Where is the creative explosion of yesteryear? Thomas Boutell 2/7 '15

Well, I have a cool job now. And I go dancing when I can. And that leaves... not a metric ton of spare creative energy.

Creativity strikes, but I rarely come home eager to write something epic outside of work. I tend toward the bon mot; the long-form stuff tends to flow at work. This is not uncommon for people in creative jobs.

But, when I read some of my past LJ posts, I am flabbergasted by the outpouring.

I was hungry, and angry, and excited, and amazed, discovering and rediscovering things. Right now I'm in a different sort of place.

That's okay? I guess? For now.

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2/7 '15 6 Comments
What sort of long-form writing do you do at work?
dan brown
This is strange to read because in my mind, you invent the world. You're like our very own Tesla except not batshit.
Shelle Klein Houser
I sometimes wish my online postings were as flabbergasting and outpour-a-licious as they once were.

Deep creativity looks different in different contexts and at different ages.

And here's an analogy I often think of, when I find I don't have the patience to sit down and hammer things out at the keyboard: You know when folks go to an event, and instead of watching the event and participating, they hold up a recording device of some kind? We all know those folks. We've even been those folks. At some point, though, we put the devices down, because we realize that in framing the experience we are putting ourselves outside the frame.

For me, online writing is a little like that. I'm so engaged in *being* creative that I don't want to put a keyboard between me and how I am living and processing that creativity. Or that life change. Or any big moment or shift.

After I've moved through those spaces, I might sit down and make note of it, but in the moment I'm generally choosing to savor events in ways outside of journaling and blogging.
Anne Mollo
Hey, right, the Heisenblogging problem.
Thomas Boutell
You're SO CUTE.
Anne Mollo
It's all the open source stuff, and all the "client communication" (i.e. talking to customers), and all the internal discussion at work that takes up my "longer than 140 characters" capacity right now, I think.
Thomas Boutell
 

Tell me a story. Lindsay Harris Friel 2/6 '15

Please?

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2/6 '15 4 Comments
I was the youngest of three kids, and the only girl. My brothers were 5 and 7 years older than me, and they delighted in finding ways to mentally torture me. <i>"Leave that child alone!"</i> my mother would shout. <i>"She's going to grow up twisted!"</i>

Well, maybe.

One day, my oldest brother Harry sidled up to me and stage-whispered, "Don't tell Mom, but I killed John!" Now by this point, I was somewhat wise to their ways and so demanded proof. "C'mon," Harry said. "I'll show you the body." He pulled me upstairs and into my own bedroom. We knelt on the floor, and he flipped up the side of the bedspread. John was sprawled on his back under the bed. He had a 1970's embroidered headband, the sort you only find on Etsy these days, wrapped once around his neck, with the ends tucked loosely in the palms of his hand.

"Why does he have a headband around his neck?"

"I wanted to make it look like suicide."

I reached under the bed and used my thumb to flip up one of John's eyelids. He rolled his eye around in its socket.

"Aha! See? He's not dead!"

"No, Anne. All dead people's eyes roll."

Hey, I was four, maybe five.

The funny thing is, I knew for a fact that John wasn't dead, that Harry hadn't killed him. But I also still lived in that world of the very young, where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred—if it's there at all.

So of course I marched downstairs and into the kitchen, to announce to my mother in a loud voice that Harry had just killed John.

Both of them, standing in the doorway behind me, cleared their throats and batted their eyes innocently.
Anne Mollo
Once upon a time there was a boy who refused to eat his vegetables, so he died.

The end.
Kevin Niemi
Lindsay Harris Friel
I will, but not right now. Sadly, I HAVE to get to sleep asap.
Matt Lichtenwalner
 
 

Untitled Matt Lichtenwalner 2/4 '15

Small post for today. I'm electing to go to the gym now rather than write for multiple reasons. The main being that I can feel the bare tickle at the back of my throat that I always get just before a throat cold/thing. This is something I DO NOT WANT as I prep for Japan. So? Time to beat up my body in a good way and get to bed early.

That said, I didn't want to not post anything, so here's a mini update:

Got a good day's work in. The boss will be happy. Found a new issue with the system that I need to report, though I think it might be an oddity for just my car. (Storage drives not showing newly added sessions despite having recorded them. Rebooting the laptop resolves this. Happened twice. Tested twice. Resolved twice.)

Throat thing. Fraaaaack!

I listen to a crap-ton of podcasts. A large number of them are 'self help-y' enough that I'm embarassed for folks to learn of them. (Though obviously not that embarassed if I'm going to mention them here.) One of those is Michael Hyatt's "This Is Your Life" podcast. While I don't mean to badmouth the man, it's not really my bag. He's a religious dude (I'm not). He's high up the proverbial 'ladder' (I'm not). And he tends to look at things from a vantage point that I don't.

But every once in a while... Like today. Since I took some time away from podcasts (and was listening to audio books only) I have some catching up to do. Today's episode was Season 3 Episode 1: How You Can Better Control Your Time. Given my recent frame of mind / planning efforts, this is an episode I'm likely to listen to more than once. The big thing I took away from the first round: Creating an 'ideal week' in Google Calendar (since I use that anyway) to use in my planning/scheduling of things. Seemed like a Really Good Idea.

There's probably more that I should write here, but I really do need to get my ass into the gym so I'll queue this up and come back to it if there's time.

* * * * *

Back from the gym. 1/2 hour on the hard setting on the elliptical. 60 x 20lb reclined butterflies. 30 x ... curls? (It's a cross chest curl thing that I created.) 30 seconds (in 10 second chunks) of isometric arm extensions with 20 lbs.

Not quite as "Rar!" as I was with Sunday's workout, but good. Now? Shower.

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2/4 '15 1 Comment
My suggestion: Go to a walk-in doctor and tell them you're about to fly to Japan, and could you please have something in case your head cold turns to the dark side. You'll want a round of antibiotics which you'll only take if warranted, you'll want a prescription-strength decongestant so you don't go deaf when you fly because your stuffy ears won't pop, and something for the pain of your ears not popping. Please, please please... it'll take an hour but will save you SO much pain & suffering at a time whe you should be happy and comfy (or as happy as someone can be on a 72862826-hour flight to Japan).

Feel better, sleep well!
Jill "xtingu" Knapp
 

and your little dog too, autocorrect Lindsay Harris Friel 2/2 '15

I was trying to type the sentence, "I swept the slush outside," and instead got  "I swept the slash outside."

Yes. Jesus, there were giant piles of pages of poorly written fan fiction all over the sidewalk and steps! It was horrible. They were falling from the sky! One of them stuck to the windshield of the car and I couldn't scrape it off at first. Something about The Tenth Doctor and Sherlock being completely exhausted from a rough battle with Helen A and her pet Stigorax Fifi, and needing to relax in the TARDIS' jacuzzi with a couple of shots of Sentarion rekkar. 

I SWEAR I DIDN'T READ IT. 

Edited to add: I watched The Interview. I expected it to be on a par with Anchorman or worse. I may have been in a mood. 

It was better than I expected. I actually laughed, really, really, really hard at the climax. I can also see why North Korea was a bunch of pissy little bitches about it, but that just proves how dumb they are. 

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2/2 '15 3 Comments
We were making bad Gronkowski (Houser-sized football player) and Cumberbitch slash fic jokes on Sunday. Even better, the position Gronk plays is "tight end".
Shelle Klein Houser
I wish you had recorded this for me.
Lindsay Harris Friel
I also know that the minute someone turns on any kind of recording device to try to capture spontaneous funny in its native habitat, it dies instantly.
Lindsay Harris Friel
 

Control + Alt + Delete * format C: Matt Lichtenwalner 2/2 '15

All the things.

All of them dammit.

Looks like I'm getting a jump start on the whole "Write a Crap-Ton in February" thing some of us are doing with L. M. Lopez. 

I want to accomplish a lot. Not just with the writing. With life. When I look back over my lifetime, (yeah - pull up a chair - it's like that) I see a lot of wasted time. I'm not here to make excuses or anything, I just want to fix it. I like to think of myself as a problem solver, and not a 'problem talker abouter'. Sure, I appreciate some good planning, but...

Anyway. I think that I've figured out the reason. Call it ADHD, call it ping-ponging, or call it whatever you like - I don't finish things. All my life I get really excited about some new project or some creative concept, I start it, and then a few things happen:

1. I get bored with it. Really bored with it. And I drop it.

2. I think of some other new project/concept, get really excited about that thing, and drop the current thing.

3. I tell everyone about what I'm planning on doing, feel like I've done it, and say "Ahhh - eff it." and drop it.

Before you say anything - I know that I'm not alone here. The world is chocked full of peanuts. Errr... of people who do the same thing. (Peanuts just goes with 'chocked full'. I had to.)

But that's just it - it's long past time I do something more. It's time I started to accomplish some things. This has been a large part of the end of my last two serious relationships, and each time it... built in intensity. I've made steps since then, but not enough progress for my liking.

I need to keep myself on track. It's way too easy to fall to the side or be distracted by some new shiny thing.

Okay, okay. Shut up already and tell us what you plan to do about it.

You may not have actually said it, but you were thinking it.

So here's the deal: I'm going to re-focus myself. At first, my intent is to do this three times every day. Those times will not be specific hours in the day, but after specific events:

1. First thing in the morning. Before I head out to work every day, I will review my list. Then I will meditate. (Duration TBD.)

2. When I get back to my hotel room, I will review my list. 

3. Just before bed, I will review my list.

So what's on my list?

That's actually what I'm here to discuss. I'm looking for broad categories to put things under.

The format that I'm currently picturing is this: Separate sheets in a spreadsheet. Physical Health, Financial Health, Creativity, and Work/Career. Something like that. Then on those sheets I can do the breakdown of tasks and goals. The details aren't too important for the purposes of this conversation though. I just need to work out the basic 'infrastructure'.

Simplicity is key, of course. I want this to be about doing things, not spending time working on the spreadsheet. I do, however, want to be smart about this start.

So what do you think? Have I covered all the 'primary categories' with Physical Health, Financial Health, Creativity, and Work/Career? If not, what do you feel I'm missing?​

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2/2 '15 22 Comments
I hate to say this, but, speaking as someone who scored Really High for ADD, I have to say this, only because you asked for opinions:

Strategies can be a distraction in and of themselves and can distance you from Getting Shit Done.

Have you ever thought about getting tested for ADD or ADHD? Getting the meds?

I say this because I tried strategies, schedules, lists, spreadsheets, everything, for 42 frigging years, when I could have just gone with medical science.

i also know, from my own experience and from pushing undergrads to finish writing their first play, finishing projects is its own skill set which takes practice. Once the initial creative buzz wears off, and it's Just Work, and there's no cheerleading squad, finishing a project is a skill in itself.
I think you can do this.
Lindsay Harris Friel
"Have you ever thought about getting tested for ADD or ADHD?"

Many times. Was tested twice.

I'm not a 'severe case', but I am a case.

Second time around, I talked to the doc and he (not being a psychiatrist) recommended someone. I then proceeded to get distracted by something shiny and never followed through.

In the end, I very much prefer to not use meds if I can get away with it. Not being a severe case, I've made my way and feel like I'm in a pretty great place now, so I'm good for the moment. If I can improve things from here, I'll be happy. If I get into a more 'stable' or 'traditional' place in life (read as: living somewhere consistently and having a normal 'job') I will most definitely reconsider.

"Once the initial creative buzz wears off, and it's Just Work, and there's no cheerleading squad, finishing a project is a skill in itself."

Yeah. I've never heard it put quite that way, but you're spot on. I think that this is the particular hurdle that I'm most trying to climb.

And for the record? You're one of my people. I will _always_ want your opinion. I consider myself fortunate to have such council.
Matt Lichtenwalner
Aw, thank you.
have you ever seen the movie Ryan? It's an animated short film about an animator & his process.
Lindsay Harris Friel
https://www.nfb.ca/film/ryan/
Lindsay Harris Friel
In answer to your question, what's missing - perhaps "Travel" because Travel is more immediate to you than to many of us. Eventually you will want a page for "Home" and you will start thinking about what that home looks like and what people and animals you want in it. We already want to pet your dog. He or she will be a Good Dog.

Regarding meditation - you may want to do the 'wake up in the morning and write before your dreaming self comes to full consciousness' thing. Sometimes ideas both for life and for fiction come to the surface that way. It's not exactly meditation. Or for you, you may want to draw instead of write, see what's under the surface before your practical mind takes over.
Shelle Klein Houser
I second the "draw on waking" motion.
Lindsay Harris Friel
Funny you should mention that. I added a tab for Adventure just before you posted this. Gmta

I'm going to think about the write/draw first thing... err thing. You're right, of course, but I have this mental picture of gathering myself, waking calmly, and preparing for the day that speaks to meditatio. Stay tuned.... ;)
Matt Lichtenwalner
Good stuff.

I attended a company retreat recently. The boss has been reading (as always) and came across the idea that making a list of goals sometimes make you feel like you've "already done it," which can be counterproductive... so he asked us to make lists of impediments to our goals.
Thomas Boutell
OOOHHHH!!! I like this!
Lindsay Harris Friel
Yeah - me 3. It speaks to "You're smart enough to figure out the tasks - focus on getting over/around/through the hurdles."
Matt Lichtenwalner
First of all, the comments on this post are a festival of "some of my favorite people who didn't know each other before now know each other and like each other! eeeee!!!" for me.

So, with regard to the schedule/goals/etc ... I think it's a great idea. I haven't done one yet (but I might) because the idea is overwhelming to me, so I started thinking about what would make it less overwhelming. The Wildcard category definitely makes it less overwhelming - you can put stuff there that you know you want to do and that you don't want to forget about, but that you don't want to focus on now. Writing stuff down like that keeps my brain from constantly bringing up the tickler, "Better do that thing, you'll forget it, or write it in a good place, we don't have a good place, better do that thing ..." loops of time-wasting. Also, keep your goals measurable - so for example "get in shape" - not a goal. "Work out 3x/week" - goal.

Regarding ADHD - I have it. I don't take my meds. Here's what helps me w/success, and your mileage (haha) may vary. I reduced my coffee intake to one cup of real joe per day - always. I have decaf, sometimes I have tea (even caf tea, but usually green tea or decaf), so when I sleep, I SLEEP. Getting a decent amount, but more than that, good quality of sleep makes me less distracted. It took a week or so to kick in, but when it did - it was AMAZING. I am still distracted, of course, but distraction doesn't OWN me the way it used to. Typing this out is actually the first time I have thought about this. I originally reduced the caffeine to take the meds, because the meds are stimulants and caffeine + meds was making me jumpy. Then I forgot to take the meds (I know, I am a supergenius!) and I realized that I was more focused than I was before and I was getting a lot more done at work ... the caffeine reduction helped, and also ... we come full circle ... a task list of measurable items. Ta-da!
Shelle Klein Houser
Reduce my coffee levels? Are you MAD woman?!

Writing things down definitely helps me. That's one of the reasons I feel like this could really help.
Matt Lichtenwalner
I know, it sounds like madness ... but it made me significantly less scattered, at least here at work where there are no toddlers, so I figured I'd mention it. :)
Shelle Klein Houser

This comment has been deleted.

Rock and roll! I'm very happy to hear that someone's already doing this sort of thing successfully (which shouldn't really be a shock I suppose).

You don't sound crazy. Or, if you do, I don't detect it, which may or may not say something about me.

I like the idea of a Wildcard. Going to add that.

I also like the idea of date/time references, but I predict that may be less important for me overall. The idea for me is to keep making forward progress and I suspect that 80% of that battle will be fought in the repeated 'checking in' with my list. It will keep me honest.

I can just picture the mental conversation now "Hmm. Haven't made any progress on Project X in a loooong time. Need to get on that before the thing..."

What? I don't REALLY talk to myself.

Much.
Matt Lichtenwalner
In a relatively unrelated note: I just finished the biggest workout I've done in a long time. I spent an hour on the elliptical on a tougher setting than usual. Then I did some significant lifting.

By the time I was done, my Inner Biker/Viking Warrior was roaring. I haven't felt that good at the end of a workout in... ever. I left there (as some say) 'energized'. I wanted to smash things.

And it felt gooooood...
Matt Lichtenwalner
This gives me hearts in my eyes like a cartoon character.
Shelle Klein Houser
So this is my fourth comment on this post and I'm leaving it to tell you how excited I am for your reforMatting. You've been poking at this for a long time ... oh wait, that was my last thought - if you are like me, if you talk too much about a project, you get bored with it. So don't talk about it, do it. Talk about other stuff. Then you can talk about the project later when you're working on another one. :)
Shelle Klein Houser
I resisted the first three times, but on upon the fourth time of seeing your icon, I have to say I frigging love you with long straight shiny hair! I have no idea how you did that, or if it's a lot of work, but dayam you look fantastic! (Yeah, totally unrelated comment, sorry.)
Karen Kuhl
Thanks Karen! The hairdresser did it, so it is now long, but not straight or shiny. Next time I get it colored, she'll be nice and do it again, I'm sure.
Shelle Klein Houser

This comment has been deleted.

I look forward to reading them!
Matt Lichtenwalner
 

almost as good as a Viking funeral Lindsay Harris Friel 1/31 '15

So, this is a big deal: 

The Relentless Award. 

TL: DR; a playwright can win $45K. That's forty-five-thousand US dollars. No playwriting contest has had this big of a cash award. 

But wait! THERE'S MORE! 

The winning playwright also gets a week at an artists' retreat in upstate NY, which they can attend alone, or, bring a director, dramaturg and/or actors. They have the option of having the play published by Dramatists' Play Service (a very big deal) and the play gets a reading at regional theatres across the country, including The Wilma and The Goodman. As far as opportunities for playwrights go, it is a Golden Ticket. 

How can such a lucrative, prestigious, and useful thing exist? 

So, here's the tragicomic part. 

When Philip Seymour Hoffman died, his friend David Bar Katz was the first person to find him. In the days that followed, The National Enquirer published a story claiming that Katz (or is it Bar Katz?) a) was Hoffman's secret lover, and, b)was supplying PSH with drugs.  Neither of which were true.

Katz is a playwright, best known for his collaboration with John Leguizamo on Freak and House of Buggin'. In Philly, he's mostly known for being the fortunate son of a really rich guy. He did what any smart fortunate son would do, and sued the crap out of the Enquirer. Actually, he just signed a libel suit, there was a settlement, and Katz, wisely, used the money to create this playwriting award. 

I can't think of a better way to memorialize (?) a friend. or to get revenge. 

Details here: Truth and a Prize Emerge from Lies About Hoffman. 


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1/31 '15 5 Comments
I love this story.
Shelle Klein Houser
Sharing this story with the Hoffman fan in my life.
Thomas Boutell
Please do!
Lindsay Harris Friel
I don't understand though.

There's no ships.

And no fire.

How is this 'good'?

(j/k, of course - this is WAY cool)
Matt Lichtenwalner
I said "almost." Of course Viking Funerals are better than EVERYTHING.
Lindsay Harris Friel
 

Not While I'm Around Shelle Klein Houser 1/30 '15

Last night I started playing some songs from Sweeney Todd for Archer, and he discovered that one of the lullabies his mother has been singing to him since he was an infant is actually from a show about murder and cannibalism.  Boy was he surprised!

Also, I asked him who he thought wrote Sweeney Todd, and he immediately said, "Stephen Sondheim."  If you hear enough Sondheim, you know when you're hearing Sondheim - there's this witty recetative that he puts in a lot of his songs that's a fingerprint, you can't miss it.  I love the word 'recetative'.

Here's NPH singing it to Patti LuPone (eeee!).  I can't wait to show Archer this one when he comes home from school.

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1/30 '15 6 Comments
what a heartbreaking moment.
Lindsay Harris Friel
it's Archer, he thought it was cool, he was just surprised that such a sweet song would be in Sweeney Todd. When he thought about the lyrics it made more sense to him.
Shelle Klein Houser
or do you mean the moment in the show? because if so, yes.
Shelle Klein Houser
That's what I meant. I should have been more clear.
Lindsay Harris Friel
Your kid is awesome. Just saying.
Beth Adele
Yup. This.
Matt Lichtenwalner
 

Good News in the World of Matt Matt Lichtenwalner 1/26 '15

No news is good news?

Yeah, so I've been negligent for a while now. Sorry about that.

Things have been good. Really good. I'm going to Japan. I keep having to tell myself that because it hasn't really sunk in yet.

For those who don't know - this is huge for me. I started looking into ninjutsu as a martial art when I was young. Maybe when I was... 15? Anyway - that sparked a desire to go to the land of the rising sun that wouldn't leave me. Ever.

Thing is, I'm not a guy who really expects to be able to do much. My financial resources have always been woefully stretched, I spent most of my life pretty solidly planted in a single locale, and I just always thought of Japan as a kind of dreamscape - a place on the map labeled hic sunt dracones.

And now I'm going to go. For a month. With my best bud.

While I'm still 'in town' (even that has come to mean something entirely different for me - currently in Jacksonville Florida) I've been training a new recruit - Tanner. He's not going to be doing my job - he's going to be supporting it. I'm showing him the ropes so he knows what it's like for us out in the field before he starts supporting us.

Kid's smart. He's funny as fuck. He's 'our people' - completely our people.

So really, this has been like hanging out with one of my beloved PhilaDel pholks and getting paid to do so. He understands when I explain things to him - the first time. He can repeat it pretty much flawlessly after the second.

While I know that isn't all that goes into being a good support person, I'm happy to know he will be supporting us.

Did I mention that I'm going to Japan? For a month?

Which brings me to another point: I'm nervous as hell.

Those of you who know me can appreciate that I don't get nervous much. You might say that I'm too much of a buddhist, I guess. I figure there's not much point in worrying about what might be. Just prepare as best you reasonably can and go with it.

For the record, it's not really true. I do stress. A lot. I just usually manage it - at least on the surface. I've seen what happens when person A is stressing out and person B fuels the fire by also stressing while in close proximity. It's the wildfire with a tank of gasoline. I would much rather be a calming influence when I can.

But in this case? I'm openly freaking the fuck out. I've been doing a lot of homework. I've been polling friends and family who are in the know about Japan (despite the fact that Mark will be there for a large portion of my time). I've read countless web pages. I've learned about flight plans and rail schedules and cities and towns. I've studied for this more than any other single adventure in my life.

And I feel like I know nothing.

I won't speak the native language. That's a hurdle. In the end though, I will probably pick up enough to survive (generally speaking). The real thing that is worrying me is that I won't be able to read the language. That's a problem since I don't like interacting with people when I need help.

It's not the 'typical male' thing. I'm not a proud man. I just really like to understand my situation as best I can, and that happens (more often than not) by reading.

Reading the nearby signage. Reading the expressions and body language of the people around me. Reading... anything and everything.

I won't be able to do that as a stranger in that strange land.

I've grown too comfortable in my travels thus far, and I know it. When I find I don't have something I need, I can just 'stop somewhere and pick it up'. Difference in Japan? I'll be a giant. A fat giant no less. Who can't read the signs. I'm actually a bit fearful that I will be a perfect example of a fat dumb gaijin. I do not want to be a (bad) archetype.

I recognize that at this point I'm just rambling on about my stress, and that's not productive, so I'll stop.

Suffice to say: I'm only bringing my two bags of worldly possessions and that feels a little like grabbing the first backpack you see and jumping off that nearby cliff - hoping that the backpack holds a parachute.

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1/26 '15 17 Comments
You will do well. You are extremely considerate, and Mark will help you apply that to Japanese culture so you are considerate to them in a way that they understand. They will marvel at you. Also, once you are over there for a little while, you will recognize enough of the kanji by sight to figure out the basics. By the way, can you bring home souvenirs for the kids? Let me know what your Paypal is and I will send you some $ for it.
Shelle Klein Houser
Of course I'm happy to bring the boys something back. Let me see what I can dig up and we'll worry about money later. :)
Matt Lichtenwalner
Overseas, I've found the most valuable weapon in my arsenal is an apologetic smile.

Enjoy your adventure!
Thomas Boutell
Thanks man - Ill do my best! (It really is a fairly safe bet. In my calmer moments, I know this.)
Matt Lichtenwalner
Dude. Sounds like you're going to Edge City in so many ways.

GOOD ON YA!

You'll be fine. You'll have lots of emotions, there will be some tearing down and some vulnerabiliy and uncertainty. All of these things are ok.

Surf the chaos.

Remember to breathe.

And best of all, remember to stare in wonder and soak it all in.

We'll be here when you get back and look forward to hearing all the stories and seeing any pictures you decide to take!
Avocado Tom
"Surf the chaos.
Remember to breathe.
And best of all, remember to stare in wonder and soak it all in."

Hmmm. Actually? You just made my night. Those are three things I feel like I tend to do better than... well... most folks. And really, I know that you're right. If I can do that - for one month - I'll be fine.

Pretty sure I can do that for one month.

I'm hoping to do some significant posting while there in my down time (evenings and the like) so hopefully y'all won't have to wait too long.

Taking my good camera too.

Last thing: pretty sure I know what you mean by Edge City, but I have this nagging sense that it's in reference to something I'm not recalling. Is that right?
Matt Lichtenwalner
:-)

Edge City is a term that comes from Kesey and the Pranksters (and was written about in Electric Kool Aid Acid Test) but also used by HST. It's the place outside of civilization, a scary place where the rules bend or are non-existent. But also the place where people can be whole...where you can find yourself, where you are challenged, living on the edge of sanity and everything that you've been used to, a place where boundaries can be pushed and souls found.

"But of course!—the feeling—out here at night, free, with the motor running and the adrenaline flowing, cruising in the neon glories of the new American night—it was very Heaven to be the first wave of the most extraordinary kids in the history of the world—only 15, 16, 17 years old, dressed in the haute couture of pink Oxford shirts,
sharp pants, snaky half-inch belts, fast shoes—with all this Straight-6 and V-8 power underneath and all this neon glamour overhead, which somehow tied in with the technological superheroics of the jet, TV, atomic subs, ultrasonics—Postwar American suburbs—glorious world! and the hell with the intellectual bad-mouthers of America's tailfin civilization... They couldn't know what it was like or else they had it
cultivated out of them—the feeling—to be very Superkids ! the world's first generation of the little devils—feeling immune, beyond calamity. One's parents remembered the sloughing common order, War & Depression—but Superkids knew only the emotional surge of the great payoff, when nothing was common any longer—The Life! A glorious place, a glorious age, I tell you! A very Neon Renaissance—And the myths that actually touched you at that time—not Hercules, Orpheus, Ulysses, and Aeneas—but Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, The Human Torch, The SubMariner, Captain America, Plastic Man, The Flash—but of course! On Perry Lane, what did they think it was—quaint?—when he talked about the comic-book Superheroes
as the honest American myths? It was a fantasy world already, this electropastel world of Mom&Dad&Buddy&Sis in the suburbs. There they go, in the family car, a white Pontiac Bonneville sedan—the family car!—a huge crazy god-awful powerful fantasy creature to begin with, 327 horsepower, shaped like twenty-seven nights of lubricious luxury brougham seduction—you're already there, in Fantasyland, so why not move off your smug-harbor quilty-bed dead center and cut
loose—go ahead and say it—Shazam!—juice it up to what it's already aching to be: 327,000 horsepower, a whole superhighway long and soaring, screaming on toward ... Edge City, and ultimate fantasies, current and future ..."

Avocado Tom
wow.
Lindsay Harris Friel
Yes. Superheroes are the real American Gods. They are part of our mythic language, of our sense of self. As soon as they can talk, kids are flying and pow-zap-zowieing. My toddler is already Batman. I wonder if it was blasphemy to play Zeus in Ancient Greece. Maybe that's why they had Heracles.
Shelle Klein Houser
They really are. It's kind of incredible....
Avocado Tom
I have a feeling I'll really like Edge City.
Matt Lichtenwalner
:-)
Avocado Tom
I am so, so happy for you! You are gonna do GREAT. When do you take off?

Soren will be a great resource; Steve Noreyko (pinball steve/IJG photographer rocktober steve from Austin) can also be helpful. Ask them-- they like helping. Lemme know if you need their contact info. Soren has people there and would glady e-introduce you. I also think Bill The Spy is in Japan... but Hamlet would know that better than me. (I've actually never met Bill The Spy, but he is legendary.)

Your instincts are amazing, and like everyone else said: You are extremely considerate (hello, hansei!) and your smile is genuine and despite your 'bigness' you still come off as gentle. You are the perfect intersection between "You can tell this guy is kind and gentle" and "Do not fuck with this dude."

Ask Soren for info/tips re: getting a cell phone (assuming you don't have this info already). Google Translate has a brandy-new feature where it'll translate on the fly, and you can even take a photo of the written word and it'll translate it for you. (The demo did Russian (cyrillic) to english, so it'll handle the kanji just fine, I imagine.)

Are there YouTube tutorials for teaching yourself rudimentary Japanese?

I am SO EXCITED for you! EEeeEEEEeeeeeEeeeee!! The month is gonna fly by, and I bet you'll make this an annual pilgrimmage because you will fall in love with it so hard.

So happy for you; so proud of you. Look at how freakin' rad you are!!
Jill "xtingu" Knapp
1. Of course I remember both Steve and Soren. *admonishing look* I believe I have contact info for both. Especially now that you've emailed the three of us. ;P

2. Of course you've never met Bill the Spy. Either have I. Hello? Spy?! Will ping Chris to see what he knows. Wouldn't mind having James Bond. Errr... Bill... on my team.

3. Hansei. I had forgotten that word. Thank you for the reminder!

4. I really do need to talk to Soren re: cell phone. I have a 'worst case' solution, but I suspect he'll know a better option.

5. Sadly the Google Translate will only work if I have a data package or wifi. Hopefully that won't be a problem after talking to S, but my worst case scenario doesn't allow for that. It's a GREAT idea though. Will let you know if I'm able to put it into action.

6. I've watched a lot of Youtube. With more to come. Not much in the way of language. More in the line of "Holy shit - you moron - do NOT do this in public. Stupid gaijin." videos.

7. I thought about the idea of an annual pilgrimage. I suppose it's possible, but not probable. As much as I'm dying to go, if I have a month a year to roam abroad, I'm thinking South Africa, South America, Alaska, New Zealand, Germany... etc etc...

8. Rad? Nah. Paying a price and reaping the reward. It's one hell of a price, and it's one hell of a reward.

As always - thank you. It means the world to me when you weigh in on things like this. I think I'm a little in lust with your brain. #JustSayin
Matt Lichtenwalner
I met Bill The Spy. He's definitely worth meeting.
Shelle Klein Houser
You are going to be great.
Lindsay Harris Friel
Thanks chica. :)
Matt Lichtenwalner
 

Wow! Joanna Ireland 1/26 '15

My editor chose two of the articles I wrote for the weekly newspaper, Bethlehem Press, to send to the Keystone contest. It's a contest for local papers of all sizes - while I write features (and cover the occasional meeting), it's rare that I generate a ton that are deemed "recognition-worthy" but I'm super proud because one article featured Migraine Awareness and the other featured a great school, Mercy Learning Center, which works with differently abled kids.  

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1/26 '15
 
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