The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

Last Blood - Zombies vs. Vampires
19:53 Apr 30 2008
Times Read: 737






Last Blood is a comic book detailing the rise of zombies across the globe and humans only hope of survival: vampires willing to protect the humans in exchange for blood. These first five books comprise volume one and are available for free download at www.wowio.com (sign up for free membership and gain access to free book and comic downloads)



Last Blood Book 1

Last Blood Book 2

Last Blood Book 3

Last Blood Book 4

Last Blood Book 5



You know I have to say that I appreciate some of their new takes on things like zombie origin and the idea of a "schaemiac" (something of an intelligent nearly all powerful zombie vampire). These are pretty well drawn black and white comics and the story is fun and full of action. I found myself through the whole series in two days (mostly because you can only download 3 books a day on Wowio) and eagerly awaiting volume 2 and while volume 1 does end with much unresolved, it was a really great start that didn't leave me completely hung out to dry about the story being incomplete.

Marlboro 72's
19:43 Apr 11 2008
Times Read: 772

Can't help the fact that I'm a sucker for good marketing. These little smokey treats called marlboro 72s are shorter than reds but not overpowering and come in all the regular 'flavors' of shit. So I've now got tiny versions of my regular brand. Ok yes...I'm nearly selling cigarettes here. But the funny part is this. I can't help but be reminded of the Fifth Element cigarettes smoked by Bruce Willis. Anyone remember these?







So is the Marlboro 72 just a shorter cigarette? All evidence points to yes. But does that mean I'll smoke less since there's less to smoke? Or smoke more of them since I get through them faster?

Wine wine wine...ahhh France i hardly knew ye
21:24 Apr 07 2008
Times Read: 797

I've been gone for a bit. A week and a half in France. Paris and Avignon. I have to admit that in many ways, Europe outshines the average and even the above average places in the states. The Parisians, much to my dismay were both friendly, polite and totally accepting of me as a Yank. Surprising really. I did make some effort to attempt to speak their language (though i had really never attempted French before) and i think that pays off a bit. It's quite possible that the people who complain of French people and particularly Parisians, being rude or snobby, are themselves just on the first steps of the evolutionary ladder. See...now I sound snobby and rude :P



Anyway, the trip certainly gave me new respect for many things. Firstly, Impressionist Painters. Upon seeing the works close up at the Musee d'Orsay, it was clear that they have a brilliant sense of how to capture light and emotion. There was even a great deal of detail in much of their work. I had to step back from technology to understand that impressionists of the day couldn't take a picture of a scene and go back to the studio to reproduce it. They went out into the world and painted real scenes of life and people and were able to capture so much of a single moment that it really boggles the mind. Gustave Caillebotte in his work the Floor Scrapers managed to bring to life the lighting of a moment and preserve it perfectly. Degas' sculptures of the ballerinas were fantastic representations of shape and form in a bodies pose without being held down by detail.



Secondly, food. Ok really I've always had respect for well made food but the way a meal or even a coffee is a time to relax and enjoy it. The sandwiches that would be considered fast food by the french are simple but delicious (everyone remembers the ham and cheese bagette sandwiches). I'm only a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to try or simply didn't get around to trying the escargot. It's a favorite of mine and I really should have made time to try the original french recipes in France. For a fantastic 11 or 12 course 5 star meal, there was a restaurant in Avignon right next to the Palais dus Papas that couldn't be beat. Cucumber foams, Rattatouis, Lamb steak, mousses, cheeses, and delightful little tastes of various styles between every major course (of which there were 5). The staff was perfectly kind even though I found myself totally underdressed for the affair. They hardly blinked at the tattoos and proceeded to treat with equal defference as the rest of the clientelle in their tuxedos and gowns.



Wine. Man it was nearly impossible to find a bad bottle of wine. I think the most used phrase that I found myself tossing about was un otre - one more or another. Another bottle of wine s'il vous plaît...another croisant s'il vous plaît. It was fantastic. It was hard to order the actual types of wine because it wasn't typically listed in the same manner. They would seperate by regions like Provence or Beaurdoux and then brand so you weren't really choosing a cab or a pinot as easily. But it was delicious and I found that because French wine is more natural and doesn't contain sulfides, I had no headache after going through 4 or 5 bottles with friends the night before.



There was of course drama and bad parts of my trip but whether fortunately or unfortunately, I had brought that along with me and was no fault of the French. In the entire trip, I came across one and only one rude person that I recall and he seemed to be preternaturally disposed to being an ass so I assume he's that rude to everyone.



The long and the short of it is that I had a brilliant time, I enjoy the French hospitality and got brilliantly drunk most nights in brilliant little cafe bars on brilliant little streets. That's a pretty successful trip in my book. Were in not for the company, I would likely have wanted to stay even longer.