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