Definitely Necessary

Bass Drum of Death

2013-06-25T22:29:00.002-07:00

Bass Drum of Death's new album will reach out of the ground, grab you by the neck and drag you down to hell. Their new album which was released today is so good that you can almost smell the cigarette smoke and taste the Jack Daniels through the speakers. It's filled with some brilliant riffs and beats and some very great writing. Check it out, you won't be disappointed. Below is the opening track to the record.

The New Deadwardians Comic Review

2012-11-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

Here is the link to the review that I wrote for The New Deadwardians.

http://trinitycomicshop.com/wordpress/?p=2152

Phone Pictures

2012-11-04T15:01:00.001-08:00

Here are more pictures shot and edited entirely on phone.

My girlfriend on her birthday in Laguna Beach, CA.

Sun setting behind a church on Adams Avenue in Costa Mesa, CA.

Two jets flying over Disneyland in Anaheim, CA.

Phone Pictures

2012-10-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here are more photos that are completely taken and edited on my HTC EVO 4g LTE

Pabst truck in Los Angeles

Cozy Cone Motel sign in Cars Land at California Adventure in Anaheim, CA.

Brian King of Japandroids during their set at the Echo in Los Angeles

Lance Armstrong UPDATED

2012-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

You will not find a bigger supporter of Lance Armstrong. I really hate to see people trying to rip him down. I see these allegations against him and it makes me sick. Since he is no longer fighting the USADA, anyone's allegation against him does not have to be cross referenced meaning that the allegations are simply that, allegations. There is no concrete proof other than words from already caught substance abusers. Lance is a man who did what no man has ever done and instead of letting him have the glory, it's the American way to tear him down. That is the society we live in. One which does not worship the legend, but finds a way to tarnish the legend. It's not the way my ancestors lived. Legends are for the record books. Legends live inside of us. Legends teach us to be better and they teach us to become legends of our own. What will our kids do when there are no legends to look up to?

*UPDATE*

I can do nothing other than eat my words. The news that has broken in the last couple days since I wrote this have absolutely broken my heart. As much as I want to convince myself, Lance never honestly won those 7 races. It's very sad to know that somebody I vested so much of my interest and support in has lied for so long and has put up a front of being this transparent, compliant, successful athlete. He was a beacon of hope for so many people and now he is nothing more than a cheater. I'll never forget waking up early every July for seven years to watch Lance make his annual quest for glory. Now I'll always remember him for the liar he was.

Phone Shots

2012-10-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

All pictures are taken and edited on my HTC Evo 4g LTE.

Television

2012-10-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

If you’re like me, you like movies and television. Movies definitely rock, they are finite pieces of art that have a beginning and an end and you typically leave the theater with a sense of closure from the story. However, in the last 5 years the industry has seen a decline in theater attendance. In fact, it’s reported that attendance is at a 25 year low, this could certainly be because of television’s huge advance.
Television has become such a wonderful medium for great story. AMC has definitely upped their game in the last 5 and FX is right behind them. Both channels deliver original, well written, and well produced shows like Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Wilfred, and Sons of Anarchy. Channels like Showtime and HBO have been in the high quality T.V. game for awhile, turning out shows like Dexter, Weeds and Boardwalk Empire to name a few. People are soaking it up like the last bit of BBQ sauce on a summer afternoon.
Television is tangible, it’s right there, right in the other room. All it takes is a couple of footsteps, a sitting motion, and the pressure of a finger and you are immersed in a quality story with beautiful production value that closely rivals, if not trumps a feature film. You can get a feature film without piling the family into the car, paying the premium price for tickets, buying the snacks and sitting in a cold dark room on gum stuck seats with 100+ of your most distant friends and sometimes you aren't even satisfied with the money you spent because the movie sucked. Who would do that when you can crack open a cold beer and watch Walter White make some high grade meth every Sunday?
The industry is definitely shifting and I think it is in a good way. T.V. has learned what it takes to rival film and they are doing a great job at executing and we are benefiting. Almost every household has a television and almost every household at least has basic cable meaning that you have access to some great shows; ABC boasts a pretty excellent comedy lineup with Modern Family leading the charge. NBC still has some good material despite the decline of The Office.
What I’m saying is that you can have everything a movie gives you, in the comfort of your own home every day of the week. Netflix has done a stellar job boosting the amount of television shows they have on their instant streaming service. You can watch an entire series of a show all instant, all at home without having to wait for the discs to arrive at your house. The age of television is upon us, celebrate, partake, discover. There is so much good out there to watch! Settle down and take it all in.

My Instagram Work

2012-10-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

All photos were taken and edited on-phone.

2012-04-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

71%

Oh Yeah!

Tim Tebow's Legacy

2012-03-21T13:24:00.003-07:00

At 1-4 the Denver Broncos were all but finished in the AFC West last season. Kyle Orton looked equally as clueless as every member of the Broncos coaching staff. The fans became restless and relentless. Their voices were heard. Tim Tebow; the man who embodies everything that is right with the world leap-frogged Brady Quinn and was given a chance. It seemed more like the staff gave him a chance to fail just to show the fans how wrong they were about him but Tim didn't fail. He threw the Denver Broncos on his strapping shoulders and carried them to their first playoff win since Jake Plummer and company beat the New England Patriots in 2005. He made the franchise relevant again. He made people care, not only sports fans, but culture worldwide. Tim's name was turned into an adjective and verb almost overnight.

Tim Tebow made this world believe that no matter what people say about you, you can still go out and show them that they are wrong. Sports analysts around the country simply sat back, baffled by his weekly comebacks. They didn't know what to say because there was nothing to say. It was a spectacle that we have never seen before and probably will never see again. He made the underdog a fighter again. he put Denver on the map… again.

You don't need to compare him to John Elway or comment on his statistical performance because lets face it, he's quite awful when you look at it. But watch the footage; he found ways to win. He took the ball from under center and rumbled through anybody that got in his way. He didn't slide or run out of bounds, he lowered his shoulder and made you pay a price for even thinking about getting in his way. Tim is a competitor and he made the Denver Broncos organization believe that they could do something with a little bit of effort. As he packs his bags for his next stop, he leaves Denver with some of the greatest football memories that they will ever have. 30 years from now men sitting in Denver area bars won't be talking about Kyle Orton or Jake Plummer, they might not even be talking about John Elway anymore; they'll be asking each other "Remember 2011? Wasn't Tebow something?"

The Walking Dead Mid-season Finale

2011-11-28T23:37:00.001-08:00

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

2011-10-21T21:23:00.000-07:00

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

2011-10-08T22:54:00.001-07:00

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

2011-10-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-28T09:46:00.001-07:00

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

2011-06-07T08:50:00.000-07:00

Awesome Pictures

More Here

What Happened to the Airlines?

2011-03-07T23:07:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-27T16:21:00.000-08:00

This is quite possibly the best song ever written.

2011-02-22T07:45:00.001-08:00

Manly

2011-02-21T20:32:00.001-08:00

Quick little sketch I made during study time.

Status Foe

2011-02-21T15:11:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

Justin Townes Earle: A G&G Film

2011-02-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

The Kills

2011-02-07T15:16:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-04T10:12:00.000-08:00

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

Definitely Necessary

Bass Drum of Death

The New Deadwardians Comic Review

Phone Pictures

Phone Pictures

Lance Armstrong *UPDATED*

Phone Shots

Television

My Instagram Work

Tim Tebow's Legacy

The Walking Dead Mid-season Finale

Batman #2

Animal Man

The Best Western in a Long Time

The Builders And The Butchers

Old Color Pictures

What Happened to the Airlines?

I'll Try Anything Once - The Strokes

Manly

Status Foe

Spearmint We're Going Out

Justin Townes Earle: A G&G Film

The Kills

In Memorium - The White Stripes - 1997-2011

Lance Armstrong UPDATED