It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known

Last night I had the golden opportunity to meet and hang out with one of the greatest bands of all time: THE MEGAS!  They put on a seriously mind-blowing show, complete with a couple of unreleased tracks from their upcoming album.  I was one of the few members of their forum to attend the show, and thus got a special shout out during the performance, as well as an opportunity to request the groovy Metal Dance.  It was seriously epic.

Both before and after the show, I got to hang out and talk with the band.  They are seriously some of the coolest guys I have ever met, and it was so cool to be recognized for my participation on their forums.  It was a blast to just hang out and talk about video games and the band's upcoming projects as casually as if they were just old friends.

I managed to get signed copies of their remastered debut album "Get Equipped" as well as their new "Megatainment" EP.  I picked up a kickass new shirt and an armband to show my devotion to the Megas Army.

I got a few shout outs on their Facebook pages as well as being allowed to make an appearance on their official tour video!  I also posted a few pictures both here and on FB.  I FEEL LIKE AN INTERNET CELEBRITY!!!

I seriously had the time of my life.  If by chance the Megas are reading this, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR AN EPIC SHOW!  I can't wait til the next one! <3

http://www.halolz.com/2009/07/22/cant-let-you-hit-that-pow-block/



My comedic genius is being featured on popular nerd humor site: Halolz.com!  It looks like it's not getting the critical acclaim that it deserves, but the mere reality of my submission's acceptance is accomplishment enough.

YAY ME!  I'm one step closer to becoming an Internet Superstar!

Behold!  My sarcastic review of a Knuckles Chaotix "Let's Play"

As everybody knows, the Legendary Michael Jackson passed away this past Thursday.

I have had some incredible opportunities since then to express my devotion and pay my respects to one of the greatest musicians and performers of all time.

When I first heard the news, I thought it was a joke.  A viral prank.  I checked and double checked several different websites before I started hearing it mentioned on TV.  That's when it finally hit me.  But even then, I could scarcely believe it.  My mind completely rejected the idea.  As it began to sink in, I felt strongly compelled to share this tragic news with everyone I could think of.  Each time I typed out the words, the reality sank in a little deeper.  I don't want to be melodramatic, but I was welling up at this point.  There was just something profoundly significant about his death that seemed to shake the entire world.

That night, I was offered an opportunity to appear on, and subsequently co-host, an impromptu tribute program on Malison Radio.  That was a phenomenal experience.  Being able to share my thoughts and memories on the subject whilst paying due tribute to one of my favorite artists alongside many other fellow fans being brought together in mutual shock and mourning gave me just the sort of peaceful closure I needed, and felt like a remarkably fitting memorial.

The following Sunday, I attended yet another MJ tribute concert at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.  I have to say, that too was an extremely awesome experience.



There were some dance impersonators (one of whom performed MJ moves on ROLLER SKATES), a lot of familiar MJ music played, and some very kind words spoken. The show was initially scheduled to be part of an annual celebration of "Rock & Roll's African-American roots" or something like that, so not everything wound up revolving around MJ as I had initially expected... but overall, there was a very reverent tone throughout the whole thing. Most of the artists and performers had something to say about it. At the foot of the guitar pictured above, people had written personal notes, placed down teddy bears, and other assorted gifts as a tribute to the Pop King.

The highlight of the entire event (for me), came when the entire audience was asked to participate in the Thriller Dance. Two people got up on stage and took us step-by-step through the whole routine, at which point the crowd was left to run through the final chorus on their own. Most everyone in the area wound up getting in on it.  It was freaking incredible!

Later on in the show, audience members were asked to share some personal experiences or memories regarding MJ. I was allowed to come up ON STAGE and talk about the fact that Moonwalker was my favorite movie as a child, and how that wound up inspiring a great deal of my taste in music, later in life. I felt very honored, and the experience just made the entire day that much more special for me. I wish I had thought to bring a REAL camera, as all I managed to capture of the moment were a couple of low-quality cell phone snaps of the small memorial.

RIP Michael Jackson.  Your legacy will live on forever.

PRESENTING: My inevitable foray into the world of T-Shirt design!  It's been a long time coming, but hopefully this will be the first of many future projects.

Peggy, my beloved Emo Pirate from a failed comic strip series (I'LL GET AROUND TO IT SOMEDAY, I SWEAR!), is here to tell the world you're not going to take its crap anymore!

For those of you who love me enough: Now you can actually BUY HIM @ http://www.zazzle.com/i_will_cut_you_tshirt-235988445727553412

Let me know what you think!  Hopefully this will spark some serious creativity on my part, so stay tuned!  lol

My friend Jay C and I have decided to take it upon ourselves to chronicle the history of a HANSEL O'Brien: the time traveling wooden boy of legend.

This is his story (I apologize for any misspelled words or grammatical errors)


ChaoticFox: Once upon a time

Jay C: there was a....

ChaoticFox: little wooden boy

Jay C: named

ChaoticFox: HANSEL

Jay C: One day HANSEL decided to...

ChaoticFox: take a shower

Jay C: While he was taking a shower, The most interesting thing happened...

ChaoticFox: He began to float!

Jay C: And so HANSEL floated away to...

ChaoticFox: Neptune, via the trans-atlantic current and various space-time anomalies

Jay C: While he was being ripped through both space and time, an act that statistically is near zero and in most cases, probably fatal, he met...

ChaoticFox: Thursday, a time-travelling fish with the face of a man!

Jay C: HANSEL happened to notice Thursday and asked him what was going on. Thursday answered him and said, "....

ChaoticFox: MY GOD!  A talking puppet!  How bizarre!

Jay C: HANSEL chuckled a bit at the thought and realized that yes, he was bizarre. And in realizing this he began to slip into a deep depression while in this worm hole. Next...

ChaoticFox: they finally made their arrival on Neptune.  HANSEL was on the verge of a mental breakdown.  Thursday noticed his companion's predicament, and offered this advice:

Jay C: A can of gasoline and some matches. HANSEL smiled becase he knew exactly what to do. *next chapter* HANSEL was now full from eating his companion since he couldn't find a good fast food joint on
Neptune. Now if only he could remember why he went to Neptune in the first place. He thought long and hard about it and finally remember that he made the journey because...

ChaoticFox: Of the distress call he had recieved shortly after being swept away by the current.  "Of course!  The Neptillians!"

Jay C: However HANSEL had arrive only eitght million four hundred seventy-six thosand two hundred nine days late after taking his small trip in the time warp.

ChaoticFox: "Curses" he muttered, rubbing his wooden chin.  "Perhaps there were survivors"

Jay C: He looks out at the rest of the world to see if there are survivors. Not that you know, he should have seen them, BUT there were survivors! Mainly one. Who was a giant snail by the name of...

ChaoticFox: Argyle.  The elder of an the most ancient tribe of Neptillian warriors.

Jay C: Upon approaching Argyle, a snail who had seen many a battle, HANSEL held out his puny, waterlogged, hand to greet the great warchief. He was greeted with...

ChaoticFox: The cold steel of blood-stained longsword.  The aged Neptillian knew better than to trust a stranger.  With suspicion in his veins and hate in his eyes, he aimed his sword directly at HANSEL's neck

Jay C: HANSEL, being made of really cheap plywood, froze in place at such a greeting. HANSEL pleaded with for his life at the Snail warchief and asked what he was so hostile for.

ChaoticFox: Argyl's beady eyes narrowed with disgust as a gutteral roar escaped his throat.  He spoke in his native language - a series of slurps and tongue flickers... but somehow HANSEL understood.

Jay C: from what HANSEL was able to decipher, Argyle was either extremely constipated or knew not of HANSEL's response to the distress call. HANSEL had also offended the great snail by not performing the ritual dance. Although amongst all of this confusion, HANSEL couldn't get the first option out of his mind.

ChaoticFox: An odious stench suddenly filled HANSEL's wooden nostrils, and he assumed it must have been the former.  However, Argyle let out another fierce battle cry and lurched forward... slowly

Jay C: HANSEL couldn't shake the stench but lept backwards and watched the seasoned veteran of a snail inch towards him at a snail's pace, pun intended.

ChaoticFox: From a distance, it became clear that there was madness in the old snail's eyes.  The loss of his people, and his princess, must have driven him mad.  He felt a strong upwelling of pity in his little wooden heart... or perhaps it was only a splinter.

Jay C: The lost of the prideful snail people must have been a heavy loss indeed on Argyle, yet HANSEL could see why they must have lost as he looked further off into the distance, past Argyle. Salt. Fields of salt for miles and miles. HANSEL may have teared up but most people blame it on evaporation.

ChaoticFox: Fear for his own life crept up upon him as slowly as the snail inched toward him.  This was no time for empathy!  He was a man of action... a man of legends.

Jay C: HANSEL continued to slowly back pedal as he tried to reason with the snail who was making for HANSEL's throat at a blinding speed, well for a snail at least. Apparently time had broken the snail down in more ways than one. Being the last of his kind had taken a heavy toll on poor Argyle.

ChaoticFox: "Perhaps if I can make it to the salt fields!" he thought desperately, his sap-like blood thickening with the increase of sugar being produced by his photosynthetic adrenal gland

Jay C: As he simply walked away from the snail he thought to himself, "Damn, this really sucks. Argyle has been here around salt this whole time? No wonder he's gone crazy." As he strolled past what appeared to be what was left of the last defences of the snail people he wondered who could have done such a thing. Of course it was...

ChaoticFox: Empress Magnolia.  Yet another space-travller who had made her way to the once peaceful Neptune.  It was her barbaric ways that forced the Neptillians to take up arms.

Jay C: She would use her charm as the very seductive octupus queen to get her way with almost anything. For the times that her looks didn't help her get her way, she substituted her charm for raw power. She called upon all of her "men" to give her all of their salt apparently. But for what reason did Argyle and his people anger her so much that she had the entire Neptunian Snails eradictaed?

ChaoticFox: HANSEL had little time to wonder such things, as he madly raced across the endless fields of salt, fleeing his mighty pursuer

Jay C: HANSEL ran. He ran so far away. He just ran. He ran all night and day.
Jay C: Couldn't get away.
Jay C: Except that he realized that he was being chased by a snail... through a salt field...

ChaoticFox: Horror dawned on him as he realized the fate of the King.  "ARGYLE!!!!" he screamed, falling to his knees as sticky sap seeped from his tear ducts.

Jay C: And the Neptunian Snail people were no more

ChaoticFox: Slamming his fist on the ground, HANSEL was overwhelmed with guilt.  He had damned the very race he had come here to save.  Surely, there was a special place in Hell for someone such as him.

Jay C: If only he wasn't too late...

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT EXCITING EPISODE!

Well, it's officially been three weeks since I lost my job.  I'm sure none of you will be surprised I haven't done a god damn thing with myself since.  But as the end of the month approaches, and the threat of new bills begins looming over my meager savings account, I finally find myself worrying about what I'm going to do with myself.

My first instinct, naturally, is to run away.  To go back home where I don't have to pay for rent or food, and I can deal with the issue of finding a job without stressing too much about how long it takes to do so.  This option is made all the more appealing by the fact that my best friend/roommate is leaving state for the summer.

I tell myself that I will go to college if I move back home, but I think I only do so to make my parents feel like I'm intending to accomplish something.  Granted, I will probably end up taking a web design class or two, but I still have no desire to graduate or work toward a degree.  And considering that I haven't used (or remembered) most of what I learned last time, it kind of just seems like more money wasted.

Alternatively, I have the option of moving up to Washington to work with my brother.  Currently, he is living with my uncle (whom I barely know), making obscene amounts of money doing what he claims to be extremely easy work.  This option, if possible, is likely to be most intelligent choice.  However, it would require to me face several of my fears, adjusting to new and terrifying situations.  And everybody knows how much I loathe that...

Or finally, perhaps the simplest option: I could stay here.  Look for a job the old-fashioned way (adding a level of stress and urgency to my search).   Although, finding a job wouldn't change the fact that most of my friends are gone or leaving (at least for the summer), the fact that I hate this town, and the fact that the air around me is so stagnant I might be suffocating.

I honestly don't know what to do... but only because lately I've refused to think about it.  Making big choices like this always scares me.  I have a hard enough time choosing how to spend my gold on Crossfire XD

Words can no longer describe these ideas and emotions welling in my heart and soul.

As I sit here, trying to find the right words to express the profound enlightenment I feel at the moment... I realize that it is only that.  A feeling.  There are no words in my mind.  Only a feeling in my heart...  one I understand completely, and yet could not explain to save my life.

No, before you get the wrong idea, I am not in love.  lol.

I am simply paying more attention.  Delving deeper into my introspective analysis of life and the world I live in.  These feelings come rushing at me often all at once, so strongly that it becomes difficult for me to discern one from the another.  I find my mind immediately changing directions the moment I try to focus on, decipher, or describe the "emotion", for lack of a better word.

It seems I am becoming more and more enamored of my dreams.  Which is somewhat refreshing, as I had oft-wondered what had become of my defining Piscean nature...  However, it seems as though my dreams have finally taken wing, and are no longer bound to reality or practicality.

I dream of idealism.  I dream in concept.  I dream of principle and theory.  I dream the purest fantasy.  These ideas resonate with me, throughout every thread of my existence.  And yet they shall forever elude me, by their very nature.

Watching movies, reading books, instrumental music, or wrestling with philosophy in the back of my mind... over and over again, I find myself impressed with these beautiful feelings and powerful ideas... too pure in principle to be detailed with words.  Although, even now, I wonder if perhaps I have merely lost my voice, or am simply no longer capable of expressing myself properly.

This is why I have not blogged in so very long.  I am filled to the brim with things to share, but I lack the words to express them.  Try as I might, I simply cannot do these feelings justice.  Although, I can offer you this as consolation.  Once again, I find someone else able to describe me and my heart better than I ever could.

The day to day events of my life are insignificant, at best.  It is only my dreams, my heart, and these thoughts that are truly worth living for.  If only I could share them with you.  If only you could see..  For now, though, I suppose it is good enough simply to have them.  Perhaps yet a fantasy may be born of this reality.

Seriously.  WTF is my problem?