S.W. Hammond's Blog, page 13

The Mixtape Manifesto – Hardcover

Spectacularly printed coffee table book filled with tons of photography.

It’s been a long time coming, but the hardcover version of The Mixtape Manifesto: A Pop Culture Confessional has arrived and they look great! Pick up your copy from Amazon.

Very True – Parmenides

Parmenides, the Greek grandpappy of metaphysics, might be my favorite philosopher.

In hindsight, he may have ruined the world in many ways… but that’s only because people exploited what it is that he was trying to say *cough cough canonization of The New Testament*. In truth, we may never know what he was ‘truly’ trying to say—for one, it’s complicated almost beyond belief; second, no fully intact account of his original work On Nature remains. Archeologists and scholars have yet to complete the translation—and they may never. I know I don’t understand All of what he has to say—but I want to.

With that said, if there was ever someone touched by the divine, it was Parmenides. While his work has nothing to do with religion, he saw the world as Neo saw The Matrix—and he moves up, down, in, out, and around every bit of logic and semantics that constitutes existence and non-existence. He is a true genius and often overlooked next to Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle—but what he achieved rivals DaVinci and Einstein.

AI and the Technological Singularity

What is the technological singularity, and why we should care about it?

The technological singularity marks the point beyond prediction. The theory holds that technology / machines will become so advanced that they will gain an intelligence of their own. This intelligence will duplicate (independent of humans) and compound to the point of super-intelligence, or an intelligence greater than that of a human being. Intelligence is subjective, but my definition involves an entity defining its own goals / objectives and then making decisions in an effort to achieve those goals / objectives. Should technology reach this state of being, the vast possibilities of outcomes are so great and dramatically different from one another that no quantifiable predictions can be made as to how this event will impact the world or human beings themselves.

The Las Vegas Massacre

Today was… difficult.

October 2, 2017—the day of the Las Vegas Massacre. It was technically the night before, but the world woke to another tragedy. A community shocked and numb.

It wasn’t surprising—I feel like everyone knew something like this was going to happen at some point in Las Vegas—but that doesn’t make it any less devastating or easier to accept.

I’ve seen it closeup several times before. I have a lot of connections to the Columbine shooting—know people on the hit list, have friends who lost their friends. I was there for the Theater Shooting, was a couple of miles up the road from the New Life Church shooting, drove along the highways during the Arizona I-10 Shooter scare, and used to play arcade games where the Trolley Square Shooting went down. I have dealt with this in my backyard, I have seen it unfold through the eyes of people who have established roots in these communities.

Vegas still felt different.

The Las Vegas Masacre

Today was… difficult.

October, 2 2017—the day of the Las Vegas Massacre. It was technically the night before, but the world woke to another tragedy. A community shocked and numb.

It wasn’t surprising—I feel like everyone knew something like this was going to happen at some point in Las Vegas—but that doesn’t make it any less devastating or easier to accept.

I’ve seen it closeup several times before. I have a lot of connections to the Columbine shooting—know people on the hit list, have friends who lost their friends. I was there for the Theater Shooting, was a couple of miles up the road from the New Life Church shooting, drove along the highways during the Arizona I-10 Shooter scare, and used to play arcade games where the Trolley Square Shooting went down. I have dealt with this in my backyard, I have seen it unfold through the eyes of people who have established roots in these communities.

Vegas still felt different.

Reno Comic Con 2017 - Recap

The Biggest Little City brought out the cosplay for the Reno Sands Comic Con! Big thanks to the fandom, organizers, and exhibitors of this year’s convention!

I’ll start out by saying how tired I am–today (Monday) was rough after the whirlwind weekend and long drives–but I’d do it all over again in a second. I can’t understate how warm the reception was. Wow. Serious. Reno really made me feel special! I got to meet dozens of amazing individuals and our conversations won’t fade in my memory any time soon. That’s what these shows are all about–the connection.

Speaking of which, I understand how risky it is taking a chance on an author or book you’ve never heard of. With that said, Reno took a chance on me. Thank you. The Final Book: Gods made its way into a lot of hands and that blows my mind. A few even began reading it right away and came back the next day to say how they couldn’t put it down. Those are the types of things you never imagine.

Gardening, Not Architecture

Sarah Saturday's dreamy-reflective bedroom pop rock project that captivates and compels with earnest songwriting.

Sarah Saturday might be my longest running rock crush—while all of the cliché reasons admittedly apply, more importantly she’s always seemed to remain relevant to me. She’s thoughtful and reflective, without pretension.

Initially our musical star aligned over bratty indie pop-punk. Guilty as charged—and not the least bit remorseful about it—but just as our bleached hair (both hers and mine) began to show roots, so did our taste in music. Styles evolved. We matured. Slamming guitars and songs about getting wasted grew tired. However, I never really let go of the teenage angst—it just morphed into twenties angst… and now thirties. Through it all, Sarah has been adding poetry to melody and capturing a sentiment of the evolving human condition while articulating the complexities of adult relationships. Whether she likes it or not, we’ve grown up together—and after all of the years I still turn to her to sing me to sleep at night.

New Website!

Wow wee, things look a bit different, eh??? Check out the brand new website!

Here she is—I like it quite a bit and it should serve the cause well. Hopefully it makes your experience that much better. At the very least, it should work much better on your phones and tablets.

The old site lasted about five and half years—pretty good. It was an early version of a mobile “responsive” website, and while it “worked” on phones, it didn’t work very well. Things were getting jumbled, articles hard to read, and it was about impossible to find anything. I’m not a big mobile guy, so it never really bothered me, but the majority of traffic now seems to be mobile and I just hated the way the old site performed. Hopefully this takes care of that—please let me know if it doesn’t!

The Final Book: Gods - Gallery

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In anticipation of the release day, The Final Book: Gods makes its way across the Southwest stopping at Chaco Canyon (the site of Josh and Cloe letter), Santa Fe, the infamous cornern of Winslow, Arizona and random roadsize attractions.

About SW Hammond

Sean William Hammond is the author of The Final Book: Gods and The Mixtape Manifesto: A Pop Culture Confessional. He is also a freelance writer contributing to music zines, adventure and lifestyle magazines, and new media technical websites. Here on SWHammond.com you'll find a mix of his articles, essays, and personal memoirs that encompass pop culture, politics, relationships, and thoughts on life.

SW's writing style, particularly within his commentary, is often compared to Chuck Klosterman with countless references to pop culture, especially music. Hammond's honest approach creates an easy camaraderie with the reader, then tests the boundaries with sensitive subject matter. Philosophy, ethics, and virtue square off against hedonism—with Hammond in the middle, struggling to keep his head above water.

SW’s fictional writing makes a conscious effort to blend perception, rumor, and fact leaving the reader to question reality. His stories are often rooted in truth—taking place in historical settings or by playing on modern headlines—making use of common and relatable themes to drive home critical points about the human condition. Though grand and epic; the backbone of his novels hinge on basic principles of morality, or lack thereof.

Hammond has a unique background as a music and sports industry professional. He has worked in the Commissioner's Office of Major League Baseball as a Marketing Coordinator, was an Assistant of Arizona Operations in the Kansas City Royals farm system, and operated Spring Training stadium audio for the Los Angeles Angels. He is also credited as a Marketing Representative for Sony Music Entertainment, a Senior Tour Manager for the Vans Warped Tour, and an intern at WAR Records / United Interests Management.

Born just outside of Denver, CO in 1983, Hammond hasn't settled down much since. Aside from Colorado, as a child he also lived in Maine, California, and Utah. As an adult he returned to Colorado and Utah, also adding Arizona and Nevada to the list. He has visited 49 of the 50 states, vowing to make it to Alaska one day soon. Seemingly only content while in motion, Hammond's dream is to one day own a catamaran and sail it around the world. He currently resides in Las Vegas, NV studying philosophy at UNLV. Hammond has never been married and has no children.