Having said that, there were plenty of enjoyable moments. The opening scene was a rather intense, ballsy political piece that was jaw dropping when put into the context of a *Disney* movie. I really wouldn't recommend it for kids - it's brutally violent - but it was a stinging commentary that made me want to cheer. I also liked the ending, which was not cutesy and tied up in a neat little happily-ever-after bow, but was thoroughly satisfying anyway. Johnny Depp was tasty as usual, and to my mind, there wasn't enough of him - which is saying something in this context (you'll get that joke when you watch the flick).

All told, I think it's worth seeing if you enjoyed the other two movies...but I don't think it's as strong as the second (which I personally prefer).

Every time I sit down to record a song lately, I wind up writing another song instead. It's happened pretty much every time I've tried to record for about the past month. It's great, because I'm writing a lot of music again, which is such a great feeling after being so blocked and un-creative for so long.

On the other hand, it doesn't get me any closer to getting the recording process finished so that I can feel better about getting my hiney out there and performing.

I begin to think maybe "getting the recording finished" is an excuse I'm using because I'm subconsciously nervous about getting back in the habit of playing out. It's been a couple years since I played an entire show for anyone but friends and family (or the neighbors who're sometimes subjected to my day-long back porch concerts). I keep thinking maybe I should go play an open mic....but the truth is that I detest open mics. No one ever goes to an open mic to listen to music, they go to play their own...so it's always ego-fest and everyone ignores the stage. I'd sooner eat my head.

I think the new plan that's percolating in my head is to just quit trying to get the recording finished, throw together a crappy demo with what I've already laid down, and get some gigs. Le sigh. Perhaps.

I had wanted a quiet testament
and I had wanted, among other things,
a song.
That was to be
of a like monotony.
(A grace
Simply. Very very quiet.
A murmur of some lost
thrush, though I have never seen one.

Which was you then. Sitting
and so, at peace, so very much now this same quiet.

A song.

And of you the sign now, surely, of a gross
perpetuity
(which is not reluctant, or if it is,
it is no longer important.

A song.

Which one sings, if he sings it,
with care.

- Robert Creeley

I've been feeling somewhat at loose ends these days, despite having lots to do and actually spending a lot of time doing it. Even so, I just feel restless, shiftless, like I should be doing something I'm not.

Just now, I consulted the Tarot to see if I could get some clarity. As the cards spread before me and I'm taking them all in, I see familiar shapes. The Lovers as the basis of the situation - no surprise there....that's my life card, the card that represents my nature and the way I work in the world. It's tied to balance and relationship and resolution - all things I'm seeking. Nice. The goal card is Strength, which just happens to be the year, numerologically speaking, I started on my birthday. Historically speaking, Strength years have been hard for me. I've lived through three of them, and each brought with it some really difficult trauma - the kind that forms the basis of all the personal work I've been doing over the past few years. Yikes. But seeing this card here shows me that at least I'm facing the progression of my life.

Also showing up were the Four of Pentacles as what I'm feeling, which I see as holding onto something so tightly I'm unable to reach for anything else, and The Wheel of Fortune as my environment....which tells me that changes are afoot. I kinda knew this stuff, so no surprise there...but still, not comfy to see it and have what my guts have been telling me confirmed.

The outcomes were all good - peace, contentment, emotional fulfillment. As I was reading the spread, "Will's Lullaby" by Josh Radin pops up in my playlist....hearing Josh Radin sing "I know everything is gonna be all right" was just as soothing as the cards themselves.

Despite living in a world where I see so much going wrong, where so many people whose actions are questionable seem to wind up happiest and luckiest, where making the right choice so often comes with a hefty price tag...I guess most of me still believes that happiness is still possible. I still believe that doing the best I can to contribute positively to the world has earned me some bliss.

Today's playlist:

"Will's Lullaby" - Joshua Radin
"Two Beds and a Coffee Machine" - Savage Garden
"It Don't Matter to the Sun" - Rosie Thomas
"Stop This Train" - John Mayer
"Littlest Things" - Lily Allen
"Freshmen" - Verve Pipe
"Through the Dark" - K.T. Tunstall
"This Year's Love" - David Gray
"Someone Else's Life" - Joshua Radin
"Memories of You" - Ryan Adams
"Not Fire, Not Ice" - Ben Harper
"Cocoon" - Jack Johnson
"Like a Star" - Corinne Bailey Rae


Recent entries...
27 December 2007: 2007: Finis.
17 December 2007: A ruse, a rant, and a poem. It's short.
11 December 2007: Music & falling....story of my life.
08 December 2007: Briefly...ish.
29 November 2007: A poem, a rant, a lesson.