Monday, July 25, 2011

Music Mondays!

So, Monday always drags for me. I figured to help myself get through the day, I would begin posting some good tunes every monday. Without further ado, here's Between the Buried and Me!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Of Ice and Fire...

George R.R. Martin's epic fantasy series just keeps getting better and better. I recently finished the 5th (and latest) installment of A Song of Ice and Fire. The book, titled "A Dance with Dragons", was 963 pages of some of the best story telling I've ever read. Granted, it had been nigh on 6 years since the last book, but I can easily say, it was well worth the wait.

This book comes hot on the heels of HBO's smash hit Game of Thrones, which is the televised version of the first book in Martin's series, "A Game of Thrones".

A quick synopsis of A Song of Ice and Fire:

Amidst plots and counter plot, schemers, back-stabbers and cowards, heroes, villains and anti-heroes, a game is being played: The Game of Thrones. The Seven Ruling Houses of Westeros are playing their role in trying to keep the Iron Throne and of those trying to usurp it. Good and Evil, Black and White. They all mean nothing. What is Good? What is Evil? Nothing but shades of grey blanket the land Westeros, because perspective is everything.. And even the worst tyrant believes himself just. Stark, Baratheon, Lannister, Arryn, Tully, Tyrell and Martell, the seven great families of the realm, all vie for dominance and survival as a Winter without end looms before them all. And across the Narrow Sea, a displaced Dragon Queen plans her return, to take back the Iron Throne that is rightfully hers.

Book 1: A Game of Thrones


Book 2: A Clash of Kings


Book 3: A Storm of Swords


Book 4: A Feast for Crows


Book 5: A Dance with Dragons



In short, for those unfamiliar with the series: READ IT. For those unfamiliar with the show: WATCH IT. You will not be disappointed.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Mr. Bitchin

Larry Watson passed away 1 year ago today. I still miss the hell out of that man. He sure could tell a story! He had more class and style than most people could EVER hope to have and was a true Artist in every sense of the word. Larry was also just one hell of a nice guy. He is truly missed... Here's some of my favorites of Larry's work, plus a bitchin' video!




I can't believe it's been a year already... You are still sorely missed Larry. The world is a little brighter for having had you as a part of it. Cruise in Peace.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Alive or Just Breathing?

On this, the first post of my ego-maniacal blog, I'd like to share some thoughts that recently kept me up all night.

My friend Cody has started to lend me the hardbound collections of "The Walking Dead" by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard. "The Walking Dead" is a "Continuing Story of Survival Horror", centered upon Georgia Sherriff Rick Grimes. At the beginning of the series, Rick is shot and falls into a coma. Upon awakening 3 weeks later, he finds the hospital deserted... Except for the Walking Dead. The story follows Rick along with his family and friends as they struggle to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

While reading "The Walking Dead", a strange series of thoughts started to take hold within my head... It hit me, that in an event such as that (or any catastrophic type calamity), that Surviving and Living are not exactly the same thing. What good is surviving if you're not really living? Is the only hope for survival so that when some semblance of normalcy returns, you'll be alive to enjoy it? It got me thinking about the current trajectory of my life (something I do with irritating regularity). All of the philosohical and zombie apocalypse-related bs boiled down into one question: "Am I Alive? Or Just Breathing?"

It seems to me that alot of people (myself included) are not truly living. They're simply existing, on auto-pilot, cruise control. Just shambling through life like mindless Zombies, or running through the gauntlet of Undead like the survivors. Either way, in some strange way that I will not even attempt to explain, "The Walking Dead" has inspired me to be more proactive in my life. Lame, I know. But it is what it is!