Adjusting Aperture for Dramatic Effect

The following photos were all taken from the top of the Griffith Observatory during my brief visit to Los Angeles, California - all were taken in the same few minutes, the only adjustments made being how open or closed the aperture was - beautiful and interesting results follow:

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Remember where you (individually) and we (collectively) came from. 

Short Film of the Day

What happens when one film set's mysteries transfer to another? In this short, you may just find out...

Short Story Samplings: #5

Goodbye

Jonathan showed up ten minutes early only to find Frank sitting at the table, already waiting for him. As usual he sat perfectly straight without somehow looking rigid, perfectly proper without looking too professional. When he stood up to shake Jonathan’s hand, he made sure to shake firmly for no more than a full second and maintain eye contact throughout. He then held his arm out towards the chair across from his, as if inviting his employee to join him in the higher ranks.

            “Good to see you again, Jonathan. Please sit. I’ve already ordered us some wine.” Jonathan obliged, and just as soon as he hit his seat he was taking a swig of the glass Piano Bianco laid out in front of him. It tasted a bit dryer than usual but he did not think anything of it.

            “So, Jonathan. How do we handle this little issue of ours?” He said it as if he had asked it many times before; he asked it like he already knew the answer, like he had always known.

            “Well, I put one of my guys on it, and he seems pretty confident that we can get a name on that eyeball witness.”

            “Oh really?”

            “Yea. Yes.”

            “And when does he think he can do that?”

            “I don’t know, any day now.” Frank stared at Jonathan without the slightest hint of distrust. He took a sip of his wine and patted his lips together, making sure to get all the taste that his glass had to offer.

            “Ah, I love this wine.” Jonathan cleared his throat to speak, but before he could get a syllable out Frank was elaborating on his thought. “Bordeaux used to be my go-to, but recently, this Piano Blanco, it’s really been hitting the spot.”

            “Well people change.”

            “You’re telling me.” He smiled at Jonathan and suddenly a fear came over him. For a moment he could feel his skin heat up, but just as quickly his attention was reverted to the waiter that had suddenly intruded on their private space.

            “Can I get you gentleman anything?”

            “How about some menus?” Jonathan was ready to get this show on the road.

            “We’re actually fine for right now. I’ll give you one of these,” Frank raised his right index finger in the air and emphatically stuck it high in the air, “when we’re ready.”

            “Sounds good. Enjoy the wine.”

            “Oh. We shall.” Jonathan thought he noticed a correspondence between Frank and the waiter, but before he could properly ascertain the truth the waiter had scampered off to another table, ready to do whatever it takes for a bigger tip. He cleared his throat yet another time, but Frank beat him to the punch yet again.

            “So, Jonathan. Hypothetically— and of course, I stress hypothetically,” he held his hands out in front of him in defense, but was smiling as if they both knew the reality of the situation. “What if you can’t ID the witness? What then? Can I trust you?” Almost without any transition at all, his eyes now burnt though Jonathan. Jonathan knew the way he handled this question might mean his life. Quickly, almost too quickly, he loudly retorted “Of course.” That was all he felt he needed to say, and he stared confidently back into the eyes of his omnipotent boss. They maintained silent eye contact for a few seconds before Frank leaned back in his chair.

            “Good. Because if this somehow gets down to what I think it might, I need to know that you’re willing to spare your life for mine.”

            “Of course.” But this time he heard his voice go up a pitch. Spare his life? For this man? When it came down to it, he knew that’s what he had signed on for, but now that it was so close to becoming an actuality he couldn’t get it out of his head that he had made the biggest mistake of his life. Five years ago, when he had met Frank in this very restaurant, and told him he would be loyal until death, that he would do anything to be made Capo, and that he would do nothing to forget where he came from— his heart suddenly sank. He thought he saw Frank raise his eyebrows, but there was no way. Frank never let anyone know what he was feeling, wouldn’t even give the slightest hint. There was no chance that Jonathan had just broken that wall. He nervously finished his glass of wine and Frank poured him another one.

            “You have any idea what you want to eat?”

            “I haven’t seen the menu.”

            “Do you really need to? You haven’t been here enough?” Jonathan was afraid to say that he was not a regular, that when the other guys came to shoot the shit and talk emptily about who intimidated who or how to get revenge on all the rat fuck informants, he was at home with his wife and kids, who meant more than anything to him. He was afraid to admit that his family meant more than this family. And then he knew he was in trouble. He couldn’t even respond verbally, instead settling for a feeble shrug. Frank did not change his expression. This time, he initiated by clearing his throat; Jonathan could not even come up with an interruption.

            “Have you ever heard of ricin, Jonathan?”

            “Ricin?” A smile came across Frank’s face, and he swiftly took on the demeanor of an expert.

            “Yes, ricin. Ricinis Communis, from the castor oil plant. Highly toxic. Even if the smallest amount is ingested it can lead to death.”

            “Oh yea?” Jonathan had no idea where this was going. “And?”

            Frank tilted his head, offended and confused by Jonathan’s lack of interest in his own demise. He picked his napkin off his lap, threw it on the table, and leaned forward onto his forearms, now resting on the table. He looked Jonathan in the eye, and, like a father would tell his son to take out the trash, said, “We’re going to have to terminate your contract.”

            Jonathan’s throat went dry. He needed to take a sip of wine but could not muster up the courage to move a muscle. “Excuse me?”

            “Your contract has been terminated.” And suddenly it was clear why the Piano Blanco tasted a bit dryer than usual. His contract had been terminated by ricin. “Don’t worry, Jonathan. It won’t hurt—well, not like you expect. You’ll have a few days to say goodbye to your family and whoever else it is you think is more important than what we’ve got going on here. I’m very sorry.”

            Jonathan was frozen. He was not mad, or disappointed, or even surprised; he was merely frozen. For the first time in a long time, he felt something distinctly real, yet it was a distinctive nothingness. He did not wish to yell, or cry, or anything. He did not wish to respond. And Frank did not mind. He raised his index finger in the air and the waiter began rushing over, as if his life depended on it.

            “I think we’re ready to order.”

Today's Jammies for the Mammies!

Some fire tracks from back in the day - that being over ten years ago... Enjoy and keep on dancin'... and dayyum, check those moves out!










-FIN - keep on living life the way you want, like these artists certainly did...

Album Spotlight: Sinkane - Mars

This DFA release from Ahmed Gallab, formerly known for his work with Of Montreal, builds off of that band's afrobeat influence and channels it through the future-jazz grooves similar to anything and everything with James Murphy's name on it. It may not be revolutionary, but it shows Gallab is a talent to watch in the future, despite the fact that this is his third release.

The album starts on a high note, hitting the ground running with some energetic African funk and rarely letting go. Jeeper Creeper introduces us to the world on Mars. 

Another song of note is Making Time, with a similar sound to the more famous DFA remix of MIA's Paper Planes. Focusing on moody synths and appropriately sloppy horns, this is the perfect electronic track for low-energy vibing.



And finally, the closer on the album, Caparundi, opens with Gallab beautiful voice harmonizing with itself, letting the piano opening build to a flutastic barrage of instrumentals, leading to an atmospheric, relaxed closer that perfectly captures the ups and downs of the album’s more energetic offerings.


Do yourself a favor by taking a listen and buying the album here.

Today's Quotes to Mull Over

Words on writing - by some of the best; makes you think....

1) It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.
- Ernest Hemingway

-What does it mean to be "qualified" 

2) Most writers regard the truth as their most valuable possession, and therefore are most economical in its use.

- Mark Twain

-No wonder the world today frustrates to many intellectuals... most people are full of shit.

3) A writer without interest or sympathy for the foibles of his fellow man is not conceivable as a writer.

- Joseph Conrad

-We reveal the ugly truths, not the beautiful lies... doing anything but would be blasphemous to a true writer/thinker

4) People do not deserve to have good writing, they are so pleased with bad.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

-Never truer than these times (though they were probably just as true to him in his time...)

5) Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can do anything really good.

- William Faulkner

-Not just writing, but life in general. Happens too rarely these days, at least in the world I find myself in.

6) No one can write decently who is distrustful of the reader’s intelligence or whose attitude is patronizing.

- E. B. White

-Same goes for any kind of storytelling.

 

7) “The authentic human being is one of us who instinctively knows what he should not do, and, in addition, he will balk at doing it. He will refuse to do it, even if this brings down dread consequences to him and to those whom he loves. This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait of ordinary people; they say no to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences of this resistance. Their deeds may be small, and almost always unnoticed, unmarked by history. Their names are not remembered, nor did these authentic humans expect their names to be remembered. I see their authenticity in an odd way: not in their willingness to perform great heroic deeds but in their quiet refusals. In essence, they cannot be compelled to be what they are not.” 
― Philip K. Dick

-No words, simply mesmerizing - and one of the few undisputed truths I've read of late.

8) “Writing is a little bit like prostitution. First you do it for love. Then you do it for a few friends. Then you do it for money.” 
― Molière

- cynical yet informative

9) “Of all the alchemies of human connection--sex and childbirth and marriage and friendship--the strangest is this: You can stand up and tell a story that is made entirely, embarrassingly, of "I's," and a listening audience somehow turns each "I" into a "me." This alchemy, of self-absorption into shared experience, is the alchemy of all literature.” 
― Adam Gopnik

-We all are the center of our own worlds, and anything that relates to us, relates specifically to us. 

10) Writing is its own reward.

- Henry Miller

-Fuck the haters.

The Business of Mad Men: Is the Final Season doomed?

-Ginsberg gets an unpleasant departure

Do not be alarmed. This season of Mad Men has been nearly as strong as all the others preceding it, quite the impressive feat when you consider the show is in its seventh season and, since the first, has been hailed as one of the best television shows of all time. Each episode has been denser than your average Mad Men episode while still retaining the slow-burn subtlety and soapy dramatics that initially pulled me - and many others - into it creative aura. Matt Weiner and his team have done the unthinkable - make a show under their terms, never seem to change their attitudes of what their show could - and should - be. Despite its success critically, it has never felt like a series that would cater to the audience's wants, instead delving into some storylines so baffling it might act to push people away - but alas, here it remains, and always will be - an important part of television history.

Why I fear for the show, however, has to do with AMC's transparently business-oriented strategy of splitting the final season into two half seasons, aired a year apart, in order to build up anticipation and also string fans along, knowing they will wait on pins and needles until their beloved Don Draper returns to them. This strategy worked well enough for Breaking Bad, whose final 8 episodes moved at such a brisk pace that to have it follow the first 8 would be too much adrenaline for the audience to handle. But Weiner's creation is drastically different from Gilligan's, most importantly in the way it takes its time in spooling out information, and builds its momentum season after season, finally giving the audience the little bit of catharsis they can expect from such a show in the final few episodes. Wheels turn and motors run, but nothing of great physical consequence ever happens until the penultimate few episodes - and most of the time, the payoff is worth it, due to the audience's patience and ability to have faith that everyone involved in the production knows what they are doing.

With two episodes to go before a year-long break, more has happened on this season of Mad Men than ever before - relationships have shifted dramatically over the course of a few minutes, characters seem lost in the late 60s-going into the 70s, as was clearly shown by Michael Ginsberg's hilarious than tragic downfall into full on paranoia about what computers - and thus the future - might bring. Don has re-established himself in the SC&P offices (or whatever they are called now), but in a way I'm sure few were expecting. And this week, he finally made the move in attempting to take back control, letting Cutler and his replacement, Lou Avery, know just how far he is willing to go to matter again (at least in the eyes of his co-workers and potential clients). As Don hailed a taxi and Waylon Jennings' "You Got the Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," I excitedly began anticipating next week's entry, only to realize that after that, there is only one more, and then another year until I see how things play out. Not only was I disappointed, like Ginsberg, in the future, but felt like my energy was wasted in investing so much in the 5 episodes I have currently seen. If in a mere two weeks I will lose all connection to these characters in the middle of their journeys to the end, how satisfying can the final 7 episodes really be? Because I know there will be a huge lull after whatever major event happens in two weeks, how can I really care about anything that happens? The payoff is too distant to consider as something worth waiting for, and this cloud hangs over every episode I've seen thus far.

For Breaking Bad, while the show inherently worked regardless of the time in between half-seasons, many fans griped about how rushed they felt the ending was, as well as the second to last episode, Granite State, which fast forwarded several months, a jarring development considering the mere few days that the many episodes before encompassed. Would the show have benefited from two full 12 or 13 episode season instead of two halves cut off in the middle? The answer will never be known - but I do know that giving the viewer too much, rather than too little, especially looking back on a series after it is complete, is rarely a bad thing. Yes, some filler may have been necessary, but perhaps Walter's time in New Hampshire could have been covered better and over a longer period of time, rather the sudden snippet of information we were given. 

Mad Men is still a great show - it always will be, as long as Matt Weiner remains the micromanager he has been. But I cannot help but feel like AMC is doing them an extreme disservice by essentially teasing fans after a year break, only to have them wait yet ANOTHER year to see how everything pans out. Like the characters on the show, we will live despite these frustrations, but any emotional momentum the final few episodes might gain will be lost, and the first few episodes of the next season will surely be spent recapitulating to audiences where everyone is - something the first few episodes of previous seasons have done to a fault. For a network whose claim to fame is the very thing they are milking for as long as they can before realizing they have almost nothing else to keep the brand at the level of respect it is, it is almost offensive. There was Breaking Bad, there still is Walking Dead, and there is Mad Men - but viewers' relationship with it is drastically different than what it was before, and those are the only shows that really pull in any sort of consistent, intelligent viewers (and recently even Walking Dead has been in short supply of smart stories). Instead of being about the show itself, it is about the context the show finds itself, and unfortunately that context is one of making money and taking as little risk as possible. In doing so, I believe AMC has caused one of the biggest atrocities seen today in mainstream media: Prioritizing the network's relationship with the show over the viewer's relationship, which reveals just how out-of-touch they are with the current media-driven landscape, in which viewers bounce from one show to the other, with complete disregard for how it affects the people working on the show or how the viewers themselves interprets it - an even bigger mistake considering current viewer's attention spans cannot last much more than an hour long episode, let alone a year between subtle, methodical, character-driven episodes in one of the most serially developmental series of all time.