Ska Festivals & Shenanigans

Hello friends! It’s been awhile and I have so many things I want to share with you.

What have you been up to?

Well…. there’s the health stuff, for starters. Migraines are still being a (literal) pain, but I’m currently doing Botox treatments and am playing the waiting game to see how they respond to that. In more fun news, I went to a ska festival last weekend! It was 3 days of music and catching up with friends, and I had an absolute blast. For those not in the know, Supernova Ska Fest takes place in Hampton, VA. It’s usually a cross between bands I love, bands on my bucket list, and bands I never heard of before. There’s acts from all over the world who come to participate. This year they had Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Bad Manners, Out of Control Army, Adhesivo, Stranger Cole, Hollie Cook, and Sister Nancy – and that’s just the international acts. I cannot properly convey how much fun I had. It was even worth feeling buried in things to do for the next week after I got back. 

Am I a music blog again?

Maybe! I at least want to dip my toe back into it. I used to do way more writing about music on this site, and Supernova inspired me to try to get back to those roots. Maybe next year I’ll try doing write-ups on the bands as they’re announced. 

What games have you been playing?

I’ve actually been doing a ton of gaming lately. My ADHD doesn’t hold focus on any one thing, but I started FFXV and even posted some short clips on TikTok. I also bounce between being obsessed with FFXIV and dropping completely off it. Lately I’ve been focusing on Baldur’s Gate 3 (like a lot of us I am obsessed, although still in Act 1) and Palia, a cozy online game currently still in beta. I also recently downloaded Marvel Snap on Steam and really like it. The dailies give you a reason to do a few matches in a row, but don’t feel too demanding. And finally, I’m getting back on an Idle Champions kick. They added a couple characters from BG3 and sucked me back in. Maybe I’ll do some individual posts of these games if the mood hits me.

What about streaming? Still doing that at all?

I’ve been on a very long hiatus due to both health and other life stuff. I tried to come back for my affiliate anniversary Sept 20th and had major tech issues. Still, it was nice catching up with everyone before things imploded. I’m hoping I’ll be able to find time to fix whatever the problem was, but I also might need to wait till I get a new headset. The other one gets really uncomfortable. Even after only 2 hours I had a little migraine forming. I currently have a kofi goal to get some stream upgrades. I also have a birthday and Christmas to look forward to. Maybe a guardian angel will smile on me for the holidays.

It’s too soon for Christmas! Don’t skip Halloween!

You’re right, we cannot forget the best month of the year – Spooky Month! I’m building a list of new horror movies to check out and have actual plans on Halloween night. Bringing it back around, it happens to be a ska show. I’m really hyped to get into some good spooky fun this year 

Well, that’s all from me for now. I’m gonna try to get back into the swing of things again, but I’m not forcing myself to write every week like I had been. I’d like to be consistent, but I also have to accept that my body might not always cooperate with me. Now, share your favorite horror movies in the comments and pass the pumpkin coffee over.

2022: The Year That Wasn’t

Hi fam! You may have noticed I dropped off the face of the internet this year. I did a big New Years post and then poof nothing till May. I remember that being a very good month. I wrote regularly, streamed every time I planned to, and generally felt like things were getting back on track. But then I got sick and never came back. Part of it was burnout. Being in pain every other day (on average) takes its toll. My focus became using my time not spent at work to relax, catch up on tv, and wait until I got better. If I knew that would mean taking the rest of the year off, I truly don’t know what I would have done. But you can’t change the past, so there’s no point in dwelling on it.

I started this by writing a script for a YouTube video, but, real talk,  I don’t think I can talk about this year without being on the verge of tears. This year took a lot out of me. I’m trying to focus on the good, but I had so many plans for this year and did none of them. For one, this will be the first year I don’t meet my reading challenge since I started doing them. I didn’t even come close. I also started my favorite game on stream but I’m still in Act 1 and have no idea when I’m going back to it. According to my twitch recap, I streamed a total of 8 times for the entire year. I knew it wouldn’t be great, but that was worse than any of my expectations.

So what about next year? Honestly, I can’t worry about that now. I’m currently living one day at a time. I’m making plans for 2024 because I honestly don’t know what next year holds, but I feel fairly confident that I will have either fixed my problems or found coping mechanisms for them by then. I hope to take a second crack at that reading challenge and get back to sharing my joy with you on Twitch. I hope to finally put together some long held plans for the YouTube channel. But now, in this moment, I can’t even begin to think about that. 

I’m sorry this entry was kind of a downer. I knew I didn’t have a lot of good to recap, but I didn’t want to not acknowledge where I’ve been either. Consider this my “I’m still alive” post. 

That’s all for now. Don’t forget to hydrate, take your meds, enjoy some yummy foods, and take care of yourself. I appreciate everyone who has given me the patience and support I needed while I deal with everything. Here’s to 2023 going a little easier on us.

Jukebox the Ghost – Cheers!

Album cover of Jukebox the Ghost - Cheers. Tommy, Ben, and Jesse are dressed for a dinner party.

I have been a Jukebox the Ghost fan since I saw them OPEN for The Postelles (I think) at Knitting Factory’s Tap Room. They are one of the only bands I have been following for that long and have never missed a new album, each of which always seems to be almost speaking directly to me and where I am in my life at the time. I have watched them grow as musicians and people, and am so happy to see them grow and succeed.

One thing I have always loved about this band is that they make *albums*. Each song and the order they are placed seems purposeful. After 18 years it’s no surprise that this album seems to be about growth and change. Wasted hits particularly hard, especially the chorus:

 We were broke
We were brave
25 years in a hurricane 
We were wild, we were wasted
Up all night, we’d dream all day
Almost let you slip away
We were wild, we were wasted

It reminds me of the early days of my own relationship, broke and dreaming of the future. We’ve come so far and seen so much and made it to the other side.

Of course the songs are plenty catchy too, if you’re not looking for deeper themes. Ramona will probably be stuck in my head for weeks. And what Jukebox album would be complete without Tommy writing about the apocalypse? “Us Against the World” might be about the end times, but it also feels like it could be about the present day. It does it in a way that feels the listener with hope though, rather than fear. 

One of my favorite things musically is a good transition, and this album delivers that too with “The Machine (Intro)” into “Everybody Panic”. I also love the mixed sense of comedy and urgency in the line “Everybody panic but one at a time”. This band has always had a way with words, and the new album is no exception.

We get more of the above with “Raise a Glass” into “How the World Began” as well as the fantastic line “Every heartbreak’s just another song in waiting”.

Our journey comes to an end with a “Cheers!” and what could be more fitting than that? “Here’s to more of the every day” and to more great music from this amazing trio. I’m glad this college kid a [redacted] number of years ago made many a terrible decision to write that paper later and go see a show. The only band that has meant as much to me as this one was World/Inferno, and that chapter of my life has sadly come to a close. But here’s to more sing-a-longs and music and facing whatever comes next. This album closes on a hopeful note, and so will I. Because without hope, what’s the point?

Monday Movie Star Musings

Warning: this one is going to get very serious. I have some thoughts and feelings about the Johnny Depp/Amber Heard trial. If the subject matter is triggering for you, please take care of yourself. I promise the next one will be light and fun.

I will begin this week by saying I do not normally follow celebrity news, but I’ve been a huge fan of Johnny Depp since I can remember being a fan of anything. I also have a lot of heated feelings regarding the details of this case. With that in mind, buckle in, folks. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Our story begins with the #MeToo movement and an op-ed. In ye olden times before a hashtag started a movement, women generally kept silent because 1) no one would listen, so why bother? And 2) worst case scenario it could jeopardize their careers, especially in the entertainment industry. Just look at how many women came forward in the Harvey Weinstein case and said they feared he would blacklist them. The #MeToo movement was a good thing. I’m glad we listen to women tell their stories. I also wish we didn’t stop there.

The catchphrase became “believe all women” when it should have been “believe all victims”. Not only does the latter include nonbinary people, it also allows that men can be victims too. Enter the current trial.

When Heard first accused Depp of abuse it wasn’t the full and immediate cancellation of his career we probably would have seen if it happened today. But after the UK trial went in her favor, his career did take a more noticeable hit. The big thing I will highlight is his removal from the Fantastic Beasts franchise. (Really that whole franchise and JKR should be canceled, but that’s an article for a different day). I admittedly don’t have an exact timeline, although there are plenty of other articles who will gladly give you the deets. I do know that at the time Warner Brothers let him go it had become public knowledge that he claimed she had committed abuses towards him. 

Whether or not he is guilty is not the subject of this article or my place to decide. Where I’m going with this is that it is unfair for him to be let go based on her accusations but her career continues to thrive despite similar allegations against her. WB just recently said they were “reducing her screentime” in the upcoming Aquaman 2. Reduced screentime is not the same as being let go. If the precedent is an accusation gets you fired, then fire her. Either recast her or remove the character from the film. Yes, it would complicate and delay the film, but make the tough choice. Show men who are victims of abuse that they’ll be believed too. Because everyone who is in a toxic and dangerous relationship should be able to come forward and find help in their time of need. 

I hope this trial doesn’t discourage others from coming forward with their own stories. If you’re in a dangerous relationship, there are people who will help. This has been an extreme and public case, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be. Don’t be scared to stand up for yourself when your physical or mental well-being is at risk.

Thank you for allowing me a moment to focus on such a serious topic. I try to be a source of entertainment, but some things are too important to stay silent. We’ll return next week with a music review. It’ll be just like the good old days. Until then: stay safe, take your meds, and don’t forget to hydrate.

Doctor Strange: Musings of the Multiverse

This should go without saying, but this will have lots of spoilers for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. You have been warned!

I know a lot of people who have some opinions about the new Doctor Strange movie, but I am here to tell you I loved it. At first I was concerned about how short the runtime was, but they managed to pack a lot into those two hours. I think my only complaint is you kinda get thrown right into things, but it’s a very minor complaint that I’m not all that mad about. Otherwise it was a great story with a rollercoaster of emotions. I wish Wanda/Scarlet Witch wasn’t the main antagonist and/or that her story didn’t end the way it did, but we’ll get there. 

Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

First of all, with how quickly and often Dr Strange was asked “are you happy?” I knew that was going to come into play at some point in the movie. For a second when he and the Christine from the other universe (sorry I cannot remember numbers other than we are confirmed 616) were talking about “I wish you could see where I’m from, it’s beautiful” that one of them would be going with the other, but Strange knows he has more work to do, and I think he’s become content with that by the end of the movie. 

Now about that other universe Christine was from – I (and a good portion of the theater) cheered seeing the Illuminati slowly introduce themselves. In a few short moments we got to see Black Bolt, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, Reed Richards, and Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor Charles Xavier with the classic 90s X-Men theme playing during his entrance. My nerd heart sings!

If that weren’t good enough, we also got to see Clea make an appearance during the after credits scene, teasing a visit to the Dark Dimension? I’m really looking forward to seeing where the universe takes Strange, especially if it lets him move on from Christine and we see him and Clea more. 

Now let’s talk about Sam Raimi. He’s one of my favorite directors of all time. If you never saw Evil Dead, do yourself a favor and fix that right now. 

Go on. I’ll wait.

Seriously though, there were quite a few moments where Raimi’s signature really shined through. The best examples are the cameos – Bruce Campbell as Pizza Poppa and The Classic (the Oldsmobile Delta that is in almost every movie of his). It’s become a game with me to spot the car as an easter egg. And of course it’s fun seeing Bruce Campbell pop up in random small roles. Almost like back in the old Marvels days where we’d wait to see where Stan Lee would appear. 

Finally, let’s talk about the actual story. We got a look at how Wanda is coping after the events of WandaVision. (Spoiler: she’s doing poorly). I’m happy she’s got a moment of clarity and redemption, but I have mixed feelings about her final moments in the movie. It’s poetic to see the space we mistook for a tomb become her actual tomb, but I also would rather see her get to move on and be happy rather than sacrifice herself to protect the world from her potential for chaos and catastrophe. And yes, people have pointed out to me that we never saw a body so she might not be dead, but it felt like her story was concluding there. 

Overall I continue to be excited about what the MCU potentially has coming up. My big question after the movie ended was the potential for a Young Avengers in our future. I originally figured Wanda’s kids would be involved. True, the multiverse versions of them exist, but how much are they going to be featured versus our universe? I guess that’s something else I’m curious about is how much we’ll be visiting other universes now that we confirmed their existence. That is one way we might see Wanda again. I think we’re definitely going to see more of America Chavez, and her power is teleporting amongst the universes. Whatever happens, I’m excited for the MCU to get weird and make some bold choices in the future.

What about you? What are you most excited about? Is it the Fantastic Four becoming part of our universe finally? Or maybe getting to finally add some mutants to the mix? Let me know in the comments below. 

Is Network TV Dead?

It’s that time of year, where you find out which of your favorite shows have been axed. This isn’t strictly a network tv thing, but I do feel like it’s less common (or at least more spread out) with streaming services. Don’t get me wrong, I will never forgive Netflix for axing Cowboy Bebop after only one season, but CW has really freed up my tv-watching schedule for next season, It had already canceled Batwoman (which was not a huge surprise) and Legends of Tomorrow (which was much more of a shock), but last night they announced, among other thing, Naomi and the Charmed reboot have both been canceled as well. Add to that Supergirl and Arrow both having left their lineup (although at least they got proper series finales), and that leaves Flash and Superman & Lois are the only things left I still watch of theirs. I *did* see a Supernatural prequel and Gotham Knights series both got picked up for next season, so I might give those a try with my newly found free time, but I’m also kinda hesitant to get too attached to new things, Naomi only got one season before being canceled, so what’s to say these will do any better. 

This leads me to the question, “Is network tv dead?”

I’m not sure I have an answer just yet. This is definitely the biggest clearing of the board I’ve seen a network do that I can recall. And other than the CW superhero stuff, the only thing I watch on “traditional” television is the newly resurrected Law & Order, and Walking Dead with its many spin-offs.. (Side bar: L&O has done a very good job figuring out what to be, with the changing attitude of the police in today’s society.) Most of my tv viewing comes from the many streaming services out there, including all the Marvel stuff on Disney Plus and Star Trek things on Paramount+. I’ve only seen Picard so far, but I’m planning on binging Discovery next. 

What about you? Are you watching anything good on cable? Or does your time strictly go towards streaming services? Let me know in the comments so we can chat.

Monday Musings: Welcome Back Munchkin

Hi fam! You may have noticed I’ve been pretty absent the past few months. I had a lot of plans for this year, but then quickly approached burnout and had to take a break. I was going to have YouTube focus on game reviews and my 100 book reading challenge. I was going to collaborate with friends on Twitch, start a Storyteller Saturday series, and continue my canon DA run with my favorite game in the series – Dragon Age 2. Instead I dropped off the internet to focus on getting through a pretty hectic work schedule while still dealing with health stuff. 

You may also be aware that here in the U S of A we’re facing some pretty dark times. I was originally going to break my hiatus for Pride, but I’m coming back early to do some fundraising relevant to the pending Supreme Court ruling. I’m also going to try to bring back Monday Musings, and even try to not make every one of them be about politics. I wanna focus on the good in an otherwise dreary timeline. 

So here’s the plan: the Dragon Age VODs I still owe you are getting edited and thrown on YouTube (one is all ready and releasing tomorrow), and I’m starting streaming again Wednesday. I had a poll going with two options and a third that said “why not both?”. Of course the chaos gremlins who follow me voted for that, so we will be splitting our time with an old classic – Civ V – and a new game to the lineup: Dorfromantik. That’s gonna start at 4pm my time. And I’ll be aiming to stream at least once a week, although not always the same day. 

The only way we survive is together. I’ll see you around the internet.

New Year, New Chaos!

Happy new year, everyone!

It’s that time where we set goals for ourselves that we may or may not reach. This year I have a few new things I’m excited about here at Camp Chaos. The biggest thing is my reading challenge. Every year I slowly have increased my reading goals, and I’m finally making an attempt at 100 books in a year. I plan on documenting this on the YouTubes, although I may also share some notes here on the blog.

“What counts as a ‘book’?” you might ask. 

For the purposes of this, I am counting pretty much anything I can mark on Goodreads. That means books, graphic novels, and single issue comics are all fair game. In the past I did not count single issues, but I’m realizing how many hours I collectively spend reading them, and it’s keeping me from reading more long form content. First up has been Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, a book that has been sitting on my shelf since I ordered it when it first came out. I’m about 60% of the way done with it as of the time I’m recording this. It’s been a good read but dense at times, so I have been going at a slower pace than I originally anticipated. I’ll catch back up on my goal the first day I sit for an hour or two catching up on comics, though.

In addition to my reading challenge, I also have some new and exciting things coming to the Twitch channel. The first thing is the introduction of Storyteller Saturday, which will be premiering this Saturday at 2pm ET. I have a bunch of visual novels and other story heavy games I’d like to share with you over the course of the year. First up is First Bite, a very thirsty game revolving around three vampires whose lair we discover. (I say that, but there are routes you can take that are not overtly sexual, which I like to see more games giving that as an option.)

The other big goal I have this year is I want to collaborate with more of my twitch friends. This will include discussion type streams where we talk about some of our favorite topics, as well as some multiplayer shenanigans. First of these streams will be later in the month, when I dive into some Dragon Age Inquisition multiplayer with a group of friends I will announce at a later date.

I’m trying a lot of new things this year that I’m rally excited about. Some of them might not last the whole year, others might. You never know what you’re capable of until you try though, right?

What are some of your goals for the new year? Have any collaborative streams you’d like to see? Visual novels you’d like me to tackle? Let me know in the comments. 

MCU First Time View

I’ve noticed now that we’re well into the MCU, many people like to recommend to first time viewers that they watch the films in timeline order – meaning start with Captain America, then Captain Marvel, and so on and so forth. Normally I’m not one to gatekeep or tell others how to consume media, but in the following essay I will tell you why this opinion is WRONG and ruins the experience. (Everything that follows is my opinion, so calm down. Also, there be lots of spoilers ahead. Consider yourself warned.)

First, let’s focus on the after credits scenes. Each one gives a hint at either the next movie or the next big team-up event. If you watch the movies out of order, the after credits scenes become confusing and irrelevant to new viewers. Let’s focus on the first phase. Each after credits scene showed Nick Fury basically assembling the Avengers. Throwing Captain Marvel in the middle of this disrupts the flow of things. It also brings me to my next point, which is specifically regarding Captain Marvel.

If you recall, CM was released in between Infinity War and Endgame. Yes, it takes place well before either, but watching in release order it plays out thusly:  End of Infinity War, as everything is falling apart (in some ways literally) you see Nick Fury with the beeper that is supposed to signal to our girl Carol that there’s big trouble – her kind of trouble. We then flashback to see her whole backstory and how she and Fury met, then move onto Engame, where you anticipate when she will show up to save the day. Now, if you instead watch it after Captain America, you get no context or connection to her story, and then have to wait a very long time before you see her again, at which point you’ve probably forgotten she even existed. You’re completely underwhelmed by her movie, whereas some of us anxiously awaited her arrival because of a dang beeper. (As a side note, I’d love to do a poll broken down by gender and enjoyment of that film, because I suspect another big part of it is that I, as a woman, was very excited for myself and a bunch of young girls who had someone to look up to who looked like them.)

My final point regards the general flow of things. Everything in the MCU was constantly building and getting bigger until we hit the big culmination of 10 years of work: Endgame. Changing the order of things changes the flow. We started with a handful of smaller solo movies and built to the formation of the Avengers. The next phase builds a little more, and a little more, until we get a giant teamup event where the fate of everything is at stake. I can’t imagine what changing the order of movies does to that.

In conclusion, I’m all for doing a chronological rewatch after you’ve experienced the MCU for the first time as intended, but please stop recommending to all your friends that that be their starting point. I’m usually very chill about these things, but I will die on this hill.

Thus concludes another Monday Musings. Next week we’ll go back to gushing about Dragon Age, and looking ahead to Dragon Age Day 2021. 

Monday Musings: Mass Effect Andromeda First Play Feels

I feel like Andromeda took a very long time to finish and simultaneously was way too short. Overall I loved it way more than the fandom as a whole seems to, but I am disappointed it’s not getting any DLC content or the other games that were planned in the series. I loved my Ryder (who I made super punk and romanced Peebee with) and I loved my companions and I want more time with everyone. I loved the nods we got to the trilogy, like Kandros name dropping his sister Nireen and the correspondence Liara sends our dad. I’m hoping since Liara seems to be the focus of the next game and she does have a very long life span that somehow we can use her to connect all the games and find out where some of the loose threads were leading. I wanna know what happens to our mom and who the secret partner was in the initiative. It’s disappointing we won’t get to see what they originally planned, but I’m still looking forward to replaying this one a bunch and smooching all our friends who will let us. 

Up next: I think I’m finally going to play some of the Final Fantasy series. I’m also in the middle of a renegade run for the ME trilogy. And of course on stream you can watch me weave my canon world state as we anxiously wait for DA4 to be released.