REALPOLITIK REBOUND.

As many of you know, I am writing solely about politics and government for the foreseeable future. Some days, I will talk about candidates (like Jed! Bush), other days I will address issues, and most days, I will write about whatever I want and make a clear-in-my-mind connection to politics in order to keep my vow. To you, the people.

I arrived home yesterday and my son raced up:
Guess what?!

What.
I asked.

I was playing basketball...
he panted.
...and I shot a basket!

Sweet.
I said.
You made a basket?

No!
he explained.
I didn't make a basket, but the ball hit the basket!

Excellent.
I said.
And it almost went in?

No!
he breathed hard, and finally cached his breaths.
It didn't! But the ball touched the hoop! Isn't that awesome?!

Sure.
I said.

And high-fived an appropriate level of moderate enthusiasm.

He hit the backboard.

This anecdote nicely illustrates three of my favourite political truths.

EXPLORATIONS: CAPE KIWANDA, KHAL.

Albert Einstein, Albert Schweitzer, Isaac Newton, Fred Jones, Steven Spielberg, and Genghis Khan, as well as Khal Drogo, were all children once too.

And some of them probably played on the beach. I hope Einstein did.

The ways in which childhood shapes every person differently.

I'm considering writing an unauthorized novel about a young Marlon Brando and the summer he visited his great-uncles at the seashore.

This is the book cover. Now I just need to write the book.

OH (A STORY ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND ONE THING THAT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE WRONG WITH IT).

WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!
I shrieked at him in a hybrid scalding-scolding tone.
Why are you trying to crush that poor little ant?!

Daddy, I was -

I interrupted.
Listen, that little ant is not in our home. It's close to its own home. It's not hurting us, or invading our house, or eating our food. Why are you trying to smash it?

Well Daddy, I was -

I interrupted, out of necessity, because my lesson was not getting through.
Do you remember what hard workers ants are? They are valuable members of our ecosystem and we can learn a lot from them. This little guy here was probably heading home trying to get to his family when you, a big mean giant, almost killed him.

We watched the little fellow skimp along. I felt my son take a breath to try defending himself again, so I moved quickly to block it.

Listen buddy,
I said, not totally unkindly, with just the right mix of educational moment condescension.
We've gotta look out for people and creatures smaller than us, okay? When they're not bothering us, why should we go bothering them?

Okay.
he said.
But I was -

Just please listen.
I said.
Just listen, because this is important. It may be a little ant, but it's not a very kind thing to do to go killing creatures, no matter how small, just for fun, or because they're simply in front of you. Haven't we read enough Dr. Seuss and Far Side for you to know this?

Yeah.
he said.
I wasn't actually trying to kill it. It was walking toward a stream of water and I thought it might drown so I was putting my finger next to it to help it go away from the water so it wouldn't drown.

Oh.
I said.
Oh.

Oh.

Uh-oh.

EXPLORATIONS: REED COLLEGE.

(Insert Super-Inspiring Caption)

EDWARD OH. BUNUEL WILSON.

I asked the same question I ask every morning:
What did you dream about last night?

I dreamed...
he said.
...about Paddington Bear.

What happened in your dream about Paddington?
I asked.

Except...
he ignored my follow-up question.
...in my dream his name wasn't Paddington, and he wasn't actually a bear.

What was he?
I asked.

A penguin.
he said.
He was a penguin.

Okay.
I said.
So Paddington Bear was actually a penguin?

Yeah.
he said.
And his name wasn't Paddington. I forgot now what it was.

Yeah.
I said.
Sometimes that happens with dreams.

Also,
he said.
I dreamed about a type of animal that never gets scared.

Really!?
I said.
What kind of animal was it?

It was...
he thought.
...the kind of animal you see in animal magazines.

Oh.
I said.
You have cool dreams.

Yeah.
he said.
And also I dreamed about a green fly. It was like a black fly. Only green.

You need to make a movie of your dreams.
I said.

He nodded,
and went off to find a camera.

I'VE GOT THE SUN ON YOUR BACK.

A cuppa Joe*,
a good cap,
morning sun on your back**
sounds of the city
and someone to pal around with
and not correct you for improperly using prepositional phrases and such.
As the Utah Saints said in the only good song they ever wrote:
there's gotta be something good about today.
Find it.
smile emoticon
____
*or something hot non-caffeinated
**or face, depending on which way you're facing, or if you're in Australia

Powell's Books

WORK.
There's a lot to grumble about in the world.
And I totally love grumbling.
It feels good,
like you're doing everyone a favor by noticing all the things not right.
Some places are really hard to grumble in.
Which means you have to work at it.
No couches?
No lemonade on tap? What's with the harsh light?!
If you're willing to work hard though, and really
take time away from doing something fun, then it's definitely possible to find something worth grumbling about.
The value of hard work.
Don't give up.
Just because you think you're happy,
doesn't mean you should be.
So look around.
There is probably something wrong.
You might have to work hard to find it.
Depending on where you are.
You can do it.
____
Happy* Mondays, universe smile emoticon
*unless you're working**
**see above

FILE UNDER: THINGS I USED TO GET EXCITED ABOUT, AND AM TRYING TO AGAIN:

Daddy!!
breathless, massive smiles, they came running up.

Guess what?!
We get FRONT ROW seats in the movie theater!! The very front!

I love childhood, and am considering never giving it up.

LOST IN TRANSLATION, PT. DEUX.

DADDY!!

I sauntered down the hallway immediately-ish and peeked in.

Good night buddy.
I said.
Again. Everything still good?

You didn't say "shut the door" tonight.
he said, half-sitting up in bed.

What do you mean?
I asked.

You didn't say "shut the door" like you do every night. So can you say it please?

Umm...
I said, and then it dawned.
You mean "je t'adore?" What I say to you every night?

He thought:
Yeah. You didn't say that to me tonight.

Okay...
I said.
Do you remember what "je t'adore" means in French? It means "I love you." That's what I'm saying to you every night.

Long, intense thought-processing. Deep breath.

Well,
he said.
I'm going to pretend you're saying "shut the door." And also, will you please close my door?"

Oui.
I bowed, pulled his door more closed, and sneaked in one more je t'adore as I left. Again.

J'aime les petits moments.

Bonsoir.

THE LITERARY LIFE.

Powell's Books / ©2015 Joseph Ivan Long

KANDINSKY, MOUNTAINEERING, ETC.

KAMINSKY VS. KANDINSKY (WASSILY, LAETTNER, ET AL).
I guess maybe my family needs to start watching more athletic matches. We're trying, when we remember. Regarding the NCAA championship, which I am rather proud to have remembered, and this also coming after remembering to watch the Super Bowl this year:

"Daddy, who are you going for? I'm going for Red, because the White team is not doing a very good job of catching the ball."

Yeah.

I said.

Wassily Kandinsky wasn't much of a baller either.

And I'm going for whoever is behind with a minute to go.

Art vs. athletics? Why not both.

EXPLORATIONS: ASTORIA.

ASSORTED.
Getting dressed solo : "I'm dressing like a ninja"

Kelso-Longview

Easter story

Highway 30 drive 

Psalty

Tell us a story!

UPDOWNAROUND DOWNTOWN.

A time to look up:
cumulonimbus clouds, jets, possibly aliens, butterflies, whirling planets, massive trees, snoozing stars, runaway balloons, rain, blimps, eagles & vultures, skydivers.

A time to look around:
people, food carts, possibly a clown, unicyclists, record stores, newspaper stands, mid-sized animals, bicycle racks doubling as urban jungle gyms, music posters.

And a time to look down:
bugs, insects, possible gigantic snakes, A. Lincoln and John Adamses coinage, robot building peripherals, cool sticks, interesting designs, mud puddle reflections.

Happy Mondays, universe :)

*can anybody besides Jonny Long​ tell me where in Portland this is? If you guess correctly, then you will win something.**

**the internal satisfaction of knowing you won something on a Monday.

JUXTAPOSITION.

Ordinary activities in extraordinary places.

Amazing the magic that can happen when you
combine a couple normal things in unique ways,
or put together two ordinary ingredients that don't belong together,
or make a spectacular deal out of something trivial,
or simply find a fresh place to do something familiar.

One of my founding beliefs of existence is that food - and beverage - pretty much always tastes better outside.

A cup of chocolate on a big rock. Or mountain, depending on your perspective and size.

POSSIBLY OPTION 2 (DENMARK, ROBOTS, BOATS, RV, JAMES SPADER).

Daddy?
he asked.
Can we go to Denmark?

Why do you want to go there?
I asked.
I really want to visit Denmark too, but I'm guessing my reasons may be different.

Because,
he said.
There's a really cool LEGO museum there.

How do you know that?
I asked.

His sister jumped in.
Because I helped him look it up on the Internet!

Okay,
he said.
We can either go to Denmark this afternoon, or we can build a giant transformer that is full size and is so strong that it can lift 500 billion trees. You can choose which thing we do today, okay? Which one?

Well,
I said. What would we build a full size transformer out of? And I'm
guessing you're referring to Autobots, as opposed to the devices used in a power grid?

Yeah.
he said.
I was thinking we could build it out of metal and broken toys. And I wish I had a GoPro camera. Can I have your GoPro when it breaks?

You know,
I said.
You're welcome to use it when you want.

I know.
he said.
I just want to use it when it breaks so I can use it as a part for building a robot. It would look really cool on the robot's chest.

Oh.
I said.
Well I'm not planning on it breaking anytime soon.

That's okay.
he said.

We can just use metal and other broken toys then.

His sister jumped back in.
You know what I'd like to get today?

What?
I said.

Ice cream?

No.
she said.

A boat.

Oh.
I said.
Yeah, that would be cool. Probably not going to happen today. But good idea.

Or...
she said.
It would be better to get an RV for the summer. That would be SO COOL. Then we can get a boat sometime later this year. Can we PLEASE get an RV this afternoon?! You choose: which one should we get today: a boat or an RV?

Well.
I said.
There's a chance that neither one will happen today.

Are we going to go to Denmark or build a giant transformer today?
he asked.

Well.
I said.
MAYBE work on building a little robot.

Awww...
they groaned.

Well, then can we at least watch The Blacklist?
she asked.

In about ten years.
I said.

Now go do your chores.
____
ON A RICH LIFE.
The value on good conversations, day in and day out, is incalculable.
As supposed to having five hundred million dollars, which is very calculable, and could possibly be nice too, as I have not yet experienced that experience. But it also scares me, as I wonder what would be lost in having such calculable wealth. Friends with $500m...thoughts?

EXPLORATION: COLUMBIA GORGE (BONNEVILLE DAM)

Where no human foot has ever trod.*
____

*if you look closely, you can vaguely see a structure in the background that may or may not have had some assistance from homo sapiens, thus rendering our exploration not entirely a first. When in Rome.

Bonneville Dam in Columbia Gorge / ©2015 Joseph Ivan Long

OSHA READY.

In the furthest recesses of my memory,
I try to recall,
or imagine,
a world in which we had no children to assist with household chores.
But it is too challenging,
and the thought of going back to that world;
a world in which the adults had to do all the work ourselves,
is simply too horrid to dwell on.
Thank goodness for enthusiastic work ethics,
good shop vacs, and extra-safe safety accessories.

PEOPLE > LAWNS.
Do you want to see my really serious expression?
he asked.
Sure.
I said.

And then finish landscaping really quick. Almost there.

The Reader.

AORTA.

I'd like to think I have a decent music sensibility, and a relatively alive cultural awareness, but I also hope I'm the kind of person who never stops getting goosebumps when Phil Collins comes on singing "You'll Be in My Heart."

Jonny Long, I know you know what I mean.

____

Phil Collins

You'll Be in My Heart

Tarzan soundtrack

1999

TRIBUTE TO LANA.

Untitled Video Game (Pause Between Levels 3 & 4 AABA Up-Right-Left-Right).

BOY BANKSY.

I told him he needed eye protection to use my electric sander.
This is what he came up with.
And this is what I came out to find him doing.

If only there were a really cool phrase in Latin that succinctly describes how important it is to take the day and just seize it.

FROZEN-ISH.

Really should have made them clear the gutters,
or dig some ditches,
or sweep the driveway,
but when they inquire about getting blankets to go write stories in the cold winter sunshine,
even icy hearts like mine thaw a little.
A very little.

ON THE NOSE.

Countess with Crew Walking on City Sidewalk with Automobile Wheel on Left Side and Traffic Control Signs in Background and Unnamed Figure One Block to the South.

"You can invent things like automatic popcorn poppers. You can invent things like steam-powered window washers. But you can’t invent more time."

- Lemony Snicket

Use your time up well.

Aikido (Full-Contact Spring Training).