Biggums the Bard

Yes, I know the last bunch of posts have been about music, but that's only one of my interests. This one here's a bit about DnD, but mostly about racism. So I unveil to you my project: Biggums the Bard.

I created a character one night (I believe I was on shrooms?) while with my friends. We were going to start a new Pathfinder campaign (Pathfinder = DnD if you don't know). My friend, let's call him Ray, decided to make a character that would be flavorful, fun, and interesting. My other friend, let's call her Jill, did what she always does in DnD. She tries to break the game with the most overpowered character she can. I took a different route. After looking over the classes (I was new to DnD), and asking questions, I wanted to be a bard. Not just any bard, though. I wanted to be a halfling bard that had black skin, danced and sang, and used a throwing spear as a weapon. He had no father, was concerned with makin money, and overall was probably the spawn of the most racist things I've ever said in my life.

So, where am I going with all of this? Well, I'm going to have him write a journal. It's going to start somewhere around his coming of age, and I'm going to write journal entries from his perspective. It may take some time, and there will be more posts than just that going up over time, so don't worry. Any feedback or suggestions would help. Thanks =)

New project!

Over the next couple days I'm going to be developing a small project, it'll be creative and fun. You may indulge yourself at your own risk, just be warned that it will be unapologetically racist.

Rating music

Does anybody actually go through all their music on itunes and rate it? I thought about doing it one day but I decided I have more things to do with my time than waste it on something that basically doesn't matter. Just a thought.

Everybody loves lists!

Ten great "intro-to-genre" bands

DISCLAIMER: This list does include bands many people dislike, particularly big fans of the genre. This list mostly means bands that blend what makes mainstream mainstream with signature elements of their genre. So, without further ado, here's the list.

Atreyu
GENRE: Various scene music

I have to admit, I used to love Atreyu. For a few years there all I listened to was hardcore/metalcore/(insertwordhere)core music. Atreyu was THE band that got me into it, particularly the songs "Bleeding Mascara" and "Right Side of the Bed". It adjusted me to hearing screaming in a majority of the lyrics and gave me a good feel for what makes scene music scene... But beware, because many pompous scene self-proclaimed "critics" will criticize you for liking them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWb93oXXclA

Basshunter
GENRE: Trance

Techno geeks are picky with their music, but Basshunter has a place in my heart. He was the first taste I ever got of the Trance genre, other than Sandstorm by Darude. Basshunter has songs about robots on IRC and about DotA, so he relates well with nerds. His music is very catchy and upbeat, and is good for dancing too. Beware, he is Swedish, so much of his music is sung in Swedish. This does not detract from the music, though. A good starting platform if you plan on learning more about Techno in general.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYQUsp-jxDQ

Bullet for my Valentine
GENRE: Metal

Yes, many people don't necessarily believe that BFMV is metal. They are, however, a very hard rock influenced band and if you are wanting to explore the genre of metal they are a good start. They do have a good level of commercial success in the United States despite being an English band, partly due to an appearance in Madden videogames and on the radio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-MY4sedWy0

Sublime
GENRE: Reggae

Okay, Sublime isn't exactly Reggae. They're more of a ska/punk band, according to many. But they have many of the influences and sounds that have made reggae well known. Sublime has a very distinct sound that shares many of the same values as reggae has. It's a shame that Bradley Nowell died, because he has a legendary voice that really set Sublime apart. If you aren't a fan of Sublime anyways, you should be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI2INBQVpwk

Eminem
GENRE: Rap

Eminem is huge, and he is well known to most people because his music is all over the charts. However, if you don't know much about rap, you probably do know a little about Eminem. He is regarded as the greatest white rapper alive. He has a unique, quickfire style with loaded lyrics that speak to many people from all walks of life. If you are looking to explore rap as a genre, I definitely recommend listening to him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO2wA0Te0wM

Metric
GENRE: Indie Rock

I love Metric. I fell in love with their singer, their style, everything about them. Many people only know them for the song they contributed to the soundtrack of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. They have many great songs, and I cannot talk them up enough, but I'm going to keep this short and strongly recommend you try this song and some of their other songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtA7YIFapnY

Rise Against
GENRE: Punk

Rise Against? Punk? Well, I guess that's a bit of a stretch for many people. But Rise Against does have many punk influences and if you listen to them enough you will develop a strong taste for many of the main elements of punk music, from the driving riff to the speed of the music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19X7rttooH0

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
GENRE: Hip Hop

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is a legendary group. They have done a lot for Hip Hop music, and are one of the most well known figures of the genre. They have a very mellow smooth flowing style that sounds pleasant to anybody, and if you are wanting to understand more about the hip hop culture, starting with BTnH is a great idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xpmr8Shy_UA
The song starts at about 50 seconds in.

Daft Punk
GENRE: House

Daft Punk is pretty well known, especially if you knew anything about music in the late 90's. Most people know Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. They are also slated to have involvement with the soundtrack to the new movie, Tron: Legacy. A fine band, and they have some neat youtube videos made by fans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYD_-A_X5E

Mt Eden
GENRE: Dubstep

Okay, so I don't know much about Mt Eden, other than they created one of the greatest Dubstep songs of all time. I highly recommend you watch this video. Dubstep is a fun genre to like, and there's a lot of great music to be heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqN5yWg6ff4

Whelp, there's my list. It's not really a "top 10" list so much as a list of recommendations. I hope you like it.

Still brainstorming

I really would like it if I had some sort of idea for this blog, so I've been doing a lot of brainstorming. I need a topic I can write a lot about, can deviate from a little without losing scope of the original topic, and that I enjoy writing about. I am thinking of talking to some friends about it, I'm not sure if I want to show them this blog yet... because I'm a little embarrassed that it's too much like a diary for now. Oh well, I'll keep on thinking. Just an update.

What am I listening too? Starry Eyed (Jakwob Remix) Ellie Goulding

Niches

There's something that's been bothering me.

I've been thinking on what exactly I want this blog to be about. I mean, a nerds life can be about the life and times of a small purple piece of delicious candy. I want this blog to have a real meaning.

I'm interested in many things but not proficient in any, and I love to talk about a lot of random things. I'm confident in my ability to write and show a little bit of eloquence, however that will only get me so far if I'm writing about eight hundred different topics.

Since I quit World of Warcraft I have a lot more time. I have a lot of small hobbies that I could convert to bigger ones. I just need to grow up and buckle down onto a topic.

I guess this is sort of the same problem I've been having with my life. I keep telling myself it's that I'm only twenty years old, but I'm scared to death that I'm going to end up being a nobody. And I absolutely shudder at the thought of picking something I don't want to do now because it's the "best paying" or the "in-demand job" of the month.

One thing I'm noticing about doing a blog is it's helping me organize my thoughts. Maybe someday somebody will even read this stuff. Just don't laugh at the first two or three posts, they're horrid. And they probably haven't improved much.

I JUST FOUND A PIECE OF MY CHILDHOOD!

There's a little backstory to this. I had spent the past four years remembering this vague show that I used to watch when I was a child. It was on Cartoon Network, and I thought it was on Toonami... it wasn't. I had talked it over with all of my nerd friends who shared similar interests at that age, and they all gave suggestions but none of them were right. I did a bit of research today and I finally stumbled across it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurions

Oh, sure, it's just a wikipedia page, but within it contains the very essence of MY CHILDHOOD. The show is about these 3 guys who wear suits and run around, and when time comes to it MACHINERY APPEARS ON THEIR SUITS. One guy is a ground expert and can turn into mechs and motorcycles, one guy is a sky expert so he gets various airplane forms, and one guy is a sea guy so he gets submarines, boats, etc...

I'm probably over excited about this, but who cares, because it kicks ass.

What am I listening too? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3HqLLjhA28

Back by (un)popular demand

I've neglected you, blog, and I feel bad. So maybe we give it a fresh start, mkay? Because, I do have feelings for you, they're just blockaded by countless distractions in my life. Which I suppose you're there to help with.... Fuck it.

I'm gonna resolve to at least post once a dayish on average on here. That's enough to get my thoughts on paper, to say some of the things I'd like to say, and to ignore checking the same four social networking/boredom pages on repeat for hours on end.

I'm a long time Stumbler, but I recently updated my interests for the first time since I can remember getting my account, and there's so much more on it. So if you haven't checked out Stumbleupon, it'll give you a lot of information that you didn't realize the internet had waiting for you.

I do have a lot more to say, Blog, so I suppose I'll leave this post at what it is now and make more posts later. Y'know, to help with the resolution and all.

Magic: The Gathering

I used to play Magic: The Gathering. Correction, I used to be VERY GOOD at Magic: The Gathering. I started out being very bad at it. It took me a while to catch on to the intricacies of deck building, and it took even longer for me to realize that how you play a deck is more important than how you build a deck. But, once I hit that point, I was in a state of nirvana.

Here I was, the guy who won some lost some, the guy who never really had a chance, going out and winning Friday Night Magic four times in a row out of nowhere. Winning drafts, playing online, talking to high-profile pros that placed top 8 in worlds online. I had no money but I still kept playing, just to prove to people that had money that you dont need it to win.

I was writing articles for websites, I was a moderator for one of the better-known Magic forums. There was little about the game I didn't understand.

And then, I went to college and I quit. I was so good at it, and it was such a big part of my life. And I quit. I just remembered this, and I had to talk about it.

I miss it. I miss when I first realized how good I actually was. I miss talking to some of the people I used to talk too. I miss having influence over my circles decks and ideas. I've never really been "the man" with anything else in my life. I'm okay at World of Warcraft, but on my server alone there's countless people who are better than me.

But I had the capability to top 8 Regionals, man. REGIONALS.

And I just let it go when I started playing World of Warcraft and went off to college.

It's depressing, I suppose. Maybe one day I'll pick it back up. Or I'll find something else that I can be great at. I just wanna be good at things. That's evidently a lot to ask, though. Oh well.

Consider this the flashback of my nerdy past.

A short summary of me

It just occured to me that, since I'm tired but I can't sleep, that I might as well fill in some information and get this blog rolling hehe. If I get into the habit of doing this when I'm bored I'm sure this will fill out nicely and people will be comin along any day.

My name is Tom. I live in a decent sized town not far from Indianapolis. I work part time at a country club in the kitchen, and I live at home with my parents (It's smart for me right now, even if they get on my nerves). I have a dog, his name is Smokie, he's a black/chocolate lab mix. He's pretty much the shit, even though he's already 9.

In my spare time, I lurk the internet. It's a good way for me to unwind and it can lead me to some interesting thought processes, which are refreshing for me because I operate very intrinsically. I spend time on 4chan, facebook, checking emails, lookin for deals on craigslist, the works. I read a couple webcomics every day.

I also like to watch anime, although this is pretty recent. My friend got me into it and I've seen Bleach, Naruto, Gantz, Rurouni Kenshin, Claymore, and I'm working on Code Geass right now. The more I watch the more I'm sure I'll figure out that I like.

I do follow football, and since I'm originally from Buffalo I follow the Bills. Football isn't a huge part of my life but it's something I do enjoy.

And then, there's the biggest passtime of mine... World of Warcraft. I play Horde, a druid on a small US server. I mostly concentrate on Player vs. Player, but I do dabble in Player vs. Environment from time to time.

Aside from that stuff, I do have a social life. I'm not much of a drinker anymore, but I do like... nay, LOVE to smoke pot. Marijuana has never let me down! It's fun, and I like it, and it likes me. haha.

I'm a pretty nice guy, and there's a lot going on in my brain that I need to get down onto paper. This blog should do nicely for that.

Til next time, stay classy Azeroth.

Blogging seems like hard work

I know, I know, it's been less than ten minutes since the last post. Gerroffmahback.

Just seems like it'll be hard to find people to commend/talk too about what I put on here, which could be nice. I suppose I'll just post every day about stuff until I find some people who are willing to comment on things. I've been looking around for tips with blogs, and I hear that it just takes time. So I'll take time. But, if you're reading this now, you've taken your first step onto what will be a very good waste of your bored-on-the-internet time, which probably comprises about 100% of the people who do blogs anyways. Haha.

Dont really do this much, who the hell knows what I should put

I'm basically only doing this because I need something to fill my days out more. I'm generally a very intrinsic person, so something like this is a leap for me. Plus, the whole lack of committing to something I started. hah. Anyways.

I like the anonymous layout of this all. I might show this to a few close friends, but if nobody really sees this that's okay with me. The more anonymous, the better, probably.

Servers on WoW came back up today. I still think Blizzard needs to compensate me one day of playing time on my subscription, those bastards.

Dammit, I just lost the game.

Started a new Anime today. For those that don't know (basically, anybody and everybody), I just recently have started getting into anime and poking and prodding around into different types of genres to see what I do and do not like. I do not like mechs, however, I started Code Geass today and it's pretty okay.

The new Twilight is out. God. I hate twilight. I hate twilight so much. I just want to grab a butter knife and stab it through the heart of every last giddy middle school twilight fan in America.

Oh, and I got turned down by a girl because I'm not lolchristian.

I think that'll be my layout. A collection of random thoughts and whatnot I think up throughout the day. And whatever the hell I wanna talk about. Maybe I'll go into detail, maybe I wont.