Bladen Force

Well technically, I should say Kytri is a pioneer, since she’s the one that first keyed me in to Comicpress and Wordpress, but it turns out that Scott Kurtz has joined the Comicpress collective and is now serving the hive. In all seriousness, I’m really glad too, because the old layout was nice, but it had a really high latency between loading comics, whereas Comicpress is nigh-instantaneous. The whole site is a whole lot faster, which is the same thing I noticed when Bladen Force upgraded to WordPress. Welcome to the hive cluster, Kurtz.

No idea where that downtime came from. I’ll check to make sure nothing broke.

I’v been thinking about podcasting, and I’m starting to think that the Bladencast and BladenForce in general (the site content outside of the comics) could benefit from taking some cues from podcasters. I mean as it is were bassically just in “additional content” or, “hey we recorded some stuff” mode.

But we definetly try to, and have ambitious to, run Bladencast like a radio show. In that way it’s not a podcast as much as an as of yet to grow up and join the live interwebs internet radio show.

However I think that between our dazzling wits and all the podsafe music and such there is out there we could be throwing out awesome nonlive podcasts even as replacements for newsposts in some cases.

I also think that we do need to practice better radio format in the Bladencast even while were still stuck in the static realm. I interupt Jazon a lot, he announces the format as we try to structure things and when we go without format we end up talking about how we don’t have stuff to talk about it, which is kind of ridiculous because if you just sat us down normally we’d never run out of things to say.

The focus for Jazon has always been to get the better equipment so we could run BladenCast 1. with better quality 2. live and 3. taking callers and guests via the internet.

However I think that before that practicing our internet radio skills and loading up on some podsafe content would be useful. Hell, most internet radio shows are illegal as hell (see the wonderful Radio Kingdom-of-Loathing which is like pirate bay for the ears when it comes to music), so I think getting material for intros and themes wouldnt be out of the question.

And then beyond the Bladencast since we do the bladencast it also shouldnt be difficult for us to start putting up real podcasts, not internet radio shows, as well. Podisodes of rants that would otherwise be types out newsposts like this; updates; and other funny shit.

I listen to a LOT of podcasts, mostly short fiction, and I’m also an internet-radio addict. So I’m pretty attuned to the fact that theyre different things that are structured differently because of their different goals. I think that the pod-blogging casts and the newscasts of serial podcasts could teach us a lot in terms of a brief shot of recorded discussion, while we need to learn from the amateur but oh so skilled internet radio DJ’s some basic material that even the song-slingers learn, and that the internet talk show host should definetly learn.

Anyways, those are just my musings here Mt.Doom at ass-crack-of-dawn-in-the-morning.

Last night, I had the honor, nay, the privilege to join the ranks of the last hope for the future, The Protomen, as they wage their epic war against Doctor Wily through-out the southeast. Among thunderous applause, the Protomen brought the story of Megaman to life in what can only be compared to as an epic blend of Rock and Synth. Ben, Mason, and myself went to the local Spazzatorium Galleria, a place I had just learned even existed, to listen to what I can only describe as the greatest story ever told through the wailing of a guitar. Not many people in this venue knew what the Protomen were. They had questions, but when it was done, when the smoke cleared, they had all the answers. We wish the Protomen well in their fight.

That brings me to another battle on another front. Apparently, the Wikipedia War hasn’t quite finished yet. It seems that Wikipedia doesn’t consider The Protomen to be notable. They are clearly in league with Wily and want to prevent the resistance from rising up against him! Spread the word my brothers and sisters! The Protomen are here to save you! Let our voices ring Wikipedia to its very foundation!

I figured that since a few other webcomics have listed the songs that inspire them/make them think of their webcomic, I decided I would do so as well. I’ve also noted that a lot of the songs I listened to for inspiration for Bladen Force have Final Fantasy Advent Children music videos. Coincidence?

With most of these, the videos are pretty stupid or poorly done. You can ignore them.

Scapegoat - Angel Eyes
Lullacry - Without the Dreamer
Lullacry - Alright Tonight
Epica - Dance of Fate
Epica - Sensorium
Kamelot - Center of the Universe
Kamelot - Soul Society
Flyleaf - All Around Me
Nightwish - Sleepwalker (Heavy Version)
Nightwish - Ghost Love Score (Album Version)
Dexter Freebish - Prozak (Be Like Me)
Dexter Freebish - Wonderland
Dexter Freebish - Twilight
Dexter Freebish - Deeper
Daughtry - Breakdown
Daughtry - There and Back Again
Dido - Here With Me
DragonForce - Soldiers of the Wasteland
Duran Duran - Ordinary World
Evanescence - Everybody’s Fool
Evanescence - My Immortal (Full Band)
Faith Hill - There You’ll Be
Foo Fighters - Learn to Fly
Foo Fighters - My Hero
Freezepop - Manipulate (Mastermind Mix)
Ayumi Hamisaki - Evolution
Fuel - Falls on Me
Hoobastank - Crawling in the Dark
Keane - Atlantic
Keane - Crystal Ball
Keane - The Frog Prince
Linkin Park - Breaking the Habit
No Doubt - Just a Girl
Red Hot Chili Peppers - True Men Don’t Kill Coyotes
See-Saw - Kimi Ga Ita Monogatari
The Bangles - Manic Monday
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Fray - How To Save a Life
Three Doors Down - Kryptonite
Vertical Horizon - Echo
Vertical Horizon - We Are
Vertical Horizon - Shackled
Rush - Far Cry