of times. I'd like to bring attention to a certain episode about two of the friends in particular. For those that have seen it or do watch it, you may recall the episode where Joey starts dating a girl named Kathy, whom Chandler meets at the coffee shop. He instantly becomes infatuated with her, despite the fact that she's dating his best friend. Now this plot is used quite often in other shows and movies for both younger and more adult audiences. But that's because it gives it a sense of relatability.
A few months ago, I was watching this exact episode and it really got me thinking about a few questions in particular. "What would happen if you fell in love with your best friend's girlfriend? What would you do? Would you try to get over her or just wait patiently? If you waited, what would you do if they remained together? What if you couldn't get over her?" I asked myself all of these, trying to answer them in the best way possible, even searching for answers from some of my friends (who probably did not appreciate late night texts at eleven/twelve at night).I thought about it for a long while, losing countless hours of sleep that I really don't even need anyway, brainstorming things that I could do if this situation ever happened to me. To be truthfully honest, I have no idea what I would do in the predicament previously placed before my private mind. But there was something that helped me to get through the entire ordeal. That one thing has been there all my life and has improved (most) everything over time for me. I turned to what I always turn to in times like this and that was music.
The song that I listened to a lot when pondering this plot of questions was called "Everchanging" by Rise Against. It may not have been intended for how I interpreted it, but I guess that is the beauty of ambiguity in the meaning of a song. The line that really caught my attention in the entirety of the song goes, "There's nothing simple when it comes to you and I, always something in this ever-changing life." This line really spoke to me because it effectively illustrates the relationship between you and the person dating your friend, especially if they knew that you liked them. Life is ever-changing and there's nothing anyone can do about it, but that's what life is all about. Sometimes, you just need to suck it up and deal with it and that's exactly what I learned while thinking about all of this.
WC: 492
A few months ago, I was watching this exact episode and it really got me thinking about a few questions in particular. "What would happen if you fell in love with your best friend's girlfriend? What would you do? Would you try to get over her or just wait patiently? If you waited, what would you do if they remained together? What if you couldn't get over her?" I asked myself all of these, trying to answer them in the best way possible, even searching for answers from some of my friends (who probably did not appreciate late night texts at eleven/twelve at night).I thought about it for a long while, losing countless hours of sleep that I really don't even need anyway, brainstorming things that I could do if this situation ever happened to me. To be truthfully honest, I have no idea what I would do in the predicament previously placed before my private mind. But there was something that helped me to get through the entire ordeal. That one thing has been there all my life and has improved (most) everything over time for me. I turned to what I always turn to in times like this and that was music.
The song that I listened to a lot when pondering this plot of questions was called "Everchanging" by Rise Against. It may not have been intended for how I interpreted it, but I guess that is the beauty of ambiguity in the meaning of a song. The line that really caught my attention in the entirety of the song goes, "There's nothing simple when it comes to you and I, always something in this ever-changing life." This line really spoke to me because it effectively illustrates the relationship between you and the person dating your friend, especially if they knew that you liked them. Life is ever-changing and there's nothing anyone can do about it, but that's what life is all about. Sometimes, you just need to suck it up and deal with it and that's exactly what I learned while thinking about all of this.
WC: 492
Drunk in a Lego House
You've all heard the saying that gingers have no soul right? I mean, we all have that friend who has bright orange hair, skin as white as a ghost and says things you double take at every once in a while. Often times, they're not afraid to voice truths or opinions, regardless of other's feelings. While these qualities can be both harsh and intriguing, not all gingers exemplify the soullessness of them. In fact, one of the greatest counterexamples a wonderful musician and singer (that bears an uncanny resemblance to famed actor Rupert Grint playing Ron Weasley from the ever popular Harry Potter series).His name is Ed Sheeran and just by listening to his music, it's easy to tell he's not your (stereo)typical soulless ginger. He has an amazing voice, only complimented by his British accent bleeding through his lyrics, which in and of themselves are filled with symbolism and analogous comparisons. As such comparisons, I'd like to direct your attention to the following examples.
The first song that I'm referring to is a song called "Lego House." To me, the whole song is talking about relationship that went wrong and trying to fix said relationship. This is stated at the beginning when he sings, "I'm gonna pick up the pieces and build a lego house." The lyrics continue in the same line to say that if things don't go well again, they can just "knock it down" and either start over or go their separate ways. He says he does everything for her and will protect her, or "keep her sheltered from the storm" as the song goes on to say. In the chorus he talks about how all the things he has done for her, he loves her even more. My favorite lines of the song are those that make up the second verse; "I'm gonna paint you by numbers and color you in, if things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall. And it's so hard to say it, but I've been here before so I'll surrender up my heart and swap it for yours." I think when he talks about painting her, he's referring to hanging out and going on dates with her and if all goes swimmingly they can "frame" their relationship. The second part of it tells how telling her how he feels may be hard, but he's willing to take a risk again by "surrendering" his heart. One reason I really like this verse is because in the video (which you can watch above) Ed, played by Rupert Grint, is playing with Lego's and builds a helicopter earlier on. When he sings "swap it for yours," he drops it, sending it hurtling to the ground and shattering on impact, symbolizing the risk he's taking.
The second song, called "Drunk," is a little more somber. Actually, it is a lot more somber. Whereas the above song talks about fixing a relationship, this song is more about a completely unfix-able relationship and how he wants to essentially just get drunk, and maybe have a one-night stand just to fill the hole that she left.
A great line that illustrates this is when he sings "I wanna hold your heart in both hands, not watch it fizzle at the bottom of a Coke can." It both shows how much he really wants to be with this girl and how badly she hurt him when she left.
WC: 504
The first song that I'm referring to is a song called "Lego House." To me, the whole song is talking about relationship that went wrong and trying to fix said relationship. This is stated at the beginning when he sings, "I'm gonna pick up the pieces and build a lego house." The lyrics continue in the same line to say that if things don't go well again, they can just "knock it down" and either start over or go their separate ways. He says he does everything for her and will protect her, or "keep her sheltered from the storm" as the song goes on to say. In the chorus he talks about how all the things he has done for her, he loves her even more. My favorite lines of the song are those that make up the second verse; "I'm gonna paint you by numbers and color you in, if things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall. And it's so hard to say it, but I've been here before so I'll surrender up my heart and swap it for yours." I think when he talks about painting her, he's referring to hanging out and going on dates with her and if all goes swimmingly they can "frame" their relationship. The second part of it tells how telling her how he feels may be hard, but he's willing to take a risk again by "surrendering" his heart. One reason I really like this verse is because in the video (which you can watch above) Ed, played by Rupert Grint, is playing with Lego's and builds a helicopter earlier on. When he sings "swap it for yours," he drops it, sending it hurtling to the ground and shattering on impact, symbolizing the risk he's taking.
The second song, called "Drunk," is a little more somber. Actually, it is a lot more somber. Whereas the above song talks about fixing a relationship, this song is more about a completely unfix-able relationship and how he wants to essentially just get drunk, and maybe have a one-night stand just to fill the hole that she left.
A great line that illustrates this is when he sings "I wanna hold your heart in both hands, not watch it fizzle at the bottom of a Coke can." It both shows how much he really wants to be with this girl and how badly she hurt him when she left.
WC: 504
Sunday, October 14, 2012
I'm Hungry!
As you may have been able to tell by a few previous posts, I've been getting a ton into fitness and working out. Why would I enjoy constantly destroying my muscles to rebuild them? Because firstly, it actually feels good to get that adrenaline rush after working out, and secondly, I don't want to be one of these people that's complaining about being out of shape and doing nothing about it. I always hear people talking about the obesity rate in our country and how high it is. But I'm sick of hearing this tired "more fruits and vegetables than main course" crap that people are trying to force on us. First of all, the problem isn't necessarily the food intake that's the problem. It's the fact that they sit around watching TV and playing video games all day and just being too damn lazy to do anything about it. Granted this isn't always the case but it is a vast majority of the time. The flip side of this coin is that this is America and I'll eat whatever the hell I want. If I want to eat a double bacon cheeseburger every day for the rest of my life, that's my issue and my business, not yours (even though I would never do that). So leave me and my diet alone.
WC: 223
WC: 223
Thump the Gold Army
A while back, I responded to one of my friend's posts about music and what classifies it as good. Perhaps you read it, but if you haven't refer to "Response to MM" if you'd like to know more background. For one of his first posts, he made a list of good bands that people should check out and listen to rather than the mainstream pop crap that they play on the radio. Now, I had already listened to most of the bands and artists on his list, but there were a few that I had heard maybe one or two songs by, but didn't really listen to them much. I had a sudden urge to change that about two of the bands on that list.
The first one is a band by the name of the White Stripes. Many of my band friends may know one of their most famous songs just from people playing the bassline on their instruments. It's called "Seven Nation Army" and has one of the best and simplest basslines ever. In fact, it's not actually a bassline because it's played on a guitar, reason being they only have two band members: a drummer and a singer/guitarist/keyboardist. But despite the lack of complexity in both the drum and guitar part, the song has adds in certain aspects that actually make the song sound interesting. Their other famous song, "Icky Thump," incorporates a drum beat and guitar part with slightly higher difficulty, but adds in a completely different factor. In this song, you have to take into account the incredibly strange, bagpipe-like sound of the keyboard with intricate solos between verses. Later on, Jack White, the frontman of the band, continues with the complexity of the song by ending with a guitar solo using strange effects that I'm not savvy enough in auditory skills to recognize.
The second band's name completely contradicts the name of the first one as they are known as the Black Keys. If you've heard of them, then I like you already, even more so if you like them. Most people who have heard of them have probably only heard their hit song "Gold on the Ceiling." If you're one of these people, I recommend you listen to some of their other stuff because all of it is good and none of it sounds the same. Specifically, watch their video for "Next Girl." Not only is it an awesome song, but you really have to watch it three times to fully enjoy it: once for the music, once for the video, and once just to read the caption scrolling across the bottom of the screen. These guys really know how to both make music and keep followers interested and entertained.
WC: 457
The first one is a band by the name of the White Stripes. Many of my band friends may know one of their most famous songs just from people playing the bassline on their instruments. It's called "Seven Nation Army" and has one of the best and simplest basslines ever. In fact, it's not actually a bassline because it's played on a guitar, reason being they only have two band members: a drummer and a singer/guitarist/keyboardist. But despite the lack of complexity in both the drum and guitar part, the song has adds in certain aspects that actually make the song sound interesting. Their other famous song, "Icky Thump," incorporates a drum beat and guitar part with slightly higher difficulty, but adds in a completely different factor. In this song, you have to take into account the incredibly strange, bagpipe-like sound of the keyboard with intricate solos between verses. Later on, Jack White, the frontman of the band, continues with the complexity of the song by ending with a guitar solo using strange effects that I'm not savvy enough in auditory skills to recognize.
The second band's name completely contradicts the name of the first one as they are known as the Black Keys. If you've heard of them, then I like you already, even more so if you like them. Most people who have heard of them have probably only heard their hit song "Gold on the Ceiling." If you're one of these people, I recommend you listen to some of their other stuff because all of it is good and none of it sounds the same. Specifically, watch their video for "Next Girl." Not only is it an awesome song, but you really have to watch it three times to fully enjoy it: once for the music, once for the video, and once just to read the caption scrolling across the bottom of the screen. These guys really know how to both make music and keep followers interested and entertained.
WC: 457
Marching Madness
This past week was been pretty hectic with various aspects. Homework, church and preparing for auditions for concert band this coming week as well as juggling free time with friends have kept me pretty stretched for time on certain days. Not to mention having to give up going to certain events because you're too busy doing something else. Despite everything though, the week has been pretty eventful (even if those events were part of the reason I couldn't do anything during that time).
Even though it's technically not part of this week, last Saturday I marched my last Valley competition in Des Moines. Being one of the few marching seniors that can actually say they've marched all four years, this was a bit of a shock to me, but I didn't grasp the reality of what that actually meant at first. I mean, I remember my first time marching there I didn't know half of what the hell I was even doing. I pretty much just tried to remember my music, get to about roughly where my spot in the drill was, stay in step, and hope to God I got the visuals right. But this year, I knew my music and could play it solid with good tone. I not only knew where my spot was, but also who I was standing by and where I needed to be in the form (which is much more important than the actual spot). Staying in step by now is almost second nature to me (even when we have to step off on the wrong foot). And the visuals? I kicked their butts and nailed them every single time. And in complete honesty, that was probably the best I had marched that show the entire year.
Friday night was our last football game performance and senior night for the football team, dance team cheerleaders and last but most definitely not least the marching band. It wasn't until that moment when I was walking down the track that it really hit me. I thought to myself for a second, "Holy crap! I'm a senior now! This is my last performance!" That was scary as hell to think about. But it's also kind of exciting. No more late night rehearsals, no more getting home at two in the morning (which I didn't mind that much anyway), no more sitting in the stands at Valley in thirty degree weather (which again I didn't mind much anyway). Most people when thinking about this would probably be incredibly happy and in a way, I am. But by the same token, I know that I'm going to miss all of it. You see, marching band isn't just a sport. Hell, most people don't even classify it as a sport. It takes hard work and dedication just like any other sport would. However, it really is a family more than anything (pardon the cliche). Things get hard and you feel like you just want to give up, but you're "family" is always there to help you get through it and keep going. When your band director makes you so mad you just want to flip a table, you remember that you wouldn't be anywhere without them. And when you're having a bad day and need someone to cheer you up, you can always count on your "family" to do so.
WC: 561
Even though it's technically not part of this week, last Saturday I marched my last Valley competition in Des Moines. Being one of the few marching seniors that can actually say they've marched all four years, this was a bit of a shock to me, but I didn't grasp the reality of what that actually meant at first. I mean, I remember my first time marching there I didn't know half of what the hell I was even doing. I pretty much just tried to remember my music, get to about roughly where my spot in the drill was, stay in step, and hope to God I got the visuals right. But this year, I knew my music and could play it solid with good tone. I not only knew where my spot was, but also who I was standing by and where I needed to be in the form (which is much more important than the actual spot). Staying in step by now is almost second nature to me (even when we have to step off on the wrong foot). And the visuals? I kicked their butts and nailed them every single time. And in complete honesty, that was probably the best I had marched that show the entire year.
Friday night was our last football game performance and senior night for the football team, dance team cheerleaders and last but most definitely not least the marching band. It wasn't until that moment when I was walking down the track that it really hit me. I thought to myself for a second, "Holy crap! I'm a senior now! This is my last performance!" That was scary as hell to think about. But it's also kind of exciting. No more late night rehearsals, no more getting home at two in the morning (which I didn't mind that much anyway), no more sitting in the stands at Valley in thirty degree weather (which again I didn't mind much anyway). Most people when thinking about this would probably be incredibly happy and in a way, I am. But by the same token, I know that I'm going to miss all of it. You see, marching band isn't just a sport. Hell, most people don't even classify it as a sport. It takes hard work and dedication just like any other sport would. However, it really is a family more than anything (pardon the cliche). Things get hard and you feel like you just want to give up, but you're "family" is always there to help you get through it and keep going. When your band director makes you so mad you just want to flip a table, you remember that you wouldn't be anywhere without them. And when you're having a bad day and need someone to cheer you up, you can always count on your "family" to do so.
WC: 561
Sunday, October 7, 2012
ASSASSINO!!!!
Lately I've had an obsession with a game called Assassin's Creed. I hope you people have heard of it, but perhaps don't know what it's about. The entire series is based upon an ongoing battle between two factions: the Templar Order and the Brotherhood of Assassins. Now the Templar are the main antagonists who want nothing but power and greed, or are doing things for the right reasons but going about everything completely wrong. The Brotherhood are an entire order dedicated to stopping the Templar from achieving their goals through assassination of their leaders and any other necessary casualties to carry out their mission. But the way they set it up is a little different than most storylines. Most games would have you start just playing as a character throughout. However, in the series, you play as one character named Desmond Miles, but you relive the memories of his ancestors through a machine called the Animus. In the first one, you relive the life of Altair in tenth and eleventh century Spain. In the following three games, you relive the memories of Renaissance era Ezio Auditore da Firenze (or Florence). I really like how this was set up because it essentially adds another dimension to the game and storyline. If you like stealth games and good plot-twisting storylines, definitely check this game out.
WC: 223
WC: 223
Acception of Rejection
Last week, as many of my classmates already know and may have posted about, was our homecoming weekend. Now, school dances have never really been my thing. I went my freshman year because come on who doesn't their freshman year? Again, sophomore year I went, but about halfway through I switched groups, "stole" my friend's date, left about an hour early with the second group, and drove around with them with us all piled in the back seat. By the way, from when we left until about midnight was the best part of the night. And to demonstrate even further how much I don't like school dances, last year instead of going I went to a friend's house, played Left 4 Dead until one in the morning and spray painted random things gold solely because we had a can of unused gold spray paint and proceeded to wake up at five thirty the next morning for a band competition in Minnesota. It was most likely the best decision I had made that night.
Some at this point are probably asking themselves, "Why does he hate school dances so much?" Well, little boys and girls, I will tell you. Half the reason I go to a dance is for the music. If I don't like the majority of the music there, which I don't, why should I go? The other part that goes in tandem with this is the reason they can be fun is because of the friends you go with. Hanging out with your friends and dancing around like idiots is the only other reason I go to these things. But if you do the math, half is failing, meaning if I were to grade a dance based on these two criteria, it would definitely receive an "F." So Why did I go this year?
There are two primary answers to this question. The first is the obvious, "because it's my senior year and my last one." The second gets a little more in depth into a bit of personal viewpoint. The first two times, I had no date to homecoming. Why? Because I was spineless and cowardly and too much of a (forgive the expression) pussy to man up and ask someone. My junior year I told myself that if the girl I asked said no, I wouldn't go, so you can guess how well that went. But this year was a little different. Over the summer, something happened to me, much for the better. I figured something out; rejection is never as scary as you think it is. I know everyone will tell you this but believe me I know how hard it is. When I asked my date to homecoming this year, I wasn't thinking of whether or not she would reject me. All my mind was focused on was just asking her. And you know what? She actually said yes. And as soon as you experience both that and rejection, you can never accept that rejection is nothing. I mean, there I was unable to believe that, in my eyes, one of the most attractive girls in the school just said yes to me. Do you know how much of a confidence boost that was? What I'm trying to say is that whenever it comes down to asking someone out or anything of the sort, don't think about any of the possible outcomes and just do it. I promise you won't regret it.
WC: 578
Some at this point are probably asking themselves, "Why does he hate school dances so much?" Well, little boys and girls, I will tell you. Half the reason I go to a dance is for the music. If I don't like the majority of the music there, which I don't, why should I go? The other part that goes in tandem with this is the reason they can be fun is because of the friends you go with. Hanging out with your friends and dancing around like idiots is the only other reason I go to these things. But if you do the math, half is failing, meaning if I were to grade a dance based on these two criteria, it would definitely receive an "F." So Why did I go this year?
There are two primary answers to this question. The first is the obvious, "because it's my senior year and my last one." The second gets a little more in depth into a bit of personal viewpoint. The first two times, I had no date to homecoming. Why? Because I was spineless and cowardly and too much of a (forgive the expression) pussy to man up and ask someone. My junior year I told myself that if the girl I asked said no, I wouldn't go, so you can guess how well that went. But this year was a little different. Over the summer, something happened to me, much for the better. I figured something out; rejection is never as scary as you think it is. I know everyone will tell you this but believe me I know how hard it is. When I asked my date to homecoming this year, I wasn't thinking of whether or not she would reject me. All my mind was focused on was just asking her. And you know what? She actually said yes. And as soon as you experience both that and rejection, you can never accept that rejection is nothing. I mean, there I was unable to believe that, in my eyes, one of the most attractive girls in the school just said yes to me. Do you know how much of a confidence boost that was? What I'm trying to say is that whenever it comes down to asking someone out or anything of the sort, don't think about any of the possible outcomes and just do it. I promise you won't regret it.
WC: 578
Hoo-ah!!!
Last week I was invited by one of my friends at school to go to a workout with the United States Marines at the recruiting center. Being the reborn "fitness junkie" that I've become I thought to myself, "Self, you should go to this because the Marines are some of the best." I'm still debating whether going to that workout was one of the best or worst decisions I've made in my physical life.
The workout started out fairly easy: as many pullups as you're physically capable of, maximum amount of situps in two minutes, the basics. Then came the one point six mile jog around the area. Which wouldn't have been too bad except that it was steaming outside, I was stupid and was wearing jeans, and I can't run worth crap. If that wasn't bad enough, combine it with five hundred body squats with well over an equal amount of lunges. Have any of you ever experienced that? After about two hundred or so, you eventually just recognize that the pain is there and that it's going to stay there. The only remedy is to keep going and deal with it. Oh and once you've finished those, you have to push a car from one end of the parking lot and back...TWICE!
Okay so I may be oversensationalizing it just a tinge. But I really did all of that in jeans and a T-shirt (a mistake I will not duplicate in the future) and survived. Do you know how much stronger my legs got just in that one workout? I swear every single bit of fat that wasn't necessary for cellular integrity was just completely obliterated off my thighs (again, a bit exaggerated). But while it was hard, I think that's why I liked it so much. I love that feeling after you get done working out because it feels like you've actually done something other than lay around all day watching TV or playing computer games (which I do way too much of already).Not only do you get that sort of high after you're done, but it feels amazing to have that adrenaline pumping through your entire body just pumping you up for what's to come, not to mention the eventual results that come from working out. I guess what I learned from this whole experience was two things, one of which you can take away from. One, the Marines are freaking crazy. Two, choosing to work out with them has probably been the best thing for my health I ever did.
WC: 425
The workout started out fairly easy: as many pullups as you're physically capable of, maximum amount of situps in two minutes, the basics. Then came the one point six mile jog around the area. Which wouldn't have been too bad except that it was steaming outside, I was stupid and was wearing jeans, and I can't run worth crap. If that wasn't bad enough, combine it with five hundred body squats with well over an equal amount of lunges. Have any of you ever experienced that? After about two hundred or so, you eventually just recognize that the pain is there and that it's going to stay there. The only remedy is to keep going and deal with it. Oh and once you've finished those, you have to push a car from one end of the parking lot and back...TWICE!
Okay so I may be oversensationalizing it just a tinge. But I really did all of that in jeans and a T-shirt (a mistake I will not duplicate in the future) and survived. Do you know how much stronger my legs got just in that one workout? I swear every single bit of fat that wasn't necessary for cellular integrity was just completely obliterated off my thighs (again, a bit exaggerated). But while it was hard, I think that's why I liked it so much. I love that feeling after you get done working out because it feels like you've actually done something other than lay around all day watching TV or playing computer games (which I do way too much of already).Not only do you get that sort of high after you're done, but it feels amazing to have that adrenaline pumping through your entire body just pumping you up for what's to come, not to mention the eventual results that come from working out. I guess what I learned from this whole experience was two things, one of which you can take away from. One, the Marines are freaking crazy. Two, choosing to work out with them has probably been the best thing for my health I ever did.
WC: 425
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Love
A few weeks ago, the topic of love came to my attention. What exactly is it? What do you feel when you experience love? When I started thinking about this, my first thoughts went to one thing in particular: the Bible. Now those of you that know me probably know I'm not the most religious person, but I'd just like to say yes I do believe. I could go into way more depth on this situation, but I feel like it would be drifting off tangent to my original subject. A specific passage came to mind when I started thinking about this. It comes from 1Corinthians 13:4-7 and it goes something like this: "love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." This is how I define love and this is the true definition of love and is quite self-explanatory. This is the basis on almost every single healthy relationship. This is the reason why so many people in relationships make it all the way. This is why I've ended relationships in the past; they told me they loved me when I knew from that very moment it wasn't love. It was almost the exact opposite of everything these verses tell you about love. If you take away anything from this, please let it be that you should use this as a guide to your relationship. This is my favorite Bible verse and I hope it becomes one of your favorites as well.
WC: 230
WC: 230
Don't Stop Man!
Everyone has their own personal choice of how they express themselves musically. Some choose to play drums, some choose to flaunt their vocal talent, some just like to listen to it and leave it to other people to make it up for them. Personally, one of my favorite ways to express myself musically is by playing piano. Even if I haven't taken a piano lesson since I was in the fourth grade, playing the piano is so much fun. There's something about being able to play, at the very least, semi-difficult melodies and harmonies up and down the eighty-eights, combining an amalgamation of chords, singular notes and octaves that touches the heart and calms the mind.
I think most musicians would agree with me when I say it gives you a sense of pride to be able to play any instrument regardless of what it is and having an extra skill that you can call your own. I mean how many people can brag about being able to play "Devil Went Down to Georgia" on violin or "Classical Gas" on guitar? While I can't do either of these (although I'm working on the latter of the two), I can play some fairly interesting songs on the piano despite having a lack of training in the instrument.
The two most recent songs that I've been working on a lot are both songs I think a vast majority of people have heard and are quite familiar with whether they know it or not. The first one is called "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. Yes, that's right I can play perhaps one of the most famous songs from the golden age of music on piano. The only really tricky part of this song is keeping different rhythms all at the same time. For instance, higher part of it, the chords, are essentially just straight eighth notes with a two-note chord/single note alternation. The underlying part is the moving bassline in the lower ranges of the keyboard, quite simple to play once the former becomes muscle memory. To add even further difficulty, if you're singing along with it, the entire piano part pretty much has to be entirely muscle memory, or at the very least mostly muscle memory.
The second song I've been working on is called "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. This one may not be as well known, but it's definitely one of those "I'd know it if I heard it" songs if you don't remember song titles that well. The only thing that really makes this song hard is that it has a lot of chord changes. Not terribly hard chord changes, but quite a few. The other thing that can make this song a little challenging is certain phrases that can easily be thrown out of time if done incorrectly. A lot of it is actually basic music fundamentals as easy as just feeling the beat, but this becomes almost critical when playing piano as you really have to feel where the beat is to play certain songs such as this one.
WC: 512
I think most musicians would agree with me when I say it gives you a sense of pride to be able to play any instrument regardless of what it is and having an extra skill that you can call your own. I mean how many people can brag about being able to play "Devil Went Down to Georgia" on violin or "Classical Gas" on guitar? While I can't do either of these (although I'm working on the latter of the two), I can play some fairly interesting songs on the piano despite having a lack of training in the instrument.
The two most recent songs that I've been working on a lot are both songs I think a vast majority of people have heard and are quite familiar with whether they know it or not. The first one is called "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey. Yes, that's right I can play perhaps one of the most famous songs from the golden age of music on piano. The only really tricky part of this song is keeping different rhythms all at the same time. For instance, higher part of it, the chords, are essentially just straight eighth notes with a two-note chord/single note alternation. The underlying part is the moving bassline in the lower ranges of the keyboard, quite simple to play once the former becomes muscle memory. To add even further difficulty, if you're singing along with it, the entire piano part pretty much has to be entirely muscle memory, or at the very least mostly muscle memory.
The second song I've been working on is called "Piano Man" by Billy Joel. This one may not be as well known, but it's definitely one of those "I'd know it if I heard it" songs if you don't remember song titles that well. The only thing that really makes this song hard is that it has a lot of chord changes. Not terribly hard chord changes, but quite a few. The other thing that can make this song a little challenging is certain phrases that can easily be thrown out of time if done incorrectly. A lot of it is actually basic music fundamentals as easy as just feeling the beat, but this becomes almost critical when playing piano as you really have to feel where the beat is to play certain songs such as this one.
WC: 512
Response to MM
In light of recent events, I'd like to touch on something that my good blogger friend Music Man talked about in one of his blogs. He was explaining what makes a good song by comparing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" to, as MM put it, "(insert horrible Nickelback song title here)" and, in another post, how lyrics are better if they have something to be interpreted. I completely agree with him on this in a lot of ways. But I'd like to focus on the latter of these issues for this post.
Everyone has their own personal tastes in music, but there are some types of music that I will refute completely (such as Nickelback). Just going off the topic of lyrics, a lot of bands word things much better in a more figurative way that makes the overall song better. Even when a song is talking about something like sex, "like a ukulele mama made a baby, really don't mind to practice cause you're my little lady" ("Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson) sounds so much better than "you look so much cuter with something in your mouth" ("Something in Your Mouth" by Nickelback). Seriously what happened to good music with lyrics that actually meant something? Or maybe had a rhythm comprised of more than just straight eighth and quarter notes? Why do people just decide to follow the flock of sheep into mainstream music when you can barely call it music anymore?
Today I'd like to share with you one of my favorite songs that actually has good song elements in it. If you refer back to my first post, I talked about a band called Rise Against and how, in light of a better word, obsessed I am with them. The song I'm currently referring to is off their fourth album, The Sufferer and the Witness (my favorite album), titled "The Good Left Undone." The whole song, as I understand it, is about what's called unrequited love, or one-sided love. It starts by talking about a flower in "fields where nothing grew but weeds," most likely referring to a girl that seems to stand out among all the other average girls. Continuing the analogy, he uproots the flower and "finds what he's been missing" by taking this girl out hanging out with her, finding a kind of new meaning in his life. But as the second verse implies, things are not as they may seem. It goes on to say that the dried up petals of this flower fall to the ground. I take this to mean that while the guy may really like this girl, the girl may not be happy being with him. Because he likes her so much, he decides to let her go and "return this flower to the dirt." The chorus explains just how haunted he is by the memory of this girl and how he only dreams of "drowning in the ocean." I love this song because of the analogous comparison of the flower to the relationship of these two people and how it ACTUALLY MEANS SOMETHING!!!!! If you have heard this song before and have another interpretation of it or any further comments, please let me know. If you haven't heard this song, I highly recommend that you check out the video for it.
WC: 499
Everyone has their own personal tastes in music, but there are some types of music that I will refute completely (such as Nickelback). Just going off the topic of lyrics, a lot of bands word things much better in a more figurative way that makes the overall song better. Even when a song is talking about something like sex, "like a ukulele mama made a baby, really don't mind to practice cause you're my little lady" ("Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson) sounds so much better than "you look so much cuter with something in your mouth" ("Something in Your Mouth" by Nickelback). Seriously what happened to good music with lyrics that actually meant something? Or maybe had a rhythm comprised of more than just straight eighth and quarter notes? Why do people just decide to follow the flock of sheep into mainstream music when you can barely call it music anymore?
Today I'd like to share with you one of my favorite songs that actually has good song elements in it. If you refer back to my first post, I talked about a band called Rise Against and how, in light of a better word, obsessed I am with them. The song I'm currently referring to is off their fourth album, The Sufferer and the Witness (my favorite album), titled "The Good Left Undone." The whole song, as I understand it, is about what's called unrequited love, or one-sided love. It starts by talking about a flower in "fields where nothing grew but weeds," most likely referring to a girl that seems to stand out among all the other average girls. Continuing the analogy, he uproots the flower and "finds what he's been missing" by taking this girl out hanging out with her, finding a kind of new meaning in his life. But as the second verse implies, things are not as they may seem. It goes on to say that the dried up petals of this flower fall to the ground. I take this to mean that while the guy may really like this girl, the girl may not be happy being with him. Because he likes her so much, he decides to let her go and "return this flower to the dirt." The chorus explains just how haunted he is by the memory of this girl and how he only dreams of "drowning in the ocean." I love this song because of the analogous comparison of the flower to the relationship of these two people and how it ACTUALLY MEANS SOMETHING!!!!! If you have heard this song before and have another interpretation of it or any further comments, please let me know. If you haven't heard this song, I highly recommend that you check out the video for it.
WC: 499
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Fireflies
Up until now, I've been talking about all these fantastic rock bands that you really ought to listen to. But if you recall from my first post, rock isn't the only type of music I listen to. There are at least a dozen other different genres out there that I also listen to and even more subsets of genres to add to that. And due to recent events, I've started taking breaks from rock to listen those other genres.
A few days ago, I was hanging out with one of my friends, listening to music. She was looking through my iPod and came across my Owl City album, selecting "Fireflies" from the song list. This once again piqued my interest into this electronica-esque style of music. One of the reasons I love Owl City is because of his use of lyrics. The way he expresses everything by using a lot of personification, analogies, similes and various colorful descriptions to create a vivid image in your head of what exactly is happening. For example, in the intro verse in "Vanilla Twilight," it states "the stars lean down to kiss you," clearly showing one of their uses of personification by giving the stars the human-like traits. Another example is in the song "Hello Seattle" and how he says he is all these different things to describe all these different perspectives of view. Not only does it paint a picture in your head, but the way he words things you can almost feel what he feels. If he feels sad and that he misses someone, like in the case of "Vanilla Twilight," you can easily understand how he feels and the intensity in which he misses this girl. This gives his songs a sense of being able to relate to what he's singing, something I look for in a lot of the lyrics of the songs I listen to.
WC: 309
A few days ago, I was hanging out with one of my friends, listening to music. She was looking through my iPod and came across my Owl City album, selecting "Fireflies" from the song list. This once again piqued my interest into this electronica-esque style of music. One of the reasons I love Owl City is because of his use of lyrics. The way he expresses everything by using a lot of personification, analogies, similes and various colorful descriptions to create a vivid image in your head of what exactly is happening. For example, in the intro verse in "Vanilla Twilight," it states "the stars lean down to kiss you," clearly showing one of their uses of personification by giving the stars the human-like traits. Another example is in the song "Hello Seattle" and how he says he is all these different things to describe all these different perspectives of view. Not only does it paint a picture in your head, but the way he words things you can almost feel what he feels. If he feels sad and that he misses someone, like in the case of "Vanilla Twilight," you can easily understand how he feels and the intensity in which he misses this girl. This gives his songs a sense of being able to relate to what he's singing, something I look for in a lot of the lyrics of the songs I listen to.
WC: 309
Chevy Chevelle
Lately, I've been listening to a lot of rock music and other rock variants across the entire music spectrum. If you haven't picked up on it by now, when I find a good band that I really like, I tend to listen to them a crap ton by creating a Pandora station of them, because they always play a song by whoever the radio station is named after every so many songs. If you don't know what Pandora is, then you must be cut off to modern technology as most people have one, or at the very least know about it. Nevertheless, I shall explain. Pandora is a personal radio hub where yo can set up different radio stations based on songs, artists or genres. If you choose an artist, it will not only play songs by that artist but also songs from artists similar to that particular musician (or "musician" depending on your music preferences). I can't tell you how many Pandora stations I've created just from discovering a band I wanted to hear more from.This next band is in no way contrary to the previous examples.
My latest, let's call it an obsession, is with a little band by the name of Chevelle. Now I hope when I say that everyone thinks of the older model Chevy by the same name, but if you didn't then I guess that's okay. Of course those are probably the same people that's rather listen to some horribly written pop song over music that's actually good, but I digress. I remember the first song I heard by Chevelle back during freshman year. I was going through a rough time and had borrowed my friend's iPod, him having heavier stuff than on my Sansa. I came across a song entitled "Send the Pain Below" by the aforementioned band, that basically describes masking the pain you may be feeling and send it away. It later foreshadows that, while it may be good at the time and give you temporary peace of mind, eventually it can eat away at you and hurt you even worse, "much like suffocating." One of their other hits, "The Red," talks about anger and how it can sometimes escalate to the point where you just release it in a flurry of violence. However, don't misunderstand as it does not condone any violence in any way. But the latest song that I've fallen in love with by them is called "Saferwaters" even after only hearing it once. It has the same kind of feel musically as "Send the Pain Below" without actually repeating rhythms or melody.
WC: 432
My latest, let's call it an obsession, is with a little band by the name of Chevelle. Now I hope when I say that everyone thinks of the older model Chevy by the same name, but if you didn't then I guess that's okay. Of course those are probably the same people that's rather listen to some horribly written pop song over music that's actually good, but I digress. I remember the first song I heard by Chevelle back during freshman year. I was going through a rough time and had borrowed my friend's iPod, him having heavier stuff than on my Sansa. I came across a song entitled "Send the Pain Below" by the aforementioned band, that basically describes masking the pain you may be feeling and send it away. It later foreshadows that, while it may be good at the time and give you temporary peace of mind, eventually it can eat away at you and hurt you even worse, "much like suffocating." One of their other hits, "The Red," talks about anger and how it can sometimes escalate to the point where you just release it in a flurry of violence. However, don't misunderstand as it does not condone any violence in any way. But the latest song that I've fallen in love with by them is called "Saferwaters" even after only hearing it once. It has the same kind of feel musically as "Send the Pain Below" without actually repeating rhythms or melody.
WC: 432
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Running Free
If you haven't heard yet, there's a craze that's been sweeping the nation recently. Well...maybe not the nation, but at least my group of friends at high school. Have any of you out there heard of parkour? Well regardless of whether you have or not, I'm going to tell you what it is. The simplest way to put it is getting from Point A to Point B in the quickest way possible. If there's standard size, chain link fence, jump over it in one sitting. If there's a low wall, scale it by running up it, grabbing the ledge and hoisting yourself up. If there's an alleyway, push off the walls, alternating between the two until you reach the top. If there's...well, I think you get the general idea. A lot of my friends have started doing this and I just decided to start as well. Who knows, maybe I can use it if I'm ever being chased by a roving band of thieves in the heart of the Windy City. For now, though, it's just for fun and a good way to build strength and an excuse to get out of the house every once in a while.
WC: 199
WC: 199
Feel Good Summer
When we were in one of the merch tents at Lifelight, I came across a table for Solid State and Tooth & Nail records. They had various CDs laid out across the table, some that I'd heard of, some that I hadn't. But in particular, there were two bands that caught my eye; Anberlin and Demon Hunter. Both of these I had heard maybe one or two songs by them, but pretty much just figured I would like most of their other stuff. I bought a pack of both bands' first three CDs for the low, low price of fifteen dollars. That's right, do the math: six CDs for fifteen dollars. And so begins my latest musical obsession.
I first heard of Demon Hunter two years ago after the 2010 Lifelight festival from a music sampler through Tooth & Nail records. The song featured was called "Collapsing" and it had quite a bit of meaning in it. I feel it was talking about how this person didn't like the way his life was going and he's losing faith in himself, turning to harming himself and just wanting to give up on life. Not only does this hurt himself, but as explained in the second verse, "I know the pain that lies within you, I feel it too," it also hurts the ones around them as well. But one of he songs I've been listening to a lot is called "Summer of Darkness." I haven't quite deciphered the meaning behind this song, but maybe I just keep getting distracted by the pure awesomeness of it all.
Last year, one of my friends posted on my Facebook wall a video of a song by a band named Anberlin. After listening to it, I hit replay...about ten times. It's pretty easy to see I fell in love with this song. After buying the CD this past weekend, my love for it was been renewed with an even greater fervor than before. The song is called "The Feel Good Drag" and just by listening to the song, it's not that hard to tell the entire theme is about one of the seven deadly sins: lust. The entire song talks about a relationship that was built upon lies and an unhealthy foundation, suggesting that she was cheating on him, hence the lyrics, "was this over before it ever began?" It also calls her out on things she may have used as a sort of "leash" if you will ("your kiss, your calls, your crutch," "your lips, your lies, your lust,") and how "the devil's got her hands." It continues with how much he regrets going out with her and how he he hated himself for falling for all of her tricks.
WC: 421
I first heard of Demon Hunter two years ago after the 2010 Lifelight festival from a music sampler through Tooth & Nail records. The song featured was called "Collapsing" and it had quite a bit of meaning in it. I feel it was talking about how this person didn't like the way his life was going and he's losing faith in himself, turning to harming himself and just wanting to give up on life. Not only does this hurt himself, but as explained in the second verse, "I know the pain that lies within you, I feel it too," it also hurts the ones around them as well. But one of he songs I've been listening to a lot is called "Summer of Darkness." I haven't quite deciphered the meaning behind this song, but maybe I just keep getting distracted by the pure awesomeness of it all.
Last year, one of my friends posted on my Facebook wall a video of a song by a band named Anberlin. After listening to it, I hit replay...about ten times. It's pretty easy to see I fell in love with this song. After buying the CD this past weekend, my love for it was been renewed with an even greater fervor than before. The song is called "The Feel Good Drag" and just by listening to the song, it's not that hard to tell the entire theme is about one of the seven deadly sins: lust. The entire song talks about a relationship that was built upon lies and an unhealthy foundation, suggesting that she was cheating on him, hence the lyrics, "was this over before it ever began?" It also calls her out on things she may have used as a sort of "leash" if you will ("your kiss, your calls, your crutch," "your lips, your lies, your lust,") and how "the devil's got her hands." It continues with how much he regrets going out with her and how he he hated himself for falling for all of her tricks.
WC: 421
Fun in Sioux Falls
Whenever you go back to school after an extended weekend, many of your friends and teachers always want to know the exact same question, "What did you do over your weekend?" I know even after a regular weekend I always have a chance of having to answer the this question (in Japanese too, nonetheless). While I typically don't enjoy answering most times, due to my lack of adventures over most weekends, this past labor day weekend I was so excited I was on the verge of giddy. Why you ask? The reason is quite simply one word: Lifelight.
If you don't know what Lifelight is, then I highly suggest you climb out from under that rock you've been hiding under and please listen to the following explanation. Lifelight is a three day long music festival comprised of various Christian musical talents over the labor day weekend. It takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota so if people under that rock know about it then it's gotta be good. They have two main stages, one for mainly worship music and the other for rock, each with several big and small name musical acts leading up to a headlining band to finish the day out. It also has a smaller "coffeehouse" stage and 360 "dance" stage as well as various food vendors and merch tents for both the bands performing and the festival itself. Now that you know what Lifelight actually is, let's talk a little bit about the bands that were there this year. And to do so I'll be reviewing the performances of some of my favorites.
Artist: Peter Furler/Phil Joel (former Newsboys members)
Genre: Pop Rock/Worship
Overview: I've already seen Newsboys both with and without frontman Peter Furler, but I've never seen Phil Joel with them, or even on his own for that matter. When you put them together, though, playing songs from each of their solo work as well as songs from they wrote when in the band, it's a really interesting experience for those that have followed the band especially. Even if you're just finding out about these two artists, they put on a pretty good show through humor and worship (not to mention the obvious musical element).
Artist: Skillet
Genre: Metal
Overview: This concert is most probably the best concert I've ever been to. Skillet is one of my favorite christian bands and was the biggest attraction at the festival and they definitely lived up to expectations and more. The general experience, the irony of squished by a fervor of shoving idiots during their hit "Hero", the appearance of a light-up monster head during their single "Monster", pyrotechnics; all of these add their own unique part of the Skillet experience. I overheard one of the merchants in the merchandise tent say they used 2 tons of pyrotechnics consisting of various types of fireworks, showers of sparks and columns of flame. They even had rising platforms, including the drummer's which actually spun around. One warning to all who attend such a concert, the following may be side effects of Skillet: temporary hearing loss, loss of voice, sore neck (headbanging) and any other random accidents that could happen.
Artist: Five Iron Frenzy
Genre: Ska
Overview: Okay I already know what you're thinking: what the hell kinda music is ska? It's actually like a mix of jazz and rock complete with trombone, saxophone and trumpet. I originally heard of this band from one of my friends late last year and had already had some experience with ska music from a band called Less Than Jake. At first, I didn't think they were that big of a deal and was a little confused at how they were able to get the ten 'o clock spot, on the Souled Out (rock) stage, usually reserved for huge names. Boy was I wrong! Imagine my surprise when I see a crowd that rivaled even Skillet's audience the night before. I did a little research and found out that the band actually broke up in 2003 and didn't start up again until 2011 (explaining how they've only had seven performances in ten years). And I cannot tell you how happy I am they did get back together. The performance was great, consisting of a lot of humor, including some of the lyrics that the band used in their songs.
Other great performances I highly recommend: Triple Stitch, The Wedding, Children 18:3, Silverline
WC: 738
If you don't know what Lifelight is, then I highly suggest you climb out from under that rock you've been hiding under and please listen to the following explanation. Lifelight is a three day long music festival comprised of various Christian musical talents over the labor day weekend. It takes place in Sioux Falls, South Dakota so if people under that rock know about it then it's gotta be good. They have two main stages, one for mainly worship music and the other for rock, each with several big and small name musical acts leading up to a headlining band to finish the day out. It also has a smaller "coffeehouse" stage and 360 "dance" stage as well as various food vendors and merch tents for both the bands performing and the festival itself. Now that you know what Lifelight actually is, let's talk a little bit about the bands that were there this year. And to do so I'll be reviewing the performances of some of my favorites.
Artist: Peter Furler/Phil Joel (former Newsboys members)
Genre: Pop Rock/Worship
Overview: I've already seen Newsboys both with and without frontman Peter Furler, but I've never seen Phil Joel with them, or even on his own for that matter. When you put them together, though, playing songs from each of their solo work as well as songs from they wrote when in the band, it's a really interesting experience for those that have followed the band especially. Even if you're just finding out about these two artists, they put on a pretty good show through humor and worship (not to mention the obvious musical element).
Artist: Skillet
Genre: Metal
Overview: This concert is most probably the best concert I've ever been to. Skillet is one of my favorite christian bands and was the biggest attraction at the festival and they definitely lived up to expectations and more. The general experience, the irony of squished by a fervor of shoving idiots during their hit "Hero", the appearance of a light-up monster head during their single "Monster", pyrotechnics; all of these add their own unique part of the Skillet experience. I overheard one of the merchants in the merchandise tent say they used 2 tons of pyrotechnics consisting of various types of fireworks, showers of sparks and columns of flame. They even had rising platforms, including the drummer's which actually spun around. One warning to all who attend such a concert, the following may be side effects of Skillet: temporary hearing loss, loss of voice, sore neck (headbanging) and any other random accidents that could happen.
Artist: Five Iron Frenzy
Genre: Ska
Overview: Okay I already know what you're thinking: what the hell kinda music is ska? It's actually like a mix of jazz and rock complete with trombone, saxophone and trumpet. I originally heard of this band from one of my friends late last year and had already had some experience with ska music from a band called Less Than Jake. At first, I didn't think they were that big of a deal and was a little confused at how they were able to get the ten 'o clock spot, on the Souled Out (rock) stage, usually reserved for huge names. Boy was I wrong! Imagine my surprise when I see a crowd that rivaled even Skillet's audience the night before. I did a little research and found out that the band actually broke up in 2003 and didn't start up again until 2011 (explaining how they've only had seven performances in ten years). And I cannot tell you how happy I am they did get back together. The performance was great, consisting of a lot of humor, including some of the lyrics that the band used in their songs.
Other great performances I highly recommend: Triple Stitch, The Wedding, Children 18:3, Silverline
WC: 738
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Banana Pancakes
Have any of you out there ever had that song that you can’t stop listening to over and over again and gets stuck in your head for days at a time? Well I’m currently in the process of one such phase. In fact, it’s not even just one song that I can’t seem to get away from. What has captured my current attention actually consists of two musical artists that I tend to think go hand in hand with each other. Their names are John Mayer and Jack Johnson, both being great guitarists and phenomenal singing.
I first heard John Mayer on the radio when I was still in early elementary school with songs such as “Daughters” and “Waitin’ on the World to Change” which addressed being a good father, or parent in general, and different problems in the world respectively. His songs had a very blues-like feel with slower jazzy guitar parts and somewhat scarce on lyrics. However the song that I’ve been listening to the most by him is much more happy and upbeat with a much different feel to it than some of his other work. The song entitled “Your Body is a Wonderland” is precisely the song by Mayer that I’m referring to, talking about how he loves spending time with this girls in certain ways (I’ll let you look it up and find out what that means on your own).
While the song I mentioned before has been stuck in my head for days on end, there’s one other song that has taken a much firmer hold over my mind for the past week or so. Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes” is currently my favorite song and perhaps one of my all time favorites. This song has a really good guitar part with a pretty simple strumming pattern with only his voice as an accompaniment. But the best thing about this song is that it is the most chill song EVER! The entire song is about staying home, sleeping in, relaxing at home and spending the entire day with the one that you really care about. One of my favorite parts of the lyrics are the bridge: “The telephone is singing, ringing, it’s too early, don’t pick it up, we got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough, just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms do we really need to pay attention to the alarm, wake up slow.”
I really like these lyrics because it says that all they need are each other and since that’s all they really need why worry? If you’re a guitar player like me I highly recommend you to learn this song, especially if you have a special someone to sing it to. It’s pretty easy and really romantic if in the right setting.
Word Count: 422
I first heard John Mayer on the radio when I was still in early elementary school with songs such as “Daughters” and “Waitin’ on the World to Change” which addressed being a good father, or parent in general, and different problems in the world respectively. His songs had a very blues-like feel with slower jazzy guitar parts and somewhat scarce on lyrics. However the song that I’ve been listening to the most by him is much more happy and upbeat with a much different feel to it than some of his other work. The song entitled “Your Body is a Wonderland” is precisely the song by Mayer that I’m referring to, talking about how he loves spending time with this girls in certain ways (I’ll let you look it up and find out what that means on your own).
While the song I mentioned before has been stuck in my head for days on end, there’s one other song that has taken a much firmer hold over my mind for the past week or so. Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes” is currently my favorite song and perhaps one of my all time favorites. This song has a really good guitar part with a pretty simple strumming pattern with only his voice as an accompaniment. But the best thing about this song is that it is the most chill song EVER! The entire song is about staying home, sleeping in, relaxing at home and spending the entire day with the one that you really care about. One of my favorite parts of the lyrics are the bridge: “The telephone is singing, ringing, it’s too early, don’t pick it up, we got everything we need right here and everything we need is enough, just so easy when the whole world fits inside of your arms do we really need to pay attention to the alarm, wake up slow.”
I really like these lyrics because it says that all they need are each other and since that’s all they really need why worry? If you’re a guitar player like me I highly recommend you to learn this song, especially if you have a special someone to sing it to. It’s pretty easy and really romantic if in the right setting.
Word Count: 422
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Savior
For those who know me, they know I love music. For those that don't...well, now you know. My musical preferences are actually quite eclectic if anything. I listen to things that vary from the 1500s to now, entailing everything from Beethoven to Billy Joel, The Beatles to the Stones, and Sinatra to Michael Buble. But my two most preferred types of music are rock and jazz, specifically hard or punk rock and jazz singers.
Now I know when most of you think punk you think screaming and out of tune singing coupled with angry lyrics. While some of the punk bands I listen to do include these, such as The Dead Kennedys, but those aren’t the kinds of punk bands that I listen to a lot. Much of the punk I listen to, I guess, is technically considered pop punk, but punk none the less. At this point non-music people may be wondering, “What is this infernal machination of these two completely different genres of music?” Well, it essentially incorporates the elements of a punk song, but with less of an edge to it that you’d find in original punk bands. It also adds a mainstream sound to it so that it’s more acceptable to radio listeners. Or, at least that’s the way I would define it. However, there’s one band that I constantly listen to that mostly plays what is called melodic punk. This band, which is perhaps my favorite band in all of musicdom, goes by the name of Rise Against.
Lead singer Tim McIlrath and bassist Joe Principe formed the band in Chicago in 1999, along with drummer Toni Tintari and guitarist “Mr. Precision” under the original name of Transistor Revolt. Their early work consisted much more of hardcore punk, which as the name implies is much harder than their current melodic style of punk, although personally I prefer their work closer to what they are currently doing. But getting back to the subject of favorites, I’d like to share with you the first song I ever heard by this amazing band and some of the lyrics.
“It kills me not to know this but I’ve all but just forgotten what the color of her eyes were, her scars and how she got them, as the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten.” -"Savior"
For me this song is essentially about a guy who had a relationship with a girl and is trying to recall said woman, but hates that he can’t remember certain things about her and that she’s started to fade into the back of his mind. It continues in saying that he keeps making promises he can’t keep and how what they had wasn’t love, but maybe she was just using him as an escape from something else while she claims to want to save him while there’s something left. It later goes on about how even though the weight of this event may hurt, you must carry on for time stops for no man and that he still has so many questions after all these years. It’s a great love song that sparked my love of the band and I very much hope it interests you.
WC: 505
Now I know when most of you think punk you think screaming and out of tune singing coupled with angry lyrics. While some of the punk bands I listen to do include these, such as The Dead Kennedys, but those aren’t the kinds of punk bands that I listen to a lot. Much of the punk I listen to, I guess, is technically considered pop punk, but punk none the less. At this point non-music people may be wondering, “What is this infernal machination of these two completely different genres of music?” Well, it essentially incorporates the elements of a punk song, but with less of an edge to it that you’d find in original punk bands. It also adds a mainstream sound to it so that it’s more acceptable to radio listeners. Or, at least that’s the way I would define it. However, there’s one band that I constantly listen to that mostly plays what is called melodic punk. This band, which is perhaps my favorite band in all of musicdom, goes by the name of Rise Against.
Lead singer Tim McIlrath and bassist Joe Principe formed the band in Chicago in 1999, along with drummer Toni Tintari and guitarist “Mr. Precision” under the original name of Transistor Revolt. Their early work consisted much more of hardcore punk, which as the name implies is much harder than their current melodic style of punk, although personally I prefer their work closer to what they are currently doing. But getting back to the subject of favorites, I’d like to share with you the first song I ever heard by this amazing band and some of the lyrics.
“It kills me not to know this but I’ve all but just forgotten what the color of her eyes were, her scars and how she got them, as the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten.” -"Savior"
For me this song is essentially about a guy who had a relationship with a girl and is trying to recall said woman, but hates that he can’t remember certain things about her and that she’s started to fade into the back of his mind. It continues in saying that he keeps making promises he can’t keep and how what they had wasn’t love, but maybe she was just using him as an escape from something else while she claims to want to save him while there’s something left. It later goes on about how even though the weight of this event may hurt, you must carry on for time stops for no man and that he still has so many questions after all these years. It’s a great love song that sparked my love of the band and I very much hope it interests you.
WC: 505
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