As the title suggests, everyone is a Metallica fan, even if they don't know it. I love the band, but like some people out there, I once said things like "I'm a fan of Greenday. I like them because they rock hard but aren't too hard, like Metallica." Now that my eyes have been opened I realize how lame I was... so very lame. The one consoling factor is that I was not alone, and even now, there are D.B.s out there spouting this gem, "Metallica? I mean, my dad liked them, and Enter Sandman rocked, but Arcade Fire is just so much better." But this is what you usually get:
"I've heard a couple of Metallica songs on the radio, they have a good beat." -an actual quote from my mom.
Don't be like my mom, listen to Metallica. There really is something for everyone in the band's nearly 30 years of making music. My personal favorites of the moment come from the bands first decade together and represent ideas about individuality and independence of thought and action. I tend to fixate on lyrics, they're what really make music happen for me and ladies an gentlemen, lyrics don't come much better.
"Do you want what I want? Desire not a thing. I hunger after independence, lengthen freedom's ring." - from ...and Justice for All, track 3 Eye of the Beholder.
Now I'm sure that there are some nay sayers that will never be swayed, but they suck and we, the blessed baskers in the metal light know the one truth "Metal is the kingdom and Metallica our king."
Monday, October 11, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Moon and You
The most important thing people will ever do is learn to leave this planet. Given a long enough time line, life on this planet is finite. Eventually, a long time from now, the Sun will burn through its supply of hydrogen and become a red giant, engulfing the inner planets and burning the remains of Earth to a cinder. If we remain bound to Earth and manage to survive as a species until then, this will be the end of humanity. I have a vision of the distant future and in it the human race is immortal and will outlive the dregs of this world, solar system, galaxy, and universe. In order to get there, however, we need to take action, practical steps that will help us leave this rock and teach us how to live in the broader realm of the universe. We must do this before it is too late. Today we have the resources to start this journey and in some ways it has begun, but in the near future political, social, environmental, and economic instability could rob us of our destiny, leaving us impotent against fate and the whims of existence. That is what brings me here today to talk to you about our next step towards our collective goal, the Moon.
We've been there before. The Chinese are planning to get back there by 2020. Americans, the most capable nation of people in this regard, have decided that it isn't worth the costs. Our natural satellite provides us with a unique opportunity to explore and expound upon theory about living and subsiding on a celestial body other than our cradle of life here on this planet and put idea into practical application. The Moon is a test bed that is within arms reach and we should use it to further our knowledge and ability. It would be better to try our luck there than to wait and see what might happen once we get to further destinations where help and rescue would be further away than a few days.
So I've been thinking about these things for a while now and I realized that I will probably never be able to go to the Moon. I really have no marketable skills that a space program could use in a colonization experiment. I've thought about studying horticulture in order to garner some possibly necessary skills that could be used on such a mission. Sustainable food production would be a concern right? Well, this has led friends to call me a Moon farmer... I hate them... "Hoho-haha, Zack's going to farm the Moon! He's going to fly a tractor up there and bury seeds and grow them! He's so dumb!" This is infuriating. Either misunderstanding what I'm talking about or mocking my good ideas.
Anyway back to me not going to the Moon. True, I wont be taking a rocket ride anytime soon unless I go down to the Chucky Cheese with a sack of quarters and a borrowed child but I did find a way to make the trip...
BEHOLD!!!
Friends I am unveiling to you my second book idea in as many blog posts. This yet untitled masterpiece will chronicle a journey from Earth to the Moon. A group of scientists, contractors, engineers, and possible lunar extremists (they're going to take over the Moon base) embark on a journey to complete a project that will make life on the Moon and travel between planets in the solar system faster and more affordable. The bad news, friends, is that it could also be a weapon of mass destruction if wielded by the nefarious Guild of Doom (or some such group of evildoers). There will be twists and turns and possible surprises thanks to a good idea that Natalie had. I know you're dieing for more info. Maybe a sneak peak into the first chapter "Lift Off," well too bad for you suckers. I guess you'll have to wait until or if it is written. Until then I guess you'll have to slake your thirst with old episodes of Star Trek, or Babylon 5.
We've been there before. The Chinese are planning to get back there by 2020. Americans, the most capable nation of people in this regard, have decided that it isn't worth the costs. Our natural satellite provides us with a unique opportunity to explore and expound upon theory about living and subsiding on a celestial body other than our cradle of life here on this planet and put idea into practical application. The Moon is a test bed that is within arms reach and we should use it to further our knowledge and ability. It would be better to try our luck there than to wait and see what might happen once we get to further destinations where help and rescue would be further away than a few days.
So I've been thinking about these things for a while now and I realized that I will probably never be able to go to the Moon. I really have no marketable skills that a space program could use in a colonization experiment. I've thought about studying horticulture in order to garner some possibly necessary skills that could be used on such a mission. Sustainable food production would be a concern right? Well, this has led friends to call me a Moon farmer... I hate them... "Hoho-haha, Zack's going to farm the Moon! He's going to fly a tractor up there and bury seeds and grow them! He's so dumb!" This is infuriating. Either misunderstanding what I'm talking about or mocking my good ideas.
Anyway back to me not going to the Moon. True, I wont be taking a rocket ride anytime soon unless I go down to the Chucky Cheese with a sack of quarters and a borrowed child but I did find a way to make the trip...
BEHOLD!!!
Friends I am unveiling to you my second book idea in as many blog posts. This yet untitled masterpiece will chronicle a journey from Earth to the Moon. A group of scientists, contractors, engineers, and possible lunar extremists (they're going to take over the Moon base) embark on a journey to complete a project that will make life on the Moon and travel between planets in the solar system faster and more affordable. The bad news, friends, is that it could also be a weapon of mass destruction if wielded by the nefarious Guild of Doom (or some such group of evildoers). There will be twists and turns and possible surprises thanks to a good idea that Natalie had. I know you're dieing for more info. Maybe a sneak peak into the first chapter "Lift Off," well too bad for you suckers. I guess you'll have to wait until or if it is written. Until then I guess you'll have to slake your thirst with old episodes of Star Trek, or Babylon 5.
Monday, July 12, 2010
How Twilight Should Have Gone Down
Though shamed by the fact, I must admit that I have read the entire Twilight book series by Stephanie Meyer, twice. From Twilight to Breaking Dawn, I've plumbed the depths of these literary masterpieces and have been left wanting more, much more. You see, after I read through them it struck me that these millennium-old vampires lacked any sort of creativity or improvisation when it came to fighting other vampires. Under the rules established by Meyer, vampires in her universe are only vulnerable to being dismembered by the teeth of certain creatures (vampires and werewolves) or being burned by intense fire. Also of import, you have to understand that when a vampire is dismembered they don't die but their different parts live on and even strive to reunite with their other parts. After I realized these facts my mind began to envision how the Twilight world would have been if I had written it and has prompted me to write this blog and share with you the introduction of my book High Noon: Alexander the Demon Blade.
Introduction:
It was late. It was usually late when I made the quick walk back to my apartment, but I stayed out later than usual that night having a few extra beers with the regulars down at Mike's. As I cut through the alley between 1st and 2nd street, I felt a chill run up my spine. I had the distinct feeling that there was someone watching me. I tried to ignore the feeling but as I walked on I heard the sound of foot steps behind me. At least I thought I did. I turned to look over my shoulder but no one was around.
"Hey! Who's there?"
Everything was quiet.
"Get a hold of yourself Alex."
I turned to go then jumped back startled, tripping over an upturned garbage can. Someone was there, a giant of a man standing no more than 10 feet in front of me, directly in my path. He had to be over seven feet tall, though it was hard to tell from my position on the ground, and built like a line backer.
"Hey buddy! You scared the hell out of me!"
The stranger was silent as he approached and stood over me. There was something about the way he moved that made this man seem ominous. His gait was too smooth, almost cat like. This observation was unnerving in itself, but then he spoke.
"You people are so pathetic."
The voice wasn't like anything I had ever heard. It was dark and clear with a musical quality. Beautiful and terrifying, I prayed that I'd never hear it again. It wasn't my night.
"Hahaha! Alright little worm, it's time for you to die."
He took a step forward reaching down and grabbed me by the throat. His movements were so fast that it was hard to follow them. I was in shock as I was lifted off the ground. He pulled my neck towards his open mouth and glistening teeth. All I could do was stare at his blood red eyes as he slowly drew me toward a terrible end.
Just then the stranger stopped dead, motionless for a moment before dropping me back into the safety of the garbage pile. As I recovered from my fall I looked up to see the man, that had only moments before promised me death, standing with his back to me in a defensive position as if protecting me from something. That's when I saw the other guy.
No more than a shadow at the end of the alley, I could barely make him out past my one time attacker. I could tell that he was of average build and height, much smaller than my new friend the giant, and he was casually strolling towards us whistling. As he came closer the giant began to growl like some kind of beast, but this newcomer continued undeterred, as if all of this was perfectly normal.
When the newcomer came within 30 feet of us the giant couldn't take anymore. His voice clear and strong as ever he said,
"That's close enough! This is my kill friend. Go find your own."
I was less than thrilled that my defender apparently still planned on ending me, but I had little time to dwell on that minor detail. I could make out the new stranger's face now and, as the giant finished speaking, he came to a stop and a smile spread across his face. His jet black eyes never left the giant as he slowly pulled a shotgun out of his coat.
"HAHA!! And WHAT do you plan on doing with THAT?"
The giant seemed unimpressed with the newcomer's street sweeper as he, still laughing, took two steps forward. On the second step however, the newcomer raised the barrel and squeezed off a deafening blast. I turned and took cover, shielding my face from the shot. I missed what happened next, but I'll never forget what I heard. There was a sound like rending metal and a piercing scream. As I turned to look the first thing I saw was a white stump of leg laying on the ground in front of me. There was no blood, only a spray of what looked like pieces of bone. I thought that was strange but, looking up, I was distracted from this little puzzle by the newcomer who was now pulling the largest sword I've ever seen from a sheath strapped to his back. The blade was five feet long and the edges glimmered white under the street lamps. It didn't look like any sword I'd seen in the movies. This sword was the silver color of steel down the middle but the edges were lined with what looked like teeth. Razor sharp and glistening teeth.
The giant, still screaming, was crawling like some sort of wounded animal as fast as he could away from the newcomer, but he and I both knew it wouldn't be fast enough. The newcomer sprinted at the giant quicker than any man I'd ever seen and kicked him under the ribs, flinging him like a rag doll into the side of the building across the alley from where I was laying. As the giant fell in a shower of brick and mortar he turned to defend himself. He raised his arms and screamed as the the newcomer swung his giant blade. He handled the giant sword as if it were light as a feather, and as the blade made contact with the giant's upraised hands, I heard that same metal-rending sound again as the sword cleanly sliced through both of his arms continuing towards the giant's screaming, gaping mouth, splitting his head sideways through the middle of his skull.
I continued to lay in my pile of trash unable to speak or move as this sword wielding barbarian neatly dismembered the giant's body making the sounds of a terrible metal-tearing symphony, placing the giants head into a bag and the rest of him into a dumpster near my pile. He came closer to me and I scrambled away, knowing that I was about to end up just like the giant, but the barbarian ignored me. He scraped up the leg and all of the little white pieces of what looked like bone or rock and threw them into the dumpster with the rest of the headless giant. The barbarian quickly put his sword away and dusted off his hands, wiping them on his pants then pulled a road flare from his pocket, ignited it, and threw it into the dumpster. As he turned towards me, he began to whistle again as a fireball erupted from the dumpster behind him filling the alley with orange light and a thick smoke.
The barbarian walked toward me and I was once again frozen in fear. As he stood over me like the giant had done only moments before, he smiled and reached his hand down to help me up. I grabbed his hand and as he pulled me out of my garbage mound the barbarian looked strait into my eyes and asked me the question that would change my life forever.
"Well Alexander, how would you like to live forever?"
Introduction:
It was late. It was usually late when I made the quick walk back to my apartment, but I stayed out later than usual that night having a few extra beers with the regulars down at Mike's. As I cut through the alley between 1st and 2nd street, I felt a chill run up my spine. I had the distinct feeling that there was someone watching me. I tried to ignore the feeling but as I walked on I heard the sound of foot steps behind me. At least I thought I did. I turned to look over my shoulder but no one was around.
"Hey! Who's there?"
Everything was quiet.
"Get a hold of yourself Alex."
I turned to go then jumped back startled, tripping over an upturned garbage can. Someone was there, a giant of a man standing no more than 10 feet in front of me, directly in my path. He had to be over seven feet tall, though it was hard to tell from my position on the ground, and built like a line backer.
"Hey buddy! You scared the hell out of me!"
The stranger was silent as he approached and stood over me. There was something about the way he moved that made this man seem ominous. His gait was too smooth, almost cat like. This observation was unnerving in itself, but then he spoke.
"You people are so pathetic."
The voice wasn't like anything I had ever heard. It was dark and clear with a musical quality. Beautiful and terrifying, I prayed that I'd never hear it again. It wasn't my night.
"Hahaha! Alright little worm, it's time for you to die."
He took a step forward reaching down and grabbed me by the throat. His movements were so fast that it was hard to follow them. I was in shock as I was lifted off the ground. He pulled my neck towards his open mouth and glistening teeth. All I could do was stare at his blood red eyes as he slowly drew me toward a terrible end.
Just then the stranger stopped dead, motionless for a moment before dropping me back into the safety of the garbage pile. As I recovered from my fall I looked up to see the man, that had only moments before promised me death, standing with his back to me in a defensive position as if protecting me from something. That's when I saw the other guy.
No more than a shadow at the end of the alley, I could barely make him out past my one time attacker. I could tell that he was of average build and height, much smaller than my new friend the giant, and he was casually strolling towards us whistling. As he came closer the giant began to growl like some kind of beast, but this newcomer continued undeterred, as if all of this was perfectly normal.
When the newcomer came within 30 feet of us the giant couldn't take anymore. His voice clear and strong as ever he said,
"That's close enough! This is my kill friend. Go find your own."
I was less than thrilled that my defender apparently still planned on ending me, but I had little time to dwell on that minor detail. I could make out the new stranger's face now and, as the giant finished speaking, he came to a stop and a smile spread across his face. His jet black eyes never left the giant as he slowly pulled a shotgun out of his coat.
"HAHA!! And WHAT do you plan on doing with THAT?"
The giant seemed unimpressed with the newcomer's street sweeper as he, still laughing, took two steps forward. On the second step however, the newcomer raised the barrel and squeezed off a deafening blast. I turned and took cover, shielding my face from the shot. I missed what happened next, but I'll never forget what I heard. There was a sound like rending metal and a piercing scream. As I turned to look the first thing I saw was a white stump of leg laying on the ground in front of me. There was no blood, only a spray of what looked like pieces of bone. I thought that was strange but, looking up, I was distracted from this little puzzle by the newcomer who was now pulling the largest sword I've ever seen from a sheath strapped to his back. The blade was five feet long and the edges glimmered white under the street lamps. It didn't look like any sword I'd seen in the movies. This sword was the silver color of steel down the middle but the edges were lined with what looked like teeth. Razor sharp and glistening teeth.
The giant, still screaming, was crawling like some sort of wounded animal as fast as he could away from the newcomer, but he and I both knew it wouldn't be fast enough. The newcomer sprinted at the giant quicker than any man I'd ever seen and kicked him under the ribs, flinging him like a rag doll into the side of the building across the alley from where I was laying. As the giant fell in a shower of brick and mortar he turned to defend himself. He raised his arms and screamed as the the newcomer swung his giant blade. He handled the giant sword as if it were light as a feather, and as the blade made contact with the giant's upraised hands, I heard that same metal-rending sound again as the sword cleanly sliced through both of his arms continuing towards the giant's screaming, gaping mouth, splitting his head sideways through the middle of his skull.
I continued to lay in my pile of trash unable to speak or move as this sword wielding barbarian neatly dismembered the giant's body making the sounds of a terrible metal-tearing symphony, placing the giants head into a bag and the rest of him into a dumpster near my pile. He came closer to me and I scrambled away, knowing that I was about to end up just like the giant, but the barbarian ignored me. He scraped up the leg and all of the little white pieces of what looked like bone or rock and threw them into the dumpster with the rest of the headless giant. The barbarian quickly put his sword away and dusted off his hands, wiping them on his pants then pulled a road flare from his pocket, ignited it, and threw it into the dumpster. As he turned towards me, he began to whistle again as a fireball erupted from the dumpster behind him filling the alley with orange light and a thick smoke.
The barbarian walked toward me and I was once again frozen in fear. As he stood over me like the giant had done only moments before, he smiled and reached his hand down to help me up. I grabbed his hand and as he pulled me out of my garbage mound the barbarian looked strait into my eyes and asked me the question that would change my life forever.
"Well Alexander, how would you like to live forever?"
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Initially
As my first post I should explain that I hate the word 'blog' and all variations, i.e., blogger, blogging, blogged. It sounds awful and the only good thing about it is the word can sound like a type of lumber jack.
"Yes I'm a blogger. I cut blumber into blogs. I take some of my bwood to the bpulp mill where they turn it in to bpaper."
Also, I disagree with most made up words that can be used as a person, verb, and object for the simple reason that it creates ridiculousness.
"The blogger blogged in his blog about how blogging was awesome." http://repetitivewordusage.blogspot.com/ (made up webaddress).
So you may be asking "if he doesn't like blogs then why is he blogging?" The simple answer is hatred, the more complex answer has to do with friends and peers, who no longer want me to waste their time with my delightful ideas, presuring me into writing them down in a medium that they can view or ignore at their convenience. We'll see if this meets their goal. My guess is it will just give me more ideas to bother them with.
Finally, I dislike most people who comment on blogs and will mock you without mercy if the mood strikes me. That is all.
"Yes I'm a blogger. I cut blumber into blogs. I take some of my bwood to the bpulp mill where they turn it in to bpaper."
Also, I disagree with most made up words that can be used as a person, verb, and object for the simple reason that it creates ridiculousness.
"The blogger blogged in his blog about how blogging was awesome." http://repetitivewordusage.blogspot.com/ (made up webaddress).
So you may be asking "if he doesn't like blogs then why is he blogging?" The simple answer is hatred, the more complex answer has to do with friends and peers, who no longer want me to waste their time with my delightful ideas, presuring me into writing them down in a medium that they can view or ignore at their convenience. We'll see if this meets their goal. My guess is it will just give me more ideas to bother them with.
Finally, I dislike most people who comment on blogs and will mock you without mercy if the mood strikes me. That is all.
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