Miami Marlins: Biggest... Disappointment....ever?

There's been a lot of discussion about the new Miami Marlins logo. For those of you who do not know, "Miami Marlins" is the new name for the team formerly known as the Florida Marlins. (Yes, this is a baseball post.) Now, since the Marlins are in the NL east, no one ever gives them a chance. (Come to think of it, no one would give them a chance against anyone, not even the Cubs.) Since no one ever gives them a chance, this team is always being heavily looked down upon. Is it because they're a bad team? No. There are worse teams, and they seem to get neutral attention. I think the media just gets a kick out of talking smack about the Marlins. (Here on out, I'll be calling them "The Fish.")  So why am I bringing this up? Well because EVERYTHING 'the Fish' do gets nationwide hatred, no matter what. This is the former Marlins logo: 

Florida Marlins logo 1993-2011

The logo wasn't ever really talked about. It was just, the Fish's logo. It worked for the team and no one ever complained about it. The fish in the logo had a real life representation called "Billy the Marlin." He served as the Marlins mascot at games and viewing parties. Now, here is where the dilemma comes into play. The new logo was leaked in late September 2011 and was hated by basically everyone. This is the new logo: 

Coolest...logo.........ever?

Not really. Not to everyone. Suddenly, the logo was a huge deal. "How could they do this? The old logo was fine!" The old logo was fine, but that doesn't mean this one isn't either. People expected the Fish to keep the old logo. Why would they?! I mean seriously. New ballpark, new name, new location, possibly a new overall team...why keep the old logo? The point of moving the team is to start fresh; remove the old image of the Marlins and create a new, contemporary one. 

I'm no artist, at least not a good one. Not one that knows about all that artsy stuff. So I asked the opinion of someone who does know about all "that stuff." My good friend Juan, an up and coming graphic artist, had this to say about the logo: 

"Ok, so from my point of view, I see that the logo was planned out good. The choice of colors is great, as blue and orange are complimentary to each other, so they stand out more. The simple M ensures the logo can be reproduced largely, but also its colors make it easy to recognize even from a distance. The actual Marlin is a simplified form that works good with the simplicity of the logo, and also helps to animate the logo in an easier way (ie, when you saw the marlin going through the buildings. That would've been nearly impossible to do with the old marlin). Overall, I can see that a lot of thought was put into the logo."

I agree. The logo works. The logo is what Miami is. It represents the transition well. It's different, distinct, and bold. It's easily recognizable from a distance, and looks nice on uniforms. Here's a picture of how it's used on the uniforms:

 From left to right: Hanley Ramirez SS, Josh Johnson RHP, Omar Infante 2B

They aren't playing in Miami Gardens anymore. The days of teal are over. A sea of empty orange seats are in the past. How dare I speak like that? Lets face it. I love the Marlins. I grew up watching Florida take the field for years on end. I'm as big a Fish fan as anyone in Miami. My room is covered with the Florida Marlins logo. I love teal, and I have amazing memories at the ol' football stadium. But the new look is just so... refreshing. The old logo represented fish...fish...just fish. The teal, black and grey represented fish. The new look represents the fish AS WELL AS the Miami atmosphere. The orange "represents the Miami sunset as well as the orange industry." The yellow represents "The Miami sunshine." The OCEAN blue "represents the cool waters of Miami reflecting the Miami sky." 

It's fresh. What more can I say? Deal with it, because the new uniforms and gear are selling like hot cakes, very delicious hotcakes. For further representation: 

Delicious 

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The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.

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My top 5 favorite Zelda songs

With the release of Skyward Sword just mere hours away now, I decided to pay tribute to my favorite video game franchise by sharing my top  favorite Zelda tracks. Why did I pick music and not the games themselves? Well, because I'm a music lover. BGM sets the atmosphere for the game, which The Legend of Zelda series is so well known for.

# 5

This theme describes this game too well. The Windwaker is my favorite title in the series so it was difficult to choose my favorite track. It was between this theme and the one from the Forsaken Fortress. Once again, this song exemplifies what Windwaker is. It's a series of amazing adventures, surf and tropical ambiance. Play this game if you haven't, it's seriously a great game. 

(Honorable mention)

#4

Is there any questions? No. This theme is by FAR the best overworld theme in the series. Yeah...this theme is...really awesome. Sorry I don't have much to say, but it really just speaks for itself. Do yourself a favor and listen to it again.

#3

Erie. Majoras Mask is scary as sh*t. Seriously, when I played this game at the age of 10, I turned off the game out of fright. I never wanted to play alone in my room. Even now, this game still creeps me out. This theme, from the 4th and final dungeon in the game, pretty much sums up the ambiance this game creates. It's a distinct game in the series and happens to be my second favorite of the franchise. Stone Tower temple also happens to be my second favorite temple in general next to Snowpeak Ruins from Twilight Princess. Great game, great song, great dungeon. 

#2

 You gotta show the Oracle series some love, you just gotta. This little tune has been stuck in my head for as long as I could remember. It's basic, it's simple, it works. It may not be as epic as the Hyrule theme, or as creepy as Stone Tower, but it hits home. It hits me right in the nostalgia nerve. This theme will forever remind me of why Oracle of Ages was such a freaking amazing game. Why isnt this number 1? Well...

#1

My earliest memories of Zelda rests with Ocarina of Time, and in turn, Saria's song. This song is the reason I fell in love with this franchise. Level design, sure. Character intrigue, sure. The music is what grabbed me. Like I said before, I'm a musical guy. This song hit me right where it hurts, in the heart. This tune will forever be etched into my heart. Three simple notes. This song just screams "NOSTALGIA."

Also, for those of you wondering, this is my list of favorite Zelda Titles:

1. Windwaker

2. Majoras Mask

3. Ocarina of Time

4. Oracle of Ages

5. Twilight Princess

Thanks for reading. Have a great day! 

True Love

 Many times in our lives, we say "I love you." When I said "I love you" to her, I meant it. Through troubled times, in happy times, and even in the most devastating moments...I still loved her. Dedication and sacrifice...all things that the bible teaches us to do with the woman we love. Although I failed many times at both, my desire to better myself never died out. In fact, right now, in my lowest of moment, I still long to make myself even MORE sacrificial and dedicated to her. At night when I try to sleep, her face is the only thing I see; her angelic smile. Tears run down my face, and I cry out her name. My little miracle is missing. 

Other fish in the sea? That's what I hear in the back of my mind. I have always believed that when you have something worth living for, you don't work on looking any further. I am set. I will believe that till the day I die. Love is only true when you are willing to live and die for it. 

Ephesians 5:25-27 

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy,

cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 

I live by this passage. I live for God. And I want to make her my wife.

References aside, Every little thing she does is like magic. No one else will do the things she did. Her pure heart, sincere spirit and tender soul are irreplaceable.

I wrote this for her...

 That One Flower

My bare Garden…That’s what I’m used to anyway.

Water has not been seen for months, the Garden is barren.

In the dry dirt, life seems to be impossible; the soil is dead.

All that remains is that one flower, the one that signifies hope.

She is graceful, beautiful and a perfect example of joy.

As the beacon of light, the flower stands in its roots.

Rooted in love, a flower is impossible to kill.

Standing tall, that one flower represents strength, virtue.

For as long as love remains,

it will always be the only flower in my bare garden.

You are all I need. I picture our lives together, and I see nothing but happiness. Nothing else in the world matters to me. Trivial things in this world last as long as material things last. They stay behind when we die, and people are going to eventually just throw it away or sell it. The love I have for you is concrete and pure, and it reaches beyond this material world. We do not know how much longer we have in this world...and we don't know many things for sure...but I do know this. I have never been more sure about ANYTHING in my entire life. Giving you a ring would be the happiest event of my life.

This post is dedicated to the girl who touched my soul...Thank you for everything.

The first picture I ever drew of her.

20 Years Old...

Today I realized that pop music nowadays sucks. This is why:

ANYWAYS! Yeah, I also realized that when my father was 20, he had pop music surrounding his ears too. Man oh man does pop music suck!...Not 29 years ago, no. THIS was pop music 29 years ago:

Man...even the quality of the video is better....I seriously hate anyone who likes that "Friday" song.

New VGR Videos up!

Hello again everyone. For those of you who may not know what VGR (Video Game Riot) is, Its a series of videos posted on youtube by one of my good friends, Richard. If you are a fan of video games and electronics, these videos are for you. There are new videos up, but when you have the chance, give all the episodes a chance.

Episode 8

After seeing this video myself, I realized how far video games have come. Richard says it best himself, the 32-bit era paved the way to what video games are now.

Episode 9

I found this review very interesting. The PSone era has always intrigued simply because I never played the games while they were at their prime. I got to them a few years later when the PS2 had already been out. This review goes over a music program that you can use on your PSone. Weird, but mega awesome! Keep up the good work VGR!

Here's a link to VGR's Youtube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WalkRobotFilm

New Crash Cymbal? I sure think so!

Hello everyone, and welcome to my second official post! *Applause*

 With my first post, I quickly got 4 followers. It made me really happy that some people actually care what I had to say. This time though, I have a question to ask. Many who know me know that I am currently learning how to play drums. With that in mind, I am here to ask for YOUR opinion. I am looking for a new crash cymbal to compliment the one I already have. I narrowed it down to these two choices. Which one sounds better to you all?

Above: This Cymbal is the cheaper of the two, it costs 39.99 USD.

Or...

Above: This one is 10 dollars more, 49.99 USD. 

I'm leaning more toward the more expensive one. Let me know what you guys think!
Thanks for your time everyone!

My Life in Music

So I decided to make a little brief history about me. I'm going to primarily use music to explain certain time periods of my life.

First lets start with early Childhood. (Before Grade school)

Some kids grow up with the ABC's, some with their parents Latin music. I was fortunate enough to listen to Punk-rock at the early age of 3. I have to thank my brother for that. I enjoyed fast paced music since I was very small. Anything slower was lame, I remember hating slow music, (still kinda do unless it's done right.) In 1994 a little album called "Dookie" found its way into my brothers CD player. That record was played so many times I lost count. This was always my favorite song from that album:

Hearing it now, I realize that it's still awesome (and way better than anything nowadays). There was another album around that time, I recall it as "Jagged Little Pill." My favorite song from that album was:

To be quite honest, I never knew the lyrics to this song before now. DAMN. This song is depressing. Anyways, There was this one other album that made my toe tap. It was called "The Presidents of The United States of America." Best album title ever. Anyways, my favorite song from that album was:

Hearing it still brings back fond memories of my old house in Hialeah. I remember my brother thinking it was awesome that I would kinda "air drum" to this song. I should learn to cover this song now...

Now the rest is history. Because all I have to say is Nirvana. Yes the band not the other thing.

Elementary School

Oh man.

Now that I have that out of the way....

Elementary school sucked. For music at least. For video games it was fine...but that's for another post. For music, yeah, it sucked. I was constantly being made fun of by people who likes......eh....rap music.

It was awful, really. I had no sense of identity. No body in that school likes what I like, everyone seemed to be trendy...and ghetto...eck 

However, things like this...

Made things better. Nickelodeon seemed to be doing things right. While everyone in my school thought it was lame to like anything like this theme, I sat in front of my T.V wondering what it was. At the same time, I would hear my brother listening to things such as:

I knew I was missing something, but I never quite figured it out. I never asked my brother what this type of music was...and not until my high school years would I finally find out what it was.

On the other side of the spectrum, there was this one song on the radio that lingered in my head for years to come. I never found what it was until about the year 2008. Crazy, why didn't I ever ask. That song will follow me till the day I die.

Oh yeah, and this song:

That song was cool too.

Middle School

Bah! It was a confusing time for everyone. It was in middle school that I realized I could like video game music.

No one does it better than Koji Kondo. He is the greatest musician to ever grace this earth.

Highschool

Remember the Kablam theme? Well....I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT IT WAS. IT WAS SKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

o_o

Yeah, in high school, anything that wasn't ska was horrible. That was my philosophy, and I stuck to it. I'll never forget, my brother made me a mix CD, and it had these tracks in it:

That's just two of them. Trust me, that CD was full of horns (not the demon kind).
It wasn't until very late high school that I figured out what That Song was. I finally asked my brother for the title of the song that goes "Punke-tenk-ewenko-wenke-tenku." He pointed me in the direction of these guys:

Yep. That started that craze. Oh yeah, that "Punke-tenk-ewenko-wenke-tenku" song was:

Yeah. Amazing that song remained a mystery to me for 17 years....

There's just something so amazing about that song. It's sad, but its also happy. It sounds like a love song, but its about the opposite. Remember when I said slow music had to be done right? THAT'S THE PERFECT EXAMPLE.

College so far...The Punishment Due

The Police's drummer, Stewart Copeland, is amazing. Before the Police came into my life, I never had any interest in learning an instrument. Thanks to him, I'm sitting next to my most prized possession, My Drum Kit.  The way he hits those drums just make me want to make music. It's amazing. All around, the Police are a superb band. Sting, the bassist, has a lot of musical knowledge under his belt. His bass lines are amazing, and they really get you to feel the music. Andy Summers is iffy to me. Since I don't know much about guitar at all, I just hear the riffs and think "is that how you're supposed to play a guitar?" The mere fact that I ask that question shows how awesome he is. He has a very unique style, and he's responsible for creating one of the most popular guitar riffs in history, the one from Message In a Bottle.

The Police introduced me to music, but one particular band stapled me to curse of being a Metal Head.(\m/)

Megadeth is our last stop unfortunately. Ive been listening to this band a lot recently. There's just something about Dave Mustaine that gets my blood pumping. I mean, just look at him:

Above: Dave Mustaine on the right, some random lucky Asian dude on the left.

 Seems like a really nice guy eh? 

You get the picture.

It's funny how much music can affect your life. So much music passes through our ears, but do we ever really remember any of it?