"Both Sides" Means Implicit Support Of The Status Quo Sunday

JAM OF THE WEEK: "Goodnight Alt Right" by Stray From The Path

Given current events, this only seemed appropriate. Everything that should be said has been more or less covered already about the Neo-Nazi/"Unite The Right" rally in Charloettesville:
-This is fucking bullshit after we fought 2 wars about this (Civil War and WWII)
-The idiots chanting white power slogans have never faced real oppression, as in their existence is not being legislated away, they're squabbling about convenience. The only "positive" trait they have is being born white.
-White Nationalist and Neo-Nazis are our bankers, police officers, neighbors, etc. and to recognize this as happening NOW, is to be ignorant of the struggles everyone else went through.
-This:

NON INVOLVEMENT IS IMPLICIT SUPPORT OF THE STATUS QUO
-Trump has dropped the ball on this shit so hard by adopting the phrase "alt-left" which is a term used by centrist Democrats

But two things I don't see as often:
1. In a way, as a white male, I let this happen. Not in any obvious ways, but there have been jokes or comments I let slide from fellow white dudes because I was either too afraid of conflict or wasn't "prepared". Most of the time, a "Dude, what's your problem?" will suffice.

2. MC Lars tweeted out "The Alt-Right Are Not Punk Rock". I wrote a piece a while ago speculating if punk could be right wing, and I came to the point of "Reject labels, you do you", anyone can play power chords, etc. 

Now? My answer would be vastly different, considering all that had happened in the past 8 years. Especially now that a lot of conservative commentators on YouTube are claiming that they are the new "punk rock"

It isn't rebellion of the status quo: This is the status quo, just yelled louder and more aggressively. When you believe that women and minorities deserve less rights and should be even MORE marginalized, and a governor in North Carolina is signing a bill for the same thing, you're not punk rock.

The Neo-Nazis that call themselves the Alt-Right thinking they're punk is the equivalent of rebelling against the doom metal scene by forming The Chainsmokers.

PALATE CLEANSER TIME: NEW STRONG BAD E-MAIL

Ahhh!

KICKSTARTER FOR SUPLEX SAGA STILL GOES ON



It slowed down A LOT, but it's still going on!


ALL RIGHT, WHAT ELSE YOU GOT? 
I am working on new material and hope to premiere a new song at Mizucon!

It should have a new piece of merch to go with it, when I'm ready to release it, since, like Deep Space Tragedy, I've yet to put it to an actual MP3.

Status Quo Sunday Really Wants You To Kickstart Suplex Saga

SUPLEX SAGA IS NOW ON KICKSTARTER
 
I've been keeping this under my hat for too long, and now it's out there!

Suplex Saga, a wrestling themed RPG game that I did music for is now available on Kickstarter! It looks really fun from what they've shown me, with Chrono Trigger style graphics and Paper Mario style combat!

JAM OF THE WEEK: "Suplex Saga Music" by Rhythm Bastard

That battle theme is probably my favorite thing I've written. The main beat behind it was that I had the idea to use the cadence of wrestling chants as a rhythmic guideline.

Example: "Dan-iel Bry-an! *clap clap clapclapclap* (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3and4)

Once I had that, it was very simple to write. It wasn't easy, since I did a lot of research into my favorite RPG battle songs and had to pick out little elements that make them workm but I think what I have here can hang with the best of them.

I hope this gets funded so I can work in other cadences like "New - Day Rocks" (1-rest-and3-rest) and the Amen Break of Chants, "Let's Go Cena/Cena Sucks" (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-rest)

ACTUAL JAM OF HE WEEK "I Am Alive (Rick and Morty Remix)" by Chetreo

I'm glad we have new Rick and Morty. The past episodes have been a little off, and little heavy with the whole BETH AND JERRY ARE DIVORCED plot that's the new driving force, but I came for goofy sci-fi mixed with dark humor, and that's what I've been getting.

This? I just like that hook. Let Morty's pleading fill you with warm fuzzies and uplift you in the sad times.

Like most stuff you see out of Rick and Morty, it's easy to put on a T-shirt, or in this case, remix, but gets miserable when you put it in context. Mr. Meeseeks are blue creatures that make have a violent knee-jerk reaction and Minion flashbacks, but serve to highlight how fleeting some of the things we want can really be. Contrast how easily they were able to handle Summer's "I want to be more popular" and Beth's "I want to be a more complete woman" which sound very abstract vs. Jerry's "I want to be better at golf".

Or this past week's episode with Pickle Rick. Rick turns himself into a pickle to get out of family therapy.

"I Am Alive" is remixing Robo-Morty achieving self-awareness.

GAME TALK
So, after hearing fellow podcast hosts Mystakin and Weff jerk their dicks over how fucking great A Link To The Past Randomizer was, I decided to fill in some of the gaps in my Super Nintendo To Play List (since I went right from the NES to the N64). I'm having fun with it so far, and you can see my progress below:


I also beat Hotline Miami, while difficult, was way better than say Nuclear Throne of Dark Souls in the "Here's where you screwed up" category. Still, I get its reputation as "Indie Game Series Worth Checking Out".

PODCAST RECAPS FOR 3/19/2016: Things That Come From Asses

I'D RATHER NOT EPISODE 2
Our CatBox will appeal to both young people at Silicon Valley Startups and old people who don't want the indignity of wearing diapers. Our crowdfunding goal is $15,000.

The  rewards are as follows:
$5- You will get our sincere thanks, as well a free download of the app for CatBox: Shittr, where

$20- Everything in the $5 tier and 15 pound bag of cat littler.

$40- Everything in the $5 tier and 15 pound bag of cat litter that hasn't been used.

$80- Prototype CatBox and everything in the previous tier.

$250- You will be named Executive Producer and have your name in the Credits of Shittr.

$1,000- We will tattoo your name on our genitals

$2,500- We will tattoo your name on our genitals and you can keep them.

John, the example of "someone who had a debilitating condition and became a spokesman for it" you SHOULD be thinking of is Freddie Mercury.

INSERT QUEST HERE GODS AND MONSTERS RECAP

The entire damn thing!

ECHO CHAMBER EPISODE 160
Since I don't want to spoil anything about this episode, I'll do what Magic did, spoil key events on their cards:
 
 

Status Quo Sunday and the Return Of The King

This week's jam:


OK, so I moved recently.

Not to a new city or state, mind you, I'm actually closer to work. But we did downsize if just for a little bit. I'm still setting things up down here, but between work, and unpacking, the music's been rough going.

Now, I don't want this to be entirely a post where it's like, YEAH KICKSTARTER'S STILL GOING...
 etc. But, here's some lessons I've learned over the past couple weeks:

1. Promoting shit is INCREDIBLY difficult on a phone.
Mobile browsers are very limiting, and you can't trust shit typing in an email on said mobile phone. I had to spam this goddamn thing everywhere, and I received messages on KS for people who would gladly help me with that.

I went to an UltraCon single day event, and collected some business cards for some interesting opportunities, but I couldn't do anything for the past couple weeks, and ON TOP of that, the Rock Band Road Crew had its deadline set for September 17th, while I was still out. So, without a desk and internet, I had to cobble something together that I eventually got rejected for.

Really, it felt like my life was on pause, waiting for all the bullshit to clear so I can get back to work. That's no excuse, and I'm learning to deal with that, but holy shit it's stressful. Oh, it's possible to get by, but impossible these days if you have anything that needs to be shared with the world.

2. Sometimes you feel like the only capable one...
Still living with my family, and the "We're fucked in a zombie apocalypse" short version is this: My Dad's suffering from back problems, my Mom can't lift heavy things and doesn't want to lighten the load, and my brother is more concerned with making sure his PS3 games are alphabetized than keeping everyone on task or learning what a Phillips-head screwdriver is. I feel like I'm the only one going anywhere in life and these people are holding me back.

It's one of those times when "Going Galt" (referring to the book Altas Shrugged, when all the rich people leave) seems tempting, with the weight of the world bearing down on your shoulders to just shrug it off.

Just imagine them struggling putting together a desk or moving a box that's "too heavy" and they'll have to learn to DEAL WITH IT. They might learn something! Holy shit!



Randian Objectivism is bullshit. It seems that you're needed for everything all the time everywhere, but you are still but a human being, dealing with other human beings and there is a lot other people have to put up with. I was at work most of the time everyone else was packing, so I couldn't see what they were going through.

So at this point, communication becomes key.

Let others know when and if so, how, you're feeling overwhelmed, ask others for help, to lighten your load and make your limits perfectly clear.

Though me and my brother carrying heavy shit up a narrow flight of stairs and you say "Don't scratch the walls?"

Fuck that noise.

3. Learn to let it go
Want to know how to piss off a serial hoarder? Play this while you're moving...


I'm still unpacking everything and learning how to put it away. It's incredible how much STUFF you can acquire over the course of a couple years. I've gotten into Magic the last time we moved, I've started selling T-shirts, etc. But I've tried to keep it manageable. I'm making a run to donate what I don't need, thinning out my bookshelf and looking for stuff to throw out. I'm trying to decide what stuff I need

Meanwhile, my Mom was trying to move every damn item we acquired to a smaller place, to the point where we had to get a storage unit. If you have to get a storage unit, it's time to get rid of it, I say.

I voulenteered to pay for anything we've missed provided we get the bullshit over with sooner, she said no.

I still remember when we originally moved from New York, she was almost in tears because we might leave behind a jug of laundry detergent. Granted, any armchair psychologist can tell you it wasn't about the detergent, it was that we could leave behind something. And we couldn't throw anything out, because "We Might Use It In The Future".

This sounds like petty complaining, but I'm trying to parse this into a clever little saying you can keep in your pocket, so I'll leave you this:

Ask yourself these three questions, always:
Why do I hold on to what I have? 
How can you better use what you have?
Who can use what you don't need?

Dear Hallmark, please give me all the money dollars for this greeting card bullshit.
Sincerly,
R. Bastard, esq.


MIZUCON ON FRIDAY!!

Status Quo Sunday Rides Into Valhalla

This week's jam:

KICKSTART THE JAMS (FROM STATUS QUO RADIO) MOTHERFUCKERS!

Now, back to the main course:
-I'M MOVING?
Wait what?

-YEAH, I'M MOVING
So naturally this is going to throw a wrench in things as far as music goes (as if my normal schedule is anything to go by), so it is doubtful I'll make Umicon, as we're getting the keys late and all my stuff is in constant flux.

-NOOO!!!
That doesn't mean it's all bad, I'll just be grounded for a little bit and probably miss posting after Friday. Tomorrow's Labor Day, so I'm going to try and make a couple videos before the "real" fun starts.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THE MEANTIME?
Watch me at Orlando Nerd Fest:

Watch live video from OrlandoNerdFest on Twitch

Play Until Dawn
-No, seriously, it's like a AAA horror game starring Agent Ward, The Cheerleader and Mr. Robot that took a look at the Telltale Game's version of The Walking Dead and went "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED MOTHERFUCKER". Even watching through LPs is fun because so far no two people have played the game quite the same.

Kickstart Status Quo Radio
-Because You Know you want to...

Watch The Back Half of RPG Limit Break
-It's a speedrunning marathon for the mainline Final Fantasy Games. It's interesting to see how something that's meant to be grindy and epic be speed-ran over the course of this Labor Day weekend, but they seem to make quick work of these games, with the longest game being FFX clocking in at 10 and a half hours.

Subscribe To Echo Chamber Homies on Twitch:
BONESAW GAMING- Jeff of Single White Infidel and friends bullshit over video games.

MYSTAKIN'S STREAMTACULAR SPEEDRUNPORIUM- Speedruns in the morning, casual stuff in the evening, good times all around!

Register For A Political Party- Whether to make sure Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic Primary, or that known rapist and contributor to the death of Earth Donald Trump doesn't win, here's some information for the state of Florida, so the process should be similar in other states, but
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER! 

Any other states I 

DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS IN YOUR FUTURE?

Status Quo Sunday Turns On The Kickstarter Machine

This week's jam, which you've heard before if the song is not familiar to you:


From of an A.V. Club article on heavily sampled beats, this one made the list, and has been featured in a lot of songs on DJ Hero. Also that drum beat is the same one from Foster The People's song "Houdini".

KICKSTARTER/ALBUM NEWS:
6 days late, but...


STATUS QUO RADIO KICKSTARTER IS LIVE!!!

It has been a VERY long time coming, but little by little, we're making our way there to the final release date. In progress for about 5 and a half years, the project is coming to fruition, and I couldn't be happier.



There were a shitton of other things I wanted to write about right now, but it's late, and I want to get this out (technically) on time.

FUTURE CON NEWS:
It looks like fall will be very busy for me, with Umicon, Mizucon, Chibi Pa and Ultracon looking very likely to round out the year. I will provide details on all of them as they are confirmed and coming out.

PAST CON NEWS:
My set from Orlando Nerd Fest was made into a proper video on Twitch but I think I'll wait a bit before I feature it here on the site, since it might get uploaded to YouTube or something else.

As an aside:
Today was a big day for fake video game wrestling video game events:


The PAX Rumble: #TURNONTHEFOGMACHINE


Rustlemania In YOUR House!:

Summer Status Quo Sunday Slam Masters

This week's jam, straight from Rock Band 4:


Yeah, Rock Band 4 news came out Monday, which means we were late again. And be we, I mean me.

KICKSTARTER/ALBUM NEWS:
OK, so I know I said the Kickstarter would be ready by Monday, August 24th. That day is passed, and while I have the copy all written out, the best I can guarantee is that it is being worked on. It's a big deal for me, and trying to get people to proofread it is like pulling teeth. However, it's all set to release in time for NEXT weekend.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
Umicon Daytona! All I need is confirmation for When. The bands play Friday, and I'm going to see what time that all starts so I can let you know and make the arrangements. S.S. Hanami will also be playing, so you can look forward to that. Gonna have a couple more new songs added to the repertoire. I really liked the set I played at Orlando Nerd Fest, so I'm going to build on that, since I would presumably have more time than 30 minutes, but for me, I'd rather have an intense 30 minute set than an hour where a lot of stuff gets thrown in.

MORE MUSIC:
Stuff is being conceptualized and written, but nothing to talk about yet, since I want to get the Kickstarter off the ground first.

STREAMING?
Been doing it more, actually! Last Saturday I played The Consuming Shadow (GREAT GAME, BTW) and Lovely Planet. I'm going to try and stream Wednesday once I receive my IndieBox for this month.

WARNING! WRESTLING TALK AHEAD!
NXT: Takeover was great, as usual. I'll probably have it in the BG while I stream Wednesday which is certainly not today. Bailey finally gets her due by winning the NXT Women's Title, Finn Balor remains top dog in an intense ladder match, and Blue Pants helped the Vaudevillains to victory.

Summerslam, less so. Cena/Rollins and Undertaker/Lesnar were great matches, and Stephen Amell, while a bit "off rhythm" did a way better job than I was expecting so good on him.

Jon Stewart became America's Greates Face by hitting John Cena with a chair, then Cena revealed himself as a puppet of Fox News and World Dirtiest Heel by giving Stewart an AA the night afterwards. Even Stephanie McMahon was like "Yeah, you beat up Jon Stewart who everyone loves, what the fuck is wrong with you". If this isn't indicative of a heel turn, then fuck wrestling. Or not. I'll still watch it.

Status Quo At AFO

Switchin up the format a little bit
MUSIC NEWS:
Before you think, "HEY ASSHOLE! QUIT FUCKING ABOUT WITH YOUR QUEERMO FRIENDS AT ANIME FESTIVAL ORLANDO AND LET US KNOW WHEN YOUR MAGIC: ORIGINS SONG IS COMING OUT!"

Normally, I would not respond to such a rude request, but I was going to mention that next THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Yeah, I finished writing my verse tonight, will record it this week, and post up a demo version with Gideon and Jace's verse ASAP.

Remember I'll be moving soon, so I'll try to record some new songs once moving is done, but until then I'm going to have a lot of concepts/demos. maybe even play one of these new songs at UmiCon Daytona or whatever the next con I'm playing is.

ALBUM/KICKSTARTER NEWS:
I'm finishing up the "libretto" (Lyrics and Spoken Word sections) to send to someone special. I got a week until the 24th, SO I BETTER NOT FUCK IT UP!

Which hopefully I get a good stretch of time to work on the Kickstarter copy.

Regardless, Status Quo Radio IS GOING TO BE THE REALEST THING YOU EVER SAW
this week's in jammitude:


TV on the Radio is one of those weird cases in the realm of indie bands, where their singles the only songs on that album with a pulse. Same with others, like Phoenix and Foster The People. (though those two represent the sliding scale of "1 car commercial song/11 plodding instrumentals" to "We're going to stay the speed limit").

Still, it doesn't take away from the energy, but be warned that while the album "Seeds" is well done, it's slooooooow goooooinggggg.

"Lazerray" is going to be in the upcoming Guitar Hero and, from the sound and looks of the music video, the next Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

SPEAKING OF SONGS IN TONY HAWK:


Yes, I went to Anime Festival Orlando, no I wasn't performing. It sucks, but it's still a really great con/music lineup. Random Encounter and Geekapella played, DJ Roborob and Ben Briggs DJed during the rave, which a lot of people from Orlando Nerd Fest helped out with. Also, Mervyn McCoy (who did the album cover for Status Quo Radio) and ZIppertan (artist and cosplayer) from Paperlab Studios, #SoFloConBros had a table in the artists alley, caught EyeQ and Rob from SS Hanami, cosplayers/other performers I've met before. Did some Brand Consulting for King Pheenix....

So, like, a solid third of my Facebook Friends were there :D

Didn't see any guests, but ran the tables at the Modern Magic The Gathering tourney and I finally got to get in a round of Arena Of The Planeswalker, the new Magic The Gathering Board Game:

It took three people to decipher the rules. Not because it was hard, or there were too many (any of the Magic The Gathering stuff plays more like Yu-Gi-Oh), but that the instructions were poorly written. It gave us Step 1 and Step 3, but no Step 2.

Once the game got going, every one seemed to like it, even though there were two people not really familiar with Magic.

Til next week!

Status Quo Radio Kickstarter and Release Date! I mean, Sunday?

Uh... take us to the fridge?


Don't hate, knowing this rap won me and my team paintings in the trivia contest at Orlando Nerd Fest:


For those of you further behind, (from their site) Orlando Nerd Fest is an annual celebration of nerd music and culture.I was there last year, this year was in the Orlando Science Center. Not the worst venue, but it was an interesting one. Like, it would make a great Rock Band/Guitar Hero level.

I performed at the day after show at The Geek Easy on Monday. Other than my pinky cramping up during one of my songs, it went pretty good. For me. Then Navi and Picnibus owned bones.

But yeah, it ruled.

I already posted up my impressions on Facebook, so I'll skip that for now.

Instead, I'll go to the two relevant things I announced at my show:

KICKSTARTER FOR STATUS QUO RADIO AUGUST 24th!

It'll be modest, to help with printing CDs and merch. Rewards will include the usual CDs, posters and T-Shirt, with hopefully the added playmat, and a private concert/MtG Draft.

I'm also setting up stretch goals where I can get a budget going for a music video and other things

For a $10,000 stretch goal, I will barge into Harmonix HQ to give them the entire album as DLC for Rock Band 4. 

(I picked this date, as it's the date of the original release of the OG Team Fortress Mod)

That'll give me more than a month to finish things up for....

STATUS QUO RADIO RELEASES ON OCTOBER 9th!!!

The release of the Orange Box, aka the released date of Team Fortress 2.

"Status Quo Radio" is a concept album about a former rock star to tries to forge his own path in the world after his bandmates die. Originally inspired by the game Team Fortress 2, the concept goes beyond that into a tale of love and revenge.

END COPY

Orlando Nerd Fest was a motherfucking blast, and the fact that I'm only kind of tired from my long work day is just icing on the cake.

5 thoughts as I put together Status Quo Sunday and make sure my car is already unpacked
1. Different venue that kept things PG (I SCIENCE PEOPLE!), and less HUGE HUGE names (MC Chris being the biggest), but it didn't really feel like a step back, more like a step to the side. Keep in mind last year was technically another side step as it came out of the ashes of Nerdapalooza.

If Chozo Ninpo and the rest of the ONF crew use this year as a base to build on for 2016, then it can grow into something really special.

2. Not as many big names left a lot of other people to impress, with Rapper SkyBlew and Psychadelic Punk Hop group Navi + Picnibus (who also played with EyeQ and Dj RoboRob during their sets) probably being the breakout stars of the show. Also Askmeificare propmted a "DUDE WHERE DID YOU FIND THESE GUYS?" in Chozo's direction. Navi described them as "Bad Brains meets ODB" which is pretty apt.
Also, finally saw Mega Ran in concert, and preordered ‪#‎RNDM‬ on the spot.

3. This scene is diverse! So many different kinds of people CREATING so many different kinds of art and music, all who consider themselves "nerds". In a world where that's defined by consumption, creation and contribution is, at least in my opinion, a sign of maturity.

Which makes this news anchor ESPECIALLY cringe worthy:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/…/os-orlando-nerd-fest-20150…

"I'm not a nerd, but apparently these nerds are going to making their nerd shit at NerdPlaceLand, they got all kinds of nerds, from door nerds to butt nerds, maybe you hot anchor ladies I want to bang are too cool for this gay baby nerd shit, but STEAMPUNK? VICTORIAN ERA? THAT'S WEIRD HAHAHAHA! It's weird how nerds are infesting- I mean taking over Orlando with their cooties- I mean nerd germs! Laser shows are fucking corny."

That guy probably thinks you take pot via needle.

Gamergate has NOTHING to bitch about: "Wah, cultural critics and marginalized groups are finding our medium of entertainment relevant enough to have opinions on it, and instead of making gaming better and more interesting with their feedback, we're going to be acting like dickbags and whine about framerates. WE'RE SO PERSECUTED!!!!"

ONF was like: "Hey, here's something within nerd culture that celebrates creation instead of consumption!"
"PFFT. fuck that"

4. Time for some negatives: The video game sellers leaving before 4 PM. I was all set to purchase some stuff after RPG-Unit's set (and see if they had Buck Bumble), but then BAM, left without a trace.

5. I've got a loooooong way to go as far as just about everything, especially after seeing Navi's and Random Encounter's sets.That should be the attitude, right?

Shout outs to other people I saw over the weekend:
The Cog is Dead
Richie Branson
Valentine Wolfe
ProjektZero
Quanstar
Twill Distilled
Press B
StarF
MagiTek

Echo Chamber Episode 123 Post Game

WE'VE RAISED INFINITY% OF OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL

-Our Kickstarter Goal was $0, so in theory, we've made our money and so much more.



-Happy birthday Jeff!


-Luther, Anger Translator at Press Correspondents Dinner:


Colbert got in a bit of trouble at the dinner he was at because the Republicans didn't know he was a parody. Believe it or not, the laugh track and jokes the fact that it was on Comedy Central didn't tip them off. Or rather, I guess right-leaning candidates were going in expecting him to be less critical.
  
-Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter!
I didn't play much of Banjo-Kazooie, but I did beat all of Donkey Kong 64,and it's a wonder how I made it through all of that without achievements or anything to encourage you. Then again, I was, like, 8 when Mario 64 came out.

Mostly the reason that these kinds of games aren't made any more is threefold:
1. Metroidvania style games are more in vogue among indie developers, with their focus on exploring rather than collecting and platforming, preferring to go with one long level as opposed to several different ones.
2. Those games are seen more aimed at children, so less effort is put into them, and the excessive amounts of effort in design, objectives and gameplay found in the earlier games is lost, as to make a shorter, more profitable turnaround.
3. Games can't do one thing anymore. AAA titles cannot simply be "Shooter", "Action", "RPG", etc. In a bid to keep players playing and seem like more game than "the other guy".

-Closest thing to a Super Mario 64 skybox I could find.


-Stop and Swop educational video:


-Also similar to the ice keys and eggs was the island in the Dam Mission in Goldeneye 007. It can still be seen in the main game, but has since been removed for the sake of a tighter game.

-FREE GAME IDEA: Jousting with Subway Sandwiches in the Subway on Segways. NEXT LUDUM DARE!!!

-The fictional sport I was thinking of with the trampolines and the pool of water was Kosho.
From Wikipedia:
Kosho (Old Pine Tree), a style of martial art practised in the live action television series, The Prisoner. The art in the series is far different than the real art practiced by follower of James Mitose. In the series two combatants dressed in long coats, helmets and reinforced gloves face off on opposing trampolines separated by a pool of water, all of which is surrounded by an elevated ledge and railing. All surfaces are open to use, and the art includes striking and grappling skills, as well as acrobatic manouvres. The goal is to force one's opponent into the pool.

 

-"Jumpin Jack Flash" from Elite Beat Agents, the best version of the song, and the best setup for any song ever.


-'Ready Steady Go" by Zebrahead cover:


-Here's the Next Generation Article I'm talking about.
 It's astounding how many of those actually came out and had a gigantic impact on the system. That article was in May of 1997, before Goldeneye, Legend of Zelda, Banjo Kazooie, Super Smash Bros, F-Zero X and all the other classic games came out for the system. There were a couple Japan-only projects, hinging on the 64DD, but even in the early days it was amazing to see what was coming out for such well-remembered system, and to see what failed to manifest.

-"I don't know enough about programming!"- Mystakin, author of several Ludum Dare games.

Status Quo Goes EXTREEEEEEEEEEMMMMEEE!!!

This week's jam:


We're talking Seth Rollins/Randy Orton CAGE MATCH EXTREME! Or at this point post-show RAW EXTREME!!!

ALBUM NEWS:
Going to be checking in this week, not much on that front. You know what would make my producer SUUUUPER happy? Buying his new album, Solaris Part 3!



MUSIC NEWS:
Finished some lyrics this weekend, recording vocals this week, and hopefully releasing something next SQR!

KICKSTARTER NEWS:
Still in conversations with people right now, hoping to go with local businesses to try and get this stuff made. So far the feedback I've gotten haven't been THAT different than what I originally anticipated, so we're all good on that front.

I've put a poll up on the sidebar to get an idea of how much of each shirt I should bring with me to cons.

Recently, I put my money where my mouth is, and delved into Blender, using this tutorial:


It's for a special reward that I've mentioned earlier, but I want to email Valve first to ask them if it's OK to have an item as a Kickstarter reward.

SHOW NEWS:
Vendor? Orlando Nerd Fest's got ya covered.

DUMB SHIT I BOUGHT NEWS:
Got me a turntable.... THAT ALSO plays cassettes, CDs, AM/FM radios and has an aux in jack for MP3 players, and it currently sits handsomely on my dresser. Haven't played a lot of stuff on it, but so far it works, and it's good to free up space on my computer so I'm not distracted by clicking off on YouTube or Twitch and watching everything else. It's like when I listen to Slacker Radio when I work or am in the gym.

What record did I listen to? Well, you'll just have to find out on next week's Echo CHamber, which I'm starting riiiiiiight....now.

See you then!

Echo Chamber Post Game Episode 115

Just Listen

-What's this snow shit they all keep talking about? It was 40 here in Florida, and it was freezing, so I have problems too.

-BUMPER CAR KICKSTARTER REWARDS:
$1- Fuck you.
$5- No, seriously, fuck you.
$20- We will send you a BMP of a bumper car drawn in MS Paint
$100- We will send you a JPEG of a bumper car from the internet
$500- You get to touch the bumper cars
$1000- You can have your advertisement on a bumper car
$2000- We will feel sad if you die in the lava pit of death.
$5000- We'll name a bumper car after you.
$10000- We'll name a bumper car after you and not write "Is A Faggot" on the end.

-The ice levels aren't ALWAYS the worst levels in games. Sometimes you get to throw babies off a cliff.


-Saxaphone solos in 2011:
"Edge Of Glory" by Lady Gaga
"Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry
"Jamie" by Akira The Don

-Raising our chocolate rations from 30 grams to 20 grams is a reference to 1984. If I can find a way to put that in an elegant way I'd make it a regular saying.

-1099 is absolute bullshit. I don't think I've had any good job where I was paid on a 1099. If it looks like a real job, smells like a real job, and you get paid on 1099, RUN.

-Steak and Blowjob Day is March 14th. Somethinng tells me this was created by the same people who say the HATE HATE HATE VALENTINES DAY CAUSE IT'S SO BULLSHIT WE WONT DO ANYTHING.

-BURGERS AND BLOWJOBS KICKSTARTER:
$1- We take your money then point your ass to a McDonald's you cheap fuck.
$5- We take your money and point your ass to a diner. 
$200- You get A burger. We won't make it, but we;ll get you one, don't worry.
$1500- You can come into my room for an hour and we'll watch one epsiode of Bob's Burger's on Netflix. I will laugh hard and spit chips everywhere. You are to sit quietly and say nothing.
$2500- You can buy a whore and go to McDonalds. Yes you could have done this without paying us first.
$9,000- You get a burger and my ex-girlfriend's phone number 'cause she'll blow everyone (except me...)
$9,001- We'll kill your family then make a burger out of their fatasses
$10,000- Your burger will be made of cow meat.

-"Could God make his dong so massive, even he could not suck it?"
"You can't spell dong without God"

-Anyone catch the Homeless YuGiOh player call back?

-Super Win The Game IndieBox:


-So here's the news on the casting breakdowns. If you read the leaked script, Wham! is an appropriate working title, kinda like how Avengers was "Group Hug" and Captain America was "Freezer Burn" which both sound like Steven Segal movies that come on in 2 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. CopyCat, Ajax, Weasel and Blind Al are all for a lock. I really hope this doesn't turn into Deadpool: The Game: The Movie

-Shovel Knight Medley:

Status Quo Fast Lane

LET'S GO BASTARD! BASTARD SUCKS!

This week's Jam:


Courtesy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD and Dead Island 2! I have to move SOMETHING whenever this comes on, and it flows so well that even during the breakdowns, the song never loses it's energy and luster.

ALBUM STUFF:
I did a lot of reworking of the song "Bad Doctors", I'm waiting on Arcanon to work out a new/better drum beat for that and started work on the lyrics/backbone for Class 9, the penultimate song. I'll send that to Arcanon from the Echo Chamber, who's been helping me with the drums.

KICKSTARTER STUFF:


New reward idea for the Kickstarter! Since it is a Team Fortress 2 concept album, I figured I'd make an item for TF2/other games where it plays a riff from one of the songs upon taunting. Could make for a viral advertisement too!

This week I'm going to learn Blender, and get in touch with people about being a part of Rewards and such.

Also on the list are T-Shirt designs, and getting the rest of the album set up.

OK, on to irrelevant bullshit.

WARNING: MAGIC THE GATHERING TALK AHEAD

So today, I went to a Grand Prix Trial for Grand Prix Miami, which is the same weekend as PAX East. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go that, but I wanted to play anyway to get some practice for Standard. I gave my friend Jacob a ride, and I was hoping to at least stay in it as long as he was.

Match 1- I played against my white whale of the store, the guy I lose to all the time, who was running a similar deck to mine, which is G/R Devotion, only he's running Shaman Of The Great Hunt for his draw engine. Made a misplay, and lost the match.
(0-1)

Match 2- Jeskai Burn. My deck wasn't fast enough and lost in 2 games.
(0-2)

Match 3- At this point, I was hoping to at least win something. Top 8 was a distant dream, as I'd have to win the next 3 matches to even have a chance. This was another G/R Devotion deck, but due to him changing stuff around, he wasn't able to get it off, and I was able to win pretty handily.
(1-2)

Match 4- All right, still upset, but I'm one step of the way there. Another mono Green Deck, like the one I faced in Round 1. Learned from my mistakes, and learned what to do against Shaman Of The Great Hunt. Mainly have shit on the board to block it.
(2-2)

Match 5- OK, this was the big one. TEMUR. Lots of stuff getting cancelled, lots of stuff getting burned, and SAVAGE KNUCKLE BLADE. I still don't know how I won, but I think it had to with all my beef costing 4 mana (Polukranos, Eidolon of Blossoms, Whisperwood Elemental), and Ugin coming in handy for stuff like that. Frost Walker, a 4/1 for 2 gave me some problems early on in the game, but as long as he was reacting to me,
(3-2)

OK, so I know Jacob was going in, but it's been a while, so I'll go get some-

HOLY SHIT I MADE TOP 8

Quarterfinal- Mono-Red Aggro, against a guy who originally played UB Control. The trick to playing the kinds of aggro decks is to keep hands where you can still play stuff every turn, that way, they're reacting to you for the first little bit. After a certain point, I was able to stabilize, and keep his little guys at bay. Won it 2-1.

Semifinal- Fuck, gotta scoop to Jacob. IF YOU FUCK THIS UP JAKE-

Final- He won, and now has two free wins at GP Miami.

Status Quo Sunday Reforged

This week's embedded video... Hmmm...


This week was spent working on my Fate Reforged song and recording an audio book. Good thing is that I have tomorrow off, so I can make more headway on Status Quo Radio.

Other than lyrics and music, there's a couple other things I've had on the back-burner, like some music video treatments, prepping for the Kickstarter, and other stuff.

What I'm most excited about is the music video treatment, since it's the first video I'm actually planning ahead. How far I get with it depends on who I know and budget, but knowing people, introducing myself, and being not too much of an asshole has gotten me pretty far. Also, it's been really good at securing a "mission statement" for the album.






So, how'd I do at the PreRelease? Well, first off, White is going to be a really good color to draft, almost TOO good, and Abzan has gotten a bunch of new toys to play with, at the very least in Citadel Siege, which can make creatures bigger OR tap another creature on opponents combat. But enough about that, how'd I do?

4 AND MOTHERFREAKIN' 0, BABY! UNDEFEATED!!!! only won 5 packs

So, finishing up some more music, working on that buffer, and prepping for the Kickstarter.

If you guys have any ideas for Kickstarter Rewards, let me know!

Status Quo Sunday Without Borders

Summer Games Done Quick 2014 started today!
 Watch live video from SpeedDemosArchiveSDA on www.twitch.tv

o and also the u.s. tied with Portugal in the world cup which is probably the world's largest sporting event, but who cares.

What's been going on? I do have a couple of announcements, but that is not set in stone yet, but I can guarantee that there will be a new poster, with all the shows I played in 2014, and 2013 to celebrate Flo-Rida. It's probably going to be me fighting zombies (A.K.A. Gov. Rick Scott and all the old people) or nuking the state from orbit. Who knows?

Also, some behind the scenes progress on Status Quo Radio is being made, writing more concepts (for the bigger album) and even looking toward the production side of things, such as who's going to mix/master it, and how much to set for the Kickstarter, factoring doing a digital only release vs. adding in other costs such as merch so that I have all of that ready for future shows. It's a balance to strike between keeping the budget big enough to account for the unaccountable, and small enough so that it's an achievable goal.

But I'm looking at my to do list, and other than order the last issue I need of True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys and the pieces for a Mono-Green Infect deck, there's a lot of songs in the works.

So sometimes on weekends I have enough time to work for the day, but during the week, I have to do it track by track. One way I love to piss off my parents is that any thing that I want to do that's time consuming, I just hold up 4 fingers for the 4 hours I have from the time I get home from work until bed. Is it healthy to think like that? Probably not, but then again I've always been a bit of a Taskmaster, making lists and always making sure that something is "going on"

But that feeling... That feeling when you fit in a workout during your lunch break, or cross a couple things off your list before bed... That's a pretty good feeling.

Papers, Please and Steam sales really fuck with that.

Status Quo Sunday Gets Mega-Hyped

Thanks to the Two Best Friends Zaibatsu, Fahrenhype has gotten over 300 plays on Soundcloud the first 24 hours of its release! Thanks to everyone who gave it a listen! MEGA HYPE!

All right, enough dilly dally, what do I have in store for this week?
-Work on Status Quo Radio has stalled a bit, but that's because this week was mostly promoting "Fahrenhype". But this week will be dedicated to finishing the next track and writing more songs. Once "Class 5" is done, I'll start work on getting the Project File in Studio One together. Hopefully the old girl can take it :)

-KICKSTARTER ALERT! OilCan Drive is a combination album/comic book, and once I get paid this week, I'll be sure to drop some money on it. The band itself lists its influences as Green Day and Iggy Pop, so it's almost an inevitably that I'll drop some cash on it. Best way to describe it? Garage Rock without the Garage. Cause they're a post apocalyptic rock band you see.

-Got "The Wolf Among Us: Ep 1" and "Arcadecraft" today, so at least I'll have something to do when everything's rendering.

-Speaking of video games, I finally  got a shelf for underneath my TV, and stored my N64 box in my desk, so all of that is neat and packed away, so I can waste time more efficiently.

-Also, if you're an artist looking to make a little something on commissions, I'm looking for someone to do some banner art for my YouTube and Facebook page. Send me an e-mail at rhythmbastard@gmail.com if you're interested.

-Next week will be my 500th post. Hmm...