Why not, right? Sorry if I'm encroaching on someone's musical turf by doing this, but something about this song, something I can't quite grasp, has got me addicted.
 

Ok, so part of it is. You want to fight about it? The quest system has already got me relatively addicted and appropriately frustrated and there's nothing I can do about it. The other reason for typing this is that it's been like four months since my last blog and that's quite a while. Actually, my last blog was hardly meaningful so I'm not even going to count it. 5 months! 5 months since my last legitimate blog. Unacceptable.

I don't really play that many games on my iPod but there are a few that I pick up when I'm on the bus are walking somewhere (maybe because I don't have a DS). I do find it really interesting to take note of how games have been evolving on the Appstore, though. When the iPod came out, the appstore was full of tower defense games and stick figure crap. 
 

So, in my theology class last Friday something happened that almost made me break out laughing. I was dozing off because we were just learning about some old psychiatrists or something and something very interesting made me come to attention. We started to learn about "The Shadow and the Persona". It was a serious wtf moment. Now, apparently, this is old news, but for those of you who haven't heard (like I hadn't), Carl Jung was a famous psychiatrist who split the mind into three parts: The ego, the personal unconscious, and the collective unconscious. You can read all about his stuff here, but I'm just going to quote the stuff that was read to us in class and probably the only things anyone cares about.

The Shadow

"It is the "dark side" of the ego, and the evil that we are capable of is often stored there. Actually, the shadow is amoral -- neither good nor bad, just like animals. An animal is capable of tender care for its young and vicious killing for food, but it doesn't choose to do either. It just does what it does. It is "innocent." But from our human perspective, the animal world looks rather brutal, inhuman, so the shadow becomes something of a garbage can for the parts of ourselves that we can't quite admit to.

Symbols of the shadow include the snake (as in the garden of Eden), the dragon, monsters, and demons. It often guards the entrance to a cave or a pool of water, which is the collective unconscious. Next time you dream about wrestling with the devil, it may only be yourself you are wrestling with"
 
I was hoping that it would have to do with wrestling girls you know or something but, hey.
 

The Persona

"The persona represents your public image. The word is, obviously, related to the word person and personality, and comes from a Latin word for mask. So the persona is the mask you put on before you show yourself to the outside world. Although it begins as an archetype, by the time we are finished realizing it, it is the part of us most distant from the collective unconscious.

At its best, it is just the "good impression" we all wish to present as we fill the roles society requires of us. But, of course, it can also be the "false impression" we use to manipulate people's opinions and behaviors. And, at its worst, it can be mistaken, even by ourselves, for our true nature: Sometimes we believe we really are what we pretend to be!"
 

Needless to say I was sitting there trying hard not to yell "OH, SO ITS JUST LIKE IN PERSONA!" Anyway, now those terms are all stuck in my head thanks to Persona and I'm gonna ace the fuck out of the test on Monday. See, senators? Games can be helpful!

Now, this isn't one of those great deep reviews that Bruce does ( like this one here!), I'm just trying to get as many people as possible to buy this fantastic band's album when it comes to stores.
 
Thrice have made nothing but amazing music ever since they first broke out onto the music scene and their newest album is definitely no exception. Their musical style experienced some major changes since their beginnings culminating in the previous heavily experimental four part album, The Alchemy Index (check it out, too). Beggars is still somewhat experimental (albeit more fine tuned) which shows that the band is ever evolving and making the kind of music that they want to make, but it is also an amalgam of all the best parts of their previous albums making it more accessible.

Every song on the album is expertly crafted by each member of the band with thoughtful lyrics, amazing vocal deliverance, and unending musical talent. The songs range from the alternative-rock and jazz fusion “Doublespeak” to the haunting, eerie tracks like “Circles” and “Wood and Wire” which also capture sadness in a most profound way.

“A dead man walking down the hall,
To meet a mess of wood and wire.
They lead me where men fear to tread—
But towards the thing I most desire.”  
 
- Wood and Wire 

While the slow songs are somber and touching, the faster songs on the album really hit hard. Two great examples would be the opening track, “All the World Is Mad” (which you might have downloaded for Guitar Hero: World Tour) and, later in the album, “At the Last” which has one of my favorite outros ever. "All the World Is Mad" has a great frenetic sound with a chorus that will quickly get stuck in your head.
 

This album is also Thrice at their greatest musically. Every song flows effortlessly and elegantly even in their more hardcore tracks. It might be worth noting, though, that, while this album is magnificent, it doesn't come close to toppling Thrice's masterpiece: Vheissu (which you should also check out). The album is available now digitally but will be physically released (with 5 bonus tracks!) on September 15. Go get it!

So, as you all know, Shadow Complex came out recently. It's an amazing game and all but there's something else (and Jeff noticed it too). There isn't really that much music in the game but, when it does happen to play, it fits perfectly. The best example I can think of would be when the water rises in the one part of the complex and when you go underwater, this slow, waltz-like classical piano plays. It's absolutely perfect.

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First, the good news: Red Vs Blue is getting another reboot in their new series "Recreation". New episodes will show on Mondays on their site.
Trailer time!

School is final-fucking-ly over! God. Well, now that I'm on Summer vacation, I will finally have time to myself. How will I spend that time? Reading. First up: