All Things Random

A Change of Blogs

2010-10-22T20:14:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to let everybody know that I've decided to go back to using my wordpress blog. Blogger is a great site, but I think wordpress has more to offer. They have a great community, and more features. They've also made some improvements for screen reader accessibility. I'm not saying they've fixed all their issues, but it's a step in the right direction.

you can find my wordpress here.

to those of you who have subscribed to my blog, sorry for the hassle. I hope you follow me on wordpress. As of tonight, I don't plan to update this blog. However, I'm going to leave it up for the time being. That way if someone decides to check out this blog, they'll know where I've gone.

Anyway, thank you for reading.

What is the point of clean music?

2010-10-12T23:42:00.000-04:00

Recently I've been thinking of all the music I used to listen to when I was a kid. When I was about twelve years old, I started listening to bands like Marilyn Manson, Rammstein, etc etc.

As I'm sure most of you know, this music isn't considered to be kid friendly. So I was surprised when my friends' parents were buying them the "clean" versions of their albums. this means that all the songs with cuss words are bleeped out, or have slightly less offensive lyrics.

I understand that you might not want your child listening to a certain band or artist. That being said, if the music is so terrible for your child to hear, why would you bother with buying them the clean versions of the music in the first place? Children are not idiots, and they're going to know what is really being said. And if they don't, I guarantee you they have a friend who does. Any parent who thinks otherwise, probably doesn't have much faith in their child's intelligence.

Ask yourself this. Would you take your nine year old to see the movie Saw as long as there wasn't any blood? Keep in mind, they're still going to see terrible acts of violence. In my opinion, that's pretty much what a "clean" version of an album is. All the really dirty words are gone, but the concepts of the music are still the same.

I'm not saying that parents shouldn't pay attention to what their children are listening to, but I do think they need to make up their minds. Either your child is mature enough to listen to a certain band, or they're not.

Goodbye Summer

2010-09-23T22:11:00.002-04:00

As I'm sure most of you know, the last day of summer was yesterday. I can't believe how fast it went. It feels like only a month has passed since I put away all the winter clothes. There's still time left to enjoy the warm weather, but already I'm noticing a difference. The humidity is nowhere near as bad as it was. this makes exercising a hell of a lot easier. Also, there aren't as many mosquitos trying to drain me of every last drop of blood. It'll be nice when i can go outside without having to wear bug spray.

Speaking of cooler weather, I'm sure some of you are wondering 'so does it really get cold in Florida?' if that's the case, then I suggest you read this post.

Anyway, I had a great summer; and i hope the rest of you did as well. :)

My Thoughts on Carver

2010-09-17T22:46:00.000-04:00

My last post was about how some B movies are actually pretty good. Well, Carver definitely isn't one of those movies.

This movie is about five people who go camping, and are never heard from again. Like all horror movies these days, it's based on a true story. yeah, right.

The acting wasn't great, although it could've been a lot worse. From the start of the movie it's pretty easy to tell what's going to happen. The movie lacks originality, but I suppose if you just wanna watch people get sliced up for two hours; this movie may be for you.

Click here and see for yourself.

B Movies

2010-08-30T15:15:00.000-04:00

There are different types of horror movies. The first being classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, or Hellraiser.

The second are the really bad horror movies such as the remake of Prom Night, or Jennifer's Body. If that last one doesn't sound like a bad porno flick, I don't know what does, but I digress.

The third type of horror movie is commonly known as a B movie. These types of movies are usually low budget films that are released straight to dvd. Some manage to make it into theaters, only to be overshadowed by their famous Hollywood counterparts.

There's a very good reason for why most of these movies don't do very well. The acting isn't exactly academy award winning, and the plots are either totally predictable; or so farfetched they can only be the product of an acid trip gone horribly wrong. That being said, not all B movies are bad. Some of them are worth watching, even if they are a little campy. Here's some trailers for some of the better B movies I've watched.

American Zombie

Session 9

The Last Broadcast

Music Monday: Juno Reactor

2010-08-02T22:52:00.000-04:00

Juno Reactor is an electronic band from the UK. They are known for blending different genres; mainly ambient, trance, and tribal.

Their music has been featured in various movies such as Mortal Kombat (one and two), Once Upon a Time in Mexico, the Matrix series, and the animated spin off Animatrix. Their song Guardian Angel was used in the opening credits of the anime Texhnolyze.

Check out some of their other songs:
Hotaka

Angels and Men

God is God

Shark

Conga Fury

A Rundown of this Week

2010-08-01T00:15:00.000-04:00

If you've been following my tweets, then you know that I've had family in town. At first it was just two of my cousins, but then last night, my aunt, uncle, and my other two cousins decided to visit. Needless to say, This is one crowded house. I'm definitely looking forward to some peace and quiet.

In other news, my friend Kevin aka Rad Bear asked me to record a story that he wrote. I really didn't like how I sounded, and was a bit nervous about sending it. I was tempted to scrap the whole thing and start over. However, he really liked it; so I'm glad. I'll be sure to let you all know when it gets posted.

Now I'm sitting here checking tweets, and trying very hard to stay awake. We were all up late last night, and I think I only got two hours of real sleep. So, I think I'll be calling it a night pretty soon.

Oh I almost forgot! My step-dad had the misfortune of taking my cousins to see the new Twilight movie. He didn't sit through the whole thing, but he did see the last fifteen minutes of it. He said the acting was terrible, and the battle at the end was a total let down.

Music Monday: Akira Yamaoka

2010-07-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

Akira Yamaoka is definitely one of my favorite composers of all time. He's worked on several video games for Konami, but he is mostly known for his work on the Silent Hill series.

He does a great job capturing the atmosphere of the games. the music is dark, sad, and yet very beautiful.

These songs are a must listen:
Promise

You're Not Here

Dance With Night Wind

Remodeling

Scarlet

Never Forgive Me, Never Forget Me

Cold Blood

Note: I realize the entry is two days late. However, Music Wednesday simply doesn't have the same ring to it. :)

No Music Monday For You

2010-07-20T01:49:00.000-04:00

I forgot today was Monday. Well technically it was yesterday, seeing as how it's almost two in the morning. Anyway, I'll post the music monday entry later today. Hopefully I will have had more sleep by then. I think for now I'm just gonna listen to some podcasts until I fall asleep.

By the way, I've noticed that whenever I post entries to my blog, the times of the entries are always three hours off. If I post an entry at 9 p.m, it will say that it was posted at 6 p.m. I've tried messing with the settings, but I can't seem to fix it. To those of you that use blogger, do you have the same issue? If you know of a way to fix it, please let me know.

Music Monday

2010-07-12T19:08:00.001-04:00

I've decided to write a post on what music I'm listening to every monday. These bands might be old, new, well-known, or indie. The genres include, but are not limited to; industrial, rock, electronic, goth, ambient, etc etc.

I haven't been updating this blog very much, and this will be a good way to keep me motivated. If you have any suggestions for any bands you think I might like, please feel free to comment, @ me on twitter, or send me an im.

Over the past few weeks, I've been listening to a band called Painbastard. If you follow me on twitter, than you've probably seen some of my tweets about them. this band has been around since the late 90's, and their first album was released in 2003. Click the previous link to find out more information. Some of my favorite songs are:

The Face of War

Final Day

Eternity I was pleasantly surprised to find some quotes from the movie Hellraiser in this one. :)

Anyway, that's all for today. Hope you enjoy.

Super Number One

2010-07-12T08:27:00.000-04:00

Last week, I got to hang out with Kevin and Andrew on the Super Number One podcast. We talked about the evolution of horror, True Blood, and all things geek. :)

I had a great time on the show, and look forward to doing it again some time soon.

We're Alive: The Zombie Podcast

2010-07-02T17:13:00.000-04:00

As you know, I'm a huge fan of horror, and I love zombies! :) A few days ago, I started listening to an audio drama called We're Alive.

The story is about a group of people trying their best to survive after a zombie outbreak. However, they quickly learn that the zombies won't be the only problem they have to deal with. For more information, click here.

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. I started listening on Tuesday, and finished it a few minutes ago. the next season begins this fall. I can't wait.

Kathryn Blundell Makes a Blunder

2010-06-27T12:33:00.000-04:00

In the Mother and Baby magazine, deputy editor Kathryn Blundell wrote an article about why she decided to formula feed her baby. Needless to say, this article is causing a lot of controversy.

While I understand the point of her article, I think her words may have done more harm than good. Her article seems to have alienated people on both sides of the breast feeding debate.

On one side, there are mothers who are angry because they weren't able to breast feed after giving birth; and had no choice but to give there babies formula. They're worried that they will be judged for something they had no control over. This I can understand, as my mother had this experience after giving birth to me. When the milk wouldn't come, the nurses were less than supportive. As a result, she was left feeling like she was the worst mother in the world.

On the other side, there are mothers who feel that Blundell is putting her own needs before the health of her baby. While I'm sure that was not her intention, she does come off (in my opinion anyway) as being a little selfish. My point is, I think she should have considered her words more carefully before writing this article.

It's Raining Oil

2010-06-23T18:15:00.000-04:00

Oil Rain in Louisiana

With everything going on in the Golf, I hadn't given much thought about the rain. If this continues, it won't just be the wetlands and the ocean we'll have to deal with.

Keep in mind we are in hurricane season. Imagine what would happen if a hurricane brought all that oil into cities and towns.

Mortal Kombat 9 - Gameplay + 3 Fatalities (E3 GS)

2010-06-19T16:19:00.000-04:00

The title pretty much says it all. Check out the video.

Can't wait to play it. :)

Mortal Kombat

2010-06-11T10:59:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, I'm a huge fan of Mortal Kombat. It was the first video game I ever played.

Over the last few years, I've started to lose interest in the series. The last two games (Deception and Armageddon) did not live up to the hype. I'm not saying they weren't playable, but plot wise they were a mess. Especially Armageddon. In that game, Midway decided to include every character that had ever been mentioned in the series, and cram them all into one game. Why they thought this would somehow make things better, I have no idea. All the time spent on these characters would have been better spent fixing gameplay and plot issues.

Of course, we can't forget about MK vs DC. It was a good game overall, but I don't really count it as part of the series. I will say this though. MK vs DC had the best voice acting out of any other MK game.

However, my hope has been renewed after coming across this article which talked about the release of a new MK game; and how it will be returning to it's old roots. I'm not getting my hopes up completely, but I do think the creators are taking a step in the right direction.

click here to watch the official MK trailer

Weird Night

2010-06-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

Last night I had a nightmare. I'm assuming that's what it was, because I really can't remember what happened.

One minute I was asleep, the next I was throwing off the covers in a panic. I don't think I was fully awake at that point. I had this overwhelming sense that something was trying to get me, or that something bad was about to happen.

Anyway, I was out of bed and looking for my shoes before I snapped out of it. It took me a little while to calm down, but once I did; I went right back to sleep. It was very strange. I've had nightmares before, but I've never freaked out like that. Perhaps it's a good thing I can't remember the dream.

Enough With the Time Traveling Bull Shit

2010-05-25T19:56:00.000-04:00

I haven't watched Heroes in quite some time, so I only just found out that NBC was canceling the show. I hate to say it, but I saw this coming; and I think a lot of people did as well.

One of the main reasons I got tired of watching was because of all the time traveling that was going on. It was cool for the first few episodes, but after a while it got old; and I stopped giving a crap. I don't care what happened in japan back in the 1500's. Can we please get Hiro back in the present where he can actually be useful?

So now we have an altered present, and about three or four different versions of the future. Are you confused yet? Yeah that's what I thought. If you absolutely have to show events that take place in the past or future, try showing glimpses. There is no need to dedicate whole episodes to them.

Since Heroes has been canceled, it really doesn't matter at this point. However, I hope that writers and producers will take this into account if they ever make another super-hero based series.

Thumbs Up to the Gator

2010-05-11T22:56:00.001-04:00

Earlier today there was a news report about a guy who almost lost his arm when he was bitten by a gator. He was performing for a show when this happened. In one of the stunts, he jumps on the gator's back. He miss-timed it, and the gator clamped down on his arm.

I'm sorry the guy was bitten, but I have more sympathy for the gator. Why was he being used as this guy's personal trampoline? In my opinion, this guy was asking for it. How would you feel if somebody was jumping on top of you? Would you just lye there and do nothing? I think not.

This brings me to the point of this post. I'm disgusted by the fact that animals are kept in cages and forced to perform. Have we learned nothing from the whale at Sea World? Is turning a profit so important that it's okay to turn animals into sideshow freaks?

The media isn't helping matters either. They always act like it's shocking when things like this happen. I don't know why; it's not as though you're dealing with a domesticated house cat. These are dangerous predators that belong in the wild. What is it going to take for people to start understanding that?

Candy for The Stranger

2010-05-10T17:39:00.000-04:00

Last night, I actually wrote a poem for the first time in five years. It's not the best thing ever written, but it's better than some of my other poems. Hope you like it.

We have a new neighbor and his name is Jack. He always waves, but we never wave back.

When I ask why, mommy and daddy say; "He's a sex offender, so stay away."

I make caramel treats. They're oh so sweet.

I'll take them to Jack. He'll think I'm sweet.

He doesn't know me well, but that's alright. He won't mind, once he's had a bite.

they're so good, so he eats them all. Now he's in pain. He's starting to fall.

Poor poor Jack. He didn't think he was in danger.

You should never, ever take candy from a stranger.

So Much For Spring

2010-05-03T16:45:00.000-04:00

I know that summer officially begins on June 21st. However, if you live in Florida then you know that summer begins the day you have to turn on the AC for the first time. The heat and humidity are so bad that it feels like it's July or August. This is pretty unusual for may weather.

We're supposed to get some rain this week, so perhaps that will cool things down a bit. I just hope this weekend is sunny. I definitely need to get rid of this ghostly complexion I've got going on. Hopefully I won't burn myself in the process.

Internet Radio Stations

2010-04-27T11:42:00.000-04:00

Over the past few years, I've seen internet radio stations come and go. Some were actually pretty good, and others were just average.

One station in particular has had me hooked for a little over a year now. SomaFm offers a variety of music to listen to. many radio stations do this of course, but rather than playing different music at different times of the day; SomaFm allows you to choose which stations you listen to. Not really in the mood for dark industrial? Then unwind with some ambient music instead. There's something for everyone at SomaFm, so be sure to check them out.

Another station I'm a fan of is DigitalGunFire.com This site is primarily an industrial station. If you're fan of bands like Zeromancer, Flesh Field, an Zombie girl then you've definitely come to the right place. According to the site, they've been around since 2000. That's pretty damn good, especially since most of the internet radio stations I've listened to didn't make it past one year.

Know of any other good internet radio stations? Feel free to link to them in the comments.

Karnivool

2010-04-21T17:53:00.001-04:00

A couple days ago, I came across a band called Karnivool. They were featured on an episode of the MothPod.

They sort of remind me of bands like Index Case and Trapt. Below are a few songs that I really like. Feel free to check them out.

Themata

Simple Boy

New Day

Facebook Study

2010-04-17T15:54:00.000-04:00

Facebook released a study that says using facebook makes people feel better. The study was conducted by none other than the facebook data team. So of course that's what they're going to publish. Do you honestly think they would release a study saying that facebook made people more depressed? They have about 400'000'000 users, and they obviously want more.

Don't freak out on me. This is in no way a facebook bash. I just think facebook is going a bit over the top with this. Yes, I find it easier to keep in contact with family and friends. However, I am not overjoyed when I log on to the site. If anything, I'm annoyed when I look through my newsfeed and realize how overly dramatic some of my family and friends can be. I wonder how annoyed people are when they log out of facebook. I bet we'll never see a study about that.

Rip Peter Steel

2010-04-16T10:07:00.001-04:00

peter Steel, the lead vocalist for Type O Negative died Wednesday night. type O negative was one of my favorite bands, so of course I was shocked to hear the news. It's hard to believe it, but I've been a fan of that band for almost fifteen years. Time really flies.

Anyway, here are a few of my favorite songs. Enjoy.

Wolf Moon

Everyone I Love is Dead

Blood and Fire

Girls Night

2010-04-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

Last night was girl's night. We didn't do anything exciting. We just drank and gossiped. I wish we could've gone out, but nobody else was in the mood for clubbing. Maybe next time.

As for today, I'm just going to relax. If the water was a little warmer, I'd get in the pool. Hopefully it will warm up in the next few weeks or so.

Oh before I forget, Mario (my step-dad) went fishing with some of his friends. He ended up catching a gator. Apparently he has some nice pics, so I'll try to get those posted. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about the pics from easter. I'll try to get those up as well.

New iPhone Os

2010-04-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

I'm really excited about the new Iphone os. They're finally adding multi-tasking, and it's about time. They're also adding the iBooks app to the iPhone. Honestly, iBooks was the only reason I was considering getting an iPad in the first place.

Don't get me wrong. I'm sure the iPad is great. It just doesn't make any sense for me to get one at this point. Pretty soon I'll be able to do the same things on my iPhone that can be done on the iPad.

While we're on the subject of the iPhone, I really wish people would stop bitching about the mobile adds. Yes they can be annoying, but it's not like we haven't been dealing with them for the past decade. What? You've never heard of google?

2010-04-07T22:50:00.001-04:00

This post contains spoilers for V. You have been warned.

I just finished watching the latest episode of V. It's a great show, but Erica tends to get on my nerves. She acts more dramatic than is necessary. Also, what was with Georgie going up to the ship? Aside from being apprehended and tortured, he did nothing to help the fifth column.

Some time this week, I'm going to go to the Apple store and check out the iPad. From what I've heard so far, it seems really cool. That being said, I don't think I be buying one anytime soon. I just don't think it's worth the money, considering the fact that I already have an iPhone. Even so, I wanna check it out before I dismiss it completely..

Speaking of the iPad, you should check out this article. It's pretty funny. Ten signs that the iPad has made you the most annoying person ever.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T21:42:00.000-04:00

On the off chance that anyone is reading this, I hope you had a happy Easter. :)

Anyway, mine was pretty good. We had planned on having a few people over, but decided not to seeing as how my mom's been sick for the past couple of days. We ended up just hanging out, watching tv, and eating chocolate eggs of course. I also got some great pics of the dogs killing their toy bunnies in the backyard. I'll try to get those uploaded some time tomorrow.

Evil Thy Name is Glenn Miller

2010-03-31T20:51:00.000-04:00

The end of days really are upon us if people like Glenn Miller can make it into the senate. Click the link and listen to some of his campaign adds. To say they are repulsive is an understatement.

I keep hearing about all these religious militias that are preparing for the coming of the anti-Christ. Assuming the devil exists, I'm pretty sure you can find him in the company of people like Glenn Miller.

New Technology Could Lower Prices For Braille Displays

2010-03-31T15:49:00.000-04:00

Hydraulics Could Enable Fullscreen Braille Displays

This seems very promising, seeing as how some of these braille displays can cost up to $8000. It's cheaper to just buy an actual computer and use a screenreader like Jaws, Window Eyes, voiceover, etc etc.

The reason these products are so expensive is because there's not a lot of demand for them. This means that there's not a lot of competition, and companies don't feel the need to lower prices. Hopefully this new technology will be able to change that.

Facebook Changes

2010-03-28T22:45:00.000-04:00

It looks like facebook is at it again. According to this post, facebook wants to send your profile information and friend lists to third party companies. The reason behind this is to "make way for exciting new features."

I think it's great that facebook wants to add new features to their site. However, I don't understand how sharing our information is going to help this process. Of course users will have the ability to opt out if they want to. Does this mean we'll have to miss out on these new features simply because we don't want to share our profile information with companies we know nothing about? That hardly seems fare.

Out of all the social networking sites out there, facebook is the most popular. That being said, if facebook can't guaranty their users' privacy, anyone of these other sites would be happy to take their place. Facebook would do well to keep this in mind before making these changes.

Lazy Saturday

2010-03-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

Today was boring. I woke up pretty early, so I decided to stay in bed and listen to my ipod. That's when I discovered my headphones were broken. You know the part where the plug and the cord connect? Well, the cord is ready to break off completely. Fortunately, I'll be able to buy a new pair tomorrow.

I'm also trying to get back into writing. I've got a pretty good idea for a short story, and have already written a few paragraphs. I couldn't concentrate long enough to add anymore, but I did do some editing. I guess some work is better than no work at all.

Other than that, I really didn't do much. I mostly listened to podcasts, music, and chatted online. All in all it was a pretty good day.

florida Is Just Like your State

2010-03-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

For some reason, people see Florida as some sort of fantasy land. They're always surprised to hear that Florida is just like every other state.

For instance, people are always shocked when they find out that it gets cold here in the winter. That's right. Even us Floridians have to deal with winter. It doesn't get as cold as it would up north, but it's cold nonetheless. It also depends on where in Florida you live. If you live in South Florida, it's not such a big deal. If you live in North Florida like I do, then you know it can get down into the 20's. While we're on the subject of weather, I should probably mention that it rains here as well. Those palm trees and orange groves have to grow somehow, right?

Another topic of conversation is the ever present alligator. From time to time, someone will find an alligator in their pool. Even so, this is not something that happens everyday. Honestly, people act like there are packs of gators stalking the streets of Florida.

the thing that really got me was when someone asked, "So, do you guys have sidewalks in Florida?" At first I thought it was a joke, but this person was dead serious. Of course there are sidewalks. This is not an amazon rainforest. I really wish more people would use common sense.

Stay Home

2010-03-24T21:28:00.000-04:00

Earlier today, my mom and I went to Walmart. while we were there, we couldn't help but notice that one of the employees was sick. It was pretty hard to miss, seeing as how the guy's cough was so bad it sounded like he might drop dead at any minute.

We tried our best to avoid him like the plague he was so obviously infected with, but we always seemed to cross paths. Seriously, if you're that sick just stay home. Or better yet, go to the hospital. Surely you know there's a chance of passing that nasty crap on to someone else. It's not like you work in a cubical where you don't really have to deal with anybody.

So to all the sick people out there, just take a day off. If you absolutely have to be at work, there's this magical liquid called cough syrup. Try it some time. It does wonders.

First Entry

2010-03-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

I guess the title of the post speaks for itself. I was using wordpress for blogging, but I decided to switch to blogger. Wordpress is a great site, but I can get all the same features with blogger and it's easier to manage.

Anyway, I need to finish setting everything up. I'll write again later today.