Iron Man 3

The Marvel Movie Machine keeps churning out the hits. Marvel has definitely found the right formula for cranking out summer block busters that don't require a lobotomy to watch. The Machine doesn't produce anything Nolanesque, but what it does make is art when put up against most summer block busters by people like McG and the Transformers guy.
Iron Man 3 sticks to its strengths: solid performances. Downey, Jr. is a near perfect Tony Stark. He has the right blend of arrogance and vulnerability. Cheadle plays Rhodes with a nice balance of seriousness and humility. He is totally believable as War Hammer/Iron Patriot. Paltrow's Pepper Pots is strong and plays off Downey perfectly.
The strong cast takes a plot that borders on pedestrian and could easily of fallen off a cliff and creates a hit.
The first third of the movie is a little slow, but it rebuilds the bond you have with the characters. By the time, the action kicks off you want them to pull through. While there is never a real sense of threat, the audience is invested enough to root for the heroes.
The middle of the film is the strongest part of the film. The thing I liked most about it was that it was strong without relying on big set pieces, CGI, or any super powers. It stands almost entirely on the strength of the characters.
The last third of the film is the expected CGI fueled super clash. It is a loud visual spectacular. It does not disappoint, In fact because the majority of the movie is special effects lite, it feels even better.
Is this a film that makes you think? Does it ask big questions? Not really. There is an interesting question about how to deal with terrorism. There is also an interesting reflection of the question of what makes Stark and Rhodes heroes. Does the suit make the hero?

I've got a Byline

Despite being a full time writer, it has been a long time since I've had my own byline. The latest issue of Adoptive Families has a story I wrote in it. The story is just a little, personal reflection on first meeting our little love bug.

ReWire

I've been on the lookout for a good meditation app for awhile. I'd used one or two that were basically just dressed up timers and was looking for something more.
I stumbled upon an app called ReWire that was getting rave reviews. It was designed to help you meditate by providing feed back. The process is that you pick some music to listen to during meditation and the app will randomly pause the music. When the music pauses, you tap the screen. If you don't the phone vibrates. If you touch the phone when the music isn't paused, the phone vibrates. The theory is that by focusing on the music and noticing the absence, you build concentration and mindfulness. It is based on real teachings.
The app also has a game/tracking element. You get points for every session. You are awarded points based on duration and accuracy. If you want, you can also hook ReWire to Facebook and see how rank amongst other users.
Ultimately, the app didn't work for me. It does what it says on the tin and does it well. For me, the way it worked was the issue. I found it distracting to always be tapping the screen and the pauses in the music were grating. I also found that if you used music with any quiet sections or natural gaps, it was hard to decide when to tap the screen. I never bothered with the social aspect, so I cannot really comment on how that helps or hurts the app.
For me, the simple timer apps work the best. They ding at the beginning and at the end. The rest of the time, they get out of the way and let you do your practice. Less is best.