Harvest Time

It's almost time to pick my first couple tomatoes. To watch the progress of my plants has been calming, a nice constant amongst all the changes going on. It's a good reminder. Things move in cycles: seasons, plants, people. Situations change, circumstances can be volatile, but nature and time have a way of sorting everything out.

There are direct routes, divergent paths and dead ends. Distractions, disappointments and discoveries. In the end there is much out of my control. So to focus on the small things, the little comforts and simple pleasure, the action I can personally take, helps with perspective.

Sitting on my porch after a monotonous day of insurance there's a quiet comfort in the wind through the leaves, water dripping from the window box, and the minute signs of growth.

Sunsets #4

7/14/14

7/27/14

7/30/14

"The biggest cliche in photography is sunrise and sunset." -Catherine Opie

Everybody Lies

I love the show House. I've watched its entire 8 seasons twice over. I loved the overarching plot lines, romances, and ever expanding back stories but even when episodes would follow its established procedural formula I was happy just to soak in Gregory House. A truth-teller, a self-proclaimed and unapologetic asshole and drug addict, an undisputed genius and delightfully anti-social atheist. He was my idol for a long time, I emulated him, his mantra "Everybody Lies" I took to heart and lived by.

There was a time I thought I had no moral compass, no conscience. I did bad things and never felt guilty. I operated under the flawed House justification "Everybody Lies", my own duplicitousness and deceits were merely a response, a reflection of the world I lived in, of human nature itself. I created a world of falsehood, lied so much I convinced myself the lies were truths. I became a dexterous and able fabricator. The lies would come freely, convincingly, subtly and colorfully. So enticingly believable. It came to the point I almost forgot how to tell the truth. Deception and deflection was my automatic response to any question under all circumstances.

My existence during these years was not satisfying, it was desperate and thin. I knew pleasure but no happiness. I discovered Gregory House's oft repeated phrase was not exactly true. People lied periodically, out of fear or necessity or ignorance but not Everybody Lies. Those who do lead bleak lives.

It can be hard to be honest and truthful. Hard to get past years of conditioned shams and habitual bluffs. Tough to get past the ease of pretense. But I realized there is right and wrong. More often than not the right path leads to a happy life. It can be difficult to be sincere and open and forthright but it is always better than the sucking isolation of double-dealing.

'Guardians Of The Galaxy' A Review

Guardians Of The Galaxy is an action-comedy space opera, the latest installment in the ever expanding Marvel cannon. The film opens on young Peter Quill at the death bed of his mother, shortly after her emotional passing he is picked up by an alien space ship. Flash forward twenty years we see Quill(Chris Pratt) an outlaw and space thief on an abandon planet braving a perilous cave, Indiana Jones style, for a mysterious artifact. Through the attempted sale of this artifact Quill hooks up with Rocket, a walking/talking genetically modified raccoon with an attitude, Groot, a humanoid tree, Drax The Destroyer, an alien warrior, and Gamora, an alien assassin. A loose partnership is formed.

The film is truly ensemble driven, with each member of the fivesome sharing dramatic focus and comedic relief. Pratt is more or less the lead, which he carries with his go to charm and playfulness but he consistently and effortlessly shares the focus. The other two stand outs are Rocket and Groot, both CGI creatures but nonetheless incredibly emotive and empathetic. Groot especially garners the most sympathy of any character a remarkable feat given his only lines are "I am Groot." Dave Bautista current WWE wrestler as Drax is passable although clearly out of his thespian depth. Zoe Saldana is striking and powerful but doesn't deliver as much as she has in past roles. On top of the 5 there is a parade of worthwhile cameos, each with unique perspectives and costuming/make-up design. Sometimes a large number of cameos can be detracting but in this instance it is delightful because they are all justified and offer individual flashes of interest.

The soundtrack of the film is an effective weave of action score and 60's and 70's hits taken from Quill's mix tape given to him by his mother. The Earthly pop songs are a surprisingly effective compliment to the otherworldly setting. The action sequences are impressive which certainly benefit from IMAX and/or 3D. But the story is what is truly engaging- an interesting group of people, an amazing adventure, lots of laughs. The film falters slightly towards the end relying on a severely predicable climax and conclusion. The general freshness however isn't lost.

The most striking element of the film is its humor and sense of fun. A popcorn-eating, soda-slurping, summer movie you can get behind. Easily the best Marvel movie in years, it seems some of its vigor comes from the fact it is not a superhero movie, a genre ridden into exhaustion.

See It.

Nesting

Thursday Nicole and I moved into our new apartment. It was relatively painless considering we just had to move our stuff down two floors, Morehead provided some clutch help with the big ticket items. The past couple days we've been unpacking, painting, organizing, hanging, and rearranging.

Unpacking is always my favorite part of moving. Discovering things I thought I'd lost or forgotten I had. Finding the right place for things, settling in and getting comfortable.

It will certainly be an adventure, Nicole and I have a lot to figure out about our new place and about each other. What kind of couch to get, where to hang the curtains, how we relate to each other as roommates, how to create a common and supportive home life, how to find time together and apart.

It's an exciting time. Standing at the beginning of this large unknown experience I couldn't be more grateful for the woman I love and whatever the future may hold for us.

Street Talk 19

Danny, Max, and I outside the Upstairs Gallery. A middle aged woman is walking her dog, the dog poops, she picks it up in a bag and approaches us.

Woman: Can I buy a cigarette?
Me: (smoking) You can have one(I offer her the pack).
Woman: Thank you. Guess who I'm going to see in concert?
Max: I don't know who?
Woman: He's tall, lanky, and blond.
Danny: Neil Diamond.
Max: Keith Urban.
Woman: Rod Stewart. 8th row center.
Danny: Very cool.
Woman: I've been waiting my whole life for this. I'm going through a divorce right now. My husband grabbed me by the throat and choked me. Redneck piece of shit.
Danny: Oh god that's horrible.
Max: Yeah, get outta there.
Woman: If my brother was alive he'd kill him. He was in the Special Forces in Vietnam. He did that Rambo stuff. You seen Rambo?
Me: Yeah.
Woman: That was him but he passed.
Me: Sorry for your loss.
Woman: It was colon cancer that got him. (pause) Have a good night.
Max: You too. (She walks away)
Danny: She was clutching that bag of hot poop in her fist...

'Hercules' A Review

Hercules is a swords and sandals action movie based on the graphic novel reimagining. The movie opens on a captive storyteller spinning the yarns of Hercules in order to intimidate the pirates who hold him hostage. Hercules descends upon the pirates in a thick fog and slays them. Only he is not alone he has a whole crew that helps him. In this incarnation Hercules is not the son of Zeus or a demi-god and his great feats were accomplished by a crew of friends and fellow warriors, his nephew storyslinger and relentless PR man cultivates the myth of Hercules in order to garner mercenary business. Hercules and his fellows are pressed into service by the King of Thrace in order to stop a bloody rebellion. But things are not exactly what they seem.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is near perfect as Hercules, his colossal physique pairs well with his understated charm, he brings a humility to this incarnation of Hercules which is unexpected and fresh. His wig, beard, and accent are at times verge into camp but not to a degree of distraction. Hercules's crew fills out the cast most notably by the ease, whit, and gravitas of Ian McShane and Rufus Sewell however Ingrid Bolsø Berdal puts in a good performance as the resident Amazon and Aksel Hennie gives a surprisingly engaging turn as silent, half crazed, child of war soothed by the friendship of his companions. The best part of the film is the comradery of Hercules band. There is a sense of friendship, fun, and togetherness that is catching. Unfortunately past the inspired casting the movie does everything else by the book.

The action of Hercules is serviceable but not new, the plot adequate but not adventurous. Lead by Johnson, with such a stacked cast, there is a lot of unactualized potential. There is a moment of brilliance towards the end where McShane is whispering to the chained Hercules prodding him to break free of his bonds. It is fleeting.

Rent It.