private rentals

MOVIES

GET YOUR REPS IN

While local rep theaters are out of commission, we’ll be putting together weekly watchlists of fi lms readily available to stream. This week, we continue to highlight fi lms that center on the Black experience in solidarity with the essential Black Lives Matter movement.

Da 5 Bloods (2020) The latest Spike Lee joint follows a group of Black veterans as they travel back to Vietnam to excavate the remains of their dead squad leader (Chadwick Boseman), a cache of gold and their repressed personal issues. Delroy Lindo gives an Oscarworthy performance in this searing indictment of a war that should never have been waged. Netfl ix.

SCREENER

Daughters of the Dust (1991) Julie Dash’s visually stunning 1902 period piece is a celebration of Gullah culture vaguely centered on three generations of women. Widely acclaimed and infl uential—Beyoncé’s 2016 visual album Lemonade is heavily inspired by its lush images—Daughters of the Dust is also the fi rst fi lm by a Black woman to be distributed theatrically. Amazon Prime, Criterion Channel, Kanopy.

Atlantics (2019)

Adapting her 2009 short documentary Atlantiques into a fi ctional feature, FrenchSengalese director Mati Diop crafts a whirlwind supernatural romance about a 17-year-old girl unhappily betrothed to a wealthy man. When her secret lover, an impoverished construction worker, decides to leave Dakar for a better life, she becomes haunted by his (lack of) presence. Netfl ix.

13th (2016) The 13th Amendment of 1865 claimed to have abolished slavery, but the industrial prison complex is cruelly keeping involuntary servitude alive and well. From Jim Crow laws to the moral and policy failure known as the War on Drugs to mass incarceration, Ava DuVernay’s Oscarnominated documentary explores the crucial intersection of race and justice. Netfl ix.

Girlhood(2014) This coming-of-age fi lm by Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Céline Sciamma tells the story of Marieme, an alienated Black French 16-year-old living in a Paris suburb. When a group of fellow Black girls invites her to spend the day with them, Marieme feels she’s fi nally found a community, but their penchant for fi ghting rivals threatens to undermine her new relationships. Criterion Channel, Kanopy, YouTube.

Planet Hollywood

Private screenings at the Hollywood Theatre appear to bolster business during the pandemic-spurred shutdown.

BY JAY HORTON @hortland

On June 18, for the first time in Hollywood Theatre’s 94 years of service, the iconic motion picture palace opened its main auditorium for private screenings. Although the initial invitation to reserve the 384-seat space only went out to Hollywood’s members, and the number of people who can attend any single booking is capped at 10, the preliminary run of scheduled rental dates sold out in less than an hour. As a well-staffed nonprofit boasting a robust and devoted following, the Hollywood is perhaps uniquely positioned to adapt during unprecedented circumstances. But this new foray into small-group, big-screen rentals represents its biggest break yet with tradition. “It’s sort of funny,” Hollywood executive director Doug Whyte admits. “Even though we’re closed, we’re busier than ever.” As should be expected from a theater whose popcorn to go options include a Champagne Package, exclusive access to the Hollywood’s gorgeous interior and state-of-the-art A/V system don’t come cheaply. Digital screenings cost $400 to the general public and $300 for members. Anyone looking to watch a 35 mm print from its daunting basement archive will need to pay a bit more ($600, $450), and a 70 mm showing is even pricier ($950, $715). And here’s something you could never get at a Regal: Silent film enthusiasts can request the house pipe organist to provide a live score ($1,200, $900). “We’re putting our toe in the water to see how safe things feel and whether people keep their distance,” says Whyte. “But this is actually pretty cool. Cinephiles could come to a private screening of Dunkirk or 2001 in 70 mm. Two families already commingling might bring their kids to watch Frozen. We’ve never done something like this before, but people will be able to rent the place for at least the next three weeks while we wait to see about Phase 2. My guess is, we might continue a bit longer than that.” For lower prices, up to fi ve guests could soon choose instead to reserve the video rental emporium/memorabilia museum Movie Madness Miniplex: an 18-seat screening room featuring Dolby Atmos sound, laser projection and its signature Cult Classic Pale Ale from Ex Novo. The Hollywood’s sister nonprofit relaunched shortly before the COVID-19-driven home entertainment boom and successfully catered to the quarantine crowd through contactless curbside pickups. The virus did interfere with the scheduled debut of Movie Madness University’s in-store lectures, but the move online allowed more than 100 curious students access to virtually audit lectures by the likes of Hollywood head programmer Dan Halsted, community programmer Anthony Hudson and local author Shawn Levy. Not all outposts in the Hollywood empire have proven so malleable, of course. Oregon State Parks and Recreation, the theater’s partner in a summertime series of classic film screenings at campgrounds and day-use areas, called for the events to be canceled this year. And the theater’s free microcinema inside Portland International Airport will remain shuttered indefi nitely. On the other hand, the nonprofi t’s 2019 experiment with drive-in showings at the Expo Center seems especially prescient. The Hollywood hopes to expand that program and add occasional car-friendly pop-up presentations, like the upcoming drive-in it’s arranging for Port of Portland employees in the airport parking garage. “It’ll just be a regular drive-in,” Whyte says. “Great fi lms, a big screen, nice sound system, and an FM transmitter you can tune in on your car.” A return to the theater’s original trade remains the overriding goal, but while a successful transition to Phase 2 could ease restrictions on venues as early as July 10, difficult questions surround both supply and demand. With few notable exceptions (Tenet, Mulan), the release of nearly every major motion picture has been postponed until fall or 2021. Moreover, since the main auditorium’s architectural constraints permit just about 65 patrons under physical distancing guidelines, organizers cannot yet gauge the general public’s willingness to embrace group activities, nor the long-term economic viability of such small crowds, though Whyte remains hopeful. “Whenever it feels safe to go out again,” he says, “people will be so tired of sitting at home and streaming that they’ll cherish even more the idea of coming to a beautiful building, having some beer and some popcorn, and watching a 70 mm print with a bunch of people who’ll talk about it afterwards.”

OUR KEY

: THIS MOVIE IS EXCELLENT, ONE OF THE BEST OF THE YEAR.

: THIS MOVIE IS GOOD. WE RECOMMEND YOU WATCH IT. : THIS MOVIE IS ENTERTAINING BUT FLAWED. : THIS MOVIE IS A PIECE OF SHIT.

TOP PICK OF THE WEEK

Magnetic

In our current hunkered-down state, a documentary about extreme sports in picturesque settings is an extremely welcome premise. Thank you, Netfl ix, then, for giving us the cinematic equivalent of a trip around the globe by recently adding Magnetic to your lineup. Directed by Thierry Donard, the little-seen 2018 gem opens with shots of what look like the biggest waves on the planet. In Portugal, 100-foot swells loom over silhouetted bystanders watching from a cli , a tiny dot on a surfboard charges down the face at killer speeds. Yew! The doc then cuts back and forth between seven other extreme sports, in seven rad locations. From skiing the Alps to windsurfi ng in Ireland to speed fl ying in New Zealand, Magnetic captures some of the bravest athletes navigating captivating scenery in ways that would seem impossible were it not captured on fi lm. Those looking to learn about the whys and hows of these sports will be disappointed—the faces of waves and mountains are more memorable than human ones. But Donard wisely centers his movie on the sensory experience of watching his characters do incredible things. The world is their playground, Donard seems to say. It could be ours too if we put down our phones, got o the couch and explored. NR. ASHER LUBERTO. Netfl ix.

ALSO PLAYING

The King of Staten Island

Scott (Pete Davidson) needs help. When we fi rst meet him, he’s driving on a freeway with his eyes closed. The King of Staten Island, directed and co-written by Judd Apatow, is the story of Scott opening his eyes to reality—a big step for the mouthy, insecure, mentally unstable 24-year-old living with his mom (Marisa Tomei) in her Staten Island basement. He dreams of opening a tattoo restaurant (“Ruby TatTuesdays!”), an idea so bone-headed even his stoner friends turn it down. Part of Scott’s arrested development is linked to the death of his fi refi ghter father 17 years earlier. Though his life is a slog, both Davidson’s performance and Apatow’s management of his talent make Scott easy to root for: Davidson, like Scott, lives with his mother and lost his father, also a fi refi ghter, in the World Trade Center attack in 2001. The most touching moments pull from that reality, and Apatow’s improvisational style of directing, although meandering in some past fi lms (Trainwreck, Funny People), does well to refl ect Davidson’s loose-jointed way of being. A couple scenes stick out. A low-key argument with a group of fi refi ghters at a Yankees game, his mom’s new boyfriend (Bill Burr) among them, feels painfully honest, while a party montage sees Scott fi nally letting loose. Mostly, the movie is memorable because of Davidson, who with his boyish smile, buggy eyes and comic timing brings an honesty to a role that stuck with me like a permanent tattoo. He’s a star—and man—in the making. R. ASHER LUBERTO. Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango Now, Google Play, Vudu, Xfi nity, YouTube.

Shirley When it comes to holding an audience hostage, there’s no better actress than Elisabeth Moss. As writer Shirley Jackson, the actress owns this drama by playing the type of tortured heroine that helped her rise to prominence (The Handmaid’s Tale, Her Smell). The fi lm, based on Susan Scarf Merrell’s novel of the same name, imagines the life of the literary fi gure and her husband, famed critic and liberal arts professor Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), in 1960s Vermont. They’re soon joined by Fred (Logan Lerman), who’s hired as Stanley’s campus assistant, and his newly pregnant wife, Rose (Odessa Young). The young couple plan to temporarily stay with Jackson and Hyman while they search for a place of their own but fi nd themselves lingering much longer than they’d prefer. At fi rst, things seem normal. Fred becomes increasingly busy with academic life, while Rose forms a dubious connection with Jackson as she works as their housekeeper. But following the success of her short story “The Lottery,” Jackson becomes increasingly stressed while penning her next novel. Like the characters she famously wrote about years later in works like The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Jackson’s stress morphs into hysteria. The fi lm refl ects that madness with disorienting camerawork and perversely enjoyable dream sequences. Director Josephine Decker proves she’s a specialist when it comes to shifting genres, as Shirley jumps from horror to domestic drama to gothic fairy tale with ease, giving Moss the chance to do a bit of everything, and the audience an opportunity to see Jackson’s menacing style of storytelling come to life on fi lm. R. ASHER LUBERTO. Amazon Prime, Google Play.

The Vast of Night Much as the pandemic has wrought havoc on distribution schemes, few fi lms have ever been so perfectly pitched for both drive-in showings and isolated streamings as The Vast of Night. It opens on a Friday night in 1950s Cayuga, New Mexico, where seemingly everyone in the small fi ctional town is headed to the high school gym to cheer on the basketball team. Except for sciencey bobby soxer Fay (Sierra McCormick), who discovers an odd electronic burbling on the local telephone switchboard and enlists radio DJ Everett (Jake Horowitz’s take on a swaggering A/V club alpha) to hunt down its origins. This is a period piece, but for all the painstakingly curated Cold War-era trappings, there’s more than a whi of the ’80s indie auteur heyday. The heightened strangeness of a pulsing insularity veers decidedly Lynchian while the restless camerawork and supra-distinct regionalism-stu ed dialogue smacks of early Coen brothers. Alas, though Andrew Patterson’s cinematic debut remains uniformly gorgeous, a wispy narrative can’t quite sustain that initial tone of white-knuckled suspense as a genre-busting rabbit hole that turns into a Cloverfi eld-ish mystery box. But the lingering dread of the unseen and unknowable perseveres nonetheless. For a feature e ectively premiering via the Amazon age of ubiquity, The Vast of Night thrusts suspicions squarely upon our supposed mastery of instantaneous communication and wrings fear from a moment of static. PG-13. JAY HORTON. Amazon Prime.

The High Note

Maggie Sherwood (Dakota Johnson) has hit a wall in her job as a personal assistant. After several years of mindless errands for her boss/ hero, superstar Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross, daughter of Motown singer Diana Ross), Maggie can no longer repress her aspirations to become a music producer. But backlash from Davis’ manager (Ice Cube) and the intimidating statistic that just 2.1% of music producers are women threaten to dash her dreams. What anchors the fi lm is the romance between Maggie and her client David (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). Johnson expertly blurs the line between confi dent and terrifi ed, while Harrison’s smooth-talking musician harbors a sweetly nervous side, alchemizing some lovely chemistry. Though bogged down by clichéd dialogue and a wonky twist, Flora Greeson’s script deserves credit for being one of the few stories about the music industry told from a strictly female perspective. This is familiar territory for director Nisha Ganatra, who also helmed 2019’s Late Night, a comedy about being the sole woman of color in a writers’ room. The High Note follows in those footsteps: It’s harmless and well-intentioned, and relies on the talent of its leads to carry the plot. PG-13. MIA VICINO. On Demand.

The Lovebirds

At one point in The Lovebirds, Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) comments on the dramatic misadventures he’s suddenly found himself in with soon-tobe-ex-girlfriend Leilani (Issa Rae): “This is like The Amazing Race, but with dead people.” And that’s essentially what you get from this fi lm. Nanjiani and director Michael Showalter last paired up in the award-winning The Big Sick, and though the talented Showalter has two dream leads in Rae and Nanjiani, The Lovebirds never elevates itself beyond “this is fi ne” territory. The plot involves Jibran and Leilani getting thrown into a convoluted conspiracy mere moments after agreeing to break up, sending them on the run from both the law and a mysterious killer played by Paul Sparks (Waco, House of Cards). While the desire to sit back and let Nanjiani and Rae shine is perfectly understandable, The Lovebirds consists of little more than throwing its highly talented stars into increasingly ridiculous situations and letting them ri on said ridiculousness. This results in some funny moments, but overall The Lovebirds is another average—if somewhat charming—entry in the ever-growing content receptacle that is the Netfl ix library. R. DONOVAN FARLEY. Netfl ix.

My First and Last Film

There’s no reason you should know 60-something Milwaukeean Tracey Thomas. In fact, the everywoman hook of her video interview project is that you don’t. My First and Last Film deals in snapshots of life circa age 60 as Thomas chats with her friends about late-life creativity, retirement and death. This half of the fi lm is charmingly unpretentious, like a formless and casual imitation of Michael Apted’s Up series. But fairly quickly, Thomas’ world becomes more intensely self-conscious

MAGNETIC

when her boyfriend-cinematographer dies. Through the fi lm’s middle, the otherwise puckish Tracey seems unsure how to fi nish certain sentences, much less a documentary. It’s a testament to the fl edgling director’s desire to forge personal meaning that she did. Still, any national or international audience is left with questions about the broader value of amateur autobiography. According to Thomas’ own goals, My First and Last Film was never built for scrutiny from the outside world, which makes full-on criticism tricky. In the end, it’s di cult to recommend the doc in the same way it’s tough to champion a random stranger’s blog or Instagram account. Peeking at an unfamiliar life can be a very worthwhile empathy exercise. Anything longer than a peek, though, is why documentarians exist. NR. CHANCE SOLEMPFEIFER. cstpdx.com.

Spaceship Earth

Somewhere around the time eight kinda-sorta scientists run out of oxygen in their own biosphere, you’re likely to get frustrated that this NeonHulu documentary doesn’t allow its utterly unique story to be more interesting. The petri dish certainly swims with fascinating variables, as a caravan of Bay Area thespians turns into mechanical geniuses, sailing entrepreneurs and ’90s news staples as they seal themselves in an Arizona biome for two years. They were after something grand but confused: scientifi c breakthrough without proper data, radical environmentalism funded by an oil fortune, and a sense of community without any real-world outreach. The troupe’s 16 mm footage spanning the ’60s through the ’90s is certainly a marvel in its own right, but the great sin of Matt Wolf’s documentary is that it puts no e ort into clearing up a story obfuscated by ideals with no names and missions with no goals. It’s not as though the doc needs to fi nd the biospherists guilty of cultish behavior to be worthwhile, but the amount of pseudo-scientifi c or vaguely inspirational hooey the fi lm lets slide without clarifi cation or exploration fl atly defeats the purpose. “There’s all this stu , and what’s gonna happen?” Biosphere 2 botanist Linda Leigh defi nes the group’s “alternative” approach to science. That pretty much sums up Spaceship Earth’s approach, too. NR. CHANCE SOLEM-PFEIFER. Amazon Prime, Google Play, Hulu, YouTube.

As you know, Portland is full of interesting characters. Cartoonist, Jack Kent fully embraces the; odd, weird, and the sketchy. He loves drawing caricatures and the people of his hometown. Everything Jack draws is how he sees it. With his sketchbook open and pen in hand, Jack makes his way around town looking for the next unique person. “You could be next!”

Buy an original Sketchy People drawing and help keep Portland weird, and fed! Jack is donating all proceeds to Meals on Wheels! E-mail or DM Jack to help fi ght hunger. kentcomics.com IG @sketchypeoplepdx sketchypeoplepdx@gmail.com

JONESIN’ by Matt Jones "Times Squared"--a sign of the times.

ACROSS

1 Account execs 5 Common writing 10 Melting period 14 Tabriz's country 15 Patty and Selma's brotherin-law 16 Saintly symbol 17 Credit for a newspaper story on a Magritte work? 19 Musk who named one of his kids X AE A-XII 20 Topics during a job interview 21 Robotic "Doctor Who" nemesis 22 Rush singer Geddy 23 City's outer fringe 25 CXV x X 28 Nervous 31 Confirm, as a password 34 Cumulonimbus, for one 36 Carrie Fisher 6-Down 38 Device with earbuds 39 Rolling Stone co-founder Wenner 40 One of the Rat Pack 41 "Quién ___?" ("Who knows?" en español) 42 Common interest gps. 43 Mid-month Roman date 44 "Ready to do this!" 45 Lynx cousin 47 American-born queen of Jordan 49 Part of DOS or GPS 50 Positive responses 52 One of 30, for short? 54 ___ cum laude 56 Markey, Merkley, or Murkowski, e.g.

62 Bunches 63 O¦-road cycling lane? 64 Drummer Krupa 65 Company that had a breakout with Breakout 66 Prefix meaning "eight" 67 Like some co¦ee 68 Insinuate 69 Aussie hoppers

DOWN

1 Clothing mishaps 2 French composer Satie 3 Big ___ (David Ortiz's nickname) 4 Fishhook attachment 5 Gym class, for short 6 Thespian's objective 7 Leave out 8 "That makes no ___!" 9 Before, palindromically 10 2011 Oscar winner for Best Picture 11 Oates's attempt to go solo? 12 Ubiquitous lotion ingredient 13 Policy maven 18 Run, as dyes 21 Like library books, eventually 24 Inner vision? 25 Dead-end service gig, slangily 26 Mild cigar 27 Stretchy thing from the past? 29 Pleased 30 Nearly alphabetically last country 32 New Orleans sandwich, informally 33 Idyllic spots 35 Like some dryer sheets or detergent 37 "___ Excited" (Pointer Sisters song) 40 Webmaster's concern 44 Literary twist of sorts 46 Proud ___ peacock 48 The slightest degree 51 Luxury hotel accommodations 53 Visible gas 54 "We Three Kings" kings 55 "Match Game" host Baldwin 57 Card game with no cards below seven 58 Doris Day lyric repeated after "Que" 59 Food truck fare 60 Actress Miranda 61 Greek letters that look like P's 63 Reusable grocery item

last week’s answers ARIES (March 21-April 19)

Aries author Marge Piercy writes, "The people I love the best, jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows." The Aries people I love best will do just that in the coming days. Now is not the right time to wait around passively, lazily hoping that something better will come along. Nor is it prudent to procrastinate or postpone decisions while shopping around for more options or collecting more research. Dive, Aries, dive!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip by Bill Watterson. It features a boy named Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes. In the first panel of one story, Calvin is seated at a school desk looking perplexed as he studies a question on a test, which reads "Explain [Isaac] Newton's First Law of Motion in your own words." In the second panel, Calvin has a broad smile, suddenly imbued with inspiration. In the third panel, he writes his response to the test question: "Yakka foob mog. Grug pubbawup zink wattoom gazork. Chumble spuzz." The fourth panel shows him triumphant and relaxed, proclaiming, "I love loopholes." I propose that you use this scenario as your victorious metaphor in the coming weeks, Taurus. Look for loopholes! And use them to overcome obstacles and solve riddles.

GEMINI (May 21-June20)

"It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves," wrote philosopher and activist Simone Weil. I'm hoping that this horoscope of mine can help you avoid that mistake. In the coming weeks and months, you will have a stronger-than-usual need to be seen for who you really are—to have your essential nature be appreciated and understood by people you care about. And the best way to make sure that happens is to work hard right now on seeing, appreciating, and understanding yourself.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Some readers wish I would write more like Cormac McCarthy or Albert Camus or Raymond Chandler: with spare simplicity. They accuse me of being too lush and exuberant in my prose. They want me to use shorter sentences and fewer adjectives. To them I say: It ain't going to happen. I have feelings similar to those of best-selling Cancerian author Oliver Sacks, who the New York Times called, "one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century." Sacks once said, "I never use one adjective if six seem to me better and, in their cumulative effect, more incisive. I am haunted by the density of reality and try to capture this with 'thick description.'" I bring these thoughts to your attention, my fellow Cancerian, because I think it's important for you to be your lavish, sumptuous, complex self in the coming weeks. Don't oversimplify yourself or dumb yourself down, either intellectually or emotionally.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

Travel writer Paul Theroux has journeyed long distances by train: once from Britain to Japan and back again, and then from Massachusetts to Argentina. He also rode trains during part of his expedition from Cairo to Cape Town. Here's one of his conclusions: "It is almost axiomatic that the worst trains take you through magical places." I'd like to offer a milder version of that counsel as your metaphor for the coming weeks: The funky, bumpy, rickety influences will bring you the best magic.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Philosopher Miguel de Unamuno declared, "Everything that exalts and expands consciousness is good, while that which depresses and diminishes it is evil." This idea will be intensely true for and applicable to you in the coming weeks, Virgo. It will be your sacred duty—both to yourself and to those you care about—to enlarge your understandings of how the world works and to push your awareness to become more inclusive and empathetic. What's your vision of paradise-onearth? Now is a good time to have fun imagining it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

What do you want to be when you grow up, Libra? What's that you say? You firmly believe you are already all grown up? I hope not! In my vision of your destiny, you will always keep evolving and transforming; you will ceaselessly transcend your existing successes and push on to accomplish further breakthroughs and victories. Now would be an excellent time to rededicate yourself to this noble aspiration. I invite you to dream and scheme about three specific wonders and marvels you would like to experience during the next five years.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has advice that would serve you well in the coming weeks. She says, "Keep a little space in your heart for the improbable. You won't regret it." In accordance with your astrological potentials, I'm inclined to amend her statement as follows: "Keep a sizable space in your heart for the improbable. You'll be rewarded with catalytic revelations and intriguing opportunities." To attract blessings in abundance, Scorpio, be willing to set aside some of your usual skepticism and urge for control.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Author Malidoma Somé lives in the U.S. now, but was born in the West African country of Burkina Faso. He writes, "In the culture of my people, the Dagara, we have no word for the supernatural. The closest we come to this concept is Yielbongura, 'the thing that knowledge can't eat.' This word suggests that the life and power of certain things depend upon their resistance to the categorizing knowledge that human beings apply to everything." I bring Somé's thoughts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will encounter more than the usual number of experiences that knowledge can't eat. They might at times be a bit spooky or confounding, but will mostly be interesting and fun. I'm guessing that if you embrace them, they will liberate you from overly literal and materialistic ideas about how the world works. And that will be good for your soul.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Pioneer Capricorn scientist Isaac Newton is often hailed as one of history's greatest geniuses. I agree that his intellectual capacities were sublime. But his emotional intelligence was sparse and feeble. During the time he taught at Cambridge University, his talks were so affectless and boring that many of his students skipped most of his classes. I'll encourage you to make Newton your anti-role model for the next eight weeks. This time will be favorable for you to increase your mastery of three kinds of intelligence beyond the intellectual kind: feeling, intuition, and collaboration

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

When future writer (and Aquarius) Charles Dickens was 12 years old, his parents and siblings got incarcerated in a debtors' prison. To stay alive and help his family, he took a job working 12 hours a day, six days a week, pasting labels on pots of boot polish in a rotting, rat-infested warehouse. Hard times! Yet the experiences he had there later provided him with rich material for the novels that ultimately made him wealthy and beloved. In predicting that you, too, will have future success at capitalizing on difficulty, I don't mean to imply you've endured or will endure anything as harsh as Dickens' ordeal. I'm just hoping to help you appreciate the motivating power of your challenging experiences.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

Maybe you feel that the ongoing pandemic has inhibited your ability to explore and deepen intimacy to the degree that would like to. But even if that's the case, the coming weeks will provide openings that could soften and remedy your predicament. So be extra receptive and alert to the clues that life reveals to you. And call on your imagination to look for previously unguessed and unexpected ways to reinvent togetherness and tenderness. Let's call the next three weeks your Season of Renewing Rapport.

HOMEWORK: Decide on three special words that will from now on serve as magic spells for you. Keep them secret! Don't even tell me. RealAstrology.com

Check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes & Daily Text Message Horoscopes freewillastrology.com The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

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MICROSOFT CORPORATION currently has the following openings in Portland, OR

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