They made another boat.
A little larger.
A lot more orderly.
“All passengers must wear socks! Captain’s orders!” she said.
䷓䷾
contemplation of my life
decides the choice
between advance and retreat
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He wore her oversized Kindergarten T-shirt.
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They sent me outside to pop up as a slimy monster outside the window.
A green bedsheet, a grey rug, and a pink yoga mat on the floor.
A dining table; two chairs.
An easel.
A pink towel. A green towel. A white baby blanket.
A youtube video of a thunderstorm.
Two flashlights.
A ship on the high seas.䷇䷬
on the earth is water
the image of holding together -
A Pizza the Size of the Sun, Jack Prelutsky, 1999
As an audiobook, this was an hour-long collection of silly kid’s songs.
My ears perked up during the credits. Tony Trischka was the banjo player.
He’s a legend, even at the time of recording. He wrote the three finger bluegrass instructional book that came with my banjo from the 5th String in Berkeley.
Wild how one can be among the best in the world, but still end up working in an oddball children’s CD.
I also wonder what it was like for the Jack Prelutsky. Must be intimidating to be recording on a kazoo with that kind of firepower backing you up.
䷘
No complaints. The girl had fun, and I guffawed a few times. I’d listen to it again, though not by myself.
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Yesterday’s chore becomes today’s treat and tomorrow’s memory.
The boy got his second shot.
After dinner, he said he was tired.
But didn’t fall asleep.
At his usual bedtime, we tried an old method.
推车
I pushed him around in an office chair.
Big lazy loops in the kitchen and dining room.
That didn’t work either.䷚䷂
it furthers one to cross the great water
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With a sibling around, we don’t game much, but we have more games.
My wife played Mastermind.
The boy gave the correct clues to guess his code.
At his age, my daughter and I spent hours crafting Candyland variants.
Tomorrow he’ll be her age.
What shall we play?䷧䷮
if there is no longer anything where one has to go
return brings good fortune -
Music Animations, Stephen Malinowski
We’re watching Stephen Malinowski’s “Music Animations” on Youtube over dinner.
It’s great for seeing the structure of fugues.
But he ranges far beyond the baroque, and our dinner concerts have exposed us to a wider range of classical music.
Last night, the boy joyfully marched around to Sousa.
She’s repeatedly enjoyed the dissonance of Bartok’s From the Diary of a Fly.
And of course I’d be remiss if I did not mention the Goldberg Variations.
Malinowski’s website includes pages listing some initial recommendations, a list of youtube highlights, and how-to, all worth a visit.
䷾䷚
I was first introduced to his work at an Edward Tufte seminar while still in college. Soon after, I bought one of Malinowski’s early DVD’s. Even though it’s now all available for free, I’m happy to have supported his work before he became cool.
His patient labor over the decades (he barely monetizes his videos!) is a tantalizing sample of the optimistic internet we all expected in the 90’s.
Maybe the rest of us will get there someday.
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Another line of stuffed animals crowded the hallway.
I lost the old file.
So we made it anew.
This time our venue was “The Amazing Animal Hospital”.
We colored the clipart with markers, and admitted the animals before dinner.
The boy mixed math cube medicines.䷙䷈
the tusk of a gelded boar
good fortune -
They’ve seen them a hundred times and still find them hilarious.
Over summer, we played Wordle and the New York Times Mini Crossword Puzzle every day.
After connecting the iPad to the big TV, the kids always insisted on testing the sound.
Three videos.
Two slow motion shots of Dora the dog.
Dog-fart and Ger-Beer-Beer.
Then a shaky music video of Bear-Bear.
Then we could start.䷄䷯
waiting in the meadow
it furthers to abide in what endures -
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Hiroyuki Okiura, 1999
Jin-Roh is a story of power, love, and belonging.
For a film based on an ultra-armored police unit, the pacing is contemplative, with atmospheric lingering shots, even during a riot.
Of course, there are moments of intense violence. But it’s ultimately about a man finding his place in society – an authoritarian society whose peacekeepers struggle with their humanity.
I’d write more, but I don’t dare spoil it. Highly recommended.
䷀䷙
The movie is part of a wider fictional universe, but it doesn’t require any prior knowledge, though it helps to know that it’s set in an alternate history post World War 2 Japan that had allied to the Americans but lost to the German occupation.
Jin-Roh is a classic along better known anime films such as Ghost in the Shell and Perfect Blue. In a DVD world, I most would have bought a copy of it. Nowadays it’s free on tubi.tv. That said, I’ve been told to avoid the widely panned Korean live-action adaptation.
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The Future
My wife bought oil pastels for the kids. The girl chose the theme.
I pulled out dip pens with ink that have been dormant for two decades.
Been a minute.
