That time my husband’s sword school gave a demonstration at the Aki Matsuri and he turned into a cartoon character.
That time my husband’s sword school gave a demonstration at the Aki Matsuri and he turned into a cartoon character.
Swan Lake is almost the definition of “canon” for classical ballet. What could be more rigid and tradition-bound than the most famous ballet? It turns out, a lot of things can. Swan Lake has changed a lot from its premiere in 1877, and even today, every performance is a little different. Since it’s also performed every three or four years in Seattle, we can actually watch the evolution of Swan Lake. Read More
In the wonderful anime series Kino’s Journey, a character who wanders the world in search of a place to settle down finds a country where people live in relative peace and freedom and are welcoming to newcomers. His companion comments that it seems like a perfectly normal place, to which he replies, “A lot of people have to work very hard to make a place normal.”
Democracy is not a spectator sport; but to play the game you have to know the rules. (Ok, it’s not a game, either, but just roll with it.) I’m studying the Constitution, one clause at a time. I’m up to Article 1 §8.4, on naturalization and bankruptcy. Read More
Last week was tough. I was sick and I had deadlines. But when the going gets tough, the tough listen to music. Not a lot, though. I’d put on an album then not noticed when it finished. But a few things penetrated the fog. This is what stood out last week.
Remember the Animaniacs cartoon? Where the cartoon characters ran around acting crazy until they saw a pretty girl, then they’d stop everything and shout in chorus, “Helloooo, nurse!”
It’s funny how silly lines like that can work their way into your personal vocabulary.
This one time, at band camp, at a music festival, I was wandering between shows and caught a glimpse of this guy. I stayed to watch hear the set.