WHAT IF THE MOST GIFTED MILITARY MIND OF OUR GENERATION WAS IN THE HEAD OF A 17 YEAR OLD FROM SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES?
BACK IN JUNE WHEN WE READ THE PREVIEW OF GENIUS WE COULDN’T WAIT FOR AUGUST TO ROLL AROUND. THIS WORK IS NOT ONLY TIMELY BUT IS A MASTERPIECE IN ITS OWN RIGHT. THE FIVE ISSUE SERIES PLAYS FOR KEEPS, WITH A RAPID FIRE WEEKLY RELEASE SCHEDULE, BUILDING TO A CRESCENDO. WRITERS ADAM FREEMAN & MARC BERNARDIN DELIVER AN EXPLOSIVE YET FOCUSED NARRATIVE WHICH IS ONLY BLOWN AWAY BY AFUA RICHARDSONS AMAZING ARTWORK. 
WE FORGET HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE EVERY DAY IN WAR ZONES, THE URBAN WARFARE IN THE STREETS BECOMES A BONE CHILLING REALITY THE MOMENT IT COMES KNOCKING ON YOUR FRONT DOOR.
IT IS AMAZING HOW QUICKLY THE CREATIVE TEAM ESTABLISHES DESTINYS PRESENCE WITH DYNAMIC STORY BOARDING AND RICH EVOCATIVE ARTWORK. WE WERE HOOKED FROM THE OPENING PAGES.
EVEN THE MOST SOLITARY MIND NEED A TRUSTED CONFIDANT, DESTINY FINDS THAT IN FELLOW OUTCAST GERALD, A TECH SAVVY PRODIGY, WHO INTRODUCES DESTINY TO THE WORLD OF STRATEGY. WHEN TACTICAL SIMULATIONS BECOME A HOME TURF WARZONE, WILL DESTINY HAVE THE RESOLVE IT REQUIRES TO LEAD AN ARMY?
THE REAL DESTINY’S CHILD
31 Aug
VIRGO LURE A COURTESAN
29 Aug
VIRGO IS THE SIXTH SIGN OF THE ZODIAC, & BOTH THE SECOND EARTH SIGN (AFTER TAURUS) AND THE SECOND SIGN TO BE RULED BY MERCURY (AFTER GEMINI). VIRGO REPRESENTS THE NEED OF ALL LIFE FOR A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO THE CONCERNS OF EXISTENCE. STRONG MORAL TENDENCIES LEND VIRGO, THE VIRGIN, A SERIOUS IMAGE, DISCRIMINATING TO A FAULT, VIRGO IS IN FACT HIGHLY SELECTIVE CONCERNING MOST FORMS OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
THE VIRGO I PERIOD TAKES SYSTEM BUILDERS AS ITS CENTRAL IMAGE. VIRGO 1 PEOPLE ARE GENERALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD & DIRECT. THOSE BORN IN THIS PERIOD WHO ARE BLESSED WITH LEADERSHIP ABILITIES USUALLY APPLY THEIR TALENTS & ENERGIES IN THE PRACTICAL SERVICE OF SOME GROUP OR CAUSE. THIS PERIOD CAN BE LIKENED TO THE TIME IN A PERSON’S LIFE WHEN THE INSTINCT TO CONSOLIDATE & SOLIDIFY EXISTING STRUCTURES, MARRIAGES, OR PARTNERSHIPS, BUSINESSES, ETC, ASSERTS ITSELF. THE DESIRE TO BE HELPFUL & TO CONSTRUCTIVELY INFLUENCE THE COURSE OF EVENTS
THE VIRGO II PERIOD TAKES THE ENIGMA AS ITS CENTRAL IMAGE. THE DAYS WHICH COMPRISE VIRGO II SYMBOLICALLY REVEAL THE MATURE ADULT BREAKING AWAY FROM PREVIOUS SYSTEMS OR MODES OF LIVING IN ORDER TO BUILD IMAGINATIVELY, SEEKING GREATER SUCCESS USING INTELLIGENT MEANS, AND FATHOM THE MYSTERIOUS, ENIGMATIC, AND PROBLEMATIC SIDE OF THE SELF. THE ATTAINMENT & DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE GOALS NOW ASSUMES A HIGH PRIORITY.
IN THE GRAND CYCLE OF LIFE, VIRGO III CAN BE COMPARED TO THE TIME WHEN A PERSON TURNS FORTY AND APPROACHES THE MID-LIFE PERIOD. AT THIS TIME THE ADULT NEEDS TO GROW EVER MORE REALISTIC AND MAKE HARD CHOICES. PERHAPS CRITICAL FACULTIES AND PRAGMATISM ARE AT THEIR HEIGHT DURING THIS TIME, THIS SHOULD NOT GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT VIRGO III’S ARE SOMEHOW MERCENARY OR COLD. IN FACT, THEY NEED TO GIVE AND RECEIVE WARMTH AND LOVE LIKE ALL OF US, BUT MAY BE MUCH MORE SELECTIVE ABOUT HOW AND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS IT IS SHARED. THOUGH VIRGO III’S OFTEN DISPLAY MARKED AMBITION, THEIR DESIRE TO BE EXCEPTIONAL RARELY MANIFESTS IN FLAMBOYANCE. INDEED, THEIR DISLIKE OF EXCESS EMOTIONALITY, OSTENTATION OR FUSS SPARES THEM A LOT OF UNNECESSARY COMPLICATIONS IN LIFE.
OBLIVIOUS TO INVISIBILITY
28 Aug
INVISIBILITY IS A STATE OF AN OBJECT THAT CANNOT BE SEEN. AN OBJECT, PERSON, OR SYSTEM IN THIS STATE IS SAID TO BE INVISIBLE (LITERALLY, “NOT VISIBLE”) THE TERM IS OFTEN USED IN FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, WHERE OBJECTS ARE LITERALLY MADE UNSEEABLE BY MAGICAL OR TECHNOLOGICAL MEANS; HOWEVER, ITS EFFECTS CAN ALSO BE DEMONSTRATED IN THE REAL WORLD, PARTICULARLY THROUGH PHYSICS AND PERCEPTUAL PSYCHOLOGY APPLICATIONS.
IT IS INTERESTING THE DEFINITION BRINGS UP TWO GREAT POINTS, TECHNOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY. THESE TWO DISCIPLINES HAVE BEEN FIERCELY INTERWOVEN FOR DECADES, TO A POINT OF NEAR SYNCHRONICITY. DIGITAL IMMERSION STOPS BEING ABSTRACT THE MOMENT YOU GET ONTO THE ROAD, AND OBSERVE THE GROWING NUMBER OF PEOPLE ENGROSSED IN THEIR CELLPHONES. YOU COULD BE AT A STOPLIGHT OR FLYING DOWN THE FREEWAY, YOU WILL NOTICE THE SAME PHENOMENON IN THE USA. A “DRIVER” DISTRACTED BY A DIGITAL INTERFACE, FULLY ENGROSSED IN A TECHNOLOGICALLY INDUCED SUB-REALITY, BLISSFULLY OBLIVIOUS TO REALTIME REALITY
BEING OBLIVIOUS IS INCREASINGLY BECOMING AN ACCEPTED STATE OF BEING. THE IDEA THAT NOT BEING AWARE OR NOT CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND ONE IS A FRIGHTENING THOUGHT. INVISIBILITY HOLDS INHERENT ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES, OBLIVIOUSNESS BY CONTRAST IS A STATE OF BEING THAT HOLDS MORE NEGATIVE CONNOTATIONS & IMPLICATIONS.
EVEN THE INTERNET NOTICES THE UPSWING. IN AN AGE OF FREE FLOWING COMMUNICATION, & INFORMATION PROLIFERATION, WHY ARE PEOPLE BECOMING MORE OBLIVIOUS? THE LONG STORY SHORT : OPERANT CONDITIONING, THEY INTEGRATED THE SKINNER BOX INTO THE EVERYDAY CELLPHONE. JUST LOOK AROUND TO SEE THE EFFECTSWE DISPOSE OF FREE WILL AS AN AMERICAN DIVINE OF THE 18TH CENTURY. WHOA! WHAT SKINNER IS BASICALLY IMPLYING, IS THAT COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS THAT EMPLOY HIS STRATEGIES WILL CIRCUMVENT A PERSONS FREE WILL, AKA MIND CONTROL, THROUGH A SERIES OF CONDITIONED SCENARIOS AND RESPONSES. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT MODERN CELLPHONE BEHAVIOR TO SEE THE APPLICATIONS OF THE SKINNER BOX. TAP. TAP. TAP.REWARD. TAP. TAP.IN THE EARLY 90’S THERE WAS AN EPISODE OF STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, CALLED THE GAME. WHERE A “GAME” WAS USED AS A MIND CONTROL VIRUS, TO ENTRANCE THE CREW OF THE ENTERPRISE. IT WAS A BIZARRE CONCEPT, CONSIDERING IN THE FUTURE THEY HAD ACCESS TO FULLY IMMERSIVE HOLO-SUITES. WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO PLAY A RUDIMENTARY GAME ON A GOOGLE GLASS DISPLAY? WATCHING BACK NOW, WE SEE AN EARLY, YET EFFECTIVE HYPNOTIC INDUCTION APPARATUS (WITH THE SWIRLING DISCS) AND A SIMPLE INTERMITTENT REINFORCEMENT SCHEDULE, HEY PRESTO! ITS A TRAP!
FLASH FORWARD TO 2014, AND WE ARE LIVING IN THAT WORLD, AND THE SIMULATION ISN’T EVEN THAT IMPRESSIVE, YET THESE SYSTEMS OF IMMERSION AND ENTRAINMENT WILL ONLY BECOME MORE ADVANCED & BY DESIGN, ENJOYABLE AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR INCREASINGLY MULTI-DIMENSIONAL HYPER REALITY. A GAME, WITHIN A GAME, WITHIN A GAME, WHERE ENTRAINMENT & ENTERTAINMENT BECOME ONE IN THE SAME. JUST SELECT THE DESIRED INTERFACECOCOONING COULD BE SEEN AS A EUPHEMISM FOR ACCEPTABLE SELF-ABSORPTION, THE IDEA OF REMOVING ALL UNWANTED STIMULI, REPLACING IT WITH A FULLY IMMERSIVE & PERSONALIZED ECOSYSTEM OF SENSORY INPUTS, A BEAUTIFULLY ARTICULATED PRISON OF YOUR OWN IMAGINATION AND DESIGN. WELCOME TO THE REAL MATRIX.
THE ART OF THE EMPATHIC
23 Aug
MY NEXT BREATH IS IN YOUR LUNGS. . . IS A SOUND AND LIGHT INSTALLATION IS COMPRISED OF EIGHT AUDIO PIECES OR “SOUND PORTRAITS” EACH CONTAINING THE SOUND OF A DIFFERENT PERSON BREATHING. EPHEMERALITY FOR CONCERNING BELONGING.
FROM AFAR IT APPEARS THERE IS NOTHING ON THE WALLS, BUT AS ONE APPROACHES, THE SOUND OF INHALING AND EXHALING BECOMES AUDIBLE. SPOTLIGHTS ILLUMINATE THE SOUNDS EMBEDDED IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MUSEUM ANIMATING ITS STRUCTURE. 
BREATHING IS AN ACTION THAT EVERY HUMAN PERFORMS AND IS REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN LIFE. ALTHOUGH EACH PERSON IS UNIQUE WE ARE ALL FUNDAMENTALLY THE SAME. THE BREATH HELPS US CONNECT TO OUR UNIVERSAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE. THIS PROJECT GIVES VOICE TO WHAT IS INVISIBLE AND DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE WALLS BETWEEN US. AN IDEA SO PROFOUND IN ITS SIMPLICITY
THE SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT IS EQUALLY MATCHED BY THE PARTICIPATION INVOLVED IN “SEEING” THE PORTRAIT. THE PORTRAIT WE HAVE SO BECOME USED TO SEEING AS A REPRESENTATION OF A PERSON, OR A LIKENESS OF, A STATUS OF PRESTIGE AND ASPIRATION. THESE SOUND PORTRAITS THROW THOSE CONVENTIONS TO THE WAYSIDE, CONVEYING THE ESSENCE OF THE SOUL STRIPPED BARE IN REAL TIME. ELIMINATING THE PRETEXT OF STIGMA, CONNECTED TO RACE, NATIONALITY, & CLASS, LEAVING ONLY THE BREATH REMAINING.
A WORLD OF PRECONCEPTIONS OFTEN BLIND US FROM SEEING THE REALITY IN FRONT OF US. THESE PORTRAITS DEMAND ENGAGEMENT, AND A LEVEL OF INTIMACY MOST WOULD BE AFRAID TO ENGAGE DIRECTLY. CONNECTING WITH THE WORKS CAUSES A FASCINATING SYNCHRONIZATION AS YOU BEGIN TO MIRROR THE BREATHING YOU ARE EXPERIENCING, CREATING INTIMACY THROUGH EMPATHY. WHO THOUGHT THAT AN INVISIBLE PORTRAIT COULD BE SO REVEALING?
LEO LOVES THE SPOTLIGHT
10 Aug
LEO TAKES ITS TURN IN THE SPOTLIGHT, REPRESENTING THE PERIOD IN LIFE OF 28-35, THE LEO PERSONALITY CAN BE LIKENED TO THE MATURE ADULT BRINGING THE FULL FORCE OF THEIR PERSONALITY TO BEAR ON THE WORLD. LEOS LOVE TO MAKE THEIR PRESENCE FELT AMONGST FAMILY & FRIENDS THROUGH THEIR GRAND GESTURES.
LEOS LOVE TO BE ADMIRED, NOT ONLY FOR THEIR PHYSICAL APPEARANCE BUT ALSO FOR WHAT THEY DO. OFTEN NATURAL LEADERS, THEY WILL REVEL IN EXEMPLIFYING THE BEST TRAITS OF THE GROUP THEY REPRESENT, WHETHER, FAMILY, SOCIAL OR POLITICAL. THE FAITHFULNESS OF A LEO IS LEGENDARY, A LEO WILL DEFEND FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND MATES TO THE END, SO BE WARNED!
THE LEO I PERIOD TAKES AUTHORITY AS ITS CENTRAL IMAGE. THIS PERIOD CAN BE LIKENED TO THE BEGINNING OF THE MATURE ADULT LIFE AS AN INDIVIDUAL TURNS THIRTY. CONFIDENCE CAN RUN HIGH AT THIS POINT IF THE DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTY OF THE FIRST SATURN RETURN (AGE 28 or 29) HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING ONESELF AS AN AUTHORITY IN A GIVEN FIELD CAN BE A FOCUS AT THIS TIME AND AN ABSORBING TASK. THE DAYS WHICH COMPRISE LEO I SYMBOLICALLY REVEAL THE MATURE ADULT DEVELOPING A TRULY ORIGINAL STYLE, THESE LEOS ARE AMONG THE MOST POWERFULLY AUTHORITATIVE OF THE YEAR.
THE LEO II IS ALL ABOUT BALANCED STRENGTH, THIS PERIOD CAN BE LIKENED TO A TIME IN A PERSON’S ADULT YEARS WHEN THE NEED TO ADOPT A HEROIC, PROTECTIVE, OR NURTURING STANCE COMES TO THE FORE. USUALLY SUCH A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY EMERGES IN FAMILY SITUATIONS OR IN WORK WITH SOCIAL GROUPS. ASSUMING A SUITABLE POSITION OF IMPORTANCE AND TEN FULFILLING THE ROLE REQUIRED IS IMPORTANT AT THIS JUNCTURE, AND TO THAT EXTENT TAKING LIFE SERIOUSLY. THUS, DEMONSTRATING THE COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR CONVICTIONS AND REFUSING TO FORSAKE IDEALS REGARDLESS OF CONSEQUENCES ARE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE LEO II
THE LEO III PERIOD TAKES LEADERSHIP AS ITS CENTRAL IMAGE. THIS PERIOD CAN BE LIKENED TO TA TIME IN THE PRIME OF A PERSON’S LIFE WHERE THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE, ENTHUSIASM AND KNOWLEDGE CAN OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE THAT PERSON A STRONG CANDIDATE FOR POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY. SUCH A LEADERSHIP ROLE MAY BE A PROVING GROUND FOR ASSUMING EVEN GREATER ROLES OF THIS SORT IN LATER YEARS. LEO III PEOPLE ARE BORN LEADERS, WHO OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES WORKING IN THE CAUSE OF SOME HIGH IDEAL OR SERVICE. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE LEO
AUGUSTS HERE, HALFWAY POINT OF THE YEAR, TIME FOR JOY & CHEER
924COLLECTIVE 