POEM : ANNA WINTOUR.

Green and red
go together, I said.
She looked and shook her head:
“No way, it’s May, Christmas is five months past dead.”

How about purple and pink? I said with apparent success.
Head shake no; “that is an earthquake of massive color mayhem messness.”
Should I roll my jeans up, or maybe my sleeves, I asked.
Was one of many stylistic queries to her I tasked.

Am I my brother’s keeper?
a question of which few are deeper.
It wonders of the responsibility we bear to those we adore
And how to help when their fashion sense is less not more.

To her the question was posed
A question straight on the nose:
Is your brother a fashion wreck?
No, she said firmly; not with me on deck.

She looked after my style,
For time, and times, and half a time, and then a little more while
All my life, from childhood little to childhood big,
She gave suggestions for style that people would dig.
Or maybe not dig, but at least not laugh at her brother,
It made another, her mother, the mom of my brother,
Happy to see; not happy to see her son fashionable,
But joyful to see her daughter’s positive actionable

To look out for each other is a parent’s dream
To watch your kids kind and get siblings’ backs
To know they’re in good hands with each other
In big things and little things too,

The important little things that preserve dignity
Building opposite of bickering enmity.
To help a brother out the door
With colour combos that don’t make an eye sore,
It was an ongoing battle
And again and again, she leapt to the saddle
“I’ll guide my bro,” she said.
“My big one, with colorblind eyes in his head.”

Thanks sis for the help in the pasted.
Some of your tips and suggestions might even have lasted.
You could have laughed with many others.
But you didn’t, and helped me keep some druthers.

Green and red, purple is tough
So many colours, pretty but rough.
Rough for some of us with the condition,
A little one no more I’m scared to mention,
That makes colors tough to see,
At least certain ones, for people like me.

So if you’re like me and some colours aren’t there to your eyes
And people inform you they are there, and make you surprise,
Then I hope you have a sister like mine,
Who can help bring out your own unique style divine.

SISTERS DRESSING BROTHERS.

Be yourself. The best version of yourself. Or at least the most stylish.

And if you have a sister, always trust their fashion advice. Always.

CONVERSATIONS. Winona the Hair Stylist.

What are we doing today? 

she asked, not un-brusquely.

Well,

I said.

It’s been a while since my last haircut. I was thinking maybe I’d, uh, have you cut it so it looked kind of cool. 

You tell me.

she said. 

How short do you want it?

Well,

I said.

I was thinking definitely shorter than it is. Maybe enough to make it look cooler than it is right now. 

Your hair is very long.

she agreed emphatically. 

I’ll cut it. So you want like a more classic cut, or a more modern one?

What’s the difference?

I asked. 

The difference,

she said.

Is that with the modern, I’d just take it all the way up on the sides so when it gets longer, it doesn’t flop around. Like it’s doing right now. It’s low-maintenance. 

Oh.

I said.

I usually spend between five and fifteen seconds a day on my hair, so low maintenance sounds good.

Good choice,

she said firmly. 

That’s what I do with mine. Low maintenance. 

Oh, 

I said, appraising her hairstyle in the mirror: shaved sides and partial back, with a modified long mohawk-style streak of jet black going down the middle. 

Yeah,

she said. 

Except for having to shave half of it every day.

Serious?

I said, seriously.

Yeah.

she said.

My hair grows extremely fast. I have to use a foil razor on it every day or it grows to like a number one length. 

I watched a documentary a while back,

I said.

About a type of bamboo in Southeast Asia that supposedly grows three feet per day. 

That’s crazy! 

she said. 

I don’t know if it’s true,

I said truthfully. 

Have you been watching the Olympics?

she asked.

I have!

I said. 

Saw the figure skating finale last night. Spellbinding! 

I missed it,

she said.

What happened? 

It came down to the very end.

I said. 

Between two Russian teenagers who were practice partners and teammates, and they were both incredible. The younger one ended up winning by barely a point, even the older one gave a stunning performance that was not only technically amazing, but emotionally...incredible. She started sobbing as soon as she was done. Gave it everything. 

Wow.

she said. 

I’ll find it on YouTube tonight. I have to see it. 

Yeah.

I said.

And if you want, you should check out a documentary on Netflix called Icarus. It’s about...doping in sports, specifically Russia’s longtime program for its athletes. An expose, I guess. Intense and suspenseful. 

Yeah.

She said. 

Sounds like I’d like it. I might. Netflix?

Yep.

I said. 

We settled in, and she cut a bunch of hair, and eventually she was done, and I paid and left my remaining hairs to be swept up and disposed of, in some way and in some manner. 

Someday I’ll get it cut again. Until then: low-maintenance. 

SPEAKERS FOR THE FRINGE.

I'm sure there are more than three things I'm thankful for, but only three things popped into my head this morning, so I'll list them below (see below). They have brought so much joy to my life. If I think of other things to add, I'll try to do so later.

1. FRINGE. The most underrated science-fiction network television show of all time that drew comparisons to X-Files with its far-out speculations and conspiracies, but whose beating heart was the poignant and sometimes hilarious relationship between father and son. So good. Dr. Lee Long, you sir, have some of the best characteristics of Dr. Walter Bishop. Love ya.

2. SPEAKER FOR THE DEAD. Orson Scott Card's follow-up to Ender's Game that raised the idea of what a sequel could truly be and surpassed the original.

3. TOWELS. If I had to get out of the shower every day and completely drip-dry, it would take me a lot longer to get ready, and water could possibly end up congealing on the floor and getting underneath to the subfloor and possibly walls, and if it made its way to structural supports it could collapse our entire house and if we were inside and everything came down around us, it would be dusty and we'd have to shower and the cycle would start all over again, except for not having a house. So we'd be camping for a while, unless our tent was ruined. I'm grateful for towels.

I'm going to put some hard thought today into whether there's more I can add to the list. Will keep you appraised and apprised. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving, and Gwen Stefani has a new Christmas album.

A LAD, A FOREST, A MUM.

a lad’s love for mom

is magnificent to behold;

whole-hearted loyalty

full-smiled royalty 

unabashed 

unbridled 

undisguised ecstasy at being together wherever. 

two-way trail. 

pretty,

pretty awesome.

TWO DAYS FROM YESTERDAY MIGHT BE BETTER THOUGH.

a day like every other, and no other. 

use it well.

I HATE ROCK AND ROLL AND WHEN THEY CALL ME PRETTY.

"One thing I don't really care for about teenagers is how they always call me cute. Especially teenage girls."

- boy in photograph

ESTONIAN BUCCANEERS IN LOVE.

Another low-key Saturday night. Business continues, however, especially when one is involved in Estonian military intelligence. Ever vigilant, always on call.

HIS ROYAL POPENESS.

I'm so used to seeing the Pope in jeans and tee that it was a pleasant surprise to see his wardrobe choice today for the Congress party on Capitol Hill. The hat rounded out the ensemble, although as his stylist I would probably have gone with the tall one.

Most remakes are inferior, as few would argue with, and most sequels to remakes are even inferiorer, but I would highly recommend a scene in the remade-sequel The Pink Panther 2 in which Steve Martin's Inspector Clouseau first interviews Pope, then literally steps into his shoes. And clothes. Touching.

ANDRE.

I don't know what would be the greater gift for my son:
to inherit
my style,
or
to inherit
my tennis skills.

If the universe is just, he will ever-so-slightly surpass me in both areas,
but that would take magic or miracle or commitment,
because the bar has been set high,

with at least one of the two,

give or take one.

FASHION VS. STYLE.

Fashion is about other people's choices for you and mostly has to do with wardrobe.

Style is about your own decisions and empowerment, beginning with posture, attitude, smile, eye contact, dash of enigmatic joie de vivre, and if desired, a discrete and well-placed facial tattoo.

Keep the world on their toes.

Keep a bit of mystery.

Keep on rock and rollin'.

With Style.

IN WHICH WE DO OUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ON CHRISTMAS EVE (RIGHT ON SCHEDULE).

December 24th. In which we look at the calendar, check our watches*, and realise there is nowhere we would rather be last-minute scramble shopping than @powellsbooks . Together, with hundreds of strangers and a billion books. Aaah. Jolly Christmas, universe! ____ #powellsbooks #44books #longholiday2014 #long2014 #longx4 #pdx *we do not, but it had more pizazz than saying "we checked the time on our phones."

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on Dec 24, 2014 at 11:01pm PST

It's Christmas Eve, which means...

...it's time to start wrapping presents.

Feliz, all!

FAMOUS BLUE WINTERCOAT.

My son and Leonard Cohen

Normally, I don't like to trick children.*
But when I saw this poster of our son's nemesis,
I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

"Hey buddy,"
I said casually, hoping he wouldn't get a glimpse of what was behind him before I had time to snap.
"Go ahead and stand right..there - okay, move over a couple inches, alright? And..snap. Got it. Look what's behind you!"

He turned around.
"Is that...Leonard Cohen?"
he asked, recognition slowly dawning.

"Yep."
I said proudly.
"And now you have a picture with him! Ha!"

"Well,"
he said, smiling furiously
"I still don't really like Leonard Cohen at all."

"Well,"
I said.
"This picture says otherwise."

And we walked off down the sidewalk together; one of us so proud of himself.
____

A piece of heaven. ____ #jxil04 #portlandnw #powellsbooks #pdx #44books

A photo posted by Joseph Long (@josephivanlong) on Dec 27, 2014 at 2:23pm PST

GEOMETRY WITH PEN.

MAPS, AND OTHER CONFUSIONS.

Childhood is a branch of cartography.

- Michael Chabon

(yes, which may have something to do with how frequently I get lost, but discover a lot of cool places along the way)