Handbook

You - Boy Scout
Today you are an American boy. Before long you will be an American man. It is important to America and to yourself that you become a citizen of fine character, physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Boy Scouting helps you become that kind of citizen. But also, Scouting gives you fellowship and fun.

Yes, it's fun to be a Boy Scout! It's fun to go hiking and camping with your best friends ... to swim, to dive, to paddle a canoe, to wield an ax ... to follow in the footsteps of the pioneers who led the way through the wilderness ... to raise your eyes to the heavens ... to stare into the glowing embers of a campfire and dream of the wonders of the life that is in store for you ...

_______

I did some thinking (and drove 1000 miles in the process) this past weekend, and I wondered about breaking this Scouting idea into individual chapters. Make each "Scout Law" a chapter, and discuss the implications of each, and the possible alternates or additions for each (or addendums?). Maybe include interviews and photos? By the end I could have a mini-Scout-Handbook ... complete with illustrations and photos. Like the one above, and like the few I have at home on my bookshelf. Hmmmm, a chapbook on the modernity, effectiveness, and inaccuracies of the Scout Law.

At least downloadable as a PDF. That could be cool.

Maybe I think too much. Okay, the first installation will be on the term, "Trustworthy". Stay tuned.

A Scout is ...

A Scout is ... | collage (4 pieces)

A Scout is ... Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.

If you've visited this blog then you've probably seen this collage before ... it is one of my favorites, and has a good bit of meaning to me. Lately, I have been thinking about growth, and what exactly constitutes manhood. I was brought up in a family of Boy Scouts, and the above "Scout Law" is what we learned to recite and hold close to our vests. It was our guide. In the next few months I am going to attempt to explore these laws in a bit more detail, because to be honest, I think there is a lot missing from the Scout Law, especially related to a young man's growth.

As I get older and closer and closer to a "father's age", I realize that (for many) Scouts was sometimes a way to keep young men busy on weekends, and in other ways it acted as a substitute parent(s) when there were none around on a regular basis. I also realize that I myself learned to be all of the above. I was the Scout Law (except maybe the thrifty and reverent part. I tried). I became the good guy. I'm good at it. As good as good is, it can also be a killer to some very important aspects of life. Adult relationships are directly affected by being the "Good Boy Scout". What about the words not included in the Scout Law? Traits such as Strong, Assertive, Passionate, Intimate, Forthright, Sexual, Confident, Interesting, Humorous, Fatherly ... ?

Don't get me wrong, Scouting teaches many positive lessons. Because of my time in Scouting I can now start a fire quickly, survive being lost, read a map, tie 30-odd knots, drive anything with a motor, sleep in the woods, whittle, make a splint, lash things together, hunt, fish, identify birds and trees, etc, etc... but the older I get, the more I realize that the other skills of manhood, and perhaps the more important ones, were not covered in the Boy Scout Handbook. So, if you didn't get them at home, then well, you didn't get them at all, but by experiencing them first hand some time down the road. Hard lessons at times. It makes me wonder if those hard lessons couldn't be softened by a more well-rounded and inclusive Scout Law.

I am not a writer by trade, so bear with me here. I am, however, a man in his 30's struggling through issues that so many men have in common, and sometimes say nothing about: poor communication skills, relationship problems, stumbling career choices, confidence issues, and wanting/needing to make sense of it all before age takes over and we lose extremely valuable relationships because of indecision and confusion (at least for me, I'm not speaking for all men of course).

*Stay tuned ... I'll give it a shot.

(*I realize not many folks read this blog, so this is a bit of a rough draft space, and a venue for me to write, and perhaps for these ramblings to evolve into a series of essays for a future project. I also realize it may be TMI, but hey, it's my blog, right?)

Rough Mix

Last Spring I was fortunate to be asked to help fill some rhythm guitar / backing vocal shoes with Mic Harrison and The High Score. What started as a couple of nights in Knoxville ended up as a spot at every Tuesday night practice, and a bunch of fun weekends playing with the guys, from places as random as a ridge-top in Campbell County to the amazing stage at the TN Theatre. All along the way, Mic was working on new material, and towards the end of summer we all hunkered down to practice the new stuff. Recording is finished, and as we await the final album here is a rough mix of "Colonel is Dead". Mic and Robbie wrote some good material for this record. I can't wait to hear the final mixes. Enjoy.

William Eggleston | Chromes

William Eggleston | Chromes (Vol. 1 - 2 previews)

I cannot wait to see these in person.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEWS

First Friday | Jan. 6th at Aisle Nine (in The Old City)

For the Acuffs | 2011

Please join me at Aisle Nine Grocery (in Knoxville's Old City) this First Friday Night (6 - 10PM) for drinks, and to see some photos on the walls.

I just got back from looking at the proofs, and jw lawson is doing me right (after all, someone has to help me get the color just so). I'm excited to see this work on the walls, and it should be a fun First Friday all around. Come out and see what the Scruffy City has to offer.

New work in January / book soon

Townsend Arts & Crafts | 2009

I'll be hanging some never-before-printed work in January at Aisle Nine in Knoxville's Old City. It's been a while, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited that my friend jw lawson has taken the reigns at Aisle Nine and is getting new work on display on a regular basis. 

I'm also putting final touches on a book with some of this work titled "taken with or without food". Look for it in early winter. There may even be some quick-rough-prints of the book for the Aisle Nine show. We shall see.

It feels good to be getting back to work. 

Phone pics (revisited)

top | iPhone camera (normal)
bottom | iPhone camera (HDR)
- click to enlarge -

I really don't like any of the HDR images I have seen in online galleries. They just look completely weird to me, and I guess I never saw the point. I don't really like many phone pics either, I mean, besides for just normal day-to-day snapshots that get posted so that friends can see what your other friends did that was funny, or what the person driving in front of you has on his bumper. You know, every camera has it's place and purpose.

So, I had to buy a new phone last week, and I opted for the new iPhone (4s) ... whatever that means. I didn't play with it until today when I saw an HDR option on the camera phone. I took a shot to see what would happen and was pleasantly surprised. Seems that apple has its HDR settings way toned down so they just make things even out a bit and give you the opportunity to bring out what you might miss in a normal shot.

For example, the above shots were taken at my office desk. Top is with no setting, and bottom with HDR. The HDR actually looks pretty good for a camera phone. The only thing I notice is that when the phone uses 3 quick images to sample from (in HDR), they may not exactly match up ... you can see that in the ceiling tiles. I'm sure this is because I moved it a tad while shooting. Anyhooo...

My whole point? My phone just went from being a device able to give me simple shots to post online, to getting pretty decent shots to possibly save and even print. I emailed myself these files straight from the phone and they are printable at 300 dpi at 8 x 10". Not to shabby for a phone. I'll keep playing with it for sure, and probably post annoyingly cute pictures of my dog doing funny things.

note - it also shoots video in 1080p)
note 2 - pay no attention to the lampshade on top of another lampshade. there is a reason for it

new

Moving. Moved. This was the last of what was left. A duck (what's left of it) that my dog Ned was playing with in the middle of the floor as I crazily carried box after box through the doors. It was the worst move I've ever attempted. The 4th move in 3 years if you count moving everything into and out of a storage building along with the actual moves themselves. I now have a large pile of things to get rid of. I have to get rid of. I will no longer move with all of this junk. As well as hanging onto things that aren't even remotely sentimental, I tend to hang onto things that are someone else's memories. Durrrrh. Anyway. Moving. Here's to a new chapter.

Andrei, and thoughts on Russia

Andrei Tarasovich | 1999

I posted some shots from a trip I took to Russia back in 1999 a few posts below. Go figure that in these days of constant contact and internet openness, I neglected the fact that someone might eventually see these things and have a connection to them. I actually checked my junk-mail folder the other day (which I do about two times a year) and found a message in Russian with a familiar name in the title field. It wasn't spam at all, but a message from Andrei's girlfriend Nastya. She had found my photos online in a search I suppose, and translated her Russian email to English and sent it my way. BAM, I translated one back, and now I have solid contact with an old friend (and a new friend) in Vladivostok. I can now send Andrei the box of music I fully intended to send all those years ago, but didn't know the address or even where he had landed. I also found out that Andrei is now a craftsman, building fine-wood-furnishings for yachts. Who knew? And I have an open invitation to visit Eastern Russia again, and spend some time in the woods that impacted me so much all that time ago. Dang 'ol interwebs. Very cool.

turnaround

turnaround | 2011

Using this image for the last spread in a book soon to be printed.

Inspiration

From Here to There: Alec Soth's America

I finally got my hands on this book ... it's been on my list for quite some time. As photo-books go it is like the usual in some ways, but not at all in others. It is mixed with blog-posts, essays, insight, and opinions. And thoughtful photography, except for the cover which is nicely embossed and holds hints at the contents inside. It's actually a bit refreshing to hold a "photo book" that has a type treatment for a cover. That's the one thing many books try to avoid, right? The book dork in me can't help it. It's a good mix of all of the above, and has been just the ticket to get my brain back in gear, and my goals back in sight. Sometimes it just takes a book, right? Or a swift kick in the ass from a book. 

I look at the things that get my brain moving and am surprised at times. Playing music with friends has been good lately (mostly the friend part, but the music too), looking (and reading, yes) at books is another. Work, driving, my dog, and even some of the harder stuff that life deals (or that you deal yourself) has been a motivator. I don't want to be gathering moss, and if you're in a rut maybe try a good book that you've been thinking of getting. Or a record. Or that road trip you've wanted. Or a dog. They all work.

Me 'n' Ned

Sunday night drive | August 2011

I don't wanna be one of those crazy pet people, but it looks like Ned and I are gonna be buddies for a long time, and I guess I need to appreciate that fact. She is pretty great. One of the best things I've known in a long while. So. We went on our first photo outing together, and I must say ... she and I both loved it. It's gonna be a good partnership. She likes to ride. I like to drive. Cool. Dogs are something else. They heal the soul.