A Look Back

Here comes a year end extravaganza. 2011 was my first year of "real" (post-collegiate) adulthood. I celebrated by more or less refusing to be an adult. Living in the tipi set a pretty good tone for what ended up being a helter skelter kind of year. Once "out" of the snowcone home, long stretches of floor sleeping, truck sleeping, and tent sleeping ensued. Late winter provided one of the most important records of 2011 for me: Edge of the Earth by Sylosis. Mid-spring truck time was a pretty rewarding time to make a little money on the road, fist bump true bros, recharge in the southwestern sun, and embark on the a pretty challenging Grand Canyon double crossing. In a year where I failed to reach most of my racing goals, I am still carrying a lot of pride from my journey into THE CANYON. With the calendar suggesting that summer was nearly upon us, I took on a much more time consuming job than I usually look for in the summer by signing up to build the Reno to Rim Trail for the Nevada Conservation Corps. I am so glad about the amount of "volunteers" we had out working on the project, because the end result was miles of beautiful singletrack in the remote Mt. Rose Wilderness. Additionally, I had the pleasure of meeting a few more true bros (and a couple of lady bros) who literally carried me out of the backcountry on their shoulders when I blew up my ankle.

As summer was winding down, Alaska consumed me, certainly being the centerpiece of my year. I finally got my hands on Turbid North's masterpiece, Orogeny (self released in 2010, Re released on Ironclad in 2011) shortly before they played their first Norcal date ever. Next thing you know I was looking out the window of a plane at the glacier covered majesty of BC's Coastal Range. Running in Juneau was a major mindfuck in the best way possible. An abundance of trails led straight up through the rain forest to some of the best alpine style (treeline was around 2500'. Low elevation highcountry = mindfuck) ridge running I have ever been able to indulge in. Loops were pieced together, big on elevation gain and imcomparable in beauty. The scope of the place is its greatest attribute, I was constantly blown away by the disorganized rows of mountain ranges, growing larger as they fell deeper into the wild. I certainly understand a bit of the draw this place has on the great Geoff Roes and can't help but imagine spending more time there in the future.

Talk to - Your family, they are probably pretty awesome.

Go to - Alaska, Mt. Rose Wilderness, The Colorado Plateau.

Listen to - Turbid North, Sylosis, The Acacia Strain (I am still car moshing to 2010's Wormwood), The Antioch Synopsis

Watch - Fast 5

Read - A Song of Ice and Fire

With that, 2011 ends. I have an early morning and lots of miles ahead of me...

THE NIGHT IS DARK

AND FULL OF TERRORS

Connor Curley's Year End Post written by Taylor

connor curley is not just a carbon based being

he is an energy

an attitude

people "lived" like him in previous lives

or they want to live like him in the future

women want to screw him

men want to be brothers with him

but everyone deep down

wishes that they could have even a fraction of his fuckall attitude

he'll probably run till he cant anymore

he'll probably spit in the pizza you ordered

but he'll always be there for his brothers

unfortunately your not one of them

he's over educated and witty

his ipod has nearly 12 different playlists of metal sub genres

he wants to smash your false sense of self confidence

he writes better than you

IF GOD IS OMNIPRESENT

CONNOR CURLEY IS OMNIABSENT

-Taylor

Taake.

Take solace in knowing, absolute, that your life is as meaningless as a single celled organism. The meaning of life is to live it how you want. Expression is the drug of the gods. Never bow. All that matters, all that is tangible, is love.

I find hope within hatred.

2012. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Growth

From our very own Modern Art Museum in Reno

Well for my introduction into this thing gentlemen , I was asked to reflect on the last year. Perspective has always been an awesome tool to keep the rest of the things in life in line since creative writing in high school. To begin with I have lost a couple friends while gaining a newfound understanding of the kind of real and genuine friends that actually mean something. The kind of friends that will sit up and talk about UFOs with you even if they are laughing the whole time. It is a bit odd when someone that you have known since 2nd grade decides that a psycho hosebeast who has had relations with four of your friends and a threesome with you is more important. But it is what it is and is only a minor speedbump on the road of life. Hidden Valley

Moving on, the defining moment of the year came when I was denied into the teaching program. Tough pill to swallow but a wake-up call. This is something I have wanted to do for a while and now was super motivated to get in. Sidebar is the trip up to Whistler with Kayla up the coast of Northern California, Oregon and Washington. We moved in right before the trip which was a huge growing point as well, make or break type situation. The trip, however, was my chance to cut out because I knew that I would have to smoke two summer school classes when I got back. It was an absolutely amazing trip as they always are with her. Being out in the middle of nowhere has a tendency to bring people together in a way that you can only understand on an epic road trip with your friends or girlfriend. This was a lot more lowkey than previous trips where we try to slam as much as we can in the short amount of time we have. Instead I was able to read three books on the trip as well as enjoy some time on the beaches of Oregon which is pretty unheard of in that rainy climate. Lincoln City

Oregon Coast

When we got back it was business as usual. It’s an odd feeling when all or most of your friends have graduated. Not necessarily that you have been left behind, but instead like you should figure out what needs to get you there and connect those dots. Currently I have aced all my classes since this point and have a meeting with the department chair to get into the teaching program. This is nice to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel when you have more credits than is needed for graduation and all that’s left is the program units.

On a lighter note I skated the other day with one of my buddys Taylor who also got his knuckles tatted up. I say this because it was a weird feeling. I will always love skating and snowboarding but for some reason that I cannot explain, neither of them sound appealing to me right now. This is wild because I snowboarded basically by myself the entire 30 plus days last year and every day was amazing. But it looks like I have finally reached the offseason point. Instead, hiking and being in the hills behind our apartments has been my escape recently and I cannot get enough of it. If my crankset wasn’t busted I’m sure biking would be in that list as well. Anyways, I guess the one thing that I have learned from all of this that I will take into the new year is an awareness of what is important and that when you want it, the easiest way is to go out and get it. No one will hand it to you and the drive from within will bring all of those goals into reach. Sanctuary

Oh yeah I went to San Diego too

MOVIE NIGHT

Take 15 minutes and watch this.

http://vimeo.com/29832031

some changes

i am writing this from my bed. thats right, my bed. not a sleeping pad in a tent, nor a foam mattress on tipi floor, not even a good friends wooden floor with a light sleeping bag. my bed. i packed my mattress in storage back in march 2010 when i decided that i was going to ride my bike down the coast of california from santa cruz to santa ana. after the ride i spent time in baja california. then a month and a half in a tent in truckee. then traveled all over eastern asia for a couple months. upon my return i was a vagabond. living out of my car visiting friends and family as far north as yaak, montana and newport beach, california in the south.during this time i was convinced, rather easily i might add, to live in a tipi for the winter, IN TRUCKEE. by the time march 2011 rolled around i had yet to take my mattress out hiding. spring and summer were unable to afford me any opportunities either. there was more tent time and car time and floor time. oh and alaska to top it all off. but finally the time has come. my name is in the dotted line. i am permanently here for 8 months. permanently sounds a bit strong. lets say that i have a mailing address for the next 8 months. and with that; a mattress. but also: a closet, refrigerator, shower, power supply, internet, and of course as goes without saying, bills. 

my mattress and buffalo. my bed

connor and i have moved into an apartment together. its a newer place in northwest reno and pretty affordable. the main draw was access. access to trails. from the door i can run up the road a half mile and hit dirt. not any dirt though. dirt that takes me up. up to the summit of peavine which is 3000 feet above the apartment. both connor and i have talked about being able to get ourselves in a healthy routine where we would trek up and down that mountain all winter long, hopefully without too much snow but even if there is a lot of snow we will have a trail broken and it wont be an issue.

we are prepared. i think

view of peavine from my bed. its taunting me

keeping in trend with changes. i chopped off the beard. kinda regret it. but it was time to give it a fresh start. im hoping with a few weeks of daily shaving the new beard will supercede any gentic issues i am facing and grow in thicker. thats the old wives tale anyway. shave it and it grows back darker, faster, and thicker. in the mean time i look like this, ha.

the hot straight shave was great

new shit from the city of angels

where i am:

stoked.org

openingceremony.us

Shit i've been looking at that my friends should too:

bummerws.blogspot.com

whitepaperprjt.com

theartofmanliness.com

reading:

the end of faith

thirteen moons

listening:

the growlers

modern life is war

adolescents

nina simone

FUCK THE GLORY DAYS, THESE ARE OUR BANDS

crayons are wax

babe...most amazing woman on earth

babe...collects rad comics

I left wasteland and started opening ceremony and my internship. wasteland has the best group of people working for them in the world. genuinely amazing individuals.

The Range ov Light

Duncan Canyon

Duncan Canyon

North Fork ov the North Fork

NFotNF

NCC

my contract for the summer with ncc, nevada conservation corps, is over and here is a visual recap of some of it. i dont have any pics from the first two weeks when we had to deal with waking up to and working in snow on multiple occasions. i dont have any pics of me with a tool in my hand either, no proof never happened. the job was enjoyable. i loved that i was getting paid to live outta my tent and sleep on the ground. i made friends with most of my co-workers. i saw parts of nevada that i would probably never have gotten around to seeing. i got sick, TWICE! figure that out. i lost most of my running fitness but gained a stronger grip and back in the process. i saw mountain goats. took baths in snow melt. ate shitty gas station food more than i ever have, up til now that was a never. broke in a pair of carharts. built a trail that is smooth and now more accessible for mountain bikers.best of all i spent the summer predominantly outdoors and learned some stuff in the process all while in the name of volunteering.

ridge running

tagged summits

found and cached. hopefully one of us gets this

working haaaard, oh wait she's swiss

powertools

perfect meadow

italians

heavy lifting with the irish jackhammer

standing the test of time

horizion lake?

a little fun in alpine water

plenty of early mornings and sunrises

right along the newly built trail

dollar lakes lamoille canyon

mushroom rock. precariously balanced

camp life. dishes and cooking for group every third night

Been away for too long.

I've been a little busy lately and I have neglected this blog. I'm going to start sharing Music reviews. I recently picked up a copy of "Tactical" by supergroup "World Under Blood". This group includes the mind behind "Sleep Terror" on guitar, "Vital Remains" Bass player, and "Decrepit Birth's" Drummer. The member who really got my boner going was Derron Miller of "Cky" fame. This album sounds like, simply enough, a death metal version of Cky. Miller's very distinct and unforgettable sound rings true throughout 240+ Bpm shreddery. Parts of the album draw upon classic melodic death metal, "heartwork" era Carcass for example, and don't do to much to excite the senses, but the unique way in which Miller, who wrote and arranged all of the tunes, draws out the songs, I found myself caught off guard only to be re-assured by Cky style melodies reminding me of days in high school, it's almost nostalgic. The album is only 9 tracks, but the last lick is a megadeath cover. This record kicks ass and is satisfying beyond expectations. Pick it up. Favorite Tune: "under the autumn low".

PS: the new Fleshgod Apocalypse album "Agony" is 10 tracks of beautiful unrelenting tracks of ballbusting speed and orchestral grandeur. It must suck to be Dimmu Borgir right now.

Pacing

Delving further into the ultra scene.

Delving further into the ultra scene.

while i didn't actually run an ultra on saturday night, it does feel as if i took another step into the world of ultra trail running. on saturday night i got the opportunity to be a "safety runner" aka pacer for jacob rydman in the tahoe rim trail 100. the course consists two 50 mile loops starting and ending at spooner lake. my duties were simple; crew for jake during the day and come his arrival to mile 80 run with him into the finish. it should be noted that this was jakes first 100 mile race, and if   i'm not mistaken his first run beyond the 50 mile mark. he had a big task in front of him but had been diligent and consistent in his training. i got the official word that i would be pacing on wednesday afternoon.  



race day came and i found myself feeling prepared but still a little nervous that i would be unable to keep up with jake if he was running his ideal race. after the start our first chance to check on jake was mile 30. he rolled in looking relaxed and fresh as could be, right in the front pack. at the next rendezvous, mile 50, jake had slowed down a little bit but was still in fourth place and only about 12 mins behind the leader. at the 50 mile aid station jake took the time to change his shoes and get down some extra calories. calories consisted of some orange slices and two ensures that ran off into his beard, making it appear as if he had tried bobbing for apples in a bucket of milk.



mile 80. we got word that the leader jorge maravilla, had put a fair sized gap on the rest of the field. I began doin different calculations on jakes pace and suspected arrival and what the projected pace would be if his arrival was later than expected. the scene at diamond peak was mellow and friendly. when the sun began to set and and the light was fading i headed up the trail to make sure jake had lights to get into the aid station efficiently. shortly after starting up the trail i ran into jake who was moving well down the trail towards aid.

up til this point jake had been running by himself. quite a mental feat in my opinion. he was quick through the aid and we began the most brutal climb of the course, 2 miles 1700 ft of gain with some pitches going well over 40% grade. we ran most of the first section until a the trail turns and seems to head straight up. we then set to walking. during this time i tried to get a read on jake. figure how often and what he'd been eating, and also see where he was at mentally. he was focused and coherent. some of the really steep sections found jake side stepping or walking backwards just to engage a different muscle group. 48 mins later we were at the top and refilling water at the quiet bullwheel aid.

next up tunnel creek. jake mentioned  that his energy was a little low and over the next 40 mins he sucked down two e-gels and a gu. arriving at tunnel creek i filled bottles and guided jake towards the ibuprofen he had requested. we ran outta the aid station and began other runners coming the other direction on the loop. there was nothing but positivity  exchanged during these passings and jake seemed to gain some energy from them. we got into a rhythm of power hiking any sustained climb and running the flats and downs.  roughly a mile from the hobart aid a light appeared only 100 yards behind us. when i told jake i instantly felt the comparative drive come forward and he increased the tempo. we ran well into the aid grabbed a cup of broth to fight the chill that was creeping in due to the high elevation, ridge winds, and unseasonably cooler night. still feeding off the competitive drive we hurried out still in fourth place; but  not more than a half mile in we were passed. trying to foster some confidence and encouragement i mentioned to jake we still had a while to go and we just needed to keep the runner and his light on our sights. at the finish I learned that this runner felt our chase and turned off his light and ran by the light of the moon to hide his location. as i said this i saw another pair of lights behind us.  with more warning this time i let jake know and again felt the increased tempo almost instantly. the strength and desire to look within himself and find some more power to go ahead faster was amazing to me. the course from hobart to snow valley was mostly uphill and crossed over at least 10 if not more snow patches. on one of the larger patches jake took a hard spill and landed on his hips and ribs. i just wanted to reach out and help him up. resisting the temptation i asked if he was ok. with a deep breath and steady arms he lifted himself back up and indicated that he wanted to keep moving.  the flagging through here was well done but in his fatigue i had to point out the direction of the trail a few times. pretty soon into out climb the second pair of headlights finally caught us and surged by. up the climb through the switchbacks we kept these lights within sight. unfortunately they appeared to be slipping further ahead at every turn. as we came to the top of the climb we were above marlett lake and thanks to the essentially full moon were treated to great views of both marlett lake but also tahoe. we still had plenty of fluids from the last aid and decided to motor right thru the snow valley aid station. this thought was also encouraged by the chance to get off the exposed ridge with wind into some trees where things would be a tad warmer. almost instantly after goin through the aid we dipped into a wind shadow and began the final 7 mile descent into the finish. i had been looking forward to pushing jake on this section since it seems he could still move pretty well on the downhills. of course sensing that the finish was now the next stop getting him to consume any calories became difficult. finally realizing that the finish was still a ways away and not wanting to bonk at the end he paused his running cadence to take in a final e-gel before we made the right hand turn to the spooner lake trail. we could see across the lake and hear the shouts of spectators. before hitting the final gravel road we had to run across a wooden walk way. i was surprised to see that the dew from the lake had frozen on it and created quite the slippery footing. i was so nervous that jake would slip so close to the end. of course all i could do was warn him and watch nervously. of course he handled the walkway flawlessly and rolled into his first 100 mile finish in 22:3X the lack of finish clock makes me unsure of the official time.




it was an honor to assist such a talented runner. my approach to the night had been to keep the mood light and jovial and provide him guidance and nutrition so that he had one less thing on his plate to handle. we had some chuckles and grunts along the way but jake made it easy, always wanting to push forward and give all that he had left. thanks to jake for the opportunity to be apart of the race and all the volunteers who spend so many hours helping runners achieve there goals.

Zombies

a pretty popular theme of films today is the "zombie post apocalyptic survival flick" where characters must face the world and its damaged or impaired modern infrastructure and find a way to get through it alive. more or less it is an enjoyable film genre from an entertainment standpoint. and thats what it is, entertainment. but after recently watching "the crazies" and "zombieland", i really like this one, thoughts about the bigger themes of the film, ya know what one takes away when its over, began creeping in. there are some obvious things like teamwork, enjoying the little amenities of life, ruthless and heartless elimination of the infected and diseased, the lone wolf mentality, and a warning of the self destructive nature of modern culture. in the end it often appears as if hope may lie in keen survival skills, a savior, and a oddball conglomeration of individuals which resemble a rogue gang or team.

Savior

somehow i think the viewers walk away with a false sense of confidence for how they will survive the impending apocalypse that is upon our own society, ie: the rapture, WWIII, atomic annihilation, global warming, and whatever other doomsday scenarios peoples minds can concoct. not that a little self confidence is a bad thing or that we are gunna actually have to face any of these movie realities, it does seem that everyone knows the best person for their team, the perfect plan of escape, and all that jazz. what i think goes by them is how difficult it would be to survive through these circumstances. having a lot of guns might get ya to the first week. isolation is harder to find than you would imagine. our knowledge of how things actually work and function is fairly limited. i couldnt rewire a fuse box to power some electric fence i decided to build; and everyone's plan is to go to walmart and bunker down, so have fun.

over confidence

Greater than, again...

A good riff > A good beat



Garlic > The other seasonings

Waking up to the message you gave up waiting for > Everything

Shots from the office

Big bums

well clearly none of the authors on here, including myself, have much to say. that or we are all too busy....
That said i am back for a third summer of camping. im not sure what this means exactly. it defiantly means:
charging electronics in my car, eating pb and blank sandwhiches, cleaning off in lake tahoe and the truckee river, running on the trt and pct, seeing the stars, reading, tans and sunburns, split shorts, and lounging.
It also may mean i am:
just delaying responsibility, cheap, looking for adventure, goin green, embracing the warmth these months offer, stuck in a rut, ready for a change after this, doin things my way, spontaneous and flexible, stubborn and homeless.
i am aware some of the things on this list might seem self deprecating while others are justifying or even complimentary. the point was to put some of the thoughts running through my head in the open and see how i felt about them. they all seem right to some extent. all of that said this summer is goin well so far even if it feels like it is finally just starting. after this week my contract with americorp will be half way done. the tipi just got the spring cleaning it needed. i go to Alaska in sept and after that eveything seems to be up in the air, travel, work, living location. maybe some pics will get put up when i decide to use a comp instead of my phone. til next time....
-tyler

Uphill 4x4 road, windows down, resonating rhythms, pervading sunlight refracted dust particles.

Anticipation

Anticipation for a snow less high country. Anticipation for a completed semester, and a seemingly perfect summer job. I was recently hired for a summer position blazing trail from Tahoe towards Mt. Peavine into Reno on a new section called the "Rim to Reno trail". I couldn't be more excited. I'm a wild spirit. It doesn't take much for me to start feeling claustrophobic and moronic in daily activities. More then ever I feel like this now. Sure, two 21 unit semesters back to back didn't help, especially in my least favorite location (sacramento, aka the big sac). I'm leaving for the back country in May with and open heart and a primal attitude. This whole venture is about becoming strong in the wild (running and building beautiful mountain trails), and becoming prepared for more extravagant adventures off the map in coming years. This is just the beginning. Its time to become the animal that was created in my soul.

how i think the world has changed

My grandfather, Leroy Rearick, worked his whole life at Lucky's Supermarket. Back in 1999 Lucky's was bought by Albertsons LLC, remember the "marriage" with the free cake? Anyway, my grandpa has lived a very enjoyable life thus far. He's a homeowner, has money in the bank, basically raised his grandchildren, and still supports my fathers brother. He could always afford his pack of Marlboro Reds. The purpose of this post is to discuss the change in the job market, and our current job outlook in general.

Now-a-days, it would be impossible to earn a living off a basic service job like my grandfather held his whole life. I mean hell, he wasn't even a manager. Earning enough money to buy a house is even something that seems so far out of reach with all the student debt my friends and I are having to carry. The bottom line, is that the amount of jobs that don't require a college degree are shrinking; and the pay, benefits, and work circumstances will NOT provide enough to live like our grandfathers, and even fathers did. This is a scary thing. This fact makes the workforce, more competitive for the scarce amount of jobs that will afford us this lifestyle. A college degree is absolutely necessary. But why? It is necessary, because everything in western civilization places importance on "rockstar jobs". I feel like when we grow up, we must LOVE OUR JOB. What? Why? Our jobs or careers, now define us as people. And it sucks. I'm sure when my grandpa was little, he wasn't running around saying how he wanted to be a supermarket store clerk.Our society places an extreme importance on these rockstar jobs. The worst part is for me, is that it seems these, normal jobs that used to get good people by, have a negative stigma. I will never judge a garbage man, or a store clerk, or anyone. Social statuses are ridiculous and separating. I believe in pride in work, and thats all. No matter what the job. I'd love to hear everyones thoughts. My battery is dying.

Later!

-Tay

welp

welp we are at it again. the contemporary crusades continue. libya, yet another muslim country, is being bombed by us without any hostile acts from them directed towards us.call it world policing, politics, end games, democratization, the end of tyranny. i still see unprovoked violence. 

I talk a lot of shit

but come on.

Let's focus on what we have in common.

Today was a good day

Running up canyons with the barbarian.
Slackline in the sun.
Eat the meat with spencer and family.

I know its been a minute boys. stop by i have some special matcha man mate lattes for yeah. it would be good to see all of you. my leg has been healing up, basic stones throw away from having a mobile life back. I have been on my feet atleast! bangbattaboom

A recent study took data on the frequency of stimulation parents give their young children. I'm not sure about the details, for we only talked about this particular study momentarily in class a couple weeks ago, however, it dealt with children under 10 years old, and the representative sample was drawn from many different states across the US. The goal of the study was to find a correlation between "something" and how often children get reinforced/receive stimulation. According to numerous studies, children who receive this kind of upbringing, grow to be more confident, happy, have more friends, and are overall more "successful" by societies standards. Now at first guess, I would have said, "Ok, this is easy, it has to be the level of completed education of the parents", or maybe culture...more traditional collectivist cultures such as Japanese and Chinese because they are very focused on the aspect of family. Ok, nope, not either of those. Ok! It has to be the area in which the family lives, this would effect crime rates, time management, and a truck bed full of other external factors that would have an impact on children being stimulated.

Unfortunately, the only correlation the study was able to find was household income. In the study, high income families reinforced their children 10 times as much as "welfare" families. But why? I mean, income could be connected to education, but in the study, not all the families who were in the high income range had completed higher education. The answer is stress. Stress makes us unhappy, depressed, angry, and a pant-load of other negative emotions, which puts all the focus onto the parents, and not on to the young child, robbing the child of the emotional stimulation he or she needs to grow up whole. And there you have it. A CIRCLE OF POVERTYCIRCLEOFPOVERTYPOVERTYPOVERTY. Just like animals, we react to stress. However, for us, stress isn't having to run away from the Lion before it eats us, or rip apart the zebra flesh before our friends get to it. Stress is paying a 70$ parking ticket when you NEED to be buying the new Ipad. Or, say, worrying about whether your co-workers will think your cool enough, smart enough, or rich enough. What about driving to JiffyLube and wondering if the guy is yankin' your chain about needing a new catalytic converter for 900$, when "all you wanted was an oil change". The bottom line is, that our society breeds stress. Like rabbits fucking, it breeds stress. One thing leads to another, and the problems multiply and multiply. But we don't have to accept it. We don't have to buy into this lifestyle.

Just over a year ago, I moved to arguably the most stressed city in the US. Yes, Los Angeles is more stressful than New York or any other place you can think of. Our crime rates are the highest. Stress is the function of crime. Anyway, moving into my new place last week has really opened my eyes as to what one actually needs to survive. Essentially, I only have a bed, and have been eating nothing but raisins and dipping wheat bread into a liquefied bottle of peanut butter. I'm not saying that I am going to live like this forever, because i'll tell ya, i'm excited to decorate that shit real bad. But it is teaching me the most important rules of them all. Efficiency and delayed gratification. Now i'm definitely not a model for "bare bones" living, but I know what I can do that will make me happier and reduce stress. 1. Never buy anything new unless I have to. Buying old antiques on craigslist has so much more character than walking into IKEA and picking out something from their "modern chic" theme. Also, working at Wasteland is the coolest place to get awesome clothes for 1/3 of the price, while not supporting overseas production and sweatshops. 2. No TV. Hell yes! No TV! If I want to see what the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are up to, I can take a second to drive by, or look out my goddamn window. 3. Eat healthy and exercise. Working out really has a positive effect on our cognitive functioning. For Reals. I am also looking forward to enjoying a simple protein based diet. Eggs, Nuts, Meat, and Veges all day everyday.

This isn't meant to be a boastful post, like I said, I'm not a "bare bones" type guy, but incorporating some of these efficient/healthy/positive ways into my life is having an impact. Don't get me wrong, I still love a good fashion magazine, or skateboarding till 1 am on the best ramp in town, or trying out a new foreign beer and shootin' the shit with friends.

Wow, I guarantee no one reads this whole thing haha. Takecare.

-Tay

Sylosis - Empyreal PART I &II

Root Beeer

How many dudes bring their own root beer to In N Out?

The Devil

I went to high school with this girl.

Andrea Diaz-The Devil from Lucas McGowen on Vimeo.

&...
can't stop listening HERE

Digital Veil

I could not be more excited.

glory, flat, and gods

.................i have been wanting to sit down and write for about a week and a half now. well i am finally in front of my computer but i have lost my fervor that was initially present.
inefficiency, ineffectiveness, disenfranchisement, frustration. these were the emotions that had me ready to rant. i read krakauer's book "where men win glory" and almost shut it half way through. not because of the writing, but due to the detailed accounts outlined in the book that display the complete lack of logic or efficiency. i am and was aware that friendly fire occurs and is an unfortunate part of war but the accounts that are detailed and so frustratingly avoidable and stupid that it shows a complete lack of attention to the most minor of details. we are the superpower the one with the big stick. we have 5-6 men behind everyone man on the front line we have more technology to bomb buildings and caves anywhere in the world from an office in colorado. we need to use this technology to make sure that this IRRESPONSIBILITY does not occur. video games can help differentiate the difference between friend and enemy we most certainly need to not cover up these mistakes but instead make them public knowledge where those responsible are held accountable for their actions.let the people know the real cost and sacrifice our troops are subjected too. like i said, the initial passion that had me biting at the chomp to sit down and vent has dissipated and i am left with the disjointed and scattered write up.
on to the next, "hot, flat and crowded", all i can say is STOP HAVING KIDS. there are enough out there that can use your help.
there is a book i am looking forward to reading. its "food of the gods" its about shrooms and the tracking of mans first cognitive thoughts. seems interesting.
welp, i clearly shouldve done this sooner. thanks for reading if you got this far. 

The Art of Dying

twenty five on 2/5

so im twenty five now.

summit

just like all my other birthdays i dont feel older.
that said there is something in my head that makes me feel like the sands of time are shifting. maybe it's that 25 is an age, that as a kid, even an old kid like 18, felt like a long way off to me. clearly that's not the case anymore. of course in the process of getting to 25, i have been living. doing what makes me happy. the plan for the next 25 is to continue on with what makes me happy and excited to get outta bed; even if its after sleeping in til the sun is high in the sky.

birthday

of course since it was my birthday it means its was fong's birthday as well. i like to ride his celebration coattails and see ppl and go out, all without anyone being really aware that im celebrating for mine as well. a raucous night with friends ensued on the reno strip. topped off with my recounting of stories the whole next day. my more introverted self of course wanted to escape on my own and and do something active. so today i finally got around to driving up to donner summit, donning my microspikes, and heading to the summit of castle peak. it was a brisk morning of 10 degrees when i left. but suspecting the sun and snow to work together i hurried to the car.

pct, castle peak in the background

the day was spectacular. stunning views, and no one else around for what would seem to be miles.
so with whats left of today i think i better get to work on my future, ya know? get married and die.