a sunny day.
a long walk.
my very first slurpee (since age 10).Monday, January 4, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Thursday, December 31, 2009
So This Is The New Year...
Ok so. It's a new year. And I'm giving my blog a total re-haul.
What timing.
I have to preface this with a disclaimer: I'm totally partaking in idea thievery. And I credit it all to Brian Eastman [Eastman's blog: eastmansays.tumblr.com], who credits his blog's layout to his buddy Carlo, who may or may not pass credit to some other bright chap. And so it goes.
"Good artists copy, great artists steal." -Pablo Picasso
..And so it goes.
So here's the new premise: a picture at a time. I don't have time to write about all of the things I do every week. If you've ever read a post of mine you know I'm wordy. So let's save us both the grief.
I want these pictures to express where I'm at on any given day. I want them to illustrate a place and a state of mind.
And then I want these pictures to become a story.
I want to look back as the year turns to 2011.. and be able to pinpoint what has changed and why. And I kind of want you to be able to see it to, if you feel so inclined.
So let's give this bad boy a shot. Happy New Year.
What timing.
I have to preface this with a disclaimer: I'm totally partaking in idea thievery. And I credit it all to Brian Eastman [Eastman's blog: eastmansays.tumblr.com], who credits his blog's layout to his buddy Carlo, who may or may not pass credit to some other bright chap. And so it goes.
"Good artists copy, great artists steal." -Pablo Picasso
..And so it goes.
So here's the new premise: a picture at a time. I don't have time to write about all of the things I do every week. If you've ever read a post of mine you know I'm wordy. So let's save us both the grief.
I want these pictures to express where I'm at on any given day. I want them to illustrate a place and a state of mind.
And then I want these pictures to become a story.
I want to look back as the year turns to 2011.. and be able to pinpoint what has changed and why. And I kind of want you to be able to see it to, if you feel so inclined.
So let's give this bad boy a shot. Happy New Year.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Winter Time
It's winter time.
The last of the snow is melting, drowning in this endless rain, and I'm realizing that a little bit of winter is exactly what I need. I don't mind the cold when I'm not locked into it, when I'm not tied to a winter contract that has no clear deadline. It's nice to sit by a fireplace under layers of clothes, sipping on hot water to warm the finger tips. Taking advantage of everything bitter because it will soon be out of reach.
That is what I love about nomadic life. And that is what I have come to appreciate about mine.
We're at that "let's take a look back at 2009" time of year but this time I'm going a step further. I moved to Los Angeles at the start of 2009, but I'm no stranger to moving... and I've learned that moving a lot has its benefits. One of those benefits is that you're forced to take advantage of the moment - because you never know when you'll be packing up and leaving it all behind. It never really came naturally for me, so I'm glad it was a forced lesson of circumstance. I'm starting to enjoy even the things that are ugly, or uncomfortable.
And I guess if I were trying to create all sorts of resolutions for myself for this next year - having sort of mastered the whole "appreciate every PLACE you go" thing down, I think the next step is to get the whole "appreciate every circumstance you're in" thing down.
I think that translates to: being okay with being dirt poor, being okay on those mornings where there's nothing to do - or too much to do. Being okay with 'what' is - not just 'where' is. Because just as places are bound to change, circumstances are bound to change. And as we gain momentum in our lives and start to get all of those things we're working so hard for, we lose perspective on what it was like before we had any traction at all. And I'd like to think that if you can't find something magical about those darker drearier days, you're really missing out on what it means to live at all.
So that's my 2010 mental challenge. It's gonna be rad.
Well. This turned out to be a whole lot heavier than I expected. Hahah. That's cool, though. 'Tis the season and all that. :)
Stay warm. Happy New Year! Hope you got a lot out of the one that's passed!
The last of the snow is melting, drowning in this endless rain, and I'm realizing that a little bit of winter is exactly what I need. I don't mind the cold when I'm not locked into it, when I'm not tied to a winter contract that has no clear deadline. It's nice to sit by a fireplace under layers of clothes, sipping on hot water to warm the finger tips. Taking advantage of everything bitter because it will soon be out of reach.
That is what I love about nomadic life. And that is what I have come to appreciate about mine.
We're at that "let's take a look back at 2009" time of year but this time I'm going a step further. I moved to Los Angeles at the start of 2009, but I'm no stranger to moving... and I've learned that moving a lot has its benefits. One of those benefits is that you're forced to take advantage of the moment - because you never know when you'll be packing up and leaving it all behind. It never really came naturally for me, so I'm glad it was a forced lesson of circumstance. I'm starting to enjoy even the things that are ugly, or uncomfortable.
And I guess if I were trying to create all sorts of resolutions for myself for this next year - having sort of mastered the whole "appreciate every PLACE you go" thing down, I think the next step is to get the whole "appreciate every circumstance you're in" thing down.
I think that translates to: being okay with being dirt poor, being okay on those mornings where there's nothing to do - or too much to do. Being okay with 'what' is - not just 'where' is. Because just as places are bound to change, circumstances are bound to change. And as we gain momentum in our lives and start to get all of those things we're working so hard for, we lose perspective on what it was like before we had any traction at all. And I'd like to think that if you can't find something magical about those darker drearier days, you're really missing out on what it means to live at all.
So that's my 2010 mental challenge. It's gonna be rad.
Well. This turned out to be a whole lot heavier than I expected. Hahah. That's cool, though. 'Tis the season and all that. :)
Stay warm. Happy New Year! Hope you got a lot out of the one that's passed!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Free is a Four Letter Word
I read an article today- wait, that's a lie - I saw the summary of an article today - by Maureen Dowd (she's pretty rad, I dig her) about free speech on the internet. The theory she poses is pretty cool: the internet is supposed to be an outlet for free speech, but because it's so accessible people are actually MORE careful about what they decide to put out there, thus limiting the whole free-speech concept. Irony! We get it! Cool!
So I guess we didn't have to read the article to get the point. (Though I'm sure it's, you know, clever and witty and all that.) But I ran across a perfect example of this today. And as you know, I don't believe in coincidence so I might as well write about it. BACKSTORY!: Some friends and I worked on a little known LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW back at Boston University... called BU Tonight. woot woot. Shout out. Anyway we have some of our episodes posted on YouTube. One such episode featured some "comedians?" performing an act that turned out to be ridiculously offensive... to anyone. So we get an email from one of the "stars" asking us to remove it. And the email went a little something like this:
"Can you please take down two [of our] videos on BU Tonight? One features gratuitous use of a racial slur and the other just isn't very good.
We had a blast on BU Tonight, maybe a little too much fun. The videos are two years old and we'd rather not have them posted for the world to see. It's completely our fault they came out how they did and we hold no hard feelings."
Ah, the repercussions of being a drunken college douchebag. (you know, i almost didn't write that because I know I have family reading this who I respect and who I also kind of want to shelter from the fact that 'douchebag' is part of my daily vocabulary. OH NO! I'M A VICTIM OF FREE SPEECH, TOO!) So while those guys are regretting their past decisions to take advantage of the internet's free speech marketplace, I'm constantly teetering on the edge of where I'll let mine go. But should I be? If I were REALLY writing without ANY censorship, would it be better or worse for me? And would it be more or less entertaining for you? My guess is that it would be way more entertaining for you, and definitely worse for me. So I guess I'll settle for my boring middle-ground. Which makes things just-okay for me and mildly entertaining for you. Compromise, man. It's what brings people... to this place that's not very exciting.
So this has been a long-winded way of making an excuse about not updating this blog more often. I've had plenty to write about, but for some reason writing it all down here just borifies it (that's not a word but what I mean to say is that everything I write is a dumbed-down more boring version of what actually happened in my life to inspire the post). Self-motivated censorship. It's almost worse than if the censorship was forced on me by an outside party. At least then I'd know where I could draw the line. So maybe our lesson here (and hey! maybe Maureen Down addresses this but I wouldn't know because I was too lazy to read the full article!) is that external censorship gives us boundaries... and within those boundaries we are free to express everything and anything we want without the fear of social scorn. And we can push those boundaries... but we'll still be liked and respected as long as we don't cross them. When you don't have boundaries, you don't know how far you can push. And then you go too far. And then you look like an idiot. And then your family wants to disown you, and your boss wants to fire you, and your future bosses don't want to hire you... and down and down the rabbit hole you'll fall.
That is some crazy sh*t.
To think, the internet's allowed for some serious "Lord of the Flies" action. Awesome. I've surprised myself. I thought this entry was gonna suck. But now I actually kind of like it. Score.
It's late and I'm going to bed now. Also. In case you were wondering, LA is hot. But not as hot as where you probably are, which is sticky. So I guess I still kind of win in the "my weather is more awesomer than yours" race, which isn't really technically a race at all....so.. um.. I should really get some sleep.
So I guess we didn't have to read the article to get the point. (Though I'm sure it's, you know, clever and witty and all that.) But I ran across a perfect example of this today. And as you know, I don't believe in coincidence so I might as well write about it. BACKSTORY!: Some friends and I worked on a little known LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW back at Boston University... called BU Tonight. woot woot. Shout out. Anyway we have some of our episodes posted on YouTube. One such episode featured some "comedians?" performing an act that turned out to be ridiculously offensive... to anyone. So we get an email from one of the "stars" asking us to remove it. And the email went a little something like this:
"Can you please take down two [of our] videos on BU Tonight? One features gratuitous use of a racial slur and the other just isn't very good.
We had a blast on BU Tonight, maybe a little too much fun. The videos are two years old and we'd rather not have them posted for the world to see. It's completely our fault they came out how they did and we hold no hard feelings."
Ah, the repercussions of being a drunken college douchebag. (you know, i almost didn't write that because I know I have family reading this who I respect and who I also kind of want to shelter from the fact that 'douchebag' is part of my daily vocabulary. OH NO! I'M A VICTIM OF FREE SPEECH, TOO!) So while those guys are regretting their past decisions to take advantage of the internet's free speech marketplace, I'm constantly teetering on the edge of where I'll let mine go. But should I be? If I were REALLY writing without ANY censorship, would it be better or worse for me? And would it be more or less entertaining for you? My guess is that it would be way more entertaining for you, and definitely worse for me. So I guess I'll settle for my boring middle-ground. Which makes things just-okay for me and mildly entertaining for you. Compromise, man. It's what brings people... to this place that's not very exciting.
So this has been a long-winded way of making an excuse about not updating this blog more often. I've had plenty to write about, but for some reason writing it all down here just borifies it (that's not a word but what I mean to say is that everything I write is a dumbed-down more boring version of what actually happened in my life to inspire the post). Self-motivated censorship. It's almost worse than if the censorship was forced on me by an outside party. At least then I'd know where I could draw the line. So maybe our lesson here (and hey! maybe Maureen Down addresses this but I wouldn't know because I was too lazy to read the full article!) is that external censorship gives us boundaries... and within those boundaries we are free to express everything and anything we want without the fear of social scorn. And we can push those boundaries... but we'll still be liked and respected as long as we don't cross them. When you don't have boundaries, you don't know how far you can push. And then you go too far. And then you look like an idiot. And then your family wants to disown you, and your boss wants to fire you, and your future bosses don't want to hire you... and down and down the rabbit hole you'll fall.
That is some crazy sh*t.
To think, the internet's allowed for some serious "Lord of the Flies" action. Awesome. I've surprised myself. I thought this entry was gonna suck. But now I actually kind of like it. Score.
It's late and I'm going to bed now. Also. In case you were wondering, LA is hot. But not as hot as where you probably are, which is sticky. So I guess I still kind of win in the "my weather is more awesomer than yours" race, which isn't really technically a race at all....so.. um.. I should really get some sleep.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Just Do It
I've been silent for a while so I figured I'd resurface for a quickie.
A couple weeks ago I took much-needed vacation to Newport Beach with the extended fam. Nothing's more refreshing than some vacay time after realizing you've gotten caught in the rhythm of a dying routine. (and by "routine" I'm referring to my running schedule.) I guess it's easy to become a creature of habit when you're trying to work your day around the little sunlight that you've got available to you after work... but I was stuck at 3 miles a pop, unwilling to go further for fear of the encroaching darkness... and worried I wouldn't be able to cut a longer run in time to get home before the sun abandoned me.
Since I've moved here, I've been dying to get on a board and get surfing. In Newport, we got it in... and it's got to be the most zen sport I've ever come across. (theoretically) So this surf instructor, Mike, starts talking to me as we're waiting for the waves to swell... and we're watching all of these little kids trying to stand up without success. And then he says something that hits me the way a fat kid hits the bacon. He says, "surfing is a sport of confidence. the minute you hesitate, the second you look down, you're out." And it's true. It was true that day, and it's true always. And it's not just surfing.
Life is a sport of confidence. (not to be confused with that false sort of arrogance or inflated ego we see in people. let's get real. we're talking about confidence people, not about armor for the exceptionally insecure)
I don't think "life is a sport of confidence" needs an explanation. It's pretty much all there is to it. But it's good to be reminded. (you're welcome!) And after those sparks started flying in my head, I decided to go for the 5 mile run just to switch it up. To break the routine. I decided I'd stop letting fear get in the way - fear that the sun would set on me... fear that I'd tire out at some point... fear that anyone around me cared that I was running at all (they don't). And in some ways it was easier than my usual 3. Because I wasn't worried about anything, I was just doing it. I owned it. And then I did it again. And again. And I'll keep switching it up like that because I think it's important that we keep proving to ourselves that it's all in our heads. Everything is mental (to a certain extent.... let's stay away from the building hopping for now, ok?)
So. Just Do It. I'm outtie. Stay confident. You got this down.
A couple weeks ago I took much-needed vacation to Newport Beach with the extended fam. Nothing's more refreshing than some vacay time after realizing you've gotten caught in the rhythm of a dying routine. (and by "routine" I'm referring to my running schedule.) I guess it's easy to become a creature of habit when you're trying to work your day around the little sunlight that you've got available to you after work... but I was stuck at 3 miles a pop, unwilling to go further for fear of the encroaching darkness... and worried I wouldn't be able to cut a longer run in time to get home before the sun abandoned me.
Since I've moved here, I've been dying to get on a board and get surfing. In Newport, we got it in... and it's got to be the most zen sport I've ever come across. (theoretically) So this surf instructor, Mike, starts talking to me as we're waiting for the waves to swell... and we're watching all of these little kids trying to stand up without success. And then he says something that hits me the way a fat kid hits the bacon. He says, "surfing is a sport of confidence. the minute you hesitate, the second you look down, you're out." And it's true. It was true that day, and it's true always. And it's not just surfing.
Life is a sport of confidence. (not to be confused with that false sort of arrogance or inflated ego we see in people. let's get real. we're talking about confidence people, not about armor for the exceptionally insecure)
I don't think "life is a sport of confidence" needs an explanation. It's pretty much all there is to it. But it's good to be reminded. (you're welcome!) And after those sparks started flying in my head, I decided to go for the 5 mile run just to switch it up. To break the routine. I decided I'd stop letting fear get in the way - fear that the sun would set on me... fear that I'd tire out at some point... fear that anyone around me cared that I was running at all (they don't). And in some ways it was easier than my usual 3. Because I wasn't worried about anything, I was just doing it. I owned it. And then I did it again. And again. And I'll keep switching it up like that because I think it's important that we keep proving to ourselves that it's all in our heads. Everything is mental (to a certain extent.... let's stay away from the building hopping for now, ok?)
So. Just Do It. I'm outtie. Stay confident. You got this down.
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