The Sad State of Literature in My World, originally uploaded by Brian Knight Photography.

I just walked into my office to find a book to read because though I
am quite tired, I sort of feel like I need to spend some quiet time
with words before giving in to sleep. Only, i could not read the
titles of any of my favourite books what with all the DVDs lined up
along the shelf. A sad statement on all of the books I have read cover
to cover this year (zero). What a difference a few years makes.

Now, I don’t know anything about movie making, but I know a little something about story telling, and everything I learned about story telling I learned from Ira Glass. You too can learn something…

How? Here, let me tell you… Read this page over and over. That’s it.

If you read that page, and practise, practise, practise, you just might be able to tell a good story. Be sure to pay special attention to the links towards the beginning that point you to Ira Glass’s Radio Manifesto and “How to Get on This American Life.” Read these lots. Any other suggested readings you might come across on these pages? Read those too. Wouldn’t hurt to listen to a few episodes, they’re archived online and go back to 1995. Oh! And this is totally crazy, but, like, the story telling of This American Life was so good that they turned it into an award winning television show. They make stories just like (I’m assuming) you probably had floating around in your head.

Now, as a disclaimer, I should mention how I don’t work for PRI, WBEZ Chicago, Showtime, etc. I just love the show and know a good story when I see one.

The Best 80s Movie Made In The 90s

Which movie? Why Point Break of course! Keanu, Swayze, Busey… friggin’ John C. McGinley! The all-star quarterback, lawyer, sharpshooting FBI agent gets buddied up with the out-of-shape old timer crank then learns to surf, gets the girl, and stops a spree of bank robberies performed by fellow surfers and daredevil skydivers who dress as the ex-presidents.

Would somebody please put an end to the writer’s strike? This is the kind of material America is clamoring for! And what’s better than watching this movie from the comfort of your living room couch on a Friday night? Try introducing this classic to your friend who at the time of its release was only seven years old.

Persepolis

The cartoon network is not a channel I ever surf to and I’m never first in line at the box office for the latest Pixar release, but there was something intriguing about this Persepolis movie… whatever it was, the buzz machine worked and Saturday night, beers in hand, we ended up at the front of the line to see a feature length, French language (with English subtitles), black and white cartoon. And it was great. Really, really great. Because it’s got this great story about a girl and a country and a war and… I don’t want to say too much, but I enjoyed it. And though when the credits rolled and my friend leaned over to ask what I thought, and all I could say (and in perhaps not the most convincing tone) was “I liked it,” the fact is that like with most things my brain was still working it over and it would take a while longer for my opinion to fully form. My friend Estee likes to call this “the highway”… Imagine a long, straight, flat highway (like I70 through eastern Colorado) and that’s the kind of path a lot of my thoughts have to take before they can be spoken (or in this case written). Metaphorically, questions asked at the KS/CO border will be answered in Denver.

Sorry, that was a bit of a tangent… the point is, if you can, think about seeing Persepolis. It’s actually way better than Juno.

Orienteering Meets & Flickr Meetups

Sunday morning was spent running around a park in the cold with friends and a camera. Sunday afternoon was spent running around a city in the cold with friends and a camera.

About the Flickr Meetups I have this to say… I’m really starting to enjoy them. This is not to say that I did not enjoy them before, but the whole meeting and talking to new people has never been my strongest skill (thus photography, right?) and now I find myself looking forward to seeing the newish yet familiar friendly faces. It’s possible I have a problem though, because Monday night I totally had a feverish dream about Flickr and taking photos of people taking photos of people taking photos…

Smash & Grab

Monday morning I went to my car and discovered that someone had broken that lesser known commandment… thou shall not covet thy neighbors consumer electronics. The driver’s side window had been smashed into little green pieces and the windshield mounted personal GPS (a great Christmas present from Dad) had been ripped out of the car. Shit.

I called the police non-emergency number, then work to let them know I’d be late (that turned out to be quite the understatement as I didn’t get into the office until 4pm), then I called my insurance company (they rock), then my folks (had to tell somebody and they’re the only ones not working at 10am on a weekday), then I called the body shop who would be repairing the damage, and then finally Enterprise, who just like their commercials say, came to pick me up. Ugh. Not a great way to start off the week.

The rest of the week so far…

Work, work, and more work. Dinner at Kilroy’s with Dad who was in town for one night only. More work. A birthday party for Jess meant I got to legitimately geek out on some WW stuff which is always fun. And I also got to open some packages and everyone loves doing that!

I also need to finish writing a 700 – 1000 word story about racing off-road triathlons (due Friday). There’s no greater inspiration like a last minute deadline.

*oops. turns out this wasn’t exactly brief… sorry!

(this reminds me… I really should try and find that autographed Full House cast photo of mine)

It was funny. Really funny.  Hanks and Hoffman and Adams give great performances. I’ve never been a huge Julia Roberts fan, but she did alright too.  Sorkin wrote the screenplay and in some ways the movie was like a really good season 2 WW episode, with only a long walk and talk missing (and of course with one scene in particular – I’m thinking of an office scene with two conversations going on at once – you get the next best thing to a walk and talk and with a fun pay off at the end).  Sorkin can bring the funny.

So go see it, and if you can, might I suggest catching a 9 o’clock showing on Hilton Head?  You’ll just about have the theater to yourself.  I don’t know if only 10 people came to the opening night showing because it’s December on Hilton Head Island (which means no one is here) or because the people who are here like to watch a lot of matinées (the better to catch the early bird dinner specials).  Or maybe this movie is going to tank at the box office because no one has quite figured out how to sell a semi-feel good, comedic, political movie that comes complete with a happy ending.  Of course, the ending is happy only so long as you forget that an argument could be made that the actions of the movie’s protagonists directly resulted in a little event known as 9/11.  Which is a bit heavy.

But the movie is funny.  Really funny.  It is laugh out loud funny. And you should go see it.

Twenty-nine years ago, a group of climbers had the idea of presenting a festival of mountain films in the climbing mecca of Telluride, Colorado. Today, Mountainfilm in Telluride is one of the world’s most prominent festivals of films on mountain sports and conservation, and is now sponsored in part by National Geographic.

Some quick thoughts on tonight…

A. I didn’t actually know half the people in the (sold out, standing room only) audience, but it sure seemed like it. While still driving down M Street I ran into Cathy at a red light and before I could even get my tickets I bumped into one her friends standing in the lobby. I’d gone maybe five feet into the auditorium when I saw Jody who invited me to sit with her and Brian and Liza.

Then across the hall I spied none other than the hosts for next week’s art show Kristin and Shane who were with still more friends Tom and Deb. Meanwhile Cathy’s posse had seemingly taken over the entire front middle section of the place. Later I was introduced to other people whom I’ve probably taken photos of at races. I say probably because no one quite looks the same when dressed in clothing not made of spandex and lycra. In any case, it was great seeing all the familiar faces (exactly the opposite feeling from the week before).

B. After much socializing and a great intro movie showing highlights from previous films (mostly spectacular, gut wrenching, flinch inducing crashes and falls) actual movies were played…

(really quick synopsis and reviews after the jump)

Trial and Error: Progression (Canada/2006/ 10 min)… Ryan Leech pushes his mountain bike skills in an old-growth forest slated for destruction.

– This movie was just plain sick. The trials course created by Leech and his ability to ride it was just amazing and the location… beautiful. To get an idea about the kind of riding involved you have to check out their website.

Rita (USA/2006/6 min) A daughter of adventurous parents recalls a family vacation to Mount Everest.

– Cute autobiographical movie. The MC tonight mentioned how the director, Alison Blehert-Koehn, was a hit at Telluride, even though she wasn’t exactly dressed for the spring snows (and now I know why, she’s super cute – and you know, a talented film maker… a nice combo for sure).

Good Riddance: Air Pollution (Australia/2006/5 min)… Award-winning animator Nick Hilligoss uses humor to examine an environmental problem and an alternative energy source.

– A clever claymation piece reminiscent of Wallace& Gromit.

Running Down the Man (USA/2007/18 min) One man’s quest to tame Baja’s elusive rooster fish on foot with a fly rod.

– This was the best piece of the night. Gives new meaning to “adventure fishing.” Can’t say I’m big on fishing, and I’d never heard of either the Rooster Fish or Frank Smethurst before, but Smethurst’s enthusiasm was infectious.

Everything’s Cool (USA/2006/65 min) A “toxic comedy” that explores how climate change will affect America.

– Flipping through the channels after coming home tonight I stopped on Al Gore’s slideshow movie. I only watched about 7 minutes (the final 7 mins), but he basically summarized the main points of Everything’s Cool in that short amount of time. Still, the movie was interesting and well done, but it’s sort of like being second runner up at the beauty pageant.

Shack Therapy (USA/2006/45 min) The world’s top surfers search for undiscovered perfection in exotic locations around the world.

– Ugh. From a cinematography stand point this movie was nice. But it lacked a cohesive narrative and after 45 minutes of watching guys riding tubes I felt a little bit like I’d been worked over by some of the bigger waves featured in the movie. It was as if the plan of the film makers was to show the beauty of surfing through sheer repetition… A process not unlike learning your times tables. Wrote memory didn’t do much for me when I was 8 and it’s not going to help me see the beauty of surfing now. This movie could have used some serious re-editing.

I will say however, that towards the end, I did recognise the feelings displayed by the surfers upon finding a perfect set of breakers in an unnamed South Pacific paradise. Their unrestrained joy has to be similar to the feeling I get when I’m walking about with my camera and the light changes into that perfect magic hour light and I just know that the photos are going to work, that I can’t hardly go wrong. And just like catching the perfect wave, or snagging a Rooster fish, or rocking out on your trials course, being enveloped by the magic light and having a camera in your hand is more than a little addictive. And so yeah, I know what fuels these people.

A showing of limited edition, fine art prints created from digital photographs.

From the “shot heard round the world” at the Old North Bridge to the “miracle bullet” of Dealey Plaza please join us in viewing twenty-two new photographs that explore several historical landmarks from a unique perspective that sets aside events of the past in an attempt to find a certain quietude in the details that remain.

Opening Reception:
Saturday, December 8
7pm – 11pm

RSVP with the Official Evite!

Closing Reception:
Sunday, January 5
Afternoon

Other times available by appointment only. Contact to arrange a viewing.

The Huckleberry Inn is located in historic downtown Herndon, Va.

630 Oak Street
Herndon, VA 20170

(Plenty of FREE parking at the Municipal Lot. Just a three minute walk to the Inn)

View Official Website with Artist Statement.

I feel. Assaulted.