Echoing Troops

The air was ripe. With many different fragrances. It was that time of year, when the leaves began to fall off the trees, so the smell of rotting foliage was lingering. The grass was at its fullest, before the first frost arrive - smelling full and rich of earth. There were of course the cows, that trotted through the pasture, adding their own pungent aroma to the air - creating a scent that was sweet and light, yet full and dismissing. It was the smell of a European farm.

There was one smell though that was creeping in with all the others - the smell of gun powder and smoke. It was the kind of smell that attacks the back of the nose, the part that can't be flushed. It sticks with you. In you. Warning of what was over the horizon, past the lush green field, beyond the row of trees and behind the hedge rows.

At night the sky would light up with flashes of the approaching platoons and patrols. During the day, the firing back and forth sounded like firecrackers off in the distance. The artillery echoed like an ever present thunderstorm.

Just a few days ago the Allies had stormed the beaches. Now they were trudging through the farmlands.

They were here to free France.

Liquid Sediment

There is something oddly beautiful about glass blowing. I don't know if it's the curves of the finished product, the gentleness that is involved in moving the piece while it is being blown, or the concept of changing something as simple and crude as sand into something so amazing.

Watching it is almost mesmerizing. The artists are so calm about their work, regardless that at any moment their piece could become ruined.

I also love how glass blowing hasn't evolved through technology - they literally have kept the same process since the art form begin - heat sand, blow it, roll it, cool it.

It also doesn't hurt how beautifully shot this video is - between the light reflecting in the glass (the black and white only enhances this point), or the closeups of the grains of sand as they fall through the hour glass.

This is a certainly a hobby I would like to learn or at least try.


The Hourglass from Ikepod on Vimeo.

Trickle

They came here every day, regardless of if the sun was shining down on them, the sky was hidden by clouds, or rain drenched them. This was their routine and they were going to keep it that way.

Ever since they could remember, they had gone to that spot and sat there, together, sometimes talking, other times laughing, occasionally in silence - but it was always together. Of course they loved each other, they were siblings, but when they were here, no matter the circumstances, they were together.

The water always trickled below their feet - regardless of time of year. It was cool and refreshing, clean, and clear. In the summer months, even the shade of the trees above weren't enough to protect them from the heat, leaving the water as their last escape to cool down. It had taken a few years, but the younger one could finally let her feet dangle into the water. She was proud she no longer had to cheat to the front of the bench on order to submerge her toes. She was growing up quickly. They both were.

They swore their father had built the swing for them when they were both very little, before he had passed, and this was the spot where they could still spend time with him.

Everyday there were there. Everyday they would swing on the bench.

It could have been the wind nudging them back and forth - but they knew it was their father.


******

This photo was taken from a documentary produced by Ridley and Tony Scott that premiered and has since played on youtube, called "Life in a Day."

It is a documentary generated completely by viewers, shot all over the world, about, well, "a life in a day" around the globe.

Check out the trailer, it's really unique and genuine:

UV

It didn't matter that there was frost on the top of his ears, that he couldn't feel his toes, or that each breath felt like there was a tiny ball of knives in his lungs - he wanted to see this.

There is something magical about a winter sunset. It could be how the oranges seem to explode along the horizon, like a firework exploding once it reached it's ascent. It is possible that it is how the wind seems to die down - aware that it should leave this place along with the sun, allowing for stillness to settle over the landscape.

He had always thought it was how the  world seemed to change. As the sun fell out of the sky, the body knows the darkness is coming - tensing for it, waiting for the cold to approach and envelope the darkness. As prepared as you are, the same feelings always rises out of the chest - urging you to do something before the sun disappears below the eye line. It's as if some force is present, waiting to strike at it's first chance.

But today - he realized what he loved about a winter sunset.

In less than twelve hours, he'd be able to witness an amazing winter sunrise.

Ink

This is an interesting little piece.

Not that I want a tattoo - or to say that I'll never get one, but for this moment in my life - I'm content with my body ink-free.

I honestly think this short would be stronger with no dialogue or narration, but I didn't make it, so it is out of my control.

What I do like though? Is that they filmed it in black and white - which is stark in contrast to the tattoos, which are more often than not vibrant and vividly colored.

I appreciate that creative flare.


N.Y. Adorned “Tradition” from Evan Owen Dennis on Vimeo.

Petrol

Oil'd from Chris Harmon on Vimeo.

I Love Sciene

Holy shit. This is amazing.

I'm never amazed at how frequently I am blown away with our advances in science - specifically in medicine.

The following is an example:



Along with some other medical break throughs, so many lives could be changed.

Truly this is some aw inspiring stuff.

Thank you UCLA, doctors, and other people in the science and medical fields.

Forgotten

They were cute. The both of them. Tuckered out from the day - playing outside, giggling in the rays of the sun - the bottoms of their feet stained green from the trampled grass.

Beds were comfortable, but they preferred the ground. There is always somethings special about how the woven fibers feel against the face and how the musty smell of the carpet relaxes the soul - lets it know it is safe, that it is home.

She dreamt of this past Christmas. Opening her presents over and over again, smiling and laughing - filled with joy. An endless memory - a mental snap shot stuck on repeat.

He dreamt of a daring sea adventure - him at the wheel of the ship, running from pirates. He had stolen their gold and taken off in his skipper - outrunning their large battleship. He'd soon be back to port, spending the money as he chose - causing a ruckus, laughing with his men, eating and drinking grub and grog.

It was the perfect spot. Most of their bodies were in the shade, but just enough sunlight was invading the room through the blinds to keep them warm. 

It'd be a long time before they woke - charged and ready to romp around again.

Simple in Design, But Meaningful Down Below

I like to consider myself a simple person.

I know this is a complete and utter lie, but, at times, I like to trick myself into believing that statement. Simply put, I am not a simple person. There are numerous layers to me, hidden emotions, secret nooks and crannies. It's not often that I open up to people.

This all is on display in my everyday life. I like complex films. I prefer rich, deep stories. I don't get enjoyment out of mundane things. It's just not me. I can't sit still - I always need to be moving.

So, why then, do I love the short film I'm posting here today? I'm not too sure. It could be because the shots are beautiful (cinematography..yay) or that it just feels refreshing since it is so different than what I usually find myself watching.

Just remember...I enjoy complex things, like this: (and please - if you haven't seen this yet..go see it)




So than why is it that so stark in contrast - I love this little gem:


Symmetry from Everynone on Vimeo.


God...the things I can't wait to do with a camera when I guy it in a month or two...

Either

http://www.samys.com/index/page/product/product_id/47716/category_id/526/product_name/EOS+Rebel+T3i+Digital+SLR+Camera+Kit+with+EF-S+18-135mm+IS+Lens

or

http://www.samys.com/index/page/product/product_id/37208/category_id/525/product_name/EOS+60D+Digital+SLR+Camera+Kit+with+Canon+18-135mm+Lens+

And I promise...things like "Symmetry" will be made once I get a camera. "Inception" style productions are unfortunately a little way off still...

Stripped

She no longer knew what was up and what was down. That thing had taken complete control of her mind. It had invaded her. Consumed her. Molesting her mind - creating chaos and confusion. She could hear it around her. It's wet, sniffling wheeze entering its body - the beating of its heart echoing near by. She swore should could hear its skin stretching as it moved closer to her.

She was struggling to hold on - feeling as if at any moment, if she were to simply let go and five up, she'd fall, endlessly, into some abyss. The scariest part was that her mind was the abyss - her thoughts, her emotions, her memories, had been turned upside down and made into her enemy and fear. She felt naked and helpless.

Where was it in the physical realm? She was concerned what was being done with her body. Once she felt it enter her mind - she lost all contact with the physical realm. Was that thing standing in the same spot, staring at her, its pale green eyes, pupilless and hollow boaring into her own? Or had it taken her somewhere? Was this death? Could the creature have distracted her by planting itself inside of her - leaving her vulnerable to it's attack?

It easy could end her in an instant - with one swipe of it's claws or a snap of its serrated jaws.

She didn't know where she was, but all she knew was that she need to act quickly if she wanted to stand a chance.

She concentrated. As hard as she could. Squeezing, holding her breath, fists clenched.

Just when she felt like her head was about to explode, she felt something in her mind give.

She concentrated harder. She had to strike now.

Use me up, spit me out, let me be your hand-me-down.

A Friday Post!? What the F*ck!?

Yeah - I have my routines, and sadly, posting on a Friday isn't one of them.

Unless of course, it is today.

So, I can't help it, I have a problem. I'm addicted. Addicted to rock! And the Foo Fighter's new album is providing me with what I need right now. Bare with me, I know I've been carrying on a lot recently about this album, but it is just SO damn good!

As much as I love "Walk," I have two songs that are currently up for my vote for favorite.

Could you maybe give a listen and help me decide?

Alandria




Bridge Burning





I know which way I'm leaning....

Cop Out?

Maybe this is a cop out - maybe it's a way to just breeze by, but writing sometimes get hard - especially when it is 12:30am. Could I write some existential shit and leave you wondering or scratching your head? Of course I could.

Could I write some wacked out story and make no sense? Yup. I could even continue my "alien" story, but it doesn't feel right tonight and I want to do it just - not disappoint those who are following it.

So instead, I'm going to post a song. It's a new one - one I love very very much, especially for just hearing it within the last week. Oh, yeah, I'm sure you guessed it by now - it's the Foo Fighters. Surprise!

So what is it about this song? I'm not really sure. It's the classic Foo song - loud to the core, tons of guitar up front and some of he best drumming in music in the background. It could be the fact that it's extremely uplifting or that it starts slow then builds to a climax that will just give you goosebumps. Maybe it's the lyrics, soothing, and supporting. Could it be Grohl's vocals? That would make sense - harsh but mellow and those screams, oh man, perfect.

Good music to me shakes me to the core. When I hear it, I literally tingle all over - as if every hair on my body is standing on edge. Every one of their songs does it to me - but this WHOLE song gets me. Much like the rest of the album. The climax starting at 2:20 - sublime.

Oh wait - I got why this song means so much to me. It's relevant to my life at the moment and it will always be from here on out.

Why not give it a listen and see if you can figure it out.

Mom - listen hard, this one's for you.

Touched

I hate Blogger for one reason - it doesn't notify you when someone leaves a comment. And to be honest, I don't always look back on older posts, so I sometimes may miss one.

I apologize to any I may miss, since I want to read what everyone had to say.

But -

I'd like to thank everyone who reads my blog.

I do it for fun and for myself - it's great knowing others read it for pleasure. You're all great.



On a side note - I decided to look back a bit and I saw a comment I would have missed if I hadn't decided to take a stroll down memory lane. It was kind of off to the side - in the corner - on a post I had made a long time ago. It was pure dumb luck that I even noticed it. Just seeing a comment from this person made me instantly smile. Not even because of what they said (which was very kind and uplifting) but because this person is important to me and it means a lot to me that anyone, especially this person, would take time out of their busy life to read my blog.

So, thank you. I'm sure you know who you are.

You made my day and most likely my week.

Blank

She couldn't breath. Her lungs weren't working. They wouldn't let any air in - she felt like she was drowning, stuck below the surface, never to rise again. Be lost in the murkiness forever.

Her head was swimming. She couldn't get out of it. The worst part was she knew she wasn't alone.

She knew it was somewhere in here with her. Somehow it had managed to suck her into her own mind - separate herself from her body. Even though the mind was her's, she wasn't in control. The thing had somehow entered her, invaded her, broke her.

The cold from the physical side of her body was seeping into her mental side, making it hard for her to think. She was in an empty space - a void, with that thing. She could hear it cackling around her. It knew its way around better than she did. She had never been this deep in her own thoughts.

What did this thing want? Where did it come from? Why did it want her?

She didn't know how or why, but somewhere out in the dark was the creature she'd have to defeat.

Sublime

I am in heaven.

The Foo Fighter's New Album "Wasting Light" came out today and it may very well be their best album yet.

Please...go do yourself a favor and listen to it. It's mind blowing.

Seriously. I mean that.

Why Didn't We Have This In High School?

Um, I know it isn't a 'real' sport....yet, but I hope it is someday so I can play it.

Man, I wish my high school had this back in the day...it would have been an absolute blast.

I think I would have been fairly decent at this...

Arrival

It stepped out of the snow - set on her. She was frozen in place. Not because of the cold or the sight of it, but for the fact that they really existed. The reports hadn't been the work of some ambitious reporter or foreign government trying to cause a scare. It was all real. And it shook every fiber of her being to the core.

Her eyes were locked on to its, searching for some sign of life, or a soul, but she couldn't make out anything past the dull green that seemed to flicker behind it's large pupils. It was strikingly lean, pure muscle, but hunched over - almost bipedal, but still walked on six legs. It didn't have hands, but rather claws, that looked canine. On the top of its head sat numerous rows of horns, that were jagged yet smooth - but the most startling asset was its teeth. They weren't straight and they weren't uniform. Each was a different length, interlocking with the opposite tooth above or below. This absence of any logical pattern scared her the most - they looked sharper and longer because of it - some easily passing six inches.

It just stared at her. Not moving, as the snow swirled around it. There had been rumors that said they could control the weather based on their emotion - that cold fronts always seemed to hit a town before it would 'disappear.' She had assumed it was some disease or maybe a foreign bomb - but nothing ever like this. It was still hard for her to grasp - even with it standing less than thirty feet from her.

She knew it was real - she could see the steam rising out of it's nostrils in the frigid air.

Her mind was blank - she didn't know what to do.

That's when it spoke. Not to her, but through her. Deep inside her mind she could feel it - inside her, invading her.

All it said was "you."

And it began walking towards her as that one word echoed in her head.

Tired

By the time she reached the bench and sat down, she didn't care much more.

She was tired. Spent. Tired of running. Her feet were numb, ears burning, and her lips on the verge of cracking. He body was at the end of it's rope. It was obvious she couldn't las much longer in this weather and she knew it - knew that she had to face them and try to fix all this, reverse it somehow, while still managing to get away.

There was no way of telling how far she had come. At first she counted her steps, since she knew how long each of her strides are, but with the falling snow coupled with her exhaustion, her movements soon became labored and untrustworthy.

They were only rumors. She didn't know what they looked like. Where they came from. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she believed they existed. Some say they were a government experiment gone wrong, other's claimed they had crawled up out of the earth. The occasional few would number about aliens and forms of life not from this planet.

She had previously thought this was all shit.

Now - she had to put her faith to the test.

She waited - ready. Looking past the swirling snow, thats when the first leg emerged.

New Gym?

This new gym just opened on the outskirts of LA - so it'd be a little far out of my way to go there, but it looks DAMN fun.

I'm seriously contemplating getting a membership here...

Thoughts?

Kabloom

Just. Plain. Fun.

Midway Gone

Ok - I need a short writing break (from the story I've been continuing).

Don't worry - we'll certainly get back to it, but I saw this video and wanted to bring it to your attention. It honestly caught me by surprise and made me a little sick thinking about it.

We as a species really need to start taking better care of our Earth...

Stranded

By the time she had reached the road,  her feet were no longer wet. Her lungs were scorching, her limbs shaking, and her mind racing. She hadn't even realized where she was going or what she was doing.

The last thought that had crossed her mind was "run."

Bending over, hands on her knees, she gasped for air. She didn't know how long she had been running for, but it was clear she was no longer near the beach, but she knew she had to keep going - she wasn't safe yet. She was still in the lingering mist and she couldn't tell if it was getting thicker or if her mind was playing tricks on her.

The trees had stopped rustling behind her on the beach and she could feel them approaching. She couldn't hear them or smell them, but she could feel them as they skimmed across the sand. They got close enough to her that should could hear their breathing - almost feel it on the nape of her neck. All she knew to do was run and that's exactly what she did.

She ran as hard as she could. As fast as she could. For as long as she could - ending up here. Touching her face, her fingers became red dried, caked on blood. She didn't have time to brush the tree limbs out of her face, it was fight or flight. The primal instinct.

She wasn't sure if she had lost them in the forest, amongst the trees. All she knew was that they hadn't expected her to run.

The temperature was dropping fast - the grass was frosting over and the tree limbs were becoming brittle.

This proved they were angry.

Relapse

As the earth below her continued to shake and the fog became thicker, she began to let her mind wander. It was all she should could really do with it drawing so close to her.

As her eyelids fluttered shut, the mist that was hanging pungently in the air began to invade her nostrils. Immediately her mind ran with the smell, transporting her back to a single moment from her childhood - when she was on another beach, surrounded by sea mist - barefoot in the waves.

It felt so real - like she was back in that moment. She was running through the waves, away from something - unaware of what it was. She tried her best to remember what was behind her. She willed herself to turn her head in the past, to see what was back there - but her memory wouldn't obey her command. It just kept running forward. She remembered the spittle of rain drenched her face and her feet hurt. She was scared, but she didn't know why. Her little lungs burned - fear driving them to suck in more air than she could - to not become tired.

It felt so real. She was cold. She was tired. Her feet felt wet. Opening her eyes, she realized all these feelings were true. The mist was now thick enough to create a layer of precipitation on her skin and the water had risen enough to engulf her feet. She could feel it rising, from the edge of her toes, creeping towards the ankle. It was making the tide shift.

She was scared. The hairs on the back of her neck wanted to stand up, but they were matted down from the thick, heavy air. She realized the ground had stopped shaking.

The air was still - enough to almost make her choke.

But the trees that lined the shore behind her, through the mist, unseen, were rustling.

It was here. It had caught up to her.