Armac's Shameless Plugging 4 (Track 7-8)

Sorry for not posting last week! Finals are a bitch.

Anyways, double post today.

-Armac

Track Seven - Armac

This song is what Armac, the hero of the story, tells The Hunters to get them on his side. It's really hard to gather that context-wise, because this chunk of the story is very lacking with the exposition. So, Armac explains that he was one of the Shadowmongers, and now he's the shit. He was a badguy but realized that he was, and stopped. He is asking the Hunters to do the same.

This song is one of the ones with a 'theme' associated with it. The simple guitar riff at the beginning. In this original recording it only happens once. Then chords, then theme. It doesn't sound bad at all yet. :D Chords again, still not bad. Cool, I don't dislike this song. FUCK. Singing comes in. I sound like a 5 year old. And not a good singer of a 5yo. I come in early "they call me" sigh. This song got kinda boring. Meh. The singing doesn't help at all. Yeesh. Its almost atonal. "I will be there..." part is really idiotic. I hate it, and then the next part is too high and stupid. Gross. Repeating first verse, I guess thats cool? Ooh, now I'm getting aggressive. Not really. Nice fade back to the theme though. Musically, not bad. Singing wise, deplorable.

New version slows the theme. And extends it and adds bassiness. The transition to chords is less stilted, as there is more than one guitar going on at once. The first voxless playthrough of the verse isn't bad. Singing is much better. Its understandable and more powerful. It sounds kinda like it was run through an old radio or something though. I kinda like that effect. Whatev. Gets loud at the chorus, good show. Extra chord in between chorus and verse, probably an unnecessary change, but whatever. Loudness stays through second verse and chorus, then break comes in. Its a lot more thought out than the original one, the theme recurs here, cool. Play it over verse chords? Woa. Then Verse 3. The second half of Verse 2 and 3 are switched. Also: double vocals at the end. *Shrugs* Ending lacks theme, but is not bad.

Track Eight - Kill Them!!

This song is sung mostly by Eval, spurring his men to kill their heroes. He threatens them and forces them to attack the Hunters and Armac. They succeed, and the someone says to Eval "you killed the Hunters, I'd like to see you dead" and then "Eval triumphant..." Then it goes back to the chorus. The music for this song was originally gonna go with a song about The Hunters, and the lyrics are modifications of a set of lyrics for a Hunters song. The original "The Hunters are here, they'll kill them all off" becomes "The Hunters are here, get them quick they'll disappear".

The original doesn't start with The Hunters theme, as it should. As I recall the quality of the recording was lacking, so I cut it. The part where the guitar is supposed to cut out, and then a descending bass happens is not in this version. The vocals are weird, because I was trying to sound like the lead singer of Social Distortion. Lol. The electric guitar suits the song, the vocals sound like a 5 year old trying to sound like an adult. After the 2nd chorus the guitar falls apart. And then I whisper for some reason. Sounds stupid. Then you can barely hear my high-pitched voice, then I 'aaahhhh' shittily. Then guitar falls apart again, and a new riff happens, and i sound little again. Sigh. Yeesh that is not a note. "We relied on them" has no rhyme for some reason. Whatever. Then the main riff happens again. I kinda like the squeal on the guitar here. Messy transition back to the chorus, and I don't even come in with the vocals immediately. Lame. The ending is lame too. And I whisper again for no reason. But the guitar crash sounds kinda cool.

The new versions starts with The Hunters Theme, as it should. Faux-bass comes in, nice touch. Lol. I don't think I've done the chord version of the Theme before. I like it. I also didn't try to transition directly, as i have in the past. I like the abrupt start. The descending bassline is here and better. The vocals are more audible and appropriately loud. And they're totally understandable. :D The bass is kinda messy in the background, but I like it. It adds to the fact that this is a battle, its hectic. The first and second verse are kinda the same. Whatever. I kinda changed up the strumming patterns. I like them. I say listen to me "now" instead of "quick" because i never liked that i said "quick" so many times. Same with "finished" instead of "works done?" I changed the break here a bit. Same with the next part. This part kinda comes out of no where, but that was like that in original anyway. This break is a lot less infant-sounding. So thats good. I like the build back to the main riff. One final double-chorus. Second half of this double chorus has different vocals. The theme comes back at the end, and I like the final bass note.

Uh-oh... I Made a Whoopsy!

I haven't been posting or tweeting!

Uh-oh... I made a whoopsy and broke my promise. Well in my defense I have fucking finals and I've been busy as all fuck.

Don't worry, after Thursday I'll make it up to you guys, or something. I'll be on break so I'll probably be able to post like-every-single-day-ay-ay-ay-ay. The janitor, will not want to clean up, all the PISS ON THE FLOOR... anyways...

(KUDOS if you got that reference)

ttyl babe,
HOWIE! :D

Ooooh.... blue sky at Murky Benz World!

.
A flurry of txts and e-mails, a quick confirmation that a drive to Brooklands for the Piston Heads 'Sunday Service' might do nicely to clear the cobwebs, and it was so.

More than 700 cars turned up to bathe in the Benz patronage.The three pointed star turned slowly atop the altar of the new car showroom, sorry, 'Mercedes Benz World', beaming it's corporate icon across the world's home of motor sport.The heritage 'sheds' of the Brooklands Museum shone less brightly in the shadow of their new neighbour, despite the clear crisp winter sunshine. A Concorde tail fin flag waved as a reminder of true glory from behind a green corrugated hangar, now silent to the V8's of Daimler Benz joy rides and demonstration runs. A cuckoo with a different voice.

That being so, the facilities are superb. The hotch-potch of super, and less than super cars were martialed into three immaculate rows, by which the subliminal game of trumps is more easily completed.The displays in the glass and steel showcase building are pretty impressive as immaculate examples of flow management and brand efficiency with an ever present 'go on, you know you want one' sub text.Tempted by all the sweets on display, look carefully for the modern day child catcher in a suit with an earpiece. He can smell your interest and he's more than likely already got your e-profile in his net.

The exploded 3d representation of this year's F1 car with all 3600 of it's components suspended from the ceiling by wires was truly impressive. Not sure how they'll dust all those bits so as to maintain the sterility of the curators demands.

Meanwhile: in the visitor display line, there was extreme stuff: 

Expensive stuff:

Old classy stuff: 

...and unfortunate stuff:

Nice to be out in public again, even if my attempts at interaction were less than eagerly received:

PS: Ian H's car looked mighty shiny, he's even been polishing his carbon nose cone. Snigger.

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Redefining America

The following is somewhat rant-like in nature. Forgive me, I tried to get my point across as clearly as possible. I encourage discussion below, but don't expect it. Share this and forward this with friends if you agree or like it. Thank you for reading.

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Hello readers, I hope your week was good, mine wasn't.

For years people, American and foreign, have talked about how the United States is in a flat-out, pedal to the metal, flaming, nosedive that will likely end in the crash landing of the century. A few days ago I read that analysts agreed the day of reckoning would probably be sometime between years 2030 and 2050.

I think the collapse of the United States as we know it will be much sooner than those estimates.

There are three things going on in this country that are directly attributed to the suicidal trajectory our nation is on, and they have only been getting worse with time. They are all somewhat intertwined and equally dangerous.

1. Censorship and the infinite amount of little steps toward a society where civil rights are confused with privileges, and therefore easily cast aside.
   
   
2. The growing wealth gap between the richest and the poorest Americans, coinciding with the collapse of the once prominent middle class.
   
   
3. A politics-first, tyrannic government system where it increasingly and scarily feels like having two political parties was actually outlined in the Constitution itself, and where the parties and government represent the people less and less.
   
   

All of these problems are only growing and it's becoming ever more apparent to the moderate, typical, American that they are powerless to change anything. I know I sometimes feel this way, I know my father and mother feel this way, I know my friends feel this way. It's us feeling the tyranny inherent in both sides of the coin.

People are knowingly forced to simply "choose between the lesser of two evils."

Why are we settling for this? Because it's all that's given to us? I don't like that answer; you shouldn't either.

The extremes on both sides have brainwashed us into a bipolar society, myself included. We fight to defend a group we don't fully appreciate or agree with. I have found that some people even vote for and with the party that they don't even truly believe in. They've been raised from birth to be a certain way; even if, realistically speaking, they would act oppositely. There are no longer civil discussions or debates because there's a feeling in the air that it has to be all or nothing.

The Rally to Restore Sanity was about this. It was an unprecedentedly large gathering of Americans from all across the country. I even know a friend who came all the way from here in Sacramento to see the rally. This is the middle of America, the roots.

I fear that the rally was passed off and looked over for most people, dismissing it. At least that's what the news networks signaled. Looking back on the rally though, a main purpose of it was to not rely on the likes of MSNBC, CNN, and FOX. None of us really want to, do we? We are more than capable of deciding for ourselves based off of legitimate evidence; so shouldn't that be ourright?

I think it is our right, and it feels like we're starting to realize that again.

As you all know from a post I did earlier this week, I am no longer an advocate or proponent of President Obama. In fact, come 2012 I will be pushing for him to be primaried out by the Democrats. Simply put he isn't what this country needs right now. But that does not make what he said any less true.

Judging from the reactions I've seen on television, on the internet, and throughout people in life, I think it's fair to say that many people who so vehemently supported Obama feel somewhat betrayed and hopeless. I've seen pictures, done by liberals, of Obama with a "Yes we could've." on the bottom in stead of a "Yes we can!" People feel as though change isn't happening, and if it is, it's for the worst.

Even I shared these sentiments, as you all likely know.

However, I took a step back and had a realization or revelation of sorts. Perhaps Obama was exactly what we needed. He stood before us and convinced us, without a doubt, of the one inherent truths of our great democracy.

Yes, we can have hope. Because we have the power to change things.

The heart of America has been stepped on long enough, and everything that is happening now is all a reaction to it. At times we forget that we are the most powerful people in the country. Yes big corporations may buy out politicians, and we have no say in it; but they heavily rely on one thing, our own lack of knowledge about our own powers.

Our constitution, by far the greatest on Earth, defends us.

If we amass, as we have begun to, we can do things that can put all the powers that be to rest. I have read memos, letters, and speeches amongst politicians and corporate heads detailing and affirming their fear. They've been winning this fight though. They win because they are in control. They are in control because of a simple fact of our society, information is hard to come by.

These days information is becoming more accessible and more easy to spread, thank you internet. Because of this, we're seeing people organize faster than ever before and on much larger scales. People are finding information and becoming more informed. As a reaction, the people in power seem to have made it their goal to stop the dissemination of info.

By now many of you may tune out on the grounds that this sounds like conspiracy talk, but I fear that it's very real and I see no reason why it wouldn't be. Whoever the top of the pyramid may be, whether the corporations, banks, political parties, or shadow government straight out of a sci-fi action thriller novel; if it wants to stay alive, it has to keep us ignorant. It's finding this more and more difficult.

Our news sources no longer bring forth evidence, but spawn stories and media out of nowhere, expecting us to their word. Our news has become something of a frightening nature; a system of opinions in stead of facts. Networks such as MSNBC, FOX, and CNN give biased opinions on a regular basis; and they spin it as factual news.

America has a history of trusting its news networks. Since the beginning they have been championed as the truth-bringers. I fear they have betrayed this inherent trust we give them in the name of money and power. Don't get me wrong, opinion has a place in journalism. But when differing political opinions also bring about differing facts, there is some sort of problem.

"What does all this have to do with 'Yes we can'?"

It has everything to do with it. We have a tool like no other in history, this, the internet. Instantaneous and near infinite data sharing. This is ours! As a people on all of Earth we own this thing, this massive web we have created. We can now find the truth and make our own opinions about it. Discussions are easy and common and (when civil) bring about higher truths.

When President Obama told us we could he wasn't lying. We've always had the power but it has been excessively curbed in the name of something else we don't even know. We've been pitted against each other in some of the most inane arguments by the media-news that decides how we should think instead of letting us think for ourselves.

Americans, in fact all people, can and do cooperate. As Jon Stewart so eloquently said, "We do it every damned day." This is so true, and once we gain the information we need realize that we are not all so different. We all have the same core values, we have to because if we weren't we couldn't all be functioning members of the same society.

But we are.

In case some of you didn't know, the War of Information has begun. Whether you like it or not Wikileaks gives you a right that has been curbed, and the United States government, the champion of "free speech, press, and information" is trying its hardest to stop it.

This War spreads beyond the internet. We deserve the information, for everyone and everything. We deserve to be able to make our own decisions. We deserve, from birth, the opportunity for a politically clean slate.

I don't agree with the Tea Party on many issues but they represent the very same thing. They stand up to the convention and power of the establishment. If only information was easily disseminated to them, and these two political parties weren't there to so heavily divide us, so that we cannot even cooperate to function as a nation.

The truth is, they don't have to be and they shouldn't be. We can and should unite and decide what's best for ourselves because either side obviously doesn't know, or doesn't care.

This is our nation.

This is our internet.

We have the right to fight for it, and we have the right to work together.

I plead with you. If you understand, or if you feel the same; if you are one of the middle, the independents, the swing voters, the bulk of this country; if you have any sense of true freedom; I plead that you help in your own way.

Become active in government, whatever your side may be.

Be open to the people around you, listen, and understand.

We are in dire straights, and we need to act in our own best interests now. I don't care how long it takes, or how many times we have to flip from red to blue, it needs to be done. Unless we start making steps now and defend our last bastion of true hope and freedom; we will only become the scum. All of us, few will be saved from the tyranny of money, and the hoarding of information.

Let's work together again. Let's elect a president we can all believe in. We can find it, and it starts at the grass roots.

Seven to Kevin || Red Box

So I don't really know what to post about... I wasted my one valuable mid-week post on Tuesday (I suck so bad). I figured I would attempt to concoct, in a stream of consciousness, a seven degrees of separation thing. I chose something entirely random, something that came to mind earlier about something entirely unrelated. Today's starting point is...

the Red Box!

Yes, I am talking about the vending machines. The ones at Wal-Marts and 7-Elevens. They dispose movies, take movies back, and alongside NetFlix, are systematically ass-raping video rental stores such as Blockbuster.

Uh oh...

I just realized how easy this would be...

Well this won't be fun at all...

Oh well.

Degree 1: Red Boxes dispense movies.

You see where this is going yet?

Degree 2: Kevin Bacon stars in movies.

I WIN! Man I'm good.

Seriously, this turned out so fail that I'm depressed about it, and I just have to leave it up and post it. I don't know how I apparently lacked the function to recognize the ease this would have before I committed to it.

Sorry for the disappointment guys.

At least you can laugh at me and call me a retard for having absolutely no foresight and amazing hindsight.

How about this, you can all send me suggestions for really difficult Kevin Bacon Seven Degrees games. Sometime next week, I will take the hardest and work through it!

Eis gud? Eis gud.

It's All Politics

On February 10, 2007 then-Illinois-Senator Barack Hussein Obama II announces that he will be running for President of the United States in the 2008 election. With conservative President George W. Bush's second term coming to a rocky end much of the nation is ready for a fresh, startand Obama, considered one of the most liberal senators in Washington at the time, seems like a prime candidate.

June 3, 2008, Obama defeats Hillary Clinton in the Democratic National Primaries and becomes the official Democratic Nominee for President. Rallying behind his Hope and Change catchphrases, hundreds of thousands prepare and unite for the upcoming November. If I recall, there is a sense of joy and anticipation in the nation.

The election arrives on November 4, 2008 and Senator Obama becomes President-Elect Obama after winning on an electoral college tidal wave of 365 votes to Senator McCain's 173. The nation is a land of mixed feelings, but mainly excitement. The first black president in United States history is elected to the highest seat in the land. People rejoice and prepare for the impending change that the man they have invested all their hope in has promised.

January 20, 2009, Obama is inaugurated in front of the largest crowd to ever visit the National Mall for any event (somewhere around 1.5 million people) and becomes the 44th President of the United State. National pride seems to soar and every prepares for an all-Democratic, all-change-we-can-believe-in Government. I remember wishing I was able to vote in that election. I remember being excited to be able to help re-elect him in four years time. I am proud of my nation and happy that change is coming.

December 6, 2010 President Obama loses my vote, and the votes of many others. In my opinion, this man can be and should be primaried out of office. He's let us down for the last time.

I can't blame him, he was just naive. I genuinely think he meant to stand up for us, to be the leader of a movement for change. The problem was that he underestimated the power of Washington and overestimated the power of the people.

For the last two years we've had a Congress with a Democratic majority in both houses, and a Democratic President. For the last two years we've watched as nearly 300+ men and women who we put our faith in to take care of us and enact change for the betterment of our country

were trampled on by the Republicans. For the last two years we've seen a decline into complete and utter politics.

No doubt, they got things done, I know... I've been to the website. But they didn't get what we wanted done.

As a nation we put our hearts into this candidate. We defended him and his seeming lack of power for almost two years; but I, for one, am done.

Nothing has changed and if it has, it's only changed for the worse. I've never felt so hopeless before now. Our government doesn't seem to care about us anymore. Our elected leaders, the men and women we send to Congress to run our country. The people we send to maintain this country and keep it good, are not there for that.

The Republican party's behavior over the last two years has been disgusting to me. Never before have there been more filibusters. Their entire purpose is not to get their point across and aid in the reconstruction of this nation, as it should be. From what I have seen and heard straight out their own mouths, their entire goal is to ensure that President Obama is in office for only one term.

I am saddened to say they may have won.

Starting at 12:01AM on January 1, 2011 the Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire. This will increase taxes for all Americans by nearly 5%. In an economic recession this is simply not the right thing to do. Both sides understand this, and wish to extend the cuts. There are just some little problems.

The deficit, debt, and the richest 2% of Americans.

Simply put, the wealthiest 2% of Americans have a tax break of, on average, $100,000. Meanwhile middle and lower class Americans have a tax break of something like $2000-$5000.

Letting the tax-cut extend is like refusing to fix a badly bleeding wound. On that same metaphor, overdoing it can easily lead to an immobile economy, one that starts to decline again.

It's a tough decision, tax-cuts give a much needed tax-break to those middle and lower class people who put money back into the economy and stimulate it, but it costs so much. If you want to know how much it costs, here is a quick statistic.

The top 2% have about 25% of the wealth in the nation. If they continue to have tax cuts then it will cost 4 Trillion Dollars over the course of 10 years. Along those thought lines it's pretty easy to see that ending all tax-cuts would be a massive step towards fixing this country's debt and deficit (the main thing Republicans want to have fixed). However, as I stated earlier, we can't do that because of the state of the economy. Taking $2000 from a lower-middle class worker is extremely detrimental.

After looking up some other statistics, you find out of all of the income-increases for the past 20 years (since Reagan and his trickle-down ideology started) 80% has gone to the top 1% of America in terms of wealth.

In theory, this should have made jobs. But all over the nation we see jobs disappearing, they have been for 20 years, just look at our car manufacturing.

The theory works on paper, but in reality there is one problem, one fault, one part of the equation that fucks it all up... GREED.

Simply put, a millionaire or billionaire is not going to spend that extra $100,000, or $300,000. If they do spend it, it's not going to be on creating new jobs for us lower class folks who are suffering. It's cheaper to outsource, plain and simple.

So you would think that letting those tax-cuts expire for the top 2% would, overall, be a good thing, because it is. The Republicans don't think so... they let unemployment benefits for the poorest Americans expire because "it costs too much" while simultaneously waving the banner for a greedy minority in America who will cost us a ridiculous amount, and to no avail.

The Republicans filibustered a plan to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the lower and middle class while letting them expire for the wealthiest 2% of Americans. As they have been doing for this entire 111th Congress. In fact they said that they refuse to vote on anything else until they resolve the issue (as they turn around and stall it).

Democrats, Obama, had a chance to call their bluff, and for a moment, just for a moment, I had hope that they would. Republicans would never let all Bush-era tax cuts end for everybody. Even House Minority Leader John Boehner said, himself, he would vote with the Democrats if he had to.

The House passed a bill. It went to the Senate, where it was filibustered. Democrats didn't have the votes to break it.

That would have been fine, it would have been amazing because then they could have pushed the Republicans to the very edge and forced them to either take blame for raising everyone's taxes or help out.

Monday, December 6, 2010, Obama throws in the towel. Our last chance, the lame duck congress with two Democratic houses. He caves. He has let me down. He has let America down.

I don't know the interests of the Senators, but it isn't us. I don't know who the Representatives care about, but it isn't our country. I don't know what Obama is fighting for, but it isn't me, or you.

It's all politics.

Democrats step on us, so we vote Republican. Republicans step on us, so we vote Democrat. It's no longer about the well being of our country, it's about whether Washington D.C. is Red or Blue.

There are two Senators who are Independent. One of them, Senator Bernie Sanders speaks for us. The people, the majority. He speaks for the poor, and the shrinking middle class. He isn't a politician, he is a Senator. He made a great speech before this bill was turned down. I want you all to listen. This is a man who is in Washington for us, not some politics, or some money.

Next election, we're going to elect a Republican. After that, a Democrat, and then a Republican. But I have faith that one day we will turn our backs on these monsters that are controlling us, and elect someone like this man.

Until then...

It's all politics.

Poetry Monday | Another Old One

We Lie Dieing On the Battlefield
(Yet the Cavalry Never Arrives)

We lie dieing on the battlefield
Yet the Cavalry never arrives.
One would assume that measures,
(as rare as they normally may be)
Would be deliberately taken,
To assure the survival of our Cavalry.

The hills are now immortal forts,
The smoking plains, so deep, entrenched,

The valleys run thick with Europe's blood,

The battle is lost, as God can see.

Yet, unknown to the men of this war,

Are the whereabouts of our Cavalry

O, where are they, our flaming scouts,
Who ride, so gallant, with rapiers drawn,

Upon the noblest steeds of line,

To cause even the Huns to flee.

Where are they, those proud lion-hearts

Who call themselves the Cavalry.

Perhaps this mud of mechanical war
Has slowly drowned our splendid last resort,

Perhaps they fell and choked on death,

Those men who ride so valiantly.

O, where are they, our warrior gods,

The ones we call the Cavalry.