Em Wyllie

The Adjustment Bureau - A Film Review

2011-03-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

I'd been looking forward to seeing The Adjustment Bureau for almost a year before I finally got the chance to see it. The film was initially slated for a summer release in 2010 and then pushed back to a late fall release. After that, the film was postponed indefinitely. After some time, it was finally announced for a March 4th release.

Now, I love Emily Blunt. In fact, I'm more inclined to see a film if she's in it. Matt Damon's one of those actors who's really hit and miss with me. Sometimes I love him and other times I can't stand him. But the premise of this film and the idea of his character intrigued me.

I was a little worried to see the film after the delays it received. If your film's been delayed twice, is it worth watching? Thankfully, I had no reason for worry. I went in to the film expecting to see a decent film that plays with the idea of free will and fate. I came out with a film I really enjoyed.

David, a hopeful politician played by Matt Damon, has a chance meeting with Elise, a free spirited impulsive young dancer played by Emily Blunt, in a bathroom after he has lost his current race for Senate. The meeting inspires him to deliver a blunt from the heart styled speech for his concession.

Soon after his concession he is preparing to start work with an old friend and member of his political team. A young man is seen waiting for him in the park across from his apartment, having been given instruction to cause him to spill his coffee by 7:05. After this crucial event is missed, David has a chance meeting with Elise where he learns her name and receives her number.

When he arrives at work, he walks in to a 'recalibration' that is happening on his friend. This is when the Adjustment Bureau reveals themselves to him. They are a network of people who cause small things to happen, adjustments in the master plan of the world and all of our lives. They describe things like spilling coffee, internet going out or even cell phones dropping calls as things that are sometimes chance and sometimes the work of the Bureau.

They tell David he is not supposed to be with Elise and he is never to see her again. After burning the number he received from her, they tell him to leave and never tell anyone of the Bureau or they will erase his memory and, essentially, make him insane.

After three years, chance brings Elise and David together again and the push and pull between the Bureau and David begins as he fights their adjustments to be with the woman he had fallen in love with.

In the over all scope of the film, it calls in to question how much free will we as humans have, what could be predestined, whether we're able to change that and who gets to make these decisions. The movie, while not remaining mysterious in the way it operates, was definitely a fun ride to be on. Although I was able to piece together the story quite easily as the film progressed, I still enjoyed the story immensely.

I felt as though leaving the first chunk of the movie described above out and only revisiting this via flashback or description from characters would have left this film in a much more mysterious thriller sort of genre, I do feel that that wasn't the effect the filmmakers were going for. This was a film that was supposed to make you think. Not about the film itself or what's happening in it, but about the context. About your own choices and whether or not they're being influenced from another plane or not.

If you're expecting a thriller or a mystery out of this film, you may be disappointed. It lays it's cards in front of you at the beginning of the movie and allows you to make up your mind about the validity of the story. But if you're interested in the film for the thoughts it may provoke, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how much enjoyment you can get out of it.

The Rose by Sarah Slean Music Video

2011-01-31T09:22:00.001-08:00

The NGP Announced - Successor to the PSP

2011-01-26T23:59:00.000-08:00

Sony announced today at a press conference for Playstation that their successor to the Playstation Portable, the NGP, will be released in the Holiday Season of 2011. It is unclear if this is a Japanese only date or a worldwide release.

Some features of the NGP include...

Higher Graphics - Roughly equivalent of early PS3 Graphics
Front and Rear facing cameras
Always-On 3G Data Connection
A new cartridge style game storage - UMD officially scrapped
5" OLED Touch-screen
Touch Pads on the rear of the system
Two analog sticks

There will be location based features implemented that will show you other NGP players nearby and the most popular games in your location. It looks as though Sony has partnered heavily with Google in the implementation of Android-like features in the NGP. They have also planned to launch a Playstation service on Android devices including phones and tablets that brings the Playstation experience to the devices. PSP games and possibly Playstation 1 games will be made available for purchase to play on Android phones and tablets.

Sony's main goal with the NGP and the Playstation launch on Android is to have a fluid gaming experience. To start a game on your PS3, walk out the door and continue that game on your NGP. To check in on your stats from your phone and tablet.

Sony's main tagline for the NGP and the Android Playstation launch is...

The power is now in your hands

Head past the break for Sony's press shots!

Beauty Lives - Sarah Slean: A Review

2011-01-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

Beauty Lives is Sarah Slean's latest release. The album is a compilation of old and rare songs that had been played live but never recorded in studio. The album features ten songs that were voted on by Sarah's fans. Before the recording process, with the co-operation of LittleSlean, live recordings of several songs were made available and the voting process begun. Between the votes and personal decisions by Sarah, the track listing is as follows...

Count Me Out
Everything By the Gallon
My Song
Ogoni Star
Sadie
Closer
Hooligans
The Right Words
I Do
Glenn Gould Song

The album, overall, has a very cabaret and melancholy feel. The songs mostly seem to centre on a feeling of longing and regret. The album felt personal on first listen to me and it's definitely an album to sit down with a glass of wine and lament with.

Some of the stand out tracks for me upon first listening was Count Me Out, The Right Words and Glenn Gould Song. After listening more and more to the album, Ogoni Star, Closer, and My Song also put themselves forward as well.

Sarah's writing style takes such an insanely personal situation and puts it out as something very open and relatable piece. Count Me Out talks about being in a one-sided relationship. Where one person is so madly in love and the other just wants out. The song sounds as though it could be a whiny, self-satisfying type of song. But it comes across as a beautifully relatable piece.

Sadie is an anthem to Sarah's future daughter. It tells the girl to be brave and strong, unlike her mother. To not let the issues she or the world goes through to weigh down on her like they have on herself. It seems to be a madly personal song but the song is so innocent and sweet it's really more of a self-empowering anthem. A reminder to be strong and believe in yourself.

Closer is a song that relates to me on a madly personal level. It describes an unhealthy relationship that you just can't seem to get out of. The fear in taking the step away to be healthy and safe.

Overall, I think this is a great introduction to Sarah Slean and is a really empowering album despite the sad tone that runs throughout it. It's available online through iTunes, Amazon and other digital retailers and in physical form from her official site: www.sarahslean.com

FFXIII-2 Announced

2011-01-18T02:52:00.000-08:00

Square Enix announced today at an event held in Japan that Final Fantasy XIII-2 is in production and will be released in 2011. It is unclear if this release window applies to Japan only or whether it will be an international release in 2011.

Little has been released about FFXIII-2. The new logo above shows a character who is said to be similar to Lightning in temperament. It is rumoured to be a man with purple hair.

Official Trailer

Screenshots below!

Sad or Beautiful?

2011-01-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

GAY = SIN from Matthew Brown on Vimeo.

Tron: Legacy - Film Review

2010-12-19T17:04:00.000-08:00

So I went to see Tron: Legacy on opening night with a few friends. The first thing I have to say is that the visuals were amazing. The budget for Tron: Legacy definitely set new standards for visuals in a modern-age film. The CGI was seamless and the use of 3D wasn't tacky or half-assed. It felt immersive, which is how 3D should be done.

Now those of us who've seen the original Tron, you're in for a treat. The additions they'd made to this world many of us have become enamoured with are, to be put simply, drool-worthy. Everything is richer and more electronic feeling. Gone are the days of hand-drawn animations overtop of film cell. This is a new generation of Tron that still feels remarkably like the previous one.

If you're in to the visceral side of film making, this is a treat for your senses. The sound is beautifully balanced, the visuals crisp and clean and the overall design is a film designers dream.

The plot of Tron: Legacy is more of what you'd expect. Not to say that this is a bad thing at all. A program gone renegade, the resistance fighting against them, etc.

The film also does a great job of setting itself up for those people who didn't see the original Tron in the opening scenes. We see Kevin Flynn explaining the world of Tron and telling him all about the improvements and things he's done since the first film. He's turned CLU in to a mirror image of himself that has AI thought potential to help him run things while he's not around with Tron.

In the mean time, you can guess what's happened. CLU has become corrupt, believing that his assignment of creating the perfect world no longer includes Kevin Flynn. So when Kevin enters The Grid, CLU terminates Tron, Kevin's protector, and sends him on the run.

Unfortunately during this time, when a portal opens in to this world it only remains open for about eight hours and once the portal is closed, it cannot be opened from the inside. Kevin becomes stuck there. In the real world, Sam Flynn, Kevin's son, grows up without a father and becomes some-what of a recluse. Despite owning major shares in his father's company, he remains out of the company.

After one of his father's old colleague's, Tron's original User, receives a page from a line that's been dead for nearly thirty years Sam heads to his father's old Arcade and is sucked in to The Grid. The rest of the plot advances along with Sam, Kevin, and Quorra, a program part of the small resistance, attempting to get out of The Grid to shut down CLU from the outside.

Many revelations about the world of Tron are made during the film and I don't want to give away too much of the plot before you go out and see it, but while it's not the most amazing plot out there, it fits well in the film and puts forward the best experience you can expect from a movie like Tron: Legacy.

Over all I'd have to give the movie a great recommendation. If you're in to technology, saw the original or are just curious about what it might be like, go see it! I think it's something everyone can enjoy,

Rating
8.5/10

Up and Over It - We No Speak Americano

2010-12-15T01:39:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's me, but I've watched this clip about 30,000 times since I found it a couple nights ago. Amazing!

New Game Alert - Dissidia 012 [duodecim] Final Fantasy

2010-12-14T17:20:00.001-08:00

Square Enix has recently announced a prequel game to 2009's popular fighter for the PSP. The original game presented a fully 3D Fighter that I have never seen before. The game felt like a combination of an A-RPG and a Fighter.

The original Dissidia gave us a roster of 22 Characters to choose from. The roster consisted of the following character's from the corresponding Final Fantasy games.

Warrior of Light / Garland
Firion / The Emperor Mateus
Onion Knight / Cloud of Darkness
Cecil Harvey / Golbez
Bartz Klauser / Exdeath
Terra Bradford / Kefka Palazzo
Cloud Strife / Sephiroth
Squall Leonheart / Ultimecia
Zidane Tribal / Kuja
Tidus / Jecht
Shantotto
Gabranth

From Final Fantasy 1 - 10 a hero and a villain were chosen. Final Fantasy XI was only given a hero and XII was only given a villain. Each Hero fought for Cosmos, the goddess of Harmony and Light. Each Villain fought for Chaos, the god of Discord and Darkness.

A little backstory...

Chaos and Cosmos have been fighting for as long as they have existed. Their fight continues on despite apparant victories on either side. Chaos and Cosmos must always fight. The natural order of the world will not allow one favour over the other for long. Rebirth and Death are main themes between Chaos and Cosmos. Eventually Chaos and Cosmos began calling heroes and villains from other worlds to fight for them in hopes of gaining the upper hand.

Dissidia Final Fantasy told the story of the thirteenth cycle of battles between Chaos and Cosmos and their warriors. In the original Dissidia Chaos and Cosmos each had equal warriors. In Dissidia 012 [duodecim] the tables have turned.

Dissidia 012 [doudecim] tells the story of the twelfth cycle of battles between Chaos, Cosmos and their warriors. This time around, the heroes seem to have an advantage, with several new characters having been announced already and more to come.

Head past the break for a break down of the new game!

Dissidia 012 [duodecim] adds several new features to the Dissidia Final Fantasy system.

One of the biggest and most anticipated features is the expanded roster. So far five new characters have been announced, all of them on the Cosmos side of the roster. Rumour is floating around that ten characters will be announced over all, but Square Enix has only confirmed that there will be an uneven number of characters per side. But new locations will be added with every new character.

So far the following character's have been announced...

Lightning (FFXIII)
Kain Highwind (FFIV)
Tifa Lockhart (FFVII)
Vaan (FFXII)
Laguna Loire (FFVIII)

Each of these characters are on the Cosmos side of things and speculation has indicated that it's possible these characters may be killed off during this game and that's why they don't appear in Dissidia Final Fantasy.

It is also possible that Final Fantasy XI will receive a villain character since Final Fantasy XII has already received their hero.

An assist system has been implemented in to Dissidia 012 [duodecim]. Few details have been revealed so far, but it appears one character can be selected as an assist character. There is an assist bar below the health bar that fills throughout the battle. Once the bar is full, you can then call upon your assist character for either an HP or Brave attack.

The final change that's been revealed so far has been the introduction of a 3D world map. This is a welcome change from Dissidia Final Fantasy's map system, which acted more like a chess board than anything else.

The world map will be a physical space where your character can run around, encounter enemies, visit shops and find treasure chests.

As further details of Dissidia 012 [Duodecim] become available, I'll be sure to update you all on them.

Some YouTube Users Say Goodbye to Time Limits

2010-12-14T01:05:00.001-08:00

That's right folks! Some YouTube users, myself and Drroxxette included, have found the time limits on their videos miraculously disappearing!

So what exactly does this mean? My guess is that YouTube is beginning to roll out time limitless videos for all their users instead of just partners. That or they're simply dangling a carrot in front of some users while denying others the chance to jump for it.

Could this be the start of new Partnership offers or could this simply be a slow-going roll out of time limitless videos for YouTube? We'll just have to wait and see to find out.

Check out a screencap under the break to see what the upload screen tells you if you've been selected for this privilege too!

Have you been given the option for longer uploads yet? Or if you don't post videos, would you like to watch longer videos from non-partners? Or do you like the fifteen minute limit?

Imogen Heap - Ellipse now streaming!

2009-08-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Imogen Heap has started streaming her new album a week before release online. Link below if you just can't wait any longer...

Listen to Ellipse

Imogen Heap - New Album Alert

2009-07-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

Imogen Heap, the brilliant British songstress, is set to release her third album this August. After a long, arduous journey through building a studio in her house and recording the whole album within that study, Ellipse is finally ready and being released on August 24th in the UK and August 25th in North America.

Imogen's new album is a thirteen track homage to her family home which she is now inhabiting again. Every track on the album was recorded in the house and has elements of the houses noises added in to it. It's an interesting concept and we're eager to hear how it pans out.

Full tracklisting and the first single after the jump!

First Train Home
Wait It Out
Earth
Little Bird
Swoon
Tidal
Between Sheets
2 - 1 (formerly known as 'Polyfilla')
Bad Body Double
A-Ha!
The Fire
Canvas
Half Life

Below is the sampling of First Train Home, the first single from the album.

Download First Train Home

The Big Book Of Who Killed Amanda Palmer - Pre-Order Starts Soon

2009-04-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Big Book Of Who Killed Amanda Palmer is being released this July. However, this first-run only book is being printed in 10,000. Once they're gone, they're gone. There's already a large amount going to Amanda Palmer fans that have pre-ordered in the past with the Who Killed Amanda Palmer album Pre-Order. But once those are gone, the rest goes up for pre-order.

The pre-order starts on Monday, April 20th. The time looks to be around noon EST. Pricing for the book hasn't quite been announced yet, but I can't see it being horribly expensive. This is a rare opportunity for Neil Gaiman fans and Amanda Palmer fans alike. The book features photography by many, many brilliant artists. I'll be sure to post a review when my copy from the Who Killed Amanda Palmer album Pre-Order along with favourite photos and credits for the brilliant photographers.

Anywho, keep an eye on The Shadowbox and Neil Gaiman's website for more pre-order information. This book is extremely limited so if you want a copy, be sure to pre-order.

UPDATE 04-19-09

The book has been announced for pre-order on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at THIS web address. Pre-order is estimated to start around 12PM EST.

A Dream

2009-04-13T03:03:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night that sort of put me off center. I wasn't too pleased to wake up in that, sadly, familiar cold sweat, feeling like someone I cared about had just died. The thing I don't understand is why the dream upset me so much. Well, that's kind of a lie... I have an idea.

It was just me graduating. From what, I don't know, but It seemed more than high school. Maybe it was University, who knows. But I was going through a graduation. And it hit the point where everyone's kind of milling about afterward in their dresses and suits and.. there was this guy. I ended up talking to him for a couple of hours. My subconscious apparently likes to give me boyfriends without letting me know in my dreams.

So we talk and it gets to the point where everything's winding down and everyone has to make their way out. We stand up, he looks me straight in the eye, touches my shoulder and says "Come with me to Italy." And without missing a beat, my response follows. I took his hand and gave it a kiss before looking him back in the eye. "You and I both know that even if I went with you, I'm not assured I would be able to stay.."

There was a moment of silence.

And then he nodded, turning to leave. He got in the elevator and I yelled after him, completely unable to even hear my own voice saying his name. He looked up before the doors closed and I said goodbye, waving to him.

The rest of the dream was trivial in comparison. The usual sort of things, worrying this is broken or that is, etc.

But this part... it really got to me. And I'm not too sure why my head decided to show it to me. I mean, I know I'm alone and I know I'm not the most graceful in a relationship. So why remind me of it?

Oh well. There's only so much we can expect out of our minds.

Single Presidents?

2009-01-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hiatus Explanation

2009-01-18T14:50:00.000-08:00

I know. It's been near two months. The hiatus has come from a couple of different places. I've been working on some side projects and have recently come in to a new job as well.

First of all - We're getting our own domain soon. Right now I'm just trying to get a handle on CSS or find someone who has a good handle on it. If you feel like you want to help, email me!! EmWyllie@gmail.com (payment might be applicable depending on the situation)

Secondly - I've been working a new full time management job that is taking up 40+ hours of my week.

Thirdly - Matt Wyllie has a website now! www.mattwyllie.com is now up and running.

I'll try to post more often and will let you guys know when the official new URL goes live.

RoadRunner Records -- Shame On You

2008-11-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Recently, Amanda Palmer released the video for her song Leeds United. However, RoadRunner Records requested that she recut the video to include less shots of her 'belly.'

Now, looking at the shot above, that had no retouching done to it, I think Amanda looks fucking amazing. She looks like a woman should. Apparently RoadRunner believes she's far too fat to be showing off her stomach.

However RoadRunner Records has no problems showing promo shots of Nightwish on their site with Tuomas Holopainen showing off his belly. Tuomas isn't fat by any means, either, but I'd say his belly is around the same size as Amanda's. But because he's a metal head and a male, he could splay himself naked and RoadRunner would have no problems. But amanda dares to show off her stomach and they throw a bitch fit.

This needs to be dealt with immediately. Here is RoadRunner's contact information. PLEASE Email them a photo of your stomach, with whatever you'd like written on, or bare, and let them know that Bellies of ALL Shapes and sizes are appreciated and loved!

ROADRUNNER RECORDS INFORMATION

ADDRESS:
902 Broadway, 8th Fl.
New York, NY 10010

PHONE:
212-274-7500

FAX:
212-505-7469

KEY PEOPLE TO NAME-DROP:
Managing Director: Cees Wessels
    President: Jonas Nachsin
    SVP Marketing: Madelyn Scarpulla

EMAIL ADDRESSES TO SEND YOUR BELLY PHOTOS TO:

General Stuff   roadrunner@roadrunnerrecords.com <<
Website Inqueries   webmaster@roadrunnerrecords.com
Publicity Inqueries   publicity@roadrunnerrecords.com <<
Retail Inqueries   retail@roadrunnerrecords.com

FILM AND TV MUSIC
Joan Bolvin       bolvin@roadrunnerrecords.com <<

PLEASE, SEND SOMETHING!!!!

Update: A member of The Shadowbox has put together this wonderful little letter detailing everything. Please read and send something along to RoadRunner or to Jordan!

Amanda Palmer, of the Dresden Dolls, has recently gone solo. The record company she is signed to, Roadrunner Records, has given her hell over finances, record sales, and now this...

Amanda has recently released her new music video for the song "Leeds United".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYSULkXcVYw

Roadrunner Records responded by telling her to she was fat, and to recut the video to show less of her belly.
Amanda blogged about it here:

http://blog.amandapalmer.net/

Since the release, Amanda Palmer fans have been posting tons of responses in the online Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer forum here:

http://www.theshadowbox.net/forum/index.php?topic=6054.0

They have begun posting pictures of their bellies in protest and support of Amanda, and sending their pictures to the email address of Jordan (doritojoe89@gmail.com) to make a collection to print and send to the Roadrunner Records HQ, and so far over 100 photos have been collected.

This isn't just about Amanda Palmer's belly. This is about all the bellies of the world: Big, small, hairy, stretch-marked, scarred, pregnant, every single belly. The aim is to reclaim the belly; To promote a healthy body image for everyone (not even just females) and to bring an end, or at least a tapering, to the "barbie dolling" of images that record companies and the media as a whole do to artists.

So JOIN THE REBELLYON. Take a picture of your beautiful belly, send it to Jordan (doritojoe89@gmail.com), make it your default myspace/facebook picture, do anything to promote the cause. Help spread a healthy body image for everyone. Just do it.

And flip through this thread to see some more bellies. It's worth it.

http://www.theshadowbox.net/forum/index.php?topic=6054.0

Prince William Whips It Out!

2008-11-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

Prince William has finally whipped out his private bits and been caught! The paps were chasing him around during a Polo match and Billy had to piss, so...

Jump past the break for the shots.

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

Quickpost this image to Myspace, Digg, Facebook, and others!

The Baroness Redecorates

2008-11-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

Sarah Slean announced today that her new B-side EP will be released on December 9th in stores and online. The EP will be titled The Baroness Redecorates. The official tracklisting, including seven tracks with four previously unreleased, is listed below.

Parasol

Lonely Side of the Moon

Modern Man I & II

Compatriots

The Rose

Hear Me Out

The "Disarm" Suite

Unforunately, Sarah's beautiful rendition of Paul Gross's song "After The War" from the Canadian War Film Passchendaele is absent from the EP. But Sarah has confirmed that there is a short film being worked on to accompany the track Modern Man. Look for The Baroness Redecorates in stores and online on December 9th!

New Album Alert -- Goddess - Emm Gryner

2008-11-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

Canadian Gem Emm Gryner has announced that she will be releasing a new album in February 2009. The album will be titled Goddess. Emm noted in a recent blog post that the album is a 'winter album, with it's minor keys and strings' which is a contrast to her most recent album, released in 2006, The Summer of High Hopes.

Jump past the break for a little more insight on the album!

The Summer of High Hopes is an upbeat, summer-time album. Goddess is a callback to that, showing off the opposite side of her writing. The new tracks have some interesting titles, as many of Emm's previous albums have had as well.

The album will feature ten songs. The official order of the tracklisting hasn't been confirmed, but Emm has confirmed the ten tracks featured on the album.

DIE EVERGREEN
MATCH
GODDESS
LET IT SNOW
KILLING SPREE
EMPTY HOLE
NOTE 2 SELF
SKATING RINK
YOUNG IS THE NIGHT
LEFTOVER LOVE

Let It Snow is not a cover of the classic Christmas song. It is a full studio version of a song previously released on a limited EP sold at live shows.

The album is expected to drop in February 2009 on Dead Daisy Records. Expect a Pre-Order, with possible contest and bonus content, in January 2009.

NO on Prop 8 -- Vote Today!

2008-11-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

As a friendly reminder to our Californian readers, please go out today and vote No on Prop 8! Whether or not you support gay marriage, the prop wants to change constitutional rights to allow the government to discriminate under the law, which is wrong!

Also, for every American reader, go out and vote! Whether you vote for Obama or McCain, just go vote!!

Lars Stephan Opens Official Website

2008-11-03T15:19:00.000-08:00

YEAH my own website!

Originally uploaded by lars nyc

LarsNYC from Flickr has started his own Website! It features several photos not originally in his Flickr portfolio. Here's hoping the website works out beautifully for you, Lars! I'm rooting for you! Visit it below and find the link added to this blog's linklist!

www.larsstephan.com

Beyonce -- I Am... Debut Singles

2008-10-17T11:49:00.000-07:00

Standard I Am... Sascha Fierce cover

Beyonce is releasing a new album next month entitled I Am... The album will be a double-album, with Disc One entitled I Am... Beyonce and Disc Two entitled I Am... Sascha Fierce. I'm pretty excited for the album. I loved Dangerously in Love but B'Day didn't really do it for me.

Beyonce's new album has a dual-personality theme. The first disc is the Beyonce disc, containing more bluesy and R&B styled songs and the second disc is the Sascha Fierce disc, containing dance and hip-hop styled songs.

The first single from the album is a double A-Side, If I Were A Boy (from the Beyonce Disc) and Single Ladies (from the Sascha Fierce Disc). Both videos are embedded below. I enjoy Single Ladies much more.

Single Ladies

If I Were a Boy

The Deluxe Edition cover for I Am... Sascha Fierce

Bee Lady

2008-10-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Saw her when leaving my day job today. Thought it was kinds cool and very random.

Who Killed Amanda Palmer -- A Review

2008-10-06T03:19:00.000-07:00

Who Killed Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer
Released: September 16th
Tracks: 12
Record Label: Roadrunner Records

Who Killed Amanda Palmer is an adventure in to Amanda Palmer's psyche. The album delves in to everything from war and abortion to family issues and domestic violence. Amanda Palmer, free of the ties that a band can bring, was able to let herself go and do everything she couldn't with The Dresden Dolls.

Full Review after the jump.

Astronaut: A Short History of Nearly Nothing - With beautiful production and a crashing riff, Astronaut opens the album to an emotional testimony to The Astronaut. The figure is mentioned several times over in different songs written by Amanda Palmer and while no one's too sure what the meaning amounts, it's definitely a romantic symbol for Ms. Palmer.

Runs in the Family - A high-anxiety, dove-tailed song, Runs in the Family gives a frantic feeling to the listener. Love the track, fun to sing along to, great lyrical content and no where near the angsty 23 year old whining that Amanda's described it as.

Ampersand - An anthem for those of us who believe that you don't need someone else to be happy. Sure, it helps, but it's not the key to your happiness. It's not a favourite on the album, but I don't skip over it.

Leeds United - One of my favourite tracks on the album. It's a snarky, fun sun. The take on the album is scratchy, rough and I love it. The piano and the horns mix well and create a rocking, wild feel to the song.

Blake Says - Amanda says Blake Says is a game. Try to find all the Velvet Underground references. Aside from that, It's a pretty fantastic song on it's own. The production on it is very well done, too.

Strength Through Music - The most touching song on the album. A tribute to the shocking killings at Columbine. Written during the media rush after the massacre and recorded during the Virginia Tech massacre, Strength Through Music, and it's beautiful companion video, will bring tears to the coldest of people.

Guitar Hero [Featuring East Bay Ray] - My favourite track on the album! Guitar Hero's a social commentary, a fucking cock rock song, and a great angry song to just scream along to. Best track on the album!!

Have to Drive - A beautiful slow piece written about.. well, roadkill. To understand the song better, it's "I have my reasons, deer." Not dear.

What's The Use of Wondrin' [Featuring Annie Clark of St. Vincent] - A cover of the song from the musical Carousel. A song that explains a woman's worry that her husband beats her. Her friend tells her, "sure he may beat you, but you love him. Right? That's all that matters!"

Oasis - A pop song about rape and abortion! Before anyone gets offended, it's written as a joke song! It's hilarious and I love the chord riffs and the Beach Boys backing vocals. Comedy Genius.

The Point of it All - A song about friendship and love. It even goes so far as to say "Just because they call themselves friends it doesn't mean they'll call", which can be as desperate as some people feel. I know I've been at that point before.

Another Year - A beautiful closer. A lot of people wanted Straight as an album closer, but I think that Another year if a much better choice for the album closer. It brings a nice rounded sound to it. Another favourite on the album

So, overall, it's a very solid album. I recommend it to anyone who likes The Dresden Dolls, Jason Webley, Regina Spektor, Stars, Tegan and Sara, or Death Cab for Cutie.

Total Rating: 9/10

Sarah Slean to release new EP

2008-10-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

The beautiful and talented Canadian songwriter Sarah Slean is set to release an EP of tracks cut from her Fourth Studio Album, The Baroness. No news of a concrete tracklisting has been released yet, but Sarah has confirmed through her official website that an EP will be released.

Sarah had upwards of 20 songs written for The Baroness ranging from the release of Day One to her recent life in Paris, France. The songs were cut down from above 20 to 18 during the recording process.

Expected tracks for the EP are

Parasol - Confirmed by Sarah herself. An upbeat piano piece based around a classic tune. Available to those who pre-ordered The Baroness from the official Sarah Slean store.

The Rose - Speculation. Released as a bonus track on iTunes, written as part of a CBC collaboration of artists adapting classic Schubert pieces. Also published in Sarah's second book of poetry, also titled, The Baroness.

The Lonely Side of the Moon - Speculation. Released as a bonus track on iTunes and apart of the same CBC collaboration and also published in Sarah's second book of poetry, also titled, The Baroness.

My Song - Speculation. A song played live at shows since roughly 2005.

Compatriots - Speculation. A song played live at shows in 2007.

Modern Man - Speculation. Not much is known about this song. It has been published as a poem in Sarah's second book of poetry, also titled The Baroness.

The Right Words - Speculation. Not much is known of this song.

So here's hoping we'll get a little more information on this such as title, tracklisting, and release date in the near future!

Thanks to LittleSlean for information on select songs.

New Song up on Myspace - Bitter(Sweet)

2008-09-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

So, I don't know if I really mentioned it on this blog in the past, but I am a musician. I record under Matt Wyllie. I'm a vocalist (and a vocal teacher), a self-taught pianist, and have been considering learning some guitar to round it out a bit. But, I do have a myspace music account, a page on facebook, a YouTube account, and I do run Twitter. In fact, I'm gonna through those up on the links side bar.

Anyway, I've put up a new song on Myspace. It's a rough demo of a song written about a month ago. It's a piano-vocal song at the moment, but I think I'm hearing strings.

Hop on over to Myspace to give it a listen!

Yaoi Fest - Finally, A Canadian Yaoi Con!

2008-09-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was really excited to hear about Canada's very first Yaoi Convention being organized. I was even more excited that it's being set for next year and in Calgary! It's close enough I could drive if need be! I'm totally going!

Yaoi Fest is planned sometime for Fall 2009 in Calgary, Alberta. Details are still sketchy and rough, but I'm really hoping this will pull together and go through! I'm definitely excited for this.

It's about time we finally got a Yaoi convention in Canada!

Check out their official website here!

Posting now erratic!

2008-09-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

So my second job has taken up more time than I thought it would. It looks like posts will end up being whenever I can get to it. Sorry guys.

The Women -- Eh...

2008-09-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it was about The Women that didn't quite work for me. I mean, it wasn't a horrible movie. But it wasn't quite what I thought it should be, either. The cast was pretty good, the characters were likeable, and it was touted as one of the gayest movies in a while thanks to Debra Messing and Bette Middler being involved. But it was just kinda... eh.

Bette Middler was in the movie for all of five seconds. She played a stoner acting agent that Meg Ryan's character met at some random camp she went to after separating from her husband. She tells Mary (Ryan's character) that she should ask about what she wants not what everyone else wants over a joint and that's all we see of her. It was really more of a cameo than an actual role.

The story was a good idea, but the implementation was kinda off. Mary's husband cheats on her and it's about how she deals with it with some of her friends help her. Jada Pinket Smith plays a lesbian writer, Anette Benning plays a magazine editor, and Debra Messing plays a mom-type.

It was okay. But I guess I just wanted to like it more than I did. I'd wait for it to come out and rent it or even just wait for it to play on Movie channels.

Apple -- New iPod Lineup

2008-09-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Apple introduced it's new lineup of iPods yesterday. The whole line has been updated with new UI, storage updates, and hardware changes. However the Price Changes introduced for the US aren't quite as nice for Canada even though our Dollar is near equal with the US Dollar now. Tch. When will you learn Apple? Head past the jump to see what's changed in the iPod lineup.

Pictured above

The iPod Nano has returned to it's tall form factor, sporting a larger screen now.
An Accelerometer has been added now, cause the screen to shift perspective when turned to the side for viewing videos.
The colours have been updated and surround the entire device like the second generation Nano.
New headphones have also been introduced with volume controls in them and a microphone that the iPod Nano can use for voice recording without an external microphone or any additional software.
The Nano is available in both 8GB and 16GB.
New Price: 8GB $169 CAD 16GB $219 CAD

The iPod Touch has also been updated.
They've left the storage the same - 8GB, 16GB, 32GB models.
The entire device is now thinner
A speaker has been added to the bottom for "Casual listeners" I.E. Not for audiophiles.
The new headphones also work with the second generation iPod Touch.
Nike+ software is now built in to the iPod Touch
New Price: 8GB $259 CAD, 16GB $329 CAD, 32GB $429 CAD

The iPod Classic has been updated very minimally.
The new headphones work with the seventh generation iPod
The new model is now only available in 120GB
New price: 120GB $279 CAD

The iPod Shuffle has only received one update and it's entirely cosmetic.
New colours
Same Price: 1GB: $55 CAD, 2GB $75 CAD

Pre-Order Who Killed Amanda Palmer

2008-09-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Pre-orders for Who Killed Amanda Palmer started today! There's three different combinations of what you can pre-order...

Package 1

A physical copy of the album
An instant download of the entire album and two exclusive bonus tracks: I Google You (a song co-written by Neil Gaiman) and Straight (With Strings) [ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH ONLINE PURCHASE! DOWNLOADS NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH PHONE ORDER! I had a rather bad run in with MusicToday about this]

Package 2

A physical copy of the album signed by Amanda Palmer* and Ben Folds**
Exclusive Downloads from Package 1
An exlusive "I Killed Amanda Palmer" t-shirt in the size of your choice from S - XL

Package 3 (LIMITED TO 672 COPIES)

A physical copy of the album signed by Amanda Palmer* and Ben Folds**
Exclusive Downloads from Package 1
An exlusive "I Killed Amanda Palmer" t-shirt in the size of your choice from S - XL
Limited Edition Lithograph signed and numbered by Amanda Palmer
A copy of "The Big Book of Who Killed Amanda Palmer" featuring photos by Kye Cassidy and Short Stories by Neil Gaimain. Signed by both Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman
A copy of the album on Vinyl and signed by Amanda Palmer
A "Crime Scene" photo set and exclusive Murder Evidence

*Only the first 5,000 copies order between both Package 2 and 3
**Only the first 250 copies ordered between both Package 2 and 3

Click on the Album Cover to Pre-order!

Scheduling Change

2008-09-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

There's gonna be a change in posting here. I've just picked up a second job and It's gonna take up some more of my time now. So the posting schedule's going to change to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Saturday Night Rant will change to Friday Night Rant. Everything will pick up again on Monday!

WTF -- Google - "We Use Your Shit And Don't Pay You!"

2008-09-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

So, it turns out that Google's decided to find an easy way to advertise. The EULA (End User License Agreement) basically states that Google has free reign over whatever you post to the internet through the Chrome browser. So if you're a blogger, Google can use anything you posted to your blog with the Chrome browser for anything they'd like without having to pay you. The same goes for anything uploaded to Flickr, or posted to Facebook, Myspace. This includes music accounts! If you're a musician and you've uploaded something to your Myspace Music through Chrome, you could hear your song pop up in a Google ad sometime soon.

Past the Jump for EULA terminology.

11. Content license from you11.1 You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services.This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2 You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3 You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

11.4 You confirm and warrant to Google that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the above license.

First Shots from Leeds United Video

2008-09-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

AmandaPalmer_LeedsUnited_401 copy

Originally uploaded by Alex de Campi

Amanda Palmer has shot her first solo music video this past weekend! On Sunday, a video was shot for Leeds United, the first single from the album. It is separate from the Who Killed Amanda Palmer series. That series comes to a close next week with Guitar Hero and an Outro.

A couple more shots after the break.

Google Browser -- Chrome

2008-09-02T03:40:00.000-07:00

Google's taken a leap and entered the mainstream browser run. You can add Chrome to the list of browsers you spout off whenever someone asks how to access the net. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome?

Some of the features include:
- New JavaScript engine called V8 for faster performance
- "Special tabs" above the window, not below the address bar (see image above)
- Address bar auto-completion
- Opera-like "Speed Dial" with thumbnails of your most visited 9 websites
- Privacy mode
- Web apps can be launched in their own window without addressbar/toolbar

Chrome definitely sounds interesting. I haven't had a chance to try it out for myself just yet as there's no Mac or Linux version up yet. But you Windows users out there can try out the beta, if they can find it. I haven't been able to locate the exact download page just yet.

No Post Today!

2008-09-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

There will be no usual post to today as I'm away from the computer today. Since it's a holiday, I'm out at the lake with the family.

Posting resumes as usually tomorow!

Saturday Night Rant -- The Sunday Morning Edition

2008-08-31T03:42:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry I didn't get a chance to post this last night. I got busy drinking with the girls and then I was chatting on BlogTV with Luna from youtube. (Go check her out, she's hilarious. Here's her YouTube Page.) And then it was like 2:30 in the morning and I just totally spaced on it. So, here it is, a day late.

Trolls

I fucking hate it when you're on a forum and there's that resident troll. You know? The one that's buddies with seeral of the mods and sometimes even the admin, so they get away with all this shit. How ridiculous is that? There was one like this on a Forum I frequent and it disappointed me.

He was horrible. It was to the point where he would come in to threads and just attack people and stir shit up. The people that he had convinced to like him would say "Oh, he's just kidding" or "He's just being sarcastic", "It's the UK wit!"

I'm sorry, but harassing a member of the forum is not kidding, sarcastic, or witty. At every opportunity he received, he would attack him, saying that he was simply a woman with a dick when this member had done nothing in the first place to him.

Said Troll would also hijack threads. We have a regional section of the board that's country specific. He's from the UK and he jumps in to the Canada thread about five posts after a couple of people had finished talking to eachother about the Olympics and simply states "Ha, 10 medals, you guys suck."

So he got a simple response from me saying "blatant troll is blatant." You'd have thought I'd caused nuclear winter. Three other members of the forum, none of which were Canadian, jump in to the thread and continue to attack me. So I made one more pst in my defense, said I didn't take either of them seriously and left it at that. Why feed the trolls?

The particular troll that started all this shit had been bitching about the board for months and how he wanted to leave the board. Why the hell would you stick around just to be an asshole and make fun of others? You've got to have pretty low self esteem to spend all your time on the internet, making fun of others to make yourself feel better.

A few days ago he was talking to people in our Random, Off topic thread and he ended up in a fight with the mod and he ended up deleting his account after a mini-whiney-bitchfest. I stated my opinion in the thread of it being a good thing and I was attacked by near the entire forum. But I felt like I'd done the right thing. There were people who couldn't stand up and say how much he had offended and hurt them, so I felt it was my responsibility.

I was told that I just didn't know him and that's why I didn't like him. Which was bullshit. I didn't like him because he caused shit on the forum and was an asshole for no reason to most people. Maybe he's a pained artist, maybe he needs medication. But how would I know that? He never presented it on the board. I can't be expected to know everyone on a board of about 200 personally.

I was even told directly by a mod, in the public threads, not private messages or anything, to shut up because no one cares what I think. Mods are supposed to be objective, aren't they? But, then again, this mod had been talking to the troll outside the board and I'm pretty sure she had the hots for him.

So when I was happy a troll had been kicked out, I was practically lynched. But I'm not gonna get out. Why the hell should I leave a forum I enjoy (or did) simply because these people are being assholes? That would just prove their behaviour is acceptable and it isn't.

So I'm still around on the board and I'm still posting and I'm hoping that there are a few on the board that're glad I could stand up and say that even though they couldn't. But I'm not going to let some asshole troll who thinks he's better than me and his little harem of bitches drive me away form a forum that i've been a member of for almost three years now.

Jewel

2008-08-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Looking through tear stained glass

Heaven never fell so fast

A simple light

Dashed

As the heavens crashed

And Hades roared

I felt myself

Blissful

The angels cried for death

The demons rallied

She was alone

Dead

No-one saw

No-one came

No-one recognized

But me

Gaming: LittleBigPlanet

2008-08-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge)

There's very few words to describe just how excited I am for LittleBigPlanet to release in October. The game looks fantastic! Both visually and content-wise. It's an action platformer that has fantastic levels of customization.

LittleBigPlanet is a PS3 exclusive and is expected to be a console-mover. The game is based around three pillars. Play, Create, and Share.

Isis Introduces Herself

2008-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRHXPORMl-w"]

Strength Through Music

2008-08-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeCbuI257Wc&fmt=18"]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Steamy YouTube Find

2008-08-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dviUyTHEas4"]

The video title is Hubad Scene 6. There's something incredibly erotic about this that just works.

Saturday Night Rant -- M.I.A.

2008-08-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry to leave you hanging this weekend, but I don't have the time to sit and type out the usual Saturday Night Rant. I have to take my dogs in for surgery this weekend, one of my hamsters isn't doing well, and I have several goodbye parties to make appearances at over the next couple of days.

There'll be one next week!

Jasmine

2008-08-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Gaming: Highly Anticipated Games

2008-08-21T10:39:00.000-07:00

So, I've been playing a lot of Metal Gear Solid 4 Lately and It's gotten me to thinking about future games that're coming up. So I decided I would throw together a little list and give my impressions on each one, a couple screen-shots, all that.

Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII Collection - Square Enix

That was a mouthful. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the three announced, one leaked, and two rumoured titles in this collection. Final Fantasy XII looks gorgeous, it's battle system looks very interesting. It's sort of like... From what I've heard, you see the monsters on the map, but when you approach them in real time and completely seamless, you jump in to a battle with them. So it's like taking Final Fantasy X's battle system and Final Fantasy XII's real-time and smashing them together.

Jump past the break for screens of Final Fantasy XIII and the other games in The Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy XIII Collection.

As usual, click to enlarge!

Final Fantasy Versus XIII looks interesting as well. I'm curious to see how this game will turn out. I haven't been following it too closely, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. It's supposed to be more action oriented than FFXIII

Final Fantasy Agito XIII was originally planned for Mobile Phones but has now been moved to the PSP. (Yay! People outside Japan get to play it!) It takes place in a school with several students making up the main cast, a boy with cards is the main character, and it's supposed to have a multi-character battle system using Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core's Battle System.

Square Enix also copyrighted Final Fantasy Haerisis XIII in Japan and North America. But nothing else has been leaked.

There's also rumours of there being six games in total in the collection because of a logo that has been published with six circles. Whether it's stylistic or actually has meaning, I don't know. But I'd be excited for six games total. =D

Danny Radcliffe -- Nekkers at last?

2008-08-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

Whie I've never found Danielle Radcliffe to be "ZOMG SO SEXY", apparently quite a few people have. I've always thought he sorta looked like a turtle. *Shrug* The Harry Potter in my head is much, much sexier.

Anyway, it turns out that Mr. Radcliffe, as I'm sure many of you already know, if coming to Broadway with his performance in Equus. Which means Nekkers Danny on stage! To promote the broadway run of Equus, Danielle Radcliffe did a photoshoot with Vogue. Now, of course, since it's vogue, there's no cock shots, but you do get a... side-ass shot? That' about the best way to describe it. Jump past the break for the semi-nsfw shot.

Click to enlarge.

And, as a little bonus, here's a collage of promo shots from the London run of Equus.

Perez Hilton -- WTF?

2008-08-19T02:45:00.000-07:00

A quick surf around Perez Hilton's website is, admittedly, a guilty pleasure of mine. I don't really care about what's going on with celebrities. Though I am and avid fan of a few, I don't obsess. (Unless we're talking about Jared Padalecki.)

Anyway, Perez Hilton is a larger guy, is friends with Beth Ditto, a larger girl and an avid supported of BBW, friends with Mika and helped Launch him who is also a BBW supporter and even wrote a song for all the girls out there. But Perez doesn't seem to care that his advertisers have used images of BBWs in a negative light. The ad, pictured above, is seen on Perez Hilton's blog stating

"Don't Let This Happen To You. If you've ever felt like this, it's time to make a change"

Perez supported Niki Blonsky when she was first announced to be playing the large and in charge Tracy Turnblad in the movie adaption of Hairspray and yet he allows advertisers to make both men and women feel horrible about their weight? Something's amiss...

Jailbreaking an iPhone

2008-08-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

So, I bought an iPhone 3G last month when it finally released in Canada. That's my current homescreen. I'm still on the fence about whether or not I want to Jailbreak my phone and run custom firmware or not. It'd be interesting to try out, but I'm one of those nervous folks who thinks my phone will end up broken if I do it. But that doesn't mean you can't! The good folks over at iphoneincanada.com have put up a handy little guide on how to jailbreak your iPhone 3G! Give it a shot!

iPhone in Canada's Guide to Jailbreaking

Saturday Night Rant -- Miscommunication

2008-08-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Miscommu-

nication

Have you ever talked to someone when you were exhausted and accidently flipped on them? I have... A really close friend of mine was talking to me the other morning and I accidently freaked out. I've been really exhausted lately and I can't just figure out why. I think I may be doing a little more than I'm able to, but I'm trying to cut back on what I'm doing and get better sleep.

Anyway, a simple conversation quickly turned to an argument. Some things were taken out of hand by both of us and everything got way out of hand. But the rant tonight isn't based entirely around this argument. It's moreso about how people take shit out of hand.

I've had a lot of different situations with this before. People hear one thing, I say another. I had someone tell a friend of theirs that I would work for them. At that time, I was interviewing for another job that would pay more. So I told this person that I wasn't interested. They, before checking with me, had told their friend that I would show up a couple days later for work. This resulted in a huge misunderstanding and some anger between both parties involved. I had to go sort things out with the employer and explain that the job had been guaranteed without my consent, etc.

I find the most frustrating part of miscommunication, whether it be during an argument or just in general, is that there is such a huge assumption made by both ends. If you're talking to someone online, tone just can't be heard. It's a bit frustrating.

Oh well. It just frustrates me that people can't listen. You try to get a point across and they just dig their heels in. Have any of you experienced anything like this? Tell me about it in the comments.

Not So Guilty Pleasure

2008-08-16T05:56:00.000-07:00

I love Jared Padalecki. He's fucking gorgeous. I first saw him in House Of Wax. I thought he was gorgeous then but now he's just a god. Love love love him! If I had the chance, I would become Mrs. Em Padalecki. Mmm. He's tall, he's handsome, he's just muscled enough, he's got a fantastic ass. And he's from Texas. And everything is bigger in texas. ;)

Catch Jared every thursday night on The CW in Supernatural with other hotties Jensen Ackles and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The next season of Supernatural starts next month on September 18th.

Two more shots after the jump...

All-time High Views Today!

2008-08-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to you guys, the readers, we've reached an all-time high in views!! Woo-hoo!! As a thank you, I've provided a compilation of all the released tracks so far from Who Killed Amanda Palmer and have uploaded it for you all.

I wanna say a big, big thank you to Humbuged of The Humplex. He's a fantastic artist and has been a big, big help in getting me started. Thanks, Hum!! <3

Download link after the Jump

Amanda's solo Website is here
Amanda's Myspace is here
The Dresden Dolls website is here
The Dresden Dolls Myspace is here
The Dresden Dolls/Amanda Palmer/Brian Viglione official Forums are here

Here's the download link ---> Click Me!

America's Next Top Model's First Transgender Girl

2008-08-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Meet Isis. She's America's Next Top Model's very first Transgender model. She's said she knew since she was about 11 that she was a lady in a boy's body and, I have to say, girl looks fantastic. Here's hoping she takes the title!!

Wii DVD Playback

2008-08-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tired of not being able to play DVDs on your Wii? Well, with a simple little hack, you can! It requires a way to get files to an SD Card from your computer, an SD Card (The Wii only supports up to 2GB cards), and a copy of Twilight Princess. (US readers will need to discern which version they have. More on that later.)

If you wanna watch DVDs on your Wii, follow along after the jump.

Before we start I just wanna say that while this hasn't reportedly bricked any Wii Consoles before, if you manage to brick yours, I assume no responsibility. Hack at your own risk, Wii fans!

1.) Head on over to this website and pick up the Homebrew Channel data and the Twilight Hack data. The Twilight Hack data IS region coded, so make sure you pick up the proper one. Copy these both to your SD card and plug it in to your Wii and copy the Twilight Hack (save file) to your Wii. If you already have a save file on your system for Twilight Princess, you'll need to delete it. Backing it up on a separate SD Card is up to you.

2) Once you've got it all copied over, pop in Twilight Princess, load it up and load the save file. US WII OWNERS: If you bought your copy of Twilight Princess close to launch, load the first file. If you bought it recently, load the second file. Once you have it loaded, walk backwards to activate the hack. This will load up a DOS-like screen. Push A and the Homebrew channel (pictured above) will be installed.

3) Once you've loaded up the Wiibrew channel, head to this website and download the mplayer and libdi files. Copy them to the SD Card. The root of the SD Card should have a "Private" folder, an "Apps" folder, and a boot file.

4) Head in to the di folder and now you need to rename one of the files. Rename install.dol to boot.dol After you've done that, put the SD card back in to your Wii.

5) Load up the Wiibrew channel and you should see an Apps list. It will have an "Mplayer" app and a "Boot" app below it. Run the Boot app first. Choose the basic install, let it run. It shouldn't take very long at all.

6) After it's installed, you'll be taken to the Wii Menu again. Go back in to the Homebrew channel and now you have to load the Mplayer. It will bring up the main menu for Mplayer. Insert a DVD and use the D pad to navigate and select DVD Video and you should get it playing back.

7) And that's it! Your DVD should play just fine! Hope you enjoy it!

Amanda Palmer -- Who Killed Amanda Palmer Vids

2008-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Amanda Palmer of the The Dresden Dolls has put together a rather fantastic album to release as her first solo effort. With Ben Folds' help, Amanda has created a solid album that's sure to remain a classic on Dolls Fans, Indie Snobs, and general Music Lover's shelves for a long, long time.

As I've mentioned before in this blog, the title is Who Killed Amanda Palmer. A reference to Twin Peaks (Who Killed Laura Palmer) that's since come to take on new meaning for Amanda and fans. Amanda has collaborated with several recognizable artists to complete the whole Who Killed Amanda Palmer saga. Neil Gaiman is writing short stories for a photobook shot by Kyle Cassidy. Ben Folds produced and played on a number of the album's tracks. Amanda developed several of the songs and played and even recorded with them.

With the help of Michael Pope, a celebrated indie director in Boston, and friend of Amanda's, a series of videos was shot as a concept short film based around the Who Killed Amanda Palmer concept. These videos are slowly being released via YouTube and several other mediums. I've embedded the released videos so far after the break. 5 Out of 8 have been released so far. Expect updates when the last three are released!

Favourite Profile: Lars_NYC

2008-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Lars is one of my favourite photographers/models. The man's not only beautiful, but he manages to capture emotions and beautiful poses. He shows such innocence in one photo and power in the next. He's a German born and was living in New York City for a while, working a few jobs here and there including Naomi Campbell's assistant. (I don't know how the boy survived it and how he didn't get discovered and on the New York runways.) But he's back in Germany now, I believe in Berlin.

More shots Lars has done (both of himself and of others) after the Jump.

Lars has a Flickr Page, which can be found here. (Link NSFW. That's right boys and girl, Lars does nudies!)

Saturday Night Rant -- Straight Drunk

2008-08-09T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Saturday Night Rant is back again and this time it takes another dive in to my personal experiences with men, however straight, drunk, confused, or otherwise difficult.

Straight

Drunk

So we threw a surprise party for my friend Ally. We met up at Jazz's place and got everything set up, all the booze in the fridge and then planned out the surprises and tried to get everything done before she showed up. All went according to plan, three seperate "SURPRISE!!" Moments, three separate "OH MY GOD!"s from Ally.

The night went pretty normally. There wasn't really a whole lot that seemed out of place throughout the evening. I'd decided not to drink that evening as it was really hot out and I just didn't feel like being drunk, hot, sticky, and uncomfortable in Jazz's basement. Instead I was just hot, sticky, and uncomfortable in Jazz's basement.

Anyway, on to the purpose of tonight's rant. ****, a friend of mine (who's going to remain nameless), is a bit of a lightweight drinking. Boy can't handle his booze. After only a couple of beer, he was getting pretty tipsy and after a couple more, the boy was smashed.

The only sober people there were Ally, she doesn't drink, BJ, she was DDing, and myself, reason above. Since I knew my friend BJ had dealt with a lot of drunk!**** before, I decided to take the burden and deal with him while he's smashed. I took the beer away, handed it off to someone else who could handle it and continued to keep him away from booze and not depressed.

**** complained of feeling tired and wanted to go lie down in a little off room from the main basement. I told him it wasn't such a good idea as Jazz had asked people please stay out of the room and only go in if they needed to get their booze from the fridge. **** didn't have booze in the fridge and shouldn't be going after other people's booze.

I took a large pillow out of another room and settled it on the floor in a quiet corner for ****. I kept an eye on him as the party continued and saw him pass out on the pillow. So I picked him up and asked Jazz if I could move him to her bed. She gave me the go ahead and I took him in. I settled him down on his side so he couldn't choke on his own tongue and got a bucket in case he was going to wretch.

Now, I'm not too sure what happened next. I had several different people coming to check on him and had to tell them that it was fine, I would take care of him. Drunks never listen the first time, though. Anyway, I had sat down on the bed beside him to keep an eye on him and he had woken up again while I was telling the rest of the people there to head back to the party.

He laid there for a few moments, chest heaving a little with what I can only assume were silent sobs. I felt a little awkward just kind of sitting there while he had a freak out. A drunk freak out at that. So I put a hand on his shoulder and asked if he was okay. He nodded a little and I told him he was lying.

Out of no where he latches on to me for dear life, mumbling about his drunk fears, going on about how these people are mad at him and he loves his ex still but she doesn't like him anymore. Typical straight guy talk while drunk. I assured him it would be okay and rubbed his back as he sniffled and cried in to my shoulder.

Everything seemed like a normal emotional drunk until I felt him move a bit. Suddenly there were lips on my neck. Then teeth. Oh boy... The Straight boy is drunk and thinks that exploring his sexuality with the gay boy is a good idea.

Now, I'm not gonna lie, it's been a while since I've had some action. I don't live in the gay-friendliest of cities. So it's a bit tough to get some action when your city is stuck in the 50's attitude. So part of my desperately wants to go with this.

But I can't. I just can't. He's drunk, he doesn't know what he's doing, he'll regret it tomorrow. Plus what do I say if the other people come to check on him again? "Oh, sorry guys, forgot to tell you, I'm fucking **** in here!" Doesn't sound too good.

So I told him that I'm not going to do anything with him right then because he's upset, he's drunk, and he would likely regret it come the morning. He groans and shakes his head and keeps nipping at me. So I pushed him gently off of me and laid him down again and repeated what I'd said. He grumbled and asked for some water.

I got him his water. He drank it and said he felt better and wanted to go back out to the party. I told him I'd let him go if he promised not to drink anything more. So he agreed and we went back out. He sat down for a bit, used the bathroom, and then told us that he had phoned for a ride and was leaving. People said their goodbyes, but BJ and I knew something was up.

We followed him out and, sure enough, we found him two blocks down, wandering around. I hadn't told BJ what had happened in the bedroom. I didn't know if I wanted him to remember or be reminded of it the next day. After some serious convincing and a threat to pick him up and force him in to the car, we got him to agree to get a ride home.

We drove him across the city and BJ attempted to ask him what he was so upset about. I didn't know if it was me or not though I have sincere doubts it was me. He seems to have been acting like this for the past little while now. He didn't give her much in the way of an answer and went inside. We stuck around ot make sure he would stay there and not run off somewhere.

We discussed a few things about **** on the way back to the party and once we got there, the whole thing dropped.

So, after all this, I'm left really fucking confused. What was the advance supposed to mean? I've, admittedly, thought about me and **** before and I dunno what I think about it. But, still, it's helped add to my confusion with this.

I'm going to chalk it up to him being upset and seeking comfort. Though I wouldn't be adverse to some advice from the ladies out there that know how straight men operate.

Nightmare Revisited

2008-08-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

Disney's milking that cash cow again. On September 30th, Disney Records is releasing Nightmare Revisited, a collection of covers by several different bands and artists of all sorts of genres. Danny Elfman re-recorded the tracks "Opening" and "Closing" for the new release and artists such as Amy Lee, Polyphonic Spree, Marilyn Manson, Flyleaf, and All-American Rejects have contributed to the collection.

Cover and Full Tracklisting afrer the jump.

1. "Overture" - DeVotchka
2. "Opening" – Danny Elfman
3. "This Is Halloween" – Marilyn Manson
4. "Jack's Lament" – All-American Rejects
5. "Doctor Finkelstein/In The Forest" – Amiina
6. "What's This?" - Flyleaf
7. "Town Meeting Song" – Polyphonic Spree
8."Jack And Sally Montage" – The Vitamin String Quartet
9. "Jack's Obsession" - Sparklehorse
10. "Kidnap The Sandy Claws" - Korn
11. "Making Christmas" – Rise Against
12. "Nabbed" – Yoshida Brothers
13. "Oogie Boogie's Song" – Tiger Army
14. "Sally's Song" – Amy Lee
15. "Christmas Eve Montage" – RJD2
16. "Poor Jack" – Plain White Ts
17. "To The Rescue" – Datarock
18. "Finale/Reprise" – Shiny Toy Guns
19. "Closing" – Danny Elfman
20. "End Title" – The Album Leaf
21. "Oogie Boogie’s Song" – Rodrigo y Gabriela

More Keric's Komplex Goodies

2008-08-07T04:37:00.000-07:00

I've managed to snag a couple more previews for Keric's Komplex 3, including a flash teaser made by Hum himself. I've posted them after the jump. Take a look!

I couldn't quite figure out how to embed the flash. It seems WordPress has some issues with that. So... here's a youtube video Humbuged posted of the preview! =D

iRiver's Mplayer -- WTF?

2008-08-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

iRiver's working together with Disney to bring the Mplayer to the market. I'm assuming these are targeted at young girls as I can't really see this design appealing to anyone else. Well, maybe the over-effeminate queens out there.

But, seriously, WTF is up with these things? How could Disney think these looked good? The mickey mouse design was gaudy enough, but the swarovski crystals and little ribbons? Come on, Disney.

Gaming: Soul Calibur IV

2008-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't really mention it before, but I'm a gamer. I'm a nerdy gamer. I follow gaming blogs, I get excited for games I like, I go to my 24 Hour Wal-Mart at midnight to buy new games and get mad when the 60 year old lady who has no clue what a Playstation 3 is can't find the game I want.

Anyway, I picked up Soul Calibur IV this weekend. A friend of mine had bought it last week when it released and I was on the fence about it. Not that I didn't want to buy it. It's just, I didn't know if I wanted to spend my last few bucks on it before my next cheque came in.

He brought it over, we played. I still kicked his ass with Ivy and I was sold. The graphics have taken a fantastic leap from the previous games, the new characters are a welcome addition and the older characters have had new moves implemented while a few classic moves are brought back.

The game does have a couple downfalls. While the new Critical Finish feature is very flashy and downright depressing when it does happen to you, it has to happen first. Most battles go by so quickly with Soul Calibur that this method won't get used a lot unless you encounter that one person who constantly blocks.

I also found the story mode very short and kinda boring. It's five rounds, you usually fight three or four people per round. One character and one to three more randomly generated custom characters. I found even the hard mode for it easy and was hoping for something a little more... fleshed out. I mean, they have 50GBs worth of storage on a Blu-Ray disc. (You 360ers can handle disc swapping, can't ya? Yeah, you can. :P)

But what I bought the game for is very good. Multiplayer kicks ass in this installment. There's no mandatory install, which is nice, but there is the option available to cut loading times. Sweet. Why wouldn't you do it?

So, overall I really like Soul Calibur IV and it's well worth the money. I'm definitely going to be playing, so if you're a PS3 owner and you've picked it up, gimme an add on the PSN and we'll duke it out. (PSN ID = EmWy)

(Oh, By the way, who else noticed that Ivy's tits are now bigger than her head? Your tits are too big when you have to coin the term undercleavage to describe them!)

Keric's Komplex 3 is on the way!

2008-08-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Humbuged, one of the artists I profiled recently, is working on a third flash game in his Keric's Komplex series. The first two can be found here.

Hum's characters are great. Funny, but sexy. The first Keric's Komplex game centered around Keric, a modest hunky beefcake, waking up to a good stiff morning hard on and needing your help to take care of it.

The second introduced Cyl (pronounced like "sill") to the series. A spunky, slimmer redheaded twink that Keric encountered for the first time on the train. Cyl groped the big elf before following him home. Cyl shows up at his doorstep and jerks him off on the front step.

The third entry in the series is introducing a third character the the series. Hum's given us a teaser image.

So check out Keric's Komplex 1 & 2 and keep checking back here for updates on Keric's Komplex 3!

Saturday Night Rant -- Absent

2008-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry to say it but due to the move and the extra work I've had to do with it has caused The Saturday Night Rant to be cancelled this week. I'll make sure one goes up next week and will keep blogging on the go with the WordPress app for the iPhone!

Heart-Shaped Box

2008-08-01T04:35:00.000-07:00

I was home this week, visiting family and my mother had received this lantern as a gift from a dear friend of hers. Seeing it reminded me of Nirvana's song Heart-Shaped Box.

I thought maybe having a phone with email would help me post more often turns out that I'm just lazy. Ha.

That's about it for now folks.

Peaceout
Em

Sent from my iPhone

Saturday Night Rant - It's a Love-Type Thing

2008-07-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

I figured I would start up a weekly sort of thing so that I had a reason to post regularly. We'll see how long that lasts...

Anyway, the first Saturday Night Rant is below.

It's a Love-Type Thing

I was at a wedding this evening when I ran in to an old crush of mine. We'd made out a couple of times and had even gone so far as oral, but nothing seemed to draw further than that. He was about a year younger than man, but whatever.

So, I have to say, he looked good. But, unfortunately, he didn't seem to recognize me and I wasn't about to go "Hey, remember me? I'm that guy that used to suck your cock!"

The night went on, I took a few pictures. Then my friend Hannah, her mother was the bride, pointed out her cousin and his boyfriend to me. I smiled and gave the obligatory "aww" and talked to her for a bit. That's when I looked up and realized I'm really alone and it bugs me but doesn't.

It's a hard thing to explain. I don't know so much what I mean when I say this. But It's sort of like... Like you're happy but there's that little voice in the back of your head that keeps saying "Yeah, you say you're happy, but.."

So, anyway, I was kinda starting to realize that maybe I'm not as happy as I thought I was. I blamed my single life on my little podunk town, but how could that be if these two guys had found each other? Okay, might not be the town.

I tried to talk to this guy I'd known when I was young and it was so awkward. He either didn't remember me or didn't want to... And then I thought maybe it's me. Maybe I'm just not wantable. There's something fundamentally wrong with me that makes me incapable of relationships...

But what should I believe? Is it my town? Is it my own fault? Is it society's fault? Why do I feel alone and ashamed when I should be proud and surrounded by people that love me and that I love? What on earth are we supposed to believe?

Who should we blame for the pain loneliness brings? I just don't understand what I should feel. I want to be happy, I really do. But when every aspect of your life seems to turn itself against you and you're getting no where, what do you do?

I watched Hannah's cousin and his boyfriend interact. Dance, whisper to each other, gentle touches here or there... I watched it and I wanted it. Instead, I was left with a table full of people I barely knew or didn't get along with. Why had a shown up? Oh, right... I was getting paid for the pictures.

I tried to bury myself in the work there, taking shots of the bride and groom, people having fun. but it just got to me further. It got to the point where Hannah was asking me what was wrong. I lied and said I was just tired. I didn't need to bother her with my stupid inner workings...

So, I still don't know exactly what it's all about, really...

What do you think?

Lightning Bolt Shot

2008-07-23T02:10:00.000-07:00

Storms

2008-07-23T01:50:00.000-07:00

I'm in my bed right now, sitting at the window watching a thunderstorm
unfold. It's beautiful.

It started innocently with some lightning in the distance and then
quiet thunder. It got louder and closer as the wind picked up and you
could smell the storm on the wind.

Now it's starting to rain lightly and I'm in front of an open window,
typing this on my phone. I love storms. There's something so wild and
free about them. If it weren't for the little gangbangers in my city,
I'd be outside right now. Everything is so peaceful yet chaotic in a
storm. I LOVE it!

Peace out,
Em

Sent from my iPhone

The Dark Knight

2008-07-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

I saw The Dark Knight yesterday with a friend of mine. Not only was
the writing and directing fantastic but Heath Ledger blew the other
Jokers out of the water.

He was horrifying, funny, creepy, and all around intimidating! There
were points I was cringing and frightened, points were I was laughing,
and points were I was crying.

Fantastic film. If you haven't seen it yet, go see it! You won't
regret coughing up 8 bucks to go!

Sent from my iPhone

iPhone review

2008-07-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

I caved. I've picked up an iPhone 3G now that they've finally become available in Canada. I chose to phone Rogers and buy it over the phone instead of waiting in line for however long.

I've really been enjoying it so far. It's a wonderful little device. There's a lot you can do with it and I'm really enjoying it. I'll try to make some more posts to the blog from it and see how that goes. Maybe now that I've got the internet in my pocket, I'll remember to update more often.

Who Killed Amanda Palmer

2008-07-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

Amanda Palmer, Lead Singer of The Dresden Dolls, pianist, songwriter, general all around fantastic artist, has decided to release a Solo Album.

Who Killed Amanada Palmer is due out on September 16th. 12 Tracks, 1 cover, the rest original. Amanda's just as amazing solo as she is with The Dresden Dolls. You can download two of the tracks from the Gyget below that Amanda and Co. have so graciously offered us.

Favourite Profile: Humbuged

2008-05-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

An introduction to the gay artist known as Humbuged.

The man's done some amazing work and has been around in the gay art community for years now. His personal life isn't out in the open, which I think is a very, very good thing. The general public doesn't need to know everyone's business. ;)

Anyway, Hum has done some excellent art and created some very sexy characters. He's also dabbled in some Flash animations and games. The most recent one is a feature of Final Fantasy X's Wakka. Here's a little preview he posted.

He's a great drawer, an awesome animator, and a creative mind. I adore the man and I've never even met him. Check him out at his website below.

The Humplex

Favourite Profile: Sarah Slean

2008-05-03T23:54:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna use this time to talk about one of my favourite people. Her name is Sarah Slean. She is everything. She is a pianist, a singer, a songwriter, a painter, a writer, an actress. She's, truly, a renaissance woman.

She's been in the music industry for over a decade, has released two books of poetry, had her own art opening in Toronto, Canada, and has even acted in an independent film noir musical about the Evelyn Dick murder case.

I recently had the pleasure of seeing her live and meeting her after the concert. She is a sweetheart and absolutely stunningly beautiful.

Sarah's most recent album, titled The Baroness, was released on March 11th, 2008. The album features 12 brand-new songs from Sarah, all independently written.

The lead single from the album, Get Home, is an anthem for anyone who has ever had someone cheat on them. Other stand out tracks on the album include Looking For Someone, a track detailing a longing for love, Sound of Water, a song discussing perspective and how situations can be viewed positively as well.

The album is a strong release, presenting a melancholy soundtrack for life. Sarah's fourth studio album and seventh release, Sarah has evolved in to a new artist with each album.

Sarah Slean has stated in previous interviews and discussions that she never releases an album because her record label tells her to. Sarah never wants to release an album unless she feels ready to, unless she has had a big change come in her life.

Sarah's one of Canada's most talented writers. Give her a listen!

The Official Video for "Get Home"

I'm Alive

2008-05-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty busy lately with an assortment of different things. Finishing out classes, working on a record label (hopefully it'll be open before the end of 2008), and having a social life.

But I'll make a quick update since I'm having another insomniatic night.

I've been looking forward to The Dresden Dolls' new release, No, Virginia..., for a while now. Well, it's finally leaked and I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed with it. For a B-sides and 'Songs we never thought you'd hear' compilation, it's pretty solid. Some of the tracks were released before and a few were left off that a lot of fans would like to see. But I find the compilation to be an excellent collection of songs. The flow on the record works just as well as their full length releases

There are a few catchier songs that would work well on radio, some less commercial songs that would appeal to the indie-hipster crowd and a rather heart-wrenching finishing track.

So, even though the album's leaked, it's still worth the wait and definitely the purchase. I'd suggest picking it up on May 20th! If you're a fan of The Dresden Dolls, you might want to consider entering their pre-order contest for No, Virginia... Gives you the chance to win a toy piano decorated by the band, tickets to any date on their headlining tour this summer, and a copy of their newest book! More Details here and Amanda Palmer's (Singer, Pianist, and Songwriter of The Dresden Dolls) blog here.

Still Around

2008-01-26T17:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the delay guys. I've been really busy and haven't had much chance to get to my computer.

Lotsa shit's been happening since I last posted. The biggest thing more than likely is Heath Ledger's tragic passing. He was a fantastic actor and, from what I've heard, a wonderful person and father. He did a lot for the gay community with Brokeback Mountain and I can't believe he's gone. The Dark Knight'll be his swan song.

Guilty Pleasure #1

2007-12-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

So, it may be a guilty pleasure, but I have to admit it.

I think Zac Efron is delicious. I hated him for a long time, was forced to watch High School Musical with a younger relative and thought he was kinda cute-ish in it.

But then he grew up.

He's gotten more attractive than I thought possible! And Hair

spray? Yeah, it turned me on to him even more. I saw it four times, once in drag as Edna Turnblad, during it's theatre run. Just look at that booty!

Introduction

2007-12-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

Hi guys!

The name's Em. I've been considering doing a blog for several months now and found the courage to pick it up now after seeing how easily Chris from About a Boy and his Briefs got into the swing of things. He's been a real idol for me. <3

So, yeah, I'm a single gay guy from Canada, interested in music, movies, and just about everything else. So keep an eye here for updates!

Matt