While listening to the music, something kept nagging at me: where have I heard those instruments? what does it remind me of? I figured it out!

Super Castlevania 4, which has some of the best music evAr.

SC4 has nothing but synth music, jazz based and with heavy bass being the occasional lead instrument. No wonder Braid keeps replaying in my mind; SC4 was the first game whose soundtrack (in the options screen no less) made me hook the SNES to my moms huge Yamaha speakers. I learned a lot about line input/output and cables because of that BTW.

I maybe wrong, get a rom, download the VC game from the Wii, or listen to the spirit of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSBkbCCrGL4 vs long past gone from Braid

more later…

Purum

I was surprised to find out that Chakotay is vegetarian… interesting! Most of the food they use is replicated, which i guess it makes it like a soy based unturkey pork chop, or vegan cheese. Would the knowledge of eating replicated food prevent him from indulging in replicated “meats”? Or would it only be an issue when cooking with raw materials? What if the raw materials were replicated and then cooked?

Not being vegetarian, I think that there would be no issue. It’s reprocessed matter that comes from recycled matter. For arguments sake, maybe I wouldn’t as it would prevent me from being tempted or dubious about its preparation. One thing is for sure though, there wouldn’t be many that would complain about the treatment of the animals, since there wouldn’t be any poor treatment, and it would also not be about the food taste… I’m guessing it all tastes bland anyhow.

Purum

Yes, I’m a rockband drummer. I’m 2 songs away from finishing all rockband 1 songs in hard, many still on Rockband 2. And although i know i can play some songs on expert mode, i kinda refuse to play at that level until i can beat “run through the hills”; Para-diddles FTW someday soon. Thanks to Taylor Popkins, Awesome Drummer!

I’ve always brown nosed drummers, much to my chagrin. The theory goes that since they hold so much of the rockness of a band, my rockness is perpetually paused until I can say, “HE/SHE’s MY Drummer!!!”  in a jealous fit of rage, warning all around to throw down a glove and prepare to duel. It’s admirable how some band members have that comradery; they show they belong to one another. Lennon said nasty things about McCartney, but he didn’t let anyone else dump on him, or anyone else in his band.

However, Drummers are a bit “aware” of their volume (spatially). Think about it, they have the largest instrument, the loudest instrument, the instrument that rarely fails on them: how many drummers play (on purpose) with broken cymbals, shitty sticks, jerry-rigged/squeaky kick pedals. Electricity is also unneeded, where as anything but a percussive instrument (pianos included), requires juice. They’re the least portable, but drummers who mind carrying their own instruments are few… AND I’VE OFFERED TO HELP THEM CARRY THEIR STUFF! have i tried! They require the best neighbors and the least micro managing parents. Yeah, there are a whole bunch of drummer jokes, but everyone knows too, no beats, no show.

Also, it seems that lots of drummers are the heads of their group. They seem to be the most entrepreneurial. maybe they need to make sure money’s coming in so they can afford the sticks

I cant wait for the legion of drummers the rock band game will unleash upon the world. This will make, indubitably, drummers easier to find and cheaper to maintain.

Anyways, I’m much better playing the drums now. The way that I’ve proven it is to record with the rockband drum kit onto MIDI for my own music. The example is on the downloads page, here’s the quick download link… oh BTW, all songs are demos until they make me money or get us a gig.

Now i need rockband guitarists.

Maybe it’s not the cutest squirrel there is. Maybe there is one with bigger eyes, flufier tail, etc. but this one found its way to our front porch. The going theory is that a stray cat dragged it to our steps as a ritualistic offering to us, “the Gods of the front and back yard, owners of the lawnmower” hominids. The picture was taken about 3 days after we found it and it seems to be (as of this writing) 4-5 weeks old. Just today, we introduced it to pealed nuts bought at the grocery store, though we should be introducing it to the nuts that are available outside where it will hopefully live its life like a normal squirrel.

It seems that when in their baby phase, all animals (as shown expertly in Spore and Viva Piñata) have their “cuteness” ratio as possibly suggested by a baby golden mask (from the golden ratio from phi)… but even more cute is the little details/animations that show us HOW it is they are cute… Panchi tried holding onto a walnut today, roleplaying as if it were older, and i toppled forward because it was to heavy for it… All I know is that this will serve a purpose someday, though i’m not sure what or how I will make that happen or when…

This has to do with tangible rewards! I go turn the xbox on, and try to load any other game, and i look to the side and see the drum kit staring at me telling me, why play any other game that doesn’t really teach you anything? what, you’re going to learn that new “combo”? OOOh, wow, what an impressive skill? learn to play the drums dude, that will make people LOOOOVE you! and i load rockband on and remember that it’s late and i cant really play that loudly, i swear, the pads sound like buckets sometimes. I first saw a bucket drummer in Boston ‘99 near the Orpheum theatre for Chris Cornell’s tour.

Anyways, i turn it off and do something else, something else not being finishing the pile of games that are yet to be half way through completion. I’ve always been slow to finish games; you know, beat the first level, level two a month later… KOTOR took me 2 years. I was surprised I remembered most of the story each time i played it.

Portal did keep my attention; though, and I think it’s because i feel I’m learning something i cant explore somewhere else. It’s as if the games that get played the most are the ones that facilitate something i have a hard time doing without the game. Perhaps the same could be said about those that play many military driven stories, they cant go in the military (for whatever reason: principle, disability, occupation, age) but the games they most enjoy facilitate that.

The drums facilitate my having to purchase one. I hope the next version comes with cymbals and a windows game to MIDI driver.

I just read over at kotaku.com, ” @RubyMars: haha! Lose 10 pounds to unlock achievement!” and tell me, tell me if you don’t think that that would be brilliant! OMG, imagine it (also add anything else the xbox has different):

• achievement whores would first gain the weight so the would then be able to lose it
• show a time lapse photo capture animation of your different weigh ins
• people would be able to see you while you work out
• step aerobics instructors would probably teach through there
• The Gamerchics would {*encourage*} each other
• the board would have to incorporate a foot massager
• you’d exercise to music ripped into your hard drive
• feature the characters from fusion frenzy :-E
• or work along with the master chief and sell to every damn halo fanboi

Ideas?

PS i have some other uses for the Zune… later.

Purum