Topics

91

Off Topic / The Impromptu Show (again again)

« on: January 27, 2012, 12:22:48 PM »

It's very important to watch the website!
While this topic will be used for comments on the show (and yes, we're working on a live chat during the show), the major updates and links and such will take place on either the website or the Facebook page. If you have Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr, I seriously suggest following or joining all of that stuff if you enjoy the show.

Listen to looped shows anytime!
Click on the link on Shoutcast that says "The Impromptu Show" to listen without any downloads. The show is looped 24/7 until a new episode is produced, so you can catch up to recent shows anytime you want, on your time.



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1-28-12

Yes folks, back for a third go! But this is a special show, because its our two year anniversary!

Exactly two years ago, I wrote this topic. On January 30th, 2010, BPR went live for the first time, and it was you, the Blockland forums, who supported us the most.

Now we're back again and the real slim impromptu will stand up. Backed by the lovely Ephialtes (who most graciously offered to let us advertise RTB on our show) we are now a semi-commercial radio show attempting to provide entertainment to the internets from our own basement.

Hopefully this means a better production considering all the money I've sunk into this project over two years lol.

To save myself from rephrasing, here's a quote from the "season" 2 restart topic. Also yes, this is season 3. Sure they never ran for two full years, but episode 1-9 are called season 1 and 2 because we can call them whatever we want, bitches.

That's right! We're back again! I remember several of you who at least were entertained by the Impromptu Show's inherent wackiness, and quite frankly, we weren't. We've decided to revamp everything. So those of you who did like listening to the show, then the same quirky sense of humor will still be there, however, we plan to be much more organized and treat this much like one would treat a serious syndicated opinion radio. We want to be the Rush Limbaugh of internet radio, sans all the crazy conservative one-sidedness.

I'd have made this topic on Friday or Saturday closer to the actual air date, however due to me being gone for the next three days (as a camp counselor for some kiddies, I know, scary right?) I have no other choice but to post this now.

Here's the bottom line guys, the Blockland audience is all I really have to drum up support. We need you guys now more than ever. I really want this to be successful, even if it's only small time success among you guys, however I can't do that unless the rest of my crew has the want to do it along with me. So I want to ask you all a simple and easy favor.

Got an opinion? Obviously you do, I've seen it on the forums. You like to argue here, why not voice your opinions literally? I takes one simple Skype call and you can be a live guest on talk show that isn't scary to be on, because its not like the whole world is listening. It's just us, and you talk to us all the time. So why not do it now?

I need callers, is what I'm tl:dr-ing about. A radio show of this format is nothing without even the occasional caller who has something funny, witty, or insightful to say. Drop in even for a moment if you can, we'd love to have you on the show. Hell, we're begging to have you on the show.

So I ask two questions with this post, beyond simply telling you that we're having a show. First, I want to know how many of you plan (and or can) listen to the show this Saturday (because remember, there will be a nonlive podcast coming out the day after. This time on iTunes too) and if so, can or will you please call in?

I understand if you don't want to, but then, come on, what's it gonna hurt?

Pay attention to the follow links on the website:







When the purple link is visible, we're live (or most likely the server is active and rerunning old episodes). If it's grey and says offline, obviously this means we're not broadcasting live.

Get Skype, it's important.

tl;dr Are you going to listen to the show live if you can, and will you please call in?

92

Off Topic / Morph Day - Level 19

« on: January 24, 2012, 12:07:00 AM »

I don't care how old that joke is, after five years I still think it's loving hilarious.

Yeah, guess what, 19 years of age. I'm being conceded and self-serving so everyone better appreciate my one more year closer to the dirt nap with baby Jesus.



I think level 19 in the US is, what? The ability to carry concealed alcohol in my trunk or something? Yeah, that's it I think. I can't purchase booze yet, but I can leave some in my trunk and drive around with it in there.

Bitchin'.

93

Off Topic / Are we University-mates?

« on: January 09, 2012, 09:41:20 AM »

I'm sitting in the union and I swear I heard some kid over yonder say "Badspot" or something eerily similar.

So I ask you, forum, do you go here (University of Akron)?

If not then discuss college things, oldcigarettes (currently enrolled or graduate).

94

Off Topic / Merry Christmas, yo.

« on: December 25, 2011, 02:50:11 AM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgrO7f6rr5I

95

Creativity / A Christmas Song, John Lennon's Happy Christmas sang by me

« on: December 06, 2011, 09:50:28 PM »

I decided to get into the Christmas spirit and record this cover of one of my most cherished Christmas songs.

You might have heard it, you might not. This is John Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over) as performed by me.



Play it on my Tumblr lol

Merry Christmas, weirdos.

96

Forum Games / [100x75] Deadrock: Horrors of the Old West

« on: December 05, 2011, 10:55:07 PM »

A treacherous time awaits you, forum dwellers. For those who participate shall engage themselves in an engulfing story of peril and mystery, intrigue and adventure, action and suspense. From the creative minds of Nick the Sushi (Menen's Search for the Magical Milkshake and Experiment Z) and Swholli (Block Wars: No Hope), two seasoned DnD players, comes the adventure of supernatural horrors in the old west. With Nick being banned from the forums at this time, expect all official updates to be through me, Swholli.

You have the power to control everything. In conversation if you want to start off with a lie, for instance, you'll roll a bluff check (aka, me rolling a d20, I promise to be fair). Right now you have no modifiers as you start at level zero in everything. New skills will be added to the main post under the HP as they are experienced (i.e. if you run into a locked door and try to unlock it, lock picking will then be a new skill you'll have under your mugshot).

Leveling up is simple. Every time you do something to related to that skill, whether you succeed or fail, you get an experience point. To reach level 1 you must gain three experience points. Each new level will add one more point required, so level 2 will take four points, level 3 will take five points, etc (and after you've gained the amount needed for a level, the counter starts over).

The modifiers work where whatever level you are in that specific skill, you can add that many points to the dice roll (or rather, I'll keep track of it for you). Rolling a d20 means that if you get a number lower than 10 the action fails and higher the action succeeds. So if you're a level three, and you roll a 9, you still succeed in the action as you have a +3 modifier, so you would technically roll a 12. Your levels max out at 20, as that means even if you rolled a zero (which is impossible) you'd still succeed.

Oh, and if you roll a natural 20 (or rather, if I roll you one) you get two experience points added to your leveling rather than just one.

It's cold. And you are alone. No one rides with you but your trusty steed. You have seen something. Something awful. And it's heading this way.

In the cold, dark night you rode onward to a small town on the border. It's a little trading post next to a river. Its name is Deadrock. You are William Barclay. A skilled marksman and expert navigator, you made the best messenger for the task you've been given. You carry nothing with you but the clothes on your back and the saddle on your horse.

As the sun rises you see the edge of town.

You suspect the pastor is most likely up getting ready for the day's service.

William Barclay
HP: 10/10
Charm: Level 0 - 1/3
Persuasion Level 0 -2/3
Strength: Level 0 - 2/3

97

Off Topic / America is done, folks.

« on: December 02, 2011, 11:24:07 PM »

Basically, there is a bill that passed in the senate the other day 93-7 allowing the military expressed rights to quickly and without trial contain and imprison "supposed terrorists," supposed being that these people can also be United States citizens.

Now, the bill has since been changed, but a part of it still remains worded wonky and could potentially give the government the power to dictate who is and isn't a terrorist and throw you in jail without reason.

Here's where we are on the information:

Perhaps you forget that in 2006 your rights of Habeas Corpus were suspended in our "War on Terror" so that anyone with a "just and reasonable cause" to be marked as a terrorist could be captured and held without a trial, even if they were US citizens just on the supposed reason they were a terrorist.

Sure, maybe I overreacted in a sense, but who's in charge of that? Honestly?

I never typically react with the idea of revolution. I'm usually a very level-headed thinker, but you're right, the way it was worded did spark this resentment. Now if someone could clear up that Habeas Corpus has, in fact, been restored since the passing of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, then I'd probably have toned it down.

By the way, if you had read the further discussion, I did ask that very question:

That was my first assumption, never once did I read the article. I read original plans of the bill, which have been revised since then, thankfully, that did not list the offenders of said bill as "supposed terrorists" but rather as "United States citizens who are accused of supposed terrorism." Wording means a lot in legal sense, as you obviously understand. That was my rant. That was my rave. That this bill came to exist with the words that would basically target the freedoms of all U.S. Citizens.

Now, as for the veto, yes, I also knew that, again, if you had read further:

The White House has stated it will veto the bill due to the provision, but not necessarily for the reasons most critics are concerned with. They instead believe that the bill takes power away from the president and hands it to the military: “Any bill that challenges or constrains the President’s critical authorities to collect intelligence, incapacitate dangerous terrorists, and protect the Nation would prompt the President’s senior advisers to recommend a veto.”

So long as Obama keeps his end of this statement up, they may very well be able to kill this thing after all.

So basically, I was getting angry at this bill existence, not what it's become, but rather what it started out as.

I'm not a conspirator, I promise you, and I am willing to learn from mistakes (if you had read, basically everything you stated I'd already answered for myself).

Now, you're right. I got worked up over nothing, I learned that already. You basically came in with old information, at least, for me. Right now we're talking about communism, lol.

So yeah, I apologize for the abundance of rage in my thread here, it just caught me off guard when I read the original wording of the bill that I was outraged. But yeah, basically everything Titanium said. I'm a history major you see, and I've seen literally the spiral our country can take due to political corruptions (see Rockefeller, Calhoun, etc). I humbly step off my soap box.



I still stand by a change in powers though. I can't stand any of our elected officials. Obviously not through bloodshed, though. But still. We could use a nice clean sweep of new, less corrupt faces.

Personally I consider WIRED a major news source, or at the very least a credible one. They'd have no reason to lie.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/senate-military-detention/

Secondly, thank you, we've already figured that out several pages back.

So long as Obama keeps his end of this statement up, they may very well be able to kill this thing after all.



Again, I've already "calmed down". It's just that this bill does exist. The problem I had was the way it existed when it was first drafted in the wording that it included "all American Citizens" as the supposed target. That has since changed thankfully and now it only targets people who are assumed terrorists. Now, mind you, if the government really wanted to, under this bill they could walk into your house today, label you a terrorist, and sweep you away.

That's still concerning to me. I mean, sure, it's no longer a direct violation of human rights, but it bothers me.

Now, I'm not actually naive to think that might even happen, it's just that a lot of stupid things have happened in the past during war time, and considering the "war on terror" is a fictional never ending "war" this could be considered "war time" to them.


Now before you get all uppity about nonsense again, let me be the first to say I don't believe this bill stands a chance in the House, and even if it does, the President will veto and it'd be political Self Delete from the American people (i.e. they'd all lose their jobs come next term election) to over turn that veto.

Oh, I wouldn't disagree on it. Though, I doubt Obama was able to persuade the entire House who have a republican majority to pass this legislation. Maybe the senate, but that's doubtful. I'd hope he has better things to do with his time than call 200 plus people and persuade them to pass a bill.


Anyway, here's my main concern.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/nov/30/war-on-terror-doesnt-justify-retreat-on-rights/

Rand Paul, whatever your feelings on him are, does have a point about the wording of this one part of the bill. If Titanium had realized, he even said it himself. They only can do anything to you if it's "suspected" terrorism. But my point still stands, who gets to decide what suspected terrorism is?

Like, if a stupid kid ordered parts online to make a makeshift bomb. While he only intended to use the thing to blow up, like, his dad's shed or something, the government gets whiff and "technically he's a terrorist to them."

Again, I'm not a conspirator, I don't believe the government would ever use this power to just start labeling people as terrorists and sweeping them off to jail for no reason, it's just that this sort of hearkens back to the whole "communist quest" of the 50s. McCarthy labeling people as communists and they'd be taken off and put on trial and possibly jail if they were suspected as communists. It was that same mentality. We were in a cold war with Russia and McCarthy labeled them all as "spies" if they even so much as attended a communist rally. Which, by the way, was entirely unconstitutional. Didn't see the supreme court step in on that one.

I'm saying this now: as a student of history, I see these deadly signs of that all forever true "history repeating itself" all the time. It's why I got worked up. I've already apologized for getting angry, but this bill in its current state without proper clarification can be just another thing you might have to worry about if you're an enthusiast of explosives.

It's not as bad as I had originally anticipated, but it's still a major offense to American citizens if it isn't vetoed.

98

General Discussion / [Video] It's Beginning to Look A Lot like Blockland (Preview)

« on: November 15, 2011, 02:46:31 AM »

I know it's only the 15th of November, but then, this is just a preview of the whole thing yet to come.

Thought I'd share it though to get you into the holiday spirit.

Merry Brickmas.

99

Off Topic / How to Clean Like a Man [New Video]

« on: November 13, 2011, 10:05:31 PM »

Have you ever wondered how men clean their stuff?

Well not with those sissy cans of airs.

This is how men clean things.

100

Off Topic / The USA Today: A Rebuttal

« on: November 13, 2011, 07:15:04 PM »

   Hey guys my name is Scott. I'm a reporter for USA Today, writing a report on England. I have gathered all the information I could get on it off of leftist websites on the internet, so I can attempt to force my views on everyone else. I am an edgy yet rebellious youth living in Tallmadge, Ohio and I drive my Toyota Prius over to the Starbucks to use my Apple Macbook PROFESSIONAL, and I am here to explain why England is not equal to my beautiful America, and it's other North American counterparts.

    To start off, we beat you in every war we fought in. The war of 1812 for an example, we even went as far as to let you burn our capital. The American Revolution was a lie, George Washington simply hated the land of England and gave it a swift kick in the ass. Err, hang on, my coffee is ready. Let me ready my $8.50 for a single cup of joe.

   Speaking of wars, you guys help us steal oil from those tiny Arabian nations. We say that we are policing the area, and asked you to help, but when we wanted to kill Saddam Hussein because he refused to give up Iraq's oil, you pussied out. I can't understand where you're coming from, not wanting to help us get oil when it obviously means more oil for you. You Englanders are all just short, pale, hairless pusillanimous individuals with nothing better to do than whine and drink tea while watching that pansy soccer. Yes, soccer. We claimed football already,

    Alright then. Why the hell do you guys have steering wheels on the right side of your car? This has always perplexed my 18 year old mind. It's like someone took all the stupid ideas that man has ever created and gave them to England. Seriously, more countries drive on the right side of the road than the wrong one. You guys are all, as you say, loving twats. I don't think England has ever even invented anything, except maybe upper lip narcissism. Ignoring the differences in population completely, America has more people who are probably really nice compared to Endland's 1,000.

    Also, look at their literacy rate. 97 percent. England has 98 percent. It just shows that America is that much better than England. You guys were the ones who loving invented the language and yet 2% of your population can't use it? We've got a loving melting pot of every which way and we only have 3%, and we don't even all speak your language.

    Have any of you been to England? I haven't, but my cousin lives there. She said this wasn't true, but we all know how much it loving rains and is so loving wet all the time. Not in my beautiful America where it's warm pretty much everywhere.

   To further prove my point at how cool America is, America, forget Yeah. That is all.

   Thank you for listening to my whiny little heart and it's desires so I can whine all day about wanting socialism in America and how becoming president is so much loving cooler than dinky little prime minister.

I'm sorry. I had to.

101

Off Topic / New Video - The Homoloveual Flower

« on: November 04, 2011, 05:07:28 PM »

This is the best thing you'll ever see.

Phallic symbols!

102

Off Topic / Swholli's Nostalgia Vault

« on: October 12, 2011, 04:34:03 PM »

If you're like me, being a creative youth with a computer is like being a meth addict in a meth lab.

So, as the title suggests, I've decided to backtrack my wonder years and see if I can't dig up any gems. Sure, the videos are the least bit gems in a "child prodigy" sense, but for the sake of "remember when..." they do themselves justice.

It's a little slow in preparation as of now, as I'm only finding little pieces of things that I'll probably have to edit together to make them presentable. However, as for completed projects, these are what I've dug up so far.

Star Wars: The Backyard Saga

Action 1/4 News: The Stamp Act

WRB852 is a Pretty Cool Guy

So how about you? Do you have anything you made long ago, stashed away on a disc or harddrive? Go ahead and post it here, so we can create a giant Blockland Nostalgia Vault too.

103

Off Topic / The name "Blocklanders" has become trite...

« on: October 03, 2011, 09:57:31 PM »

... I suggest a new title of majesty for our beloved forum members to refer to themselves as.



Badspot Buddies.

104

Creativity / White House Party, Swholli's New Song

« on: September 19, 2011, 09:51:54 PM »

Remember way back when I wrote that song about Dinosaurs?

Well to add to that album Other Lovely Dinosaurs, here's White House Party, a song about every US President getting together to throw a party. They are also in chronological order in their appearances, so it can also be used as a memorization tool if you wanted to (the reason being I had to do that back in AP US History sophomore year, so I know how a catchy song can really help).

So this was a song I actually wrote about a week afterwards, but abandoned due to lack of a chorus. However, I recently decided that acapella was much better with a simple drum beat to keep time, and thus this song was finished (if you're wondering, it's a four part harmony two of the voices I sing as Kennedy and Nixon, you can guess who gets what part).


http://swholli.tumblr.com/post/10425201211/ah-it-felt-good-to-write-this-song-for-some
(yes, again I used Tumblr, it's too simple not to. However I am working on a Bandcamp site for the lulz. No charge though. I  personally don't find my music good enough to sell).

Washington and Adams have a party,
Jefferson and Madison are there hardly.
Munroe and Quincy talk about his dad.

Jackson's mean, Van Buren goes home
Harrison dies and Tyler gets stoned,
Polk thinks that this place ain't so bad.

Taylor talks of whigs to Filmoure,
Peirce and Buchannon talk about the civil war,
Lincoln does his best to save the union.

Andrew Johnson gets impeached and Grant laughs
and Hayes can't be reached
But Garfield get's on the dance floor and has some fun.



Cleveland showed up with a kegger
Harrison said it could have been bigger,
Cleveland came back with another term.

McKinley was shot and Roosevelt was cool,
Taft and Wilson played the fool.
Harding and Coolidge started doing the worm

Hoover gave us all no medication
For our depression condition
So FDR did some wheelies instead.

Truman dropped the bomb and Esienhower hated him,
Kennedy was shot almost on a whim,
We all started to sing for he was dead.



Johnson was declared vietnam's king,
Nixon lied about almost everything,
Gerald Ford pardoned him and joined in the  parades.

Jimmy Carter brought the peanut dip,
Ronald Reagan was able to get a grip,
long enough to play his game of charades.

George Bush senior sat alone,
while Clinton got laid and Stoned,
He was having all the first ladies undress.

Dubya was making jokes in the front yard,
Even though he wasn't trying that hard.
And Obama was left to clean up this whole mess.

105

Off Topic / Dating Site Oddity

« on: September 03, 2011, 02:28:01 AM »

So my friend is like harping on me about the wonders of modern dating and how we don't have to do it the old fashioned way of the hit or miss model of the past. He insists I give this website a try.

So I say, what the hell? Right? I go through, make a profile and all that good stuff and I get pretty far into its completion.

So then it sends me an email:

"Hey Swholli! Here's some girls you might be interested in!" I notice that one of them is from my home town. Interesting thinks I, so I click on her to see if she's someone I may or may not know.

She's this chick I've had a crush on who has made it clear in the past that we are only friends.

And statistical science says we should be together.

I call it calculated destiny. Let's see her argue with this one.

tl;dr - Go on dating site, see I have a match, it's a girl I've already liked in real life, I call it destiny.