My Favorite sneaker

displacedlocalLeave a comment

Boston is as pivotal to sneaker culture as any city in the US. It is home to one of the most beloved brands making sneakers today, New Balance. New Balance has created an extremely loyal following, and for good reason, they provide quality and reliability. It is a home to some of the greatest silhouettes of all time, among them is the 999. It is a complex upper on a 3 paneled midsole, yet manages to be refined and beautiful.

Concepts saw this and wanted to pay homage to the great historical city of Boston with the Kennedy New balance 999. Inspired by John F. Kennedy’s love for sailing, this sneaker featured nautical details and was executed to perfection. This is often noted as the sneaker that brought New Balance back.

Featuring tonal grey and tan suede along the upper accented with vibrant blue and red it works beautifully. The colors and tones combine to create a toned down beauty, something that New Balance and John F. Kennedy would be proud of. A masterpiece. There is something magical about a sneaker than can manage to pull so many themes and colors into a shoe that can become and instant classic and be ranked amongst the greatest sneakers of all time.

The Concepts X New Balance 999 is perfect, from the story and inspiration all the way down to the red flag hangtag that reads CNCPTS. A legend.

Bioshock

backinphillyLeave a comment

By now, a lot of hardcore gamers have heard of the popular series Bioshock. Just recently, the third installment, titled Bioshock Infinite was released.

It is already being called the Game of the Year. That includes its competitor, Grand Theft Auto 5, which is due out later this year.

I think its premature to call anything the game of the year when its only April. We still have 9 more months before we pick a winner. But, let’s look at how popular Bioshock has been.

Bioshock was marketed as a horror/action/adventure game, and is well worth those labels. Up until recently, however, I had zero interest in the Bioshock series. When I was younger, about 3 years ago maybe, I stayed over a friend’s house, and he played Bioshock at 2 in the morning. I was petrified and swore that I would one day conquer the game. Recently, the Apple Mac App store released an app version of the first Bioshock game. I waited for a sale to cut down the 30 dollar price (I bought mine for 10 bucks) and started playing.

I haven’t finished yet.

I am in awe. I played until 3 AM the other day, and thank god it was Friday night. It wouldn’t have mattered if it was a Tuesday night. I couldn’t put the game away. It’s intensity is completely unmatched.

Big Daddies are my favorite characters.

This picture should explain just about everything.

Yes, he’s that large thing. He goes completely psychotic is you so much as breathe the wrong way. See that little girl next to him, she’s the little sister. If you touch her EVER, you’re going to die. That drill for a hand is not for show.

Mature.

eternity1030Leave a comment

On a twig hang a few grapes
One red and five immature globes
The green ones push the red headed to the edge
Just because they did not taste the sweetness of the flushed fruit

So please do not cry
My honeyed one
They do not admire you beauty
Because they are unripe

The Film Industry Today

charlieandthebirdLeave a comment

To follow up from the previous angst saturated post “What is it all for?” written by yours truly, here are some issues regarding the film industry currently.

The Film Industry today revolves primarily among massive blockbuster film distributors who produce films that will cater to large audiences in order to maintain a high profit circulation.

Due to the high competition for sales, not as many quality films are being made. Movies are being made to sell, and look attractive to buyers. For example, you want to make an experimental film? Your distributer probably wont do it unless you throw in some romantic interest, and maybe a few action scenes.

That’s what people are buying these days.

Yes, great movies can have both those things, but they are loosing creativity. Characters are becoming 3 dimensional on imax screen buts are becoming 1 dimensional in content.

Smaller production companies such as Fox Searchlight are doing a great job. They’re doing well and coming out with great movies by more independent directors who are sticking to their creative vision more so than someone working for another company.

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Fox Searchlight

Third Man

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

Honestly, I don’t see how I’ve gone this long without doing some sort of blog about Jack White and Third Man Records, so let me just start it by stating (or understating) that Jack White is my hero, so just about everything he does is awesome.

Third Man Records is the label that Jack White started in Nashville as a way to basically bring back the blues into the modern era.

One of the things Third Man has in their store that is extremely awesome is the reissue of the anthology of Blind Willie Mctell (one of the greatest guitar players ever), Charlie Patton and the Mississippi Sheiks (one of the first rock n roll bands ever). This is an awesome way to make sure that Delta Blues stays in our culture forever. This is some of the best music ever recorded, I highly recommend you all go check it out.

One of the acts signed to TMR is the incredible and unique Seasick Steve. Seasick Steve…well…he knows what he’s doing. One of his guitars only has three strings, while another one, that he made out of a broom stick and pie pan, has only one. Check him out if you like slide.

Some other artists that are or have been signed to TMR are the Alabama Shakes, Reggie Watts, Beck and Pokey Lafarge (check him out he’s awesome).  But above all else, just go  look around the website here, and you’ll be opening a door to some amazing music.

What is it all for?

charlieandthebirdLeave a comment

We look back to Neolithic age and see how simple the concept of what life meant to our ancestors was. It was all about the basics. Just enough to survive.

No social expectations, or rules. No technology, or government.

That same society has evolved in perceiving that life is about more than that, and life must be done a certain way. You must be educated. You must behave this way. You must be “civil”.

Well, who defined what that is?

Most  will say that the way of life is going to school, getting a job, having some kids then passing away gently in your sleep. We spend countless hours, memorizing and memorizing figures and representations we are told is our reality in order to achieve our goal of having an impressive alphabetical or numeric representation of our knowledge appear sufficient enough so we can attend school again.

And what is the purpose of the University?

Well, any dean will tell you it is to give students experience and knowlege so they can function in the real world, and do what they dream of doing. But when it comes down to it, what was the purpose of that dream? Was it to feel good at the end of the day, or did it all come down to achieving wealth?

Yes, starting from the day your parents nervously dropped you off at school for the first time as an eager child, the purpose of it all comes down to leading you on a path of financial success. Everything comes down to being about money. That is what we have evolved into.

I think reading J.D Salinger was a big mistake.

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http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/intro-human-evolution

Freedom Flys

frog3Leave a comment

frrg

Tyranny persisted after the dark day.

It did not come from outsiders or attackers.

It came from the people with power.

Of course they talked about safety.

Safety from citizens, safety for citizens.

In a sense it is just another way for control.

The people protest nothing is done.

Security it seems often comes above safety.

Detainment and profiling is the norm.

It seems in a time of crisis democracy slides toward dictatorship.

There are some who wish to be secure and free.

It is they who allow basic freedoms to be restored.

The slide toward democracy begins.

The Art of Raw Denim

displacedlocalLeave a comment

Denim is an american Icon, from levi strauss to James Dean denim has evolved through many subcultures and styles.

Denim enthusiasts gather online to discuss the subtleties of a great pair of jeans. Often drooling over the japanese made pairs that were created on old shuttle looms. It isn’t washed treated, or soaked before you get it. It is simply raw.

I have a pair of jeans that I find to have molded to me. each fade and tear has a story. They still are quite dark, but after a few years of wear the denim looks amazing.

The fade on every pair is unique to the wearer and becomes a footprint of the person wearing them.

Here is another picture illustrating the huge difference a year can make.

Little Kim

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

Poor North Koreans.

Not only do they have to live in a state of complete dictatorship and just a pure totalitarian nightmare, but they think it’s a good idea to keep showing off their nuclear arsenal and taunting America and it’s allies.

This whole situation is so ridiculous.

Yes, I see that America is pretty close to last on the list of countries with good international relations *cough* Abu Ghraib! *cough*, but who in their right minds think that nuclear war is a good thing to get started?

Well, apparently this guy does.

Mr. Un, I’m sorry, but the US is capable and ruthless enough to convert your country to ash within about an hour. Yes, that’s pretty messed up, but that is a definite possibility if you take one more step in the direction of nuclear war again, it might be time to get out of Dodge.

The True King

frog3Leave a comment

frf

Who is the man who rules the country?

The Tiger yellow and proud seems to be in control.

He roars and claws threatening his neighbors.

They do not believe his threats.

It would seem that he is not the one who is in control.

The Tiger’s uncle, the Lion is the true king of the land.

The Lion shatters the tiger’s claws and bites his tail.

He threatens the Tiger, the Tiger must obey his command.

The neighbors will not sit quietly they will invade.

When this happens the Tiger will be held responsible.

It is not his fault however for his gruesome crimes.

The Lion is the true king.