Summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone

The use of HGH and anabolic steroids in athletes and bodybuilders goes further than the massive lumps of muscle that are packed on to these human behemoths. The use of these drugs and enhancers show that society has a set standard for both performance and physical beauty. HGH and anabolic steroids are considered to make someone look more beautiful due to the fact they provide a muscular figure which we consider natural. While this is completley the opposite of what they do. Tripling the amount of HGH in the body is in no way natural (Or healthy). Perhaps the use of these drugs shows the distortion that modern society places on natural beauty.

CryEngine 3: By Crytek

Summary: http://www.crytek.com/technology/cryengine-3/specifications/


The CryEngine is the next engine to be used in video game technology, supplying the best graphics and physics in any virtual reality to date. This cultural artifact reflects that value that people place in aesthetic beauty even if it's within a videogame. The amount of time and effort put into thist engine just to simulate a realistic world/environment shows that we as people place so much value in nature that we believe it should be pleasing to the eye in more than just nature itself. Perhaps this shows that technology brings us closer to nature rather than seperates us?

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell

Animal Farm Summary: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/animalfarm/summary.html

I never really saw this book as anything more than a book that rebelled against the idea of communism, being a freshmen in highschool, I look back now and realize alot of things I never noticed. But after four more years of education I see some parts behind this book that I couldn't help but wonder about and come up with some formulated conclusion. George Orwell, in his book "Animal Farm", used animals to potray diffrent characters and class groups in the Russia's revolution to become the Soviet Union. Using animals to potray such monumental characters and social classes seems twisted, in my own opinion. I assert that the use of animals as Lenin, Stalin, Marx, and other revolutionists seems to be an attack on their ideas and morals. While I can agree Stalin lacked any sort of human morality, the use of animals to potray these men is not just an attack on their status. In using animals as the characters of the Russian Revolution, it shows that we have a view that animals are more simplistic than humans. While the characters in Animal Farm reflected hugley complex actions in history, they brought the revolution into a much simpler perspective by using animals as way to group up diffrent groups in history. Take for example the Boxer, the horse, who represents the working class. Horses are defined as working animals and are commonly thought as the loyalist of all farm animals (Boxer was always mentioned for how hard working and loyal he was). In addition to Boxer, were the pigs who represented the revolutionists, nationalist, and eventually the ruling animal of the farm. Pigs are often considered to be of high intelligence and most similiar to humans. By Orwell using animals to simplify the story and create assumptions of characters I attest that the use of animals in "Animal Farm" shows that we have a passive opinion that animals are more basic that humans.

28 Days Later

Movie Summary can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0289043/plotsummary

I assert that "28 Days Later" holds a hidden message behind the action. Looking at the way the disease was spread to the open public, animal rights activists freeing infected chimps from a lab, I believe that the movie proposes the question of how much value we place in nature and other humans. Two scenes in the movie which support this claim are when the group of survivors are observing a stable of horses and when Frank becomes infected. During the scene where they were watching the horses run around in a field one the survivors asks if they were infected or not, in response one of the survivors remarks that nothing that beatiful can be infected by something so ugly. The meaning behind this scene shows that we as humans place more value in "pure" beings, showing that we have an idea of beauty and value that follows no other standard than our own opinions. Second, is the scene in which Frank becomes infected when a drop of blood falls into his eye giving him the disease. In less than a minute Hannah, Frank's daughter, is forced to decide to kill her own father or die. Hannah is unable to do so but luckily a small force of military personel kill the infected Frank in time to save her. This scene asserts two ideas. First being that we place other humans as more valueable than other beings. Second, that our value is relative to the object or being.

Mastodon's "Blood and Thunder"

Lyric to "Blood and Thunder":

I think that someone is trying to kill me

Infecting my blood and destroying my mind

No man of the flesh could ever stop me

The fight for this fish is a fight to the death

White whale - holy grail

What remorseless emperor commands me

I no longer govern my soul

I am completely immersed in darkness

As I turn my body away from the sun



White whale - holy grail



Split your lungs with blood and thunder

When you see the white whale

Break your backs and crack your oars men

If you wish to prevail

This ivory leg is what propels me

Harpoons thrust in the sky

Aim directly for his crooked brow

And look him straight in the eye



White whale - holy grail



Link to Official Music Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=labytsb3gfI





If you have yet to read the book or didn't notice the lyric's relation, this song comes from an albulm entirely dedicated to "Moby Dick". The lyric holds vague imagery of Captain Ahab on his mission to hunt the white whale which took his leg (later replace by the ivory leg). Depicted in the lyric and book is Ahab's insatiable want for revenge. I assert that this extreme desire for revenge follows very closely to how human's treat animals in modern times. People who are mauled in hunting trips, safaries, and other outdoor adventures where wild life pose a serious threat, usually have a need to exact revenge on the beast that did so. While bloodlust is natural in humans and creatures, I believe that as humans we should have enough reason to void any want for revenge if we knowingly venture into an area with potentially lethal animals.

Left 4 Dead 2

Descripton by IGN:It's entirely possible you're someone who never played the first and have no idea what I'm talking about, so I'll take a step back for a moment. It's the zombie apocalypse, and you play as one of four human Survivors who attempt to shoot their way through hordes of fast-moving "infected" (which I'll refer to as zombies) to get to the end of a map. The sequel is set in the American southeast and the new cast of characters is more memorable this time around, as they seem more aware of their situation, chattering away and commenting on specific parts of the environment as they battle through.


Left 4 Dead 2 places you and three others within a post apocalyptic version of the American South. Running through swamps, dark carnivals, and empty streets you must fight your way through the worst imaginable version of mother nature's wrath, zombies.
While the video game might seem like just another bloody killing fest with absolutleyno point to it, Left 4 Dead 2 has a point. Using the survivors and encounters within the game, L4D2 shows constantly that humans are the enemy of nature. Take for example points in the game known as "alerting the horde". Starting up machinery and other forms of technology in the game create incredibly loud and annoying noises which in turn send a massive horde of zombies in your general direction to fight off with any means necessary. Other supporting examples that humans are the enemy of nature is writing on walls found in the game which explain horrific events by the military and even other survivors.
Looking at Left 4 Dead 2 I assert that past the blood and gore, that it holds an unseen message that modern culture thinks of humans as the enemy of nature on a massive scale.

Nick Baxter- Biomechanical Tattooing: Glowing Inspiration Sleeve

Glowing Inspiration Sleeve



Nick Baxter's Comments: Previous versions of this piece have already been posted, but here it is extended into a 3/4 sleeve. I originally titled it "Desire Armed" in reference to the glowing grenade-heart, but to compliment and enhance that theme a vision-mandala and brain lightbulb were added. Thanks to Matt (and sidekick Mike) for being Canadian and awesome, making the long drive from north of the border several times, and always bringing good spirits while enduring long sittings (and wearing American pride t-shirts--hilarious!).


I found the book, Juxtapoz Tattoo, in the Keneko Library and found Baxter listed in one of the interviews with the artists. Baxter, among others, have began to develope the new tattoo style, Biomechanical. This style embodies the idea of taking man-made objects and fusing them with nature. For example, some tattoos feature the human body with metal, moss, or ivy growing or replacing parts of the human body, usually bones and the heart. The use of vibrant colors and mixture of nature with humanity reflects the newly found respect and concern for the affects we have on nature.