The Walking Dead Mid-season Finale

Every once in a while, a piece of cinema or television comes along that hits that emotional string inside every one of us. It could be from two completely different movies; the closing scene of Saving Private Ryan, or Toy Story 3 for example. A successful film is able to hit this string buried deep inside of our soul, and when it's hit, it hurts.

Rick Grimes did that with his gun last night on the mid-season finale of The Walking Dead.

Last night, we were treated to one of the best hours of cinema in the last 5 years, and yes, it was on cable television.

"Guys, the barn's full of walkers". 6 words was all it took for Glenn to light the fuse that would inevitably lead us to the best fireworks display that television has seen in years. Granted, the 20 minutes or so after that were just transport to the more interesting bit, but they all served a purpose. To develop these characters more, as if this season hasn't done enough of that already. Shane and Rick are really starting to become deep characters in this show, we are starting to see what side this world brings out of them. They may have been partners and best friends before the world turned, but once the world changed so did they, they became two opposite people. This constant thirst for character development can only mean one thing. People are going to start to die, and its going to get violent.

I digress

Some would say that Shane melted down last night, I disagree. Shane made a decision last night, he wants to lead these people, and he wants to keep them safe. He isn't going to discuss killing the walkers in the barn, he is going to kill the walkers in the barn, and he's going to give a gun to every son of a bitch that agrees that in this world there is no safe haven unless you fight to make it so. He may have a brash way of making a point (shooting a walker repeatedly while Herschel holds onto it with a Steve Irwin stick) but he makes it nonetheless. He walks to the barn door with a pick axe and chops those locks off with deliberate force. And he stands back and lets hell rain down on every mother, father, sister, brother, son and yes even daughter that walks out of that barn, and as the dust settled, Shane and the rest of the group looked up to see Sophia walk out into the world on the opposite side. And instead of Shane walking up and putting one more exclamation point on his tirade, it's our quiet leader, with Sophia's mother crying for her daughter in the background, who makes the biggest statement of all. We are willing to fight for our own safety, even if that means doing what is hard, killing one of our own.

If Shane would have pulled that trigger it would have meant nothing. Rick proved himself with that bullet, he said to Herschel that these things aren't people anymore and we're not afraid to put down the ones we love when they are no longer the ones we loved. He then said to his group that after all of the searching and all of the persuading, I can still make decisions that need to be made. Maybe not as rough and off the cuff as Shane, but when it matters, I can pull that trigger.

This is where the writers showed their brilliance. Sophia wasn't valuable, she meant nothing to the group, her character was the least relevant in the whole show, she acted simply as a MacGuffin. A thumpin' good one at that. She made us sink our teeth into this story and wait and wait, hoping for a positive outcome. Her running off was the best thing that ever happened to The Walking Dead, she drove this entire story without being on screen for more than 5 minutes and she will continue to drive the story for the rest of the season. She influenced every decision made by the group. She helped make us fall in love with Darryl, and start to hate Shane. Hell, she got Glenn laid and Maggie in trouble. She killed Otis, she got Carl shot, and she broke Herschel as a man. If it wasn't for Sophia; little, insignificant, Sophia, the group would not be at that farm, and they might all be dead. Sophia became the best thing that ever happened to The Walking Dead and she didn't do a damn thing. That my friends is brilliant screenwriting.

Cheers to the writing staff for their show of brilliant emotional writing, they knew where to punch and they hit their mark. Right in the gut.

Cheers to the second half of the season, I'll see you all there!

-Tod

Batman #2

So if there is one thing that encompasses all that The Bat-Man is (besides Christopher Nolan's ongoing masterpiece cinematic trilogy) it is Scott Snyder's run at the helm of DC's Batman. #1 Established Batman as the clever detective that he really is, but it also established the city of Gotham as a dark, deviant character. #2 hit shelves on the 19th of October and is better than the first installment. I am a huge fan of movies that start at the end and then go back to the start and trace the steps up until that climactic moment. #2 starts with what looks like the impeding death of Bruce Wayne, then goes back to the time prior to explain the story and make you think hard. The end of the book will make you revel in the awesome-ness that is Batman. I love how DC has embraced Gotham in the "New 52" with All Star Western and Batman. They have breathed new life into the city. I've always loved the degeneration of the city and to give it a predominant role in their books is so awesome.

Batman #2 is amazing, the art is amazing, and the story is amazing. You have NO reason to NOT go pick it up.

Animal Man

Of all of DC's relaunched "New 52" Animal Man is by far the best. It's about Buddy Baker who is able to channel the power and ability of any animal at any time. He can channel the lightfootedness of a bee to creep slowly, or the bark of a dog to intimidate, basically he is awesome. The story is extremely catchy, its hard to wait for the next months issue. Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth) is the perfect author and Foreman's art is the perfect amount of disturbing. My favorite frame from this series so far is during our hero, Buddy Baker's nightmare; his son is running towards him as his guts are pouring out of his stomache.. its gnarly, unsettling, and completely awesome. #2 came out last week and its completely great. Pick it up and get into this amazing story.

The Best Western in a Long Time

If you don't read comics, you should, if you do, you should read this one. All Star Western #1 is one of DC's final installment in their new 52 this last month, and let me just say... its 100% badass. I've heard it compared to what would happen if "Clint Eastwood hunts down Jack the Ripper". It is so awesome. Jonah Hex ends up in Gotham set in the 1800's and searches to find a guy who is brutally murdering prostitutes. It's super rad to read about the early roots of Gotham and see who Arkham mental institution was named after and get a glimpse at the twisted upper class society of Gotham. Needless to say, it is beyond awesome! Read it.

The Builders And The Butchers

One of the best bands of my generation. They play a dark, folksy tune with lyrics that are meant to doom and depress. They rock harder than necessary and they don't let up until that last note slams down on us. Their new album titled "Dead Reckoning" came out earlier this year, completing a hat trick of perfect albums of fresh, old sounding folk rock. Give them a listen, they'll change the way you look at rock n' roll. Go here!

Old Color Pictures

Awesome Pictures

More Here

What Happened to the Airlines?

As far back as I can remember, flying was great. It was one of the most exciting treats that I got as a kid. You drove to the airport, grabbed your tickets and walked up to the gate, onto the plane, into your seats, on your way; Soaring above the country, scanning the horizons. Flying used to be great.

Today, fliers experience unjustifiable fees on pretty much everything from aisle seats, to extra bags of peanuts. Security is excessive, and not a single person enjoys it anymore. What happened to the days of meals, service, friendliness, luxury. What happened to the enjoyment of flying. Ill tell you. Money.

Money literally does make the world go round. It also makes a lot of peoples lives less enjoyable. The rich get richer and the middle class gets pissed. The rich stuff their pockets at our expense, taking things that we all used to enjoy, like flying, and turning them into an overly profitable cattle drive. Sadly, the white collared bureaucrats have destroyed an American way. The days of packing the bags and heading to the airport for an exciting adventure are gone.

Where do we go from here? Whats the better (not good) news? The automobile is coming back. Families are jumping into their cars and heading down the highways, its a small throwback to tradition, Americans and automobiles. Its so simple, but its what we do here. We love cars, we buy them, we drive them, we get more, we collect them, we relish them, treat them well, beat them up, ride them hard, worship them, curse them.

The line seems to stop there. But it doesn't. Current events are certainly threatening our most beloved form of transportation.

Gas.

It literally fuels us, and it now costs $4 a gallon.

What do we do? Where do we go from here? Do we bite the bullet? Do we park the cars and walk? Nobody has a definitive answer, and nobody WILL have a definitive answer. We have traditionally done what we want to do, nobody has ever dictated us as Americans about what to do. Ask the English.

So really, what do we do? I don't have the perfect answer. But I do have an opinion, we forget about it. We don't let it phase us, we keep going like nothing is happening, we continue to better our lives and say "forget about it" to all the troubling things in life. Take a philosophical lesson from Jeff Bridges' character, "The Dude" from the Coen brothers film "The Big Lebowski". "The Dude. Takin' er easy for all us sinners."

Just take it easy, ride it out. Most everything sorts itself out in the end.

-tod

I'll Try Anything Once - The Strokes

This is quite possibly the best song ever written.

Manly

Quick little sketch I made during study time.

Status Foe

I have been a patron of Status Foe for a little over a year. They sell some cool shoes and other home accessories. They have a creative space on 17th street in Costa Mesa where they make some of the stuff they sell. Anyways, I popped over there today to pick up some shoes that I had ordered and got to actually see the place in person. Pretty rad. Buy from them. They are cool guys. Check out their website too! click HERE!

Spearmint We're Going Out

Justin Townes Earle: A G&G Film

The Kills

The Kills - Satellite by DominoRecordCo
The Kills just released their new single, "Satellite" a few days ago and their new album "Blood Pressures" is available for pre-order! I cant wait to see them in concert in May!

In Memorium - The White Stripes - 1997-2011

13 years and 33 days. That is how many days you and I were blessed with one of the most beautiful, pure things we will ever experience. On February 2nd, The White Stripes quietly ended their band with dignity, saying that they have "officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live. The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way. " They went out on top and in peak form with no controversy, they simply exited. Leaving die heard fans and casual listeners alike, with memories of them in their prime. Jack White often made comments saying that the key is to leave people wanting more. We all want more.

The White Stripes smashed their way onto every body's radio with their raw power. They turned everything up ten notches and didn't ever hold back. Jack White played his guitar with an almost hateful fury, and Meg White played the drums like she hardly knew what she was doing, but with anyone else, they wouldn't be The Stripes. Their candy cane motif's and media secrecy added to their mystery. They will be remembered as a band that played some of the best music that we have ever heard or will ever hear. Nobody will ever come close to what The White Stripes did, nobody will match their sheer brilliance. They kept the hope alive that the world could in fact be changed by music; by a guitar and a drum kit; two against the world.

There aren't many bands that you remember hearing for the first time. The White Stripes are probably one of the only ones. I was 12 years old, I was in my garage (quite fitting) on the computer. My buddy and I were on Yahoo Music looking at music videos when we saw an odd kaleidoscope looking video titled "Seven Nation Army". We clicked play. I remember turning to my friend; at 12 years old, I had never been speechless before, this was the first time. I was instantly hooked. It was the first song I ever learned how to play on guitar; I spent my allowance on a guitar slide and their album "Elephant". Now, almost 10 years later, I am 20 and still listen to The Stripes with the utter speechlessness that I did when I was a little kid. They have been my favorite band since that day in the garage.

The Stripes will truly live forever, they aren't gone. They live on our turntables, our ipods, and in our hearts. The memories associated with The White Stripes outnumber the memories I have of anything else. Of course I'll keep listening, I don't know what else to do with myself. I HAVE to keep listening, why would I stop?

In the closing of their message that was posted on their website and Third Man's website, they said this:

"The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful."

They're ours now, keep them safe, keep listening, pass your records on to your children like heirlooms. The White Stripes were only with us for a short amount of time, but we were blessed to have them; bless future generations by letting them hear just what The White Stripes are.

As I sit here writing this, listening to their entire catalog, I thank them for getting me through Junior High and High School. Getting me through the good times and the bad times. For blowing out my front right speaker in my old truck. Aggravating my neighbors and they're dogs with Hello Operator and Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground at volume 40. Accompanying me on my ski trip in 8th grade. Many a airplane flights. Influencing my taste in music, and style, even my lifestyle. Thanks to The White Stripes, Ive learned who the masters in music are; Son House, Wanda Jackson, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Blind Willie to name a small handful. There are so many points in my life when I turned to The Stripes, Theyve always been there, and they will continue to be there whenever I need them. Thanks for the memories guys.

-tod

Filson

I wish I had a money tree. Filson turns out some rad threads. Check them out here.

Wanda Jackson

One of the greatest female country artists of all time released her new album "The Party Ain't Over" today. It was recorded with Jack White of The White Stripes at his Third Man Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Pick up your copy at his shop or on the Third Man website!

Dinner Tonight

There really is nothing better than a good, homemade burger and fries. A nice fried egg is definitely the key ingredient.

Red Wing Iron Rangers

So I recently picked up a pair of Red Wing boots, and I have to say that they are the most attractive pieces of footwear that I have ever owned. These Iron Rangers are handmade in Minnesota and boast an excellent history of quality. Anyways, very classy boot.

Denim Decor

I don't ever know what to do with my jeans after I wear them. They're too good looking to just hide away in the closet, so why not add them to my room decor? So I dropped into Orchard's Hardware and picked up a little $3 hook, screwed it in, and that was that. The jeans are Imogene + Willie, handmade in Nashville, Tennessee. The hat: Brixton Hooligan.
The picture is of my great grandfather. He was a true man.

Chrome Shoes

So, a few months back Chrome Industries had a promotion where you could send them a pair of nasty, old shoes and they would send you a brand new pair of their shoes for free. When I received my pair, I sat them on a shelf. They aren't really my style, I'm not a big high top wearer nor do I like the red and black color combination. So there they sat, on a shelf in my closet for about six months until last Friday. I decided that I should give them an honest try, so I tied them up, then I zipped them up (which I must say is a first), and I went to work. It is now the end of the day on Tuesday, and I can honestly say that these are some of the best made, most comfortable shoes that Ive worn. They feature what they call a "Crash Pad" underneath the insole, its just a soft piece of rubber but it makes a huge difference when your up and down stairs all day. The shoes are also made out of waterproof canvas and have a hard rubber toe to keep you from smashing your toes if you drop anything on them, which is a big risk in my job. So if you have the money, I strongly suggest that you pick up a pair for yourself, they may not be pretty, but they are comfy as hell, I will probably grab another pair for work once these wear out. Check em out! Chrome Industries

Johnny Cash

There is nobody more manly with a cooler story than The Man in Black.

I cannot wait to see this movie. Absolutely great trailer.

Gas Stations

The first dedicated gas station was built in St. Louis in 1905. Honestly, nothing is cooler.

What do I want to achieve with this blog? I want to post cool things. Mostly things having to do with Americana. I want to shed a small bit of light on the small bit of Americana that's left in this country. Nothing is going to be the same, but its all going to be along the same lines. I hope you all read and enjoy what you read. Its all about things that are definitely necessary to preserve, because if we forget about them, we forget about who we are.