ROT: THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Zombies are a very possible threat. One day our deceased human brethren could rise again to ravage the living. They will march across the Earth in an undead wave of destruction. Chaos will run rampant, order will dissolve and our pretentious society will succumb to our suppressed animal instincts. The end is nigh!

What can you do against such a horrific event? Steadfast your resolve and educate yourself by reading this book. It's informative, witty and very thorough. It's contents can actually be used for other catastrophic events too. It's good knowledge that everyone should have even if you don't buy into the impending walking corpse invasion. What weapons are the most practical, vehicles that should be considered, terrain comprehension... namely survival.

Plus, it's undead related so it obviously rocks. Hooray for zombies!

CYCLE OF DICK

Everyone has had someone with "power" over them at some point in their lives, be it a teacher, boss, family member, etc. They, for whatever misguided reason, were undeservedly prickish at every turn. From that I learned that I didn't want to be an ass to others because I know how much it sucks. What happened to everyone else on Earth? Why are there so many rude, tyrannical, browbeating tormentors?

Funny thing is, I've had this conversation with people that complained about the same issue. But when they were given even the slightest bit of authority they transformed into a bile spewing ass chisel, exploding their senseless rage on everyone. When I questioned why they would stoop to such a level, their response was "I put up with shit so I earned the right to give it." Wrong answer fuck-tard! You earned the right to use your authority properly. You know, pay it forward?

Why do most people have to be pricks any chance they get? We have turned into a world of self serving, uncaring, jerk offs. I know life can be a bitch and shit happens, but come on people. If someone is an ass to you, just roll with the punches. Kill them with kindness. As Gandhi said "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." So be cool with everyone and break this perpetuating cycle of dick.

Thank you and have a nice day.

PINK FLOYD VARIANT MANIA

Pink Floyd, oh how I love that band. I was raised on them and they still reside in my top 3 bands of all time. They never get old and still evoke countless emotions when their tunes float through my brain. From kicking ass to chilling to turning on the tears. I still cry when I watch The Wall.

I only bring it up because today I was enjoying some different renditions of some of their hits on Grooveshark. I found symphonic, reggae, techno, string quartet and even lullaby versions! Some I had heard before and most were pretty damn good. The love for the Floyd is far and wide indeed. I was so taken by the lullaby adaptations that it makes me want to have a baby just so I can enrich his or her mind.

Know of any other dope versions? Shoot me links! Just don't shoot me that shit Limp Bizkit cover. They suck gopher nuts.

Here are a few (out of a butt ton) that I liked:





And for shits n' giggles…

ROT: KILL YOUR TV BUTTON

I'm a fan of buttons... big time. It's a way to scream a statement without saying a word to anyone. They're like little badges of pride. Kind of turns you into a walking billboard though.

I have a ton and it's still not enough. I don't even wear them all. But this one in particular is probably one of my favorites and I have worn the hell out of it. It's simple, monochrome, bold and proclaims my dislike for sitting in front of the boob tube for endless hours like most of the populace. Now I do play video games and rent movies. My retort is that a flick has a set time frame and I can only play video games for so long. So there.

That shit is mind numbing anyways. Now every time I go to someones house who has cable I sit in disgust of all the crap that's being hammered into society. It's completely brainwashing and lulling you into a lethargic state of docility. Think of how many commercial jingles you know! Consume. Breed. Smile. Repeat.



P.S. You'll probably being seeing lots of my beloved buttons as the years tick by.

CREATIVE TUNES

Someone asked me recently what I listen to when I work on my art. That all depends on my location. If I'm shooting in the field, probably nothing. If I'm snapping away in the studio, something lively and that you can groove too like Pretty Lights, Goldfrapp or Daft Punk. When I'm working at my computer editing photos, working on an illustration or doing some other Mac magic, it can really vary depending on mood. Typically though I listen to the more post-rock style of music which is for the most part instrumental.

A few of the post-rock bands on my iTunes "zone out" playlist are Kwoon, Sigur Rós, Mogwai, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky. A well played couple of staples on that playlist that wiggled their way in are BT's This Binary Universe and the score from The Fountain. Now all of these are eclectic, ambient and probably not something you would hear on mainstream radio but great to let your mind wander to.

I really love Kwoon. I ship all their cd's directly from the band themselves in France. It's a little costly but it's supports them which makes it worth while. This is from their first album Tales & Dreams.



Next up is the track I dig the most from This Binary Universe by BT. You might want to skip to about a minute and a half into the video as this song has to warm up a bit.



Finally is my personal favorite amidst the many great songs by Sigur Rós entitled Glósóli.



Oh and don't play all of these at once unless you want your head to explode... or you have robot ears.

I HATE SLEEP

You might be thinking what in the hell kind of statement is that. Let me explain.

We waste approximately one third of each day sleeping which means a third of our life is burned up. So if you live to be ninety then around thirty freaking years were spent inanimate and disconnected from the rest of the world. Time that could be used to enrich ourselves and society. When you add work into the equation, that's a chunk of time absorbed each week by sleeping and slaving away. Taking into account that you just do the 40 hour work week, that's 96 hours out of 168 each week that are lost to this insidious duo. That's 192 days a year gone! You can't delete your work time unless you strike it rich. So the only thing you can cut in your life to have more free time is your sleep. You push the limit but it always catches up and your body has to rest. It's a losing battle.

Then on top of the actual time loss, I liken slumber to death. As your body gets tired and in need of sleep, that's like dying. Your body is breaking down. Then you lie on your "death" bed and close your eyes. Shortly after, your brain stops being coherent. Thus, you're dead. You have ceased to exist to the rest of the world. But that's not the end of the comparison! Why do mornings suck so bad? Because you're being resurrected. You're being ripped from the comforting blackness of limbo back to the land of the living. Body aching, eyes half open, motor skills barely functional, breath stinking, groaning as you escape your nightly burial tomb and amble about very uncoordinated. All traits of a zombie perhaps?

Other things that suck about sleep:

• It makes you vulnerable.
• You have to find a safe, comfortable and quiet location to curl up for a large wasted period of time.
• Terrible nightmares make up the majority of our dreams.
• You have to use up one of your rooms in your home for a matress. Beds and housing space cost money.
• If you don't get the perfect sleeping conditions, it ruins your forty winks, which makes you groggy all day and messes up what little free time you get.
• Everyone looks retarded when they sleep with all the drooling, snoring, flopping around and unusual positions.
• Bugs crawl on us at night and some in our gapping face portals.
• I just really hate being dependent upon anything.

Of course it feels good to recharge your batteries but it only feels that way because your mind and body require it. You might also argue that you get to start a new day with each awaking. But we are perfectly capable of controlling our mood and daily outlook without Mr. Sandman.

Now do you understand why I still bitch and moan like a little kid each time I have to go to bed? I say sleep can kiss my tired ass.

ROT: COW STATUE

Today I present for your Random Object Thursday viewing pleasure, my glorious cow statue. He was given to me as part of a get well package when I was seriously hospitalized two years ago. The senders being my old employer and ever loving friends at Corporate Express. I love you guys!

Cow now proudly resides atop my Mac. There he can prominently display his snub at those that would consume him and his kind with the statement "eat me" scrawled on his side. Thus making him a constant reminder of my vow to never consume another living creature and that cows will one day rise up and conquer us all. Oh yes, it will happen.

TERRY JONES IS A TWIT

It's September 11th and as you might have heard, the pastor Terry Jones threatened to burn Koran's today. He has since changed his mind but I want to rant about it anyways. That was probably the crudest idea I have ever heard and so blatantly disrespectful and ignorant it makes me sick. The Muslim religion is not to blame for 9/11 so it shouldn't matter where they build a mosque. I would bet there's already a standard American accepted church mighty close by so what difference does it make. You can't condemn an entire religion and it's followers for the acts of a few.

All religions, including Christianity would be mega screwed if we started naming names, incidents and pointing fingers. Hitler and Nero are a couple famous naughty Christian poster boys to start with. If you want to talk about bombings and radicals, how about the good ole American boy Timothy McVeigh? A thorough list would be huge and I think you catch my drift. Honestly, I don't like rubbing Christianity's nose in the dirt. I'm not here to bash anyone because I really don't care what beliefs you abide by or what deity you grovel to.

My point is this, every religion is inherently flawed because they were all created by man, who's flaws know no bounds. So stop judging, practice forgiveness, preach love, quit making American's look ignorant and just chill the fuck out.

ROT: HORSE APPLE

The osage orange, hedge/horse apple or Maclura pomifera is todays random object for this Thursday. This little, brain textured fruit is sitting in my study not two feet from my computer. Why do I have a deciduous tree fruit sitting in my office you might ask? Because they are supposed to deter spiders. I don't think it works though because I have seen a spider sitting on it. I'm guessing who ever started that wives tale was full of crap.


P.S. Yes, I technically posted this on Friday due to forgetfulness. And yes, I changed the date to Thursday. This is my blog after all. :P

KANOPOLIS STATE PARK

Everyone wants to make the most of their Labor Day extra time off from work. Nicky and I decided to get the hell out of dodge and hit the hills. You might be thinking where in the hell in Kansas can you find decent hills and interesting natural formations to keep my interest? This was my first thought as well when planning this excursion. But not everywhere in the old sunflower state is flat my friends. Kanopolis State Park was a prime example of just that.

Never once in my thirty one years on this earth (and half of them being spent in Kansas) have I ever heard of this place. I looked up a ton of parks and this one had a couple choice words that people used to describe them besides just peaceful, secluded and level.

There were sandstone canyons, a beautifully hilly skyline, plenty of rocks to climb, cliff holes (they called them caves), lush prairies, babbling streams and rivers and for added visual stimulation... a decent dam!



My piece of crap Blazer was actually a god send on this trip though.The four wheel drive got us through rough terrain and over grown back roads. Then the last day and a half a huge wind storm came rolling though. We ended up having to sleep in my truck. Again, I was thankful I don't have an open bed truck and that the seats lay down so it was actually kind of nice in there.

All in all it was a kick ass state park. Not a lot of people, plenty to do, horses everywhere and spiders galore. Ew, wait... spiders are icky.

THE BETA BAND

Isn't it sad when you really fall in love with a band just to find out they are already broken up? This is true for me with countless bands but today I mourn the loss of The Beta Band. I have always liked their folky, electronic infused, eclectic, jam rock style. I've had a few tracks I really loved by them that have made there way into quite a few of my famous mix CD's. I just recently decided to obtain and delve into their collection and of course look up tour dates. Unfortunately, they went the way of the dodo in 2004 leaving behind only a handful of albums and EP's. What a shame.

This song, Dry The Rain, I stumbled on not long ago and it's what made me decided I should probably look up more of their stuff. Sorry for the crappy unofficial video.



Next is the first song I had heard by them. It really caught my attention with it's chill feel, folk essence and the trip hop typed style blended in. This is their official video for Squares.

ROT: JOHN T CIGAR

I love cigars. Now I don't partake in them as much as I used to but on occasion I snag a handful. My birthday was just the occasion to grab a few. I prefer the sweeter flavors like rum, vanilla, cherry, etc. I really enjoy the ones made with aromatic pipe tobacco. I still remember how much I enjoyed their delicious scent on the breeze. I can't smell anymore mind you, but I'd like to think I'm passing on that unforgettable fragrance to some other cigar newcomer. This particular brand of cigar is cheap, tasty and smells fantastic. Thank you John T for making a yummy smokable treat and giving me something to shoot for this weeks Random Object Thursday.

P.S. Don't mind the cat hair covered green chair I randomly put it on.