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Legolover-361

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  1. Legolover-361
    All the young'uns are doing it. I'm getting hip with the times.
     
    A couple of the links below are for the electronic musical group Forward, which two friends and I formed. If you're into an electronic progressive neoclassical sort of hybrid, do check it out.
    My YouTube channel
    Forward's YouTube channel
    Forward's Facebook page
    Maybe more links are forthcoming. I'm looking into establishing a blog and / or writing some stories to sell, and Forward might (key word: might) get a Twitter account. If any of that happens, I'll probably notify y'all on my profile page and / or in my signature.
     
    Speaking of my signature, I should make a new banner...
  2. Legolover-361
    Probably over a year ago now, I was talking about releasing a solo instrumental album. While that plan hasn't yet come to fruition, a couple friends and I have completed a group album that I would like to share with you all.
     
    We've named our group Forward. The album is called Interminatis (pronounced "in-ter-min-ah-tee"), which is Latin for "endless". It's a concept album; we have a companion booklet included with the download that should help clarify the plot a bit.
     
    The album is six dollars, but it also has fifteen tracks and a run time of one hour, six minutes, and ten seconds. Even if you don't buy it, we'd appreciate a listen and some feedback; you can stream the album through Bandcamp here. We also have two name-your-price singles available for download if you'd rather get something free.
     
    To those of you who listen, thanks a ton.
  3. Legolover-361

    Serenity

    By Legolover-361,

    Last night, I watched Serenity, the film sequel to the unjustly aborted TV series Firefly.
     
    It was painful. It was intense. It was amazing. If you watched and enjoyed Firefly, I highly recommend Serenity. Just be prepared to have your heart nearly break.
     
    One last note for those who have already watched the film:
     
     
     
  4. Legolover-361
    First and foremost, happy anniversary, BZPower. May you survive to see many more influxes of wannabe bloggers exploiting Premier perks.
     
    * * *
     
    I'm writing this entry to talk about something I'm sure a lot of writers struggle with -- namely, finding the initiative and motivation to write. (Incidentally, authoring this entry is part of my attempt to find both.)
     
    For over a year now, a plan to write a novel has been fermenting in my mind. I told myself at the beginning of this year that I would plan it and write it. As of this writing, I have done neither. Admittedly, my lack of progress is mainly due to procrastination; however, I probably would not be procrastinating if I had the motivation to write something and the determination to follow through.
     
    Of course, a diagnosis is only half the battle. Where can I find a cure?
     
    The most obvious panacea is writing to provide a message. I don't necessarily mean morals in the style of Aesop or Ayn Rand, namely, blatant and spelled out for the reader; I also mean messages like a warning about dystopia (George Orwell, 1984), the allure of evil (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings), what we're likely to find in the universe (Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey), etc. If you understand your message well, it can provide a skeleton framework for your story and, if you're lucky, inspiration.
     
    But messages don't always work. Maybe you're too leery of being heavy-handed; maybe there are a few different messages that could or could not work, but you can't select one just yet; or, most likely, maybe your mind hasn't paired a message with a plot. What do you do?
     
    The second cure I know for lack of writing initiative and motivation is adopting a habit of writing. This might seem contradictory at first -- how can you habituate writing if you can't write? -- but think about riding a bicycle, or swimming, or even math: You couldn't do it at first, but you learned. You can't write anything if you don't try to write anything, so write something.
     
    A third option is to make writing into a challenge. Some people are motivated by deadlines; though I don't find them particularly inspiring, they can spur writing, especially in the case of a contest. Other people may write stories to incorporate new words into their vocabularies, try out another writing style, etc.
     
    The fourth and final thing I can think of is to write whenever you feel emotionally charged. I find writing an excellent means of catharsis. If you feel particularly happy, sad, angry, whatever, try to translate your emotions into words.
     
    Okay, this isn't a great blog entry, but I figured I should take advantage of having Premier perks and write another rant after such a long hiatus from written ramblings. Now I just have to see if writing the above inspired me at all...
  5. Legolover-361
    I listened to so many good albums in 2012, I couldn’t stand pruning my list to only the top ten. Thus, below are listed my top ten favorite albums of 2012 and ten honorable mentions, making the list an even twenty albums in total.
     
    A disclaimer: I made few attempts at being objective in my rankings. I chose my favorite albums on the basis of how much I enjoy them, not how technically proficient their musicians are or how unique they sound. Feel free to leave feedback on my choices, but I won’t change them except on my own terms.
     
    The honorable mentions and top ten are enclosed in spoiler tags not only for convenience but also for those who don’t want the list to be spoiled while they’re scrolling through my blog. Asterisks denote albums with any curses (albums with more than a few profanities aren’t counted in this list).
     
    The sum of applicable 2012 albums I’ve heard (forty-four total), listed in alphabetical order of artist:

    A Method of Symmetry by Agent Whiskers
    Awake in the City by The American Dollar
    Weather Systems * by Anathema
    Vital by Anberlin
    Hide and Seek by The Birthday Massacre
    Wrecking Ball by Bruce Springsteen
    Violent Waves by Circa Survive
    The Afterman: Ascension * by Coheed and Cambria
    (III) by Crystal Castles
    Away from the World by Dave Matthews Band
    In Currents by The Early November
    The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw... by Fiona Apple
    New Horizons by Flyleaf
    Some Nights * by fun.
    Scars & Stories by The Fray
    Ground Dweller by Hands Like Houses
    Thrift Store Jesus by Heath McNease
    Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes
    Night Visions by Imagine Dragons
    Blunderbuss * by Jack White
    Dead End Kings by Katatonia
    Strangeland by Keane
    Battle Born by The Killers
    Les Friction by Les Friction
    Almería by Lifehouse
    Living Things by Linkin Park
    The Lumineers by The Lumineers
    Soundtrack for a Great Adventure by Maximalism
    Ten Stories by mewithoutYou
    Portal 2: Songs to Test By by Mike Morasky
    Babel * by Mumford & Sons
    The 2nd Law * by Muse
    Summer Cycle by My Shadow and I
    The Midsummer Station by Owl City
    Gossamer * by Passion Pit
    ThePianoGuys by ThePianoGuys
    What We Saw from the Cheap Seats * by Regina Spektor
    Clockwork Angels by Rush
    III by Shiny Toy Guns
    Neck of the Woods by Silversun Pickups
    Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins
    King Animal by Soundgarden
    Beacon by Two Door Cinema Club
    Southern Air by Yellowcard

     
    Honorable Mentions:
     
     
     
    Top Ten of 2012:
     
     
     
    (P.S. My apologies for the delay in posting this list: I was sick for all of last week.)
  6. Legolover-361
    In my quest for my favorite ten albums of 2012, I have encountered a roadblock: I haven't heard many albums from 2012. That's why I'm turning to you, readers of my blog, for suggestions.
     
    I do have several requirements for any albums that will be entered into my list of personal favorites of 2012:
    No EPs. My list of favorite 2012 albums is just that: a list of full albums.
    No explicit albums. As much as I enjoy listening to a Kanye West song now and again, I'd rather not list albums with a bunch of profanity among my favorites for the year. If there are a couple curse words, though, I'll probably still be cool with it.
    Death metal and dance-pop aren't my cups of tea. I'm fine with some post-hardcore, lighter forms of metal, and some electronic music, but I'd rather not listen through albums of relentless screaming / growling or of club beats recounted ad nauseum.
    Instrumental albums are fine.
    No "various artists" albums. An album that's primarily a collaboration is fine; an album with a bunch of featured performers is fine; an album that has no main artist(s) is not. When I say "various artists album", I mean like a soundtrack that has multiple songs made by separate bands and artists.
    No greatest hits albums. Greatest hits albums aren't collections of new songs but of old ones, so I don't want to count them among my favorite new albums.
    The album must have been first officially released in 2012. This (sadly) precludes the inclusion of My Head Is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men.

    I should have listed more than enough restrictions above. I look forward to seeing some recommendations!
     
    My current list of must-listens before I compose my favorites list (with some recommendations added; crossed-out albums are those list items I've heard):
    Vital by Anberlin
    King Animal by Soundgarden
    New Horizons by Flyleaf
    Away from the World by Dave Matthews Band
    Almería by Lifehouse
    Battle Born by The Killers
    Dead End Kings by Katatonia
    (III) by Crystal Castles
    III by Shiny Toy Guns
    Kids in the Street by The All-American Rejects
    Oceania by The Smashing Pumpkins
    Gossamer by Passion Pit
    Some Nights by fun.
    Babel by Mumford & Sons
    Hide and Seek by The Birthday Massacre
    The Afterman: Ascension by Coheed and Cambria
    Cold Hard Want by House of Heroes
    ThePianoGuys by ThePianoGuys
    Strangeland by Keane
    The Lumineers by The Lumineers
    Blunderbuss by Jack White
    The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw... by Fiona Apple
    What We Saw from the Cheap Seats by Regina Spektor
    Weather Systems by Anathema
    The Midsummer Station by Owl City

    EDIT (12 / 21 / 12): I've finished listening to all the music on my must-listen list. If anyone has other recommendations, please post them before Christmas; otherwise, I'll sift through the already satisfactory amount of albums I've heard.
     
    EDIT (12 / 28 / 12): I've listened to more than enough albums to make a favorites list. Thanks for your recommendations!
  7. Legolover-361
    Take the date December 21, 2012. Now translate it into American shorthand dating format: 12/21/12. If each number stands for a letter, 12 equals L and 21 equals U.
     
    Thus, "12/21/12" can be translated to "LUL", which, as everyone here knows, is a purposeful misspelling of "LOL".
     
    We're all being trolled.
  8. Legolover-361

    2012 Album Ranking?

    By Legolover-361,

    I've been considering scouring the (admittedly small) list of 2012 albums I've heard and sorting them into a top ten list, perhaps with a few honorable mentions. While I think it would be a nice display of my musical tastes, I haven't actually listened to many 2012 albums, so the list would be rather incomplete.
     
    Would anyone be interested in me compiling such a list? I will include the list of 2012 albums I've heard so you understand why some albums are excluded.
  9. Legolover-361
    I finally watched The Princess Bride the night of this past Thursday. Even though it was primarily a romance film, and I'm predisposed to cringe a bit at excessive displays of romance on screen (don't shoot!), its humor, plot, and characters were quite enjoyable. Wesley and Inigo Montoya were my definite favorites.
  13. Legolover-361

    NaNoWriMo Results

    By Legolover-361,

    Word Count: 809
    Chapters: 1/4-ish
    Pages: 1 1/2
     
    I'll continue writing throughout winter -- this project wasn't meant to be NaNoWriMo-exclusive -- but I don't think my progress will be noteworthy.
  14. Legolover-361
    And what have we done? Another month over, and a new one just begun.
     
    Iffy parodies aside, today marks the day Christmas music can be played without me judging you (unless the Christmas music is bad, dance-pop, or both, but that's another story entirely).
  16. Legolover-361

    Guitar Lessons Over

    By Legolover-361,

    I can now play "Jingle Bells".
     
    In all seriousness, I plan to learn two Coldplay songs, "Yellow" and "Strawberry Swing", on guitar. "Yellow" is mainly chords, which will not be problematic (unless barre chords rear their ugly heads); "Strawberry Swing" is more focused on melody, which I prioritize above chords in learning songs on guitar because melodies are generally more complex and allow me to practice moving my fingers from string to string.
     
    I also have a sheet of various Christmas songs I should practice at length. 'Tis almost the season, after all.
  19. Legolover-361

    NaNoWriMo

    By Legolover-361,

    It's the first official day of National Novel Writing Month. My story's plot hasn't been solidified save for vague goals and ideals I want to represent in the narrative. In the Microsoft Word document I've reserved for my story, the only text present is "1.", which I typed to signify the first chapter.
     
    This is not a good start.
  20. Legolover-361

    Hurricane Sandy

    By Legolover-361,

    My neighborhood, being a ways inland, avoided the destructive power Hurricane Sandy unleashed on the New Jersey shoreline. We only received moderate gusts and light rain throughout the night. Nevertheless, through standing outside a minute and sitting for far longer beside an open window, I could feel a difference in the winds; they were not the capricious breezes of springtime or autumn, but winds with a purpose.
     
    I offer my condolences to those who were hit hard by the storm. Hopefully recovery will be prompt and efficient.
  21. Legolover-361

    BRB

    By Legolover-361,

    I will be away on a camping trip from this afternoon till sometime Sunday, so I won't be able to post in the RPG forum for that duration if anyone needs me.
  24. Legolover-361
    It is my humble opinion, ladies and gentlemen of the forums of BZPower, that the debate of whether a glass is half empty or half full is a fruitless expenditure.
     
    To begin, the debate subject itself is rendered invalid from the start. Should a glass be filled to the halfway point, it already exists in both states being argued: half emptiness and half fullness. If half of the glass's volume consists of water, then it is obvious the remaining half of the glass's volume will be void of water.
     
    Let us assume, then, that this debate is a matter of perception, in which case it still fails as a logical debate, as I have never once heard of a glass precisely half-filled with water being presented at any such debate.
     
    Most people who question the glass's actual state of fullness have with them no measuring implements to accurately determine whether the amount of liquid within the cup is exactly half of the glass's maximum volume. Thus, should such a glass ever be produced, the first order of business ought to be determining with scientific precision whether the amount of liquid in the glass is above or below the exact halfway mark; should it not be half of the glass's volume, then the debate should be changed to whether the glass is, for example, 499/1000 empty or 501/1000 full.
     
    Should a glass indeed be charged with the exact qualities of half fullness and half emptiness, then, the next task is to ensure the bottom half's mass consists of no materials but water, such that the argument may proceed. Dust and air bubbles are likely causes of foiled measurements. A glass to be presented at a debate of half emptiness or half fullness should always be filled in an area free of contaminants to avoid the troubles of purification post-filling.
     
    Another point of concern is the area of debate. My readers should know that atmospheric pressure causes the compression of fluids such as water. One would think to avoid such pressure, the debate should be held in a vacuum; however, in such conditions, the water would vaporize; even Mars's atmospheric pressure cannot keep water in its liquid state. As the debate is not about whether the glass is half filled with gas, debaters must then set reasonable limits for the atmospheric pressure of the locale of debate.
     
    The aforementioned concerns regarding debate location, of course, raise the question of whether there is such a thing as a glass being exactly half full or half empty, or whether a glass may only be of a certain state of fullness relative to other states. This blog entry shall not enter such philosophical territory, but the reader should find worthwhile the pursuit of an answer to that question.
     
    Thus concludes my thoughts on an issue I believe to be far more complex than most people admit or realize.
  25. Legolover-361

    The 2nd Law

    By Legolover-361,

    This'll be a polarizing entry, but I am obligated to post it:
     
    Of Muse's latest album, The 2nd Law, the worst parts are the album cover, the electropop "Follow Me", and the curse word in "Panic Station". Otherwise, 'tis a great album.
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