Christian Hardcore

A genre near and dear to my heart is quickly becoming more mainstream than any other Christian genre. I think it's partly due to the lack of good hardcore in the big record labels, something they seem to be shying away from more and more. The latest place I noticed some good Christian hardcore was on a video podcast I happened upon called notmtv (or see notmtv.tv) at Revision3.

The show mentioned several bands that you may have heard of including a favorite of mine, Norma Jean. The focus of the show was on a young band called Bless the Fall. Pretty good stuff from what I've heard...download the podcast and check it out...pretty interesting.

Cedarmania: The Night From Hell

Many of you may remember last year when I had to stay up all night at an event called Cedarmania. You may also remember that I managed to drink 16 Mountain Dews that night...let me just say...bad idea. I knew before I started it wasn't going to be good but some things just have to be done. Anyway...that event is back and I still have to stay up all night.

Basically I want to make it though on just light sugar in Gatorade, cookies, and stolen hot cocoa. Of course that probably won't be enough so I will also use a little Dew and plenty of Webtainment™. This year's Webtainment™ will come in the form of another TWO episodes of Nathan's Overdramatic Day. Some of you liked them...some of you loved them...we;ll see how you like this one. The first is available now...the second hopefully later tonight (tomorrow morning)...stay tuned!

Nathan's Overdramatic February 16th, 2007: Part One
Download mp3 (2.34 MB)
"Mo-Def" WAV format (17.2 MB)

UPDATE 2/19: In a wild turn of events there will be no part two as previously planned. Very sorry to disappoint but you may still enjoy the first and only part free of charge. I also remixed the original as there were a few errors that slipped by my careful ear. So if you listened to it before Sunday morning you should give it another listen...that is all.

You can see my first Overdramatic Day here...

Is -6 the temperature or today on a scale of 1-10?

It's -6°F and sunny here in the Ohio city of Cedarville where many streets are still indistinguishable from the curbs and Chapel isn't canceled no matter what. Sometimes I wonder if chapel is our god here...

Yesterday, I was informed, should have been another snow day with classes entirely canceled. Instead they sent out a few very cryptic emails. The first said that chapel would not be canceled regardless of the school being closed. The second stating that if you thought the weather was too bad to make it in, you didn't have to come to school but classes would be in session. The reason: We are being reevaluated for accreditation this year and we only normally get two "calamity days." We already used one, and apparently the second was used to give us Good Friday off.

That's life I guess. Always getting screwed on the account of some technicality...

Medal of Honor

Neil Greathouse, whom I greatly respect as both a human being and a gamer has recently commented on our Medal of Honor Allied Assult "Slamfest™" of which I must also comment on.

It was truly fun playing with such a quality group of guys. A lot of good competition, although I did expect more out of my brother. Neil is far too humble though because he did win like 90% of the rounds in his usual merciless fashion.

I also must say that I hate people who use rockets. You shoot them like 100 times in the eye, then they blow themselves up leaving you without a kill! Unacceptable...especially when they manage to also blow you up!

Most of all I wish I could be in the same room as the Columbus guys because I know there's some amazing smack talk going on over there...and I just wish I could contribute more... We will meet again next Wednesday!

Art: The Most Beautiful Form of BS

After a weekend full of Super Bowls™, athletic marathons, and breakdown practicing one thing still dominates my memories: German Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Most of you probably have no idea what that is seeing as how you don't go to a fancy college like I do. German Requiem, or Ein deutsches Requiem, is "a large-scale work for chorus, orchestra, and soloists. 1"Also let it be noted that it is boring!2

Needless to say, orchestras are not my thing. Orchestras paired with enormous choirs are definitely not my thing. At slightly over an hour long, this amazing piece of musical composition (although boring, I still have to admit it is fairly astonishing) has supposedly taken me on a roller coaster of emotional ups and downs, but all I really feel is that this musical marathon should really be cut down to 15 minuets.

I understand why this music is enjoyed by many, but why must my Humanities professor insist that everything "art" is meaningful...to everyone! That requiem means nothing to me except that I could have better spent my Friday night. Maybe Brahm had some deep significant meaning in his piece or maybe he just thought it sounded good. Either way, art should not be something we glorify, it should be something we appreciate. I can't stand the way people always have to make more out of something than it really is. Enjoy art in all forms and appreciate those who are good at making it, but don't turn it into some mystical object that speaks deep into the souls of all human beings.

...plus, everyone knows that rock is the most beautiful form of art ever anyway...

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ein_deutsches_Requiem
2. My brain

Randomings

I have had this word stuck in my head, ombudsman. It's pretty much the strangest word to have stuck in your head and I can't remember where I got it! Maybe they said it on TWiT...

Nothing is more disgusting than when they put way too much salt down on the roads. It's like for every inch of snow they put two of salt. You can't even see the lines in some Cedarville University parking lots because of the white glaze.

I want to be a Trade Mark troll. That's totally the future! I don't have any products or patents to sell, but I've got marketing! I was thinking I could call my blog the future in "webtainment.™" I was going to use "intertainment" but I thought that was too obvious...well...why the heck not? I'll use both! "The future in 'intertaining'™ 'webtainment'™"

Everyone, watch the new office tonight! That is all...