The Seventh Seal

Antonius Block: "I want to confess as honestly as I can but my heart is empty. And the emptiness is a mirror turned toward my own face. I see myself in it, and it fills me with loathing and horror. My indifference to my fellow men has cut me off from their company. I live now in a world of phantoms, a prisoner of my own dreams."
Death: "Yet you don't want to die."
"Yes, I do.'
"What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know..."
"You want a guarantee."
"Call it what you will. Must it be so cruelly inconceivable to know God through one's senses? Why must He hide in a fog of half-spoken promises and unseen miracles? How can we believe the believers when we don't believe ourselves? What will become of us who want to believe but cannot? And what of those who neither will nor can believe? Why can I not kill off this God within me? Why must He live on inside of me in this painful, humiliating way when I want to tear him out of my heart? Why does He remain a mocking reality that I cannot shake off? You hear me?"
"I hear you."
"I want knowledge. Not faith or conjecture, but knowledge. I want God to reach out His hand, show His face, speak to me.'
"But He is silent"
"I cry to Him in the darkness, but sometimes it feels like no one is there."
"Perhaps no one is there."
"Then life is just a senseless horror. No man can live facing death knowing that everything is nothingness."
"Most people give no thought to death or nothingness."
"One day they'll stand on the far edge of life, peering into the darkness.'
"Ah, that day."
"I understand what you mean. We carve an idol out of our fear and call it God....My whole life has been nothing but futile wandering and pursuits, a great deal of talk without meaning. It's all been in vain. I say that without bitterness or self-reproach, knowing that most men's lives are the same. But I want to use my reprieve for one meaningful act."

~Ingmar Bergman

Katherine Moennig

(photo kidnapped from fanpop)
I know of no female who after watching any episode of The L Word was not instantly enamoured of Shane McCutcheon. Kate Moennig is ridiculously beautiful, with pristine features and a glorious smile.

(photo kidnapped from listal)

Amelia Earhart

But what do dreams know of boundaries.

(photo kidnapped from fuckyeahameliaearhart)
(I'm not sure if Amelia actually said this, but it was in the biopic with Hilary Swank and I think it's a sentence that makes you feel like anything you desire is possible. and that is truly magnificent.)

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

All stories, even the ones we love, must eventually come to an end...and when they do, it's only an opportunity for another story to begin.

(photo kidnapped from film-cine)

Diane Arbus II

Jewish Couple Dancing in NYC 1963

Another gorgeous photograph by Ms. Arbus. I love how she captured the look of sheer joy on the man's face and the glow of happiness from his wife. Such a sweet and beautiful picture.

Glenn Andreotta

A hero is defined as a person of great bravery who carries out extraordinary deeds. It is by this definition that Glenn Andreotta can indeed be called a hero.

While reading about the massacre at My Lai and the surrounding areas on March 16th, 1968, I learned of the three courageous men who stood up against their peers and did their best to save lives and end the brutal and senseless slaughter of unarmed women, children, and the elderly. It is without a doubt one of the most embarrassing, tragic, and despicable acts in American history. But that clearly goes without saying.

While reading Trent Angers book The Forgotten Hero of My Lai - The Hugh Thompson Story, I immediately admired those three men - Hugh Thompson, Larry Colburn, & Glenn Andreotta. It was one particular moment that I read describing Andreotta's act of heroism that touched me the most. It is as follows:

"They flew over the ditch at a low altitude and got a long, hard look at the most awful scene any of them had ever witnessed...'Boss, something's moving down there,' Andreotta said. 'Can you swing back around?'

The helicopter looped around then set down quickly near the edge of the ditch. Andreotta had maintained visual contact with the spot where he saw the movement, and he darted out of the aircraft as soon as it touched the ground...Andreotta had to walk on several badly mangled bodies to get to where he was going. He lifted a corpse with several bullet holes in the torso and there, lying under it, was a child, age five or six, covered in blood and obviously in a state of shock.

As he lifted the tiny girl's head...he picked her up and tried to climb out of the ditch but was unable to get his footing...He was inching his way toward the edge of the ditch when a dying woman reached up and grasped the outside seam of his pants...Holding the child with his left arm, he leaned down and felt the woman's pulse with his right hand.

Observing that Andreotta was having trouble getting out of the ditch, Colburn went over to help him. He could see that Andreotta was in distress from the look on his face. Still, Andreotta was looking around to see if there was anyone else he could save. He checked the pulse of three or four people who didn't seem to be dead yet. He bent over and put his ear near the face of a woman who was desperately trying to say something to him. He held her hand as she spoke."

There are few things in this world as truly awesome and beautiful as compassion. This is why I admire this young man; for his overwhelming compassion in a whirlwind of chaos, fear, and heartbreak. He was a fine, fine man.

(Glenn U. Andreotta October 30, 1947 - April 8, 1968)

Elegant and Simple

The Barcelona Chair is, at its most basic level, a truly beautiful design. It wasn't until recently while looking through a vintage home book that I finally learned its name. Later on in my research I discovered that it was created in 1929 by a man named Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Apparently he is credited with coining the phrases "Less is more" and "God is in the details" - love that! A photograph of a cool looking chair in a random book led me to new information and a new appreciation for a man I may never have otherwise known to exist.

Pleasant Surprise

Mary Frances and I were in Philly hanging out and helping Marina run errands. The only place around that would fax her rez was out on the Avenue at a check cashing place. Yikes. Not the best part of our tiny little hamlet. One might think, well, at least it's daylight, but that doesn't necessarily mean much in our neighbourhood. Anyway, while awaiting the fax's confirmation, we stood in the lobby admiring the posters featuring boxers of the past (random, right?) and glancing at the mug shots of those who had written bad checks and hoping that we did not recognize family members (Cousin Amanda, is that you?) In walked a young man who went over to the window next to ours. During the course of his interaction, we overheard him say that he's not used to being out this early in the morning. The gal who was waiting on him said, with a bit of hostility, "Early? Morning? It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon!" He then said what is one of the saddest sentences I've ever heard, "I work shift work down at the plant." (There is just something so damn depressing about someone working at the chemical plant.) He went on to explain that he goes in at 5pm and finishes up at 5am. Marina and I mirrored each other's expression of empathy for this fella as the broad behind the counter said, "Well you have no life." Our expressions immediately changed to that of shock. I mean, who is she to speak to him this way? And hello??, he's a customer. He politely answered, "My life is back at home. My life is my kid and my girl. So long as I got that, I don't need nothin' else." As he headed out the door I made sure to tell him that his comment was the sweetest thing we'd ever heard.

Hawkins

My brothers' home is the quintessential bachelor pad. Big screen TV, posters everywhere of musicians and Sci-Fi flicks, guitars and comic books scattered throughout. See for yourself:

a little top gear on the tube...

battlestar, matrix, sin city, shawn of the dead, and army of darkness figures...

the hall of comics...

the wall of guitars in the music room...

and captain james t. kirk looking over all.

Post Secret

Ever since Penny introduced me to Post Secret back in '05, I've become mildly addicted to it. I purchased all the books and religiously check the website for updates every Sunday. This one from February 28th left me rattled. It is poetic and crushing and remarkably honest. I feel it needed to be shared again.

Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party

Just finished watching this and it was completely enthralling. I love a good story and Mr. Tobolowsky seems to have a million of them. He is absolutely fascinating and had me perched in silence on the edge of my worn out old chair for the entire film. If you need a good laugh and wanna hear a slew of truly fabulous stories, you gotta check this movie out.

Diane Arbus

Girl With a Cigar in Washington Square Park, NYC 1965

While known for her more unnerving photographs, Ms. Arbus has far more to offer in her grand portfolio than most are aware. Above is one of my many favourites because it captures the reason I so admire her eye. She photographs some of the most beautiful faces, but they are uncommonly beautiful. This girl is not smiling or wide eyed or posing. She is merely a girl in a park, but I like to believe that Diane saw this young woman, with her soft features, smoking a cigar and was immediately taken by her. Her simplicity and the languid look in her eyes, to me, is just mesmerizing.

More of André Gregory's Wisdom

"Our minds are just focused on these goals and plans which in themselves are not reality. Because people's concentration is on their goal in their life they just live each moment by habit...Break the habit of living...Because I really do believe that if you're just living mechanically then you have to change your life."