Season Four Walking Dead….It’s Raining Zombies

The latest season of AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead debuted last Sunday night.

Not disappointed, lots of action and nail biting suspense….just wish I didn’t have to watch alone…but does add to the scare factor when its just you and the glowing cathode ray tube.

In the interview “after show” program The Talking Dead the director promised lots of horror to come….of both the personal character driven and zombie kind.

My favorite part of the episode (spoiler coming up) was when it started raining zombies. A group of survivors including the very good looking Norman Reedus an American actor who portrays Daryl Dixon on the show were on a supply run to a mall. Unbeknownst to them a portion of a crashed airliner was on the roof with a large number of reanimated passengers. As our heroes stock up on supplies the roof begins to give way, raining ravenous zombies down upon their heads.

And I thought I was having a bad day.....

DEAD LIKE ME - Blessed Art Thou Amongst Women

I consider Dead Like Me the best modern television show ever….better than Mad Men, Walking Dead or Life on Mars (original British version).

The show ran only two seasons and tells the story of a group of recently and not so recently deceased individuals who in the afterlife (purgatory if you will) are given a new career path. Reborn as reapers they collect the souls of those about to die in accidents. It is an unpaid role, they still have to live, eat and hold down a “real” job.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Like_Me

They are mere cogs in a mysterious (divine?) bureaucracy that is only hinted at.   

The show deals artfully with the meaning of life and death, family and god. I should add that it could be emotional; there is one episode that caused me to weep. It is not the clip I will share with you, I will leave you to find that one yourselves. Most of the episodes can be found on You Tube.

The clip I want to share is of a transsexual nature so be warned it might contain some triggers. To put it in context, in episode 4 season 2 a recently deceased MtoF’s last request is to go to church where they proceed to curse out god for his cruelty. It is not so clear on the small screen but god or an angel appears to carry Her home and god is female. 

But you knew that right?

 its also a good show if you have a thing for post it notes.

Career Opportunities

I had been relatively quiet on line, as I had been prepping for an important interview. It was great to be back in the city, for all its congestion and constant construction it just feels like the center of things.

I went in very well prepared and had even been working with an interview coach to ensure I was on top of my game. I brought along a portfolio of past marketing campaigns and some other published work. It was a difficult panel style interview though the director did most of the talking. A couple of put the interviewee on the spot type questions asking for critiques of current and proposed advertising campaigns.

An hour flew by but I didn’t get the warm fuzzies on leaving and was quite down on the train ride back to the suburbs. Passing was not an issue as the position was with an LGBT focused publishing company.

A full time career position would be the answer to my prayers, I felt like this was my opportunity. Letting go and focusing on the next set of challenges is what I need to do but it is difficult. 

Bang(s)!

I apologize for my absence from the blog as I have been preparing for a big interview in Toronto next week. I have also been working on a portfolio of all my marketing campaigns.

I did take time out to finally get around to getting my hair done. I liked the length but hated the way it fell across my face and was looking all scraggly.

I never thought I could do bangs with my fine blondish hair but my stylist did a great job. Felt like a million bucks leaving the salon. I love bangs, ever since I saw my first photo of Bettie Page.

I took my inspiration from Sharin Foo of with the Danish band The Ravonettes. Gosh she is gorgeous.  

Black and White / (Squirrel Fatwa)

 

In an attempt to get the automotive portion of my life into some kind of order I have the goal of making sure all my cars (well most) are licensed and road ready so that they may be driven, sold or used offensively against the coming zombie hordes.

On Sunday I left my basement bunker to check on my cars that have been stored off site and make a list of necessary repairs and maintenance.

Leaving my house in the Seville a black squirrel darted across the road stopping right in the middle. I braked and gave it a moment to decide that the other side was a safer place for he and his nuts.

Good news was my Corvette, taking up space in my mother’s garage (THANKS MOM!) started right up after putting the battery on charge, no seized brakes, no evidence of mice etc. yeah! Drove her around the block.

The 76 T-Bird was not so lucky, upon opening the hood, the new and expensive underhood sound deadening pad I installed last year had been eaten and torn up to make a squirrel nest….acorns being much in evidence. After cleaning out the engine bay she started up fine. I seem to have caught the evil creature early before it did more serious damage.

Last time I brake for squirrels….you have been warned you little tree rats…   

  Black and white outfit was what I wore today to a networking session.

 

squirrels meet nemesis

The Most Beautiful Song In The World

 

I am a fan of the Coen Brothers’films, especially since O Brother Where Art Thou? After seeing Oh Brother in the cinema I went out the next day and bought the soundtrack. 

The brothers have a hotly anticipated new film out soon called Inside Llewyn Davis, which deals with the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene.

I am NOT on the whole a fan of folk music….though when Elvis first hit public consciousness  he was dubbed “the Folk Music Fireball” by one confused critic.

The song used in the trailer is called Dink’s Song (or Faretheewell). Covered by Dylan and other folkies the song dates back to a 1908 when it was collected by John Lomax, no doubt it is much older.   

One of these days and it won't be long
Call my name and I'll be gone
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

I remember one night, a drizzling rain
Round my heart I felt a pain
Fare thee well, oh honey, fare thee well

I went looking for the version in the movie and instead found this 1962 version by Judi Resnick, proving once again that the best music is unknown, just waiting for us to discover. 

Judi Resnick(not the astronaut who died in the Challenger tragedy) seems to have only released one album recorded in a Boston coffee house. Apparently she passed away in 1982.

Something in her voice seems to hint at Phil Spector's girl group sound, perhaps it was something in the air back in then. When I like a tune I play it over and over again, so needless to say this track has been on infinite repeat at the April Bunker.

Her version of Faretheewell seems to elegantly capture the sadness many of us have to endure in seeking to right nature’s wrongs.

I was particularly moved last week by Sophie’s tribute Lisa (A Woman Named Sophie blog) . Transition is a hard road and we must never give in to despair, we must strive to see the beauty not the sadness.  

Bridget Bardot Eyes

I wish, my attempt to mimic her dark sixties eye makeup was met with...."pretty but it makes you look really tired". 

Inspired by my viewing of the French bio pic of Serge Gainsbourg, A Heroic Life.  I was aware of his influence on French popular music and of course his love affairs, Juliette Greco, Brigitte Bardot and Jane Birkin.

I mean where to begin? From his obscene "Les Sucettes" pop hit for yéyé girl France Gall to his "Aux Armes et cætera", a reggae version of "La Marseillaise" that caused riots in Paris. He courted controversy, had the most beautiful women in the world and lived for his art. Oh and of course made a lot of money...."I'll get into hack work and buy myself a Rolls"



I will leave you dear constant reader to search out the above mentioned tunes, here are two of my favourites Gainsbourg numbers:

Hugs,

April