She enjoyed the trailer and this is one of her favorites from the Roald Dahl book set. We gave it a whirl on New Year’s Eve.
The girl closed 2022 by learning the hard truth that adaptations distort beloved stories. She expressed her dismay throughout the viewing. Expecting fidelity is a surefire path to disappointment.
I hadn’t read the book, so I thought it was fine. It was a welcome respite from the current Pixar aesthetic. The story and characters had a delightful edge (which Disney studiously avoids). I haven’t watched Wes Anderson before, but I now grok his reputation. I’d watch him again.
After the kids went to bed, I read the book. It’s a fun, quiet story. I get why my daughter felt let down.
We discussed it further on New Year’s Day —
The director added all that stuff to fill a 90 minute movie.
But why did he make these changes?
Those are plot devices to manufacture tension.
Were they necessary? The book was better.
I agree, but the mass market demands more excitement in their movies.
As a father, it hurts to feel her sense of betrayal. Then again, she’s embarking upon lifetime of disappointing movie adaptations.
Best that we got the initial shock out of the way, last year.
This game is Where’s Waldo in a metropolis of murder and mayhem.
As investigators, the player’s job is to track the incident on the map — backwards and forwards in time and space — to catch the perpetrators.
The key conceptual breakthrough is that the little figures are repeatedly shown in the map, tracking both space and time. Of course, it helps that the design team implemented this idea impeccably.
The kids absolutely love this game. My daughter hates competitive games so the team coop is a good fit, and the illustrations are cute as hell (an apt superlative given what’s depicted).
As a parent, I been awful at picking presents, especially games. So it I’ll take any success when where I can find it, even though I dislike the idea of single use games (sorry Legacy!).
Given my cheapskate tendencies, the fact I’m now considering other games of limited replayability is the highest recommendation I could give MicroMacro. Not just me, it won the ’21 Spiel des Jahres!
If it sounds interesting, get it.
Make sure you have a real magnifying glass when you play the game. The thin plastic magnifier that comes with the game scratches up easily. Even better, get a domed magnifying paperweight. It’s perfect for marking a key point on the map as well as exploring the vicinity. I’m happy we had one at home.
Is there a hidden cost of trying to fit everything in? I can’t to remember anything from audiobooks that I “read” at 1.5x speed. Let’s not talk about YouTube.
Such an approach would force me to be pickier about my information consumption.
I also wonder if listening to things at high speed is grooving bad hidden psychological habits.
What’s a better Disney film? As I grow up, my tastes regress. Continue the trend and this will become my favorite movie! (Though I can’t envision how it could dislodge Pom Poko.)
We watched it with her years ago. No memories. As I pulled up the movie, she was unimpressed by my excitement. Then it started. She LOL’ed throughout.
The boy watched intently. During our dinner break, he smiled and proclaimed That was a lot! (But refused to elaborate.) I’ll re-interrogate him on film criticism during breakfast.
Should we watch the sequels? I’m a timid gambler. I’d quit while I’m ahead. But if the kids insist…
Our home renovation was the first project under my stamp. The second was this renovation at Building 1300.
It was built as a residential center the disabled. Fifty years later, it’s an administrative building. We removed two kitchens, freeing up space to become an indoor exercise activity space for the clients and a training room for the staff.
In school, we design majestic pretend structures. Sometimes we get to participate in marquee IRL projects — my wife worked on curtain wall details for an addition to an iconic museum and I’ve played a part on three university building projects.
But really, Architecture is a mundane practice.
We make incremental improvements to what’s around us. We get paid to make the world a little better.
Four years ago, I left private practice to become an Owner’s Project Manager for the State of Nevada.
I’m the ultimate middleman — I don’t deliver nothing. The Architect designs the project. The Contractor builds it. The Agency uses the facility to serve the public.
I just shepherd the team to deliver the project on time and on budget, hopefully at an optimal quality.
My tasks are unremarkable. Calculate estimates. Send emails. Meetings and phone calls. Double check drawings and dollar signs. I shuttle documents around our bureaucracy.
My position is five steps below the Governor on the org-chart, but it’s blessedly free from politics. The Citizens elect our Politicians. They determine our directives. The Division gets it done.
But nothing happens without people.
My big paradigm shift after taking this job was realizing that work is all about relationships. As a professional architect, I delivered tangible documents. Now, my only unique skill is familiarity with the government bureaucracy.
I’m here to balance the conflicting demands on a project, negotiate the cross incentives within the team, and chart a path through the process.
It’s not always daisies. On Friday night, I dropped the velvet hammer on a flooring manufacturer for delaying another project. It’s my duty to be fair and firm as a steward of taxpayer dollars.
I grasp the checkbook, but I work for those who do the real work. Construction isn’t easy, but I hope to make it satisfying. I try to conduct myself with honor and enable each team member to to do their best. I care about each of us, in our roles and as individuals.
This is our work. Let’s make the most of this precious opportunity.
Maybe even walk out with a smile.
This Kitchen Demolition project did not go smoothly. It started as an extensive renovation with a consultant architect, but the agency suddenly realized that the funding was about to expire.
With that nasty deadline, I could only deconstruct. I slammed demolition drawings on AutoCAD LT and pushed it out to bid. The contract was approved, signed by all parties.
Then COVID hit.
The Capitol feared we were at the precipice of a depression and killed this little project. (Of course, the cancellation dragged out amidst the pandemic confusion, leaving the contractor in limbo for more than a month.)
By Spring 2021, the looming depression became an economic rebound. The Agency revived the project.
The Contractor held their bid, we waded through a swamp of paperwork, moved the cash into the right budget account, and those kitchens disappeared!
We celebrated with a twelve pack of Dr. Peppers.
Construction is only straightforward after it’s done. Every project suffers its twists and turns.
We can plan, but only so much. When chaos hits, the universe forces us to negotiate. If we choose to collaborate, these frustrations can cultivate relationships beyond mere project roles.
June came and went this year. The twelve month warranty expired — the only part of our job without hiccups.
Wednesday morning, I returned a missed call.
His voice quivered.
Tracey passed away. I thought you should know. She really enjoyed working with you.
䷨䷆
one small project client and contractor respect notice beyond this vale greatest honor of my career
Practical effects! A nostalgic reminder of life before CGI. Movie magic still dazzles the kids. I wanna sleep inside a blue Lego brick!
A slim, tight story. (I’ve lost patience for protracted narratives.) One denouement is enough.
A fun show with one blemish.
It’s a uniformly white world. Growing up, my non-existence was status quo. A perpetual bystander to a world of beautiful alabaster teens.
The sting lingers. But I hope it’s not as pointed for them. Today’s media is more diverse. One homogenous film doesn’t feel like erasure — Just a tart anachronism in today’s sea of color.
~
I used this trailer to convince the girl to cancel Netflix for Disney+. We got sidetracked by everything else for a few months. Happy we finally watched the movie.
Heading into our third weekend together, this will be my 100th post. (Technically I hit it earlier, but I deleted a few stray Posts along the way.)
I pick up — and drop — hobbies with alacrity. I wish I weren’t so fickle, but I’m not the only one. There are many conflicting pulls on our time. Doing one means diminishing another, so I cycle through my recreations.
Over the past two decade, we’ve seen social media platforms rise and fall. Glittering potential dissolving into pernicious squabbling. A brilliant dawn fades into tragedy.
Will this be an apex or a milestone? I don’t know. If it’s near the top, then early gratitude for these magical 16 days. If the latter, then I look forward to many more Posts together.
~
63. After Completion 既濟 ䷾ (water over fire)
Success in small matters. Good fortune in at the beginning. But things might end in chaos. Equilibrium on a knife’s edge, calamitous disorder on both sides. Water over fire, steam gives power but fraught with danger. With the wrong attitude completion leads to decay. Practice constancy.
Changing Line 3 (yang becomes yin)
Conquer demon territory. Establish a bastion in the borderlands. It will take capable leadership and persistence. Three years. A bold initiative will become a protracted campaign. Employ people of character. The work will exact a brutal toll. A petty man will lose it all.
3. Difficulty at the Beginning 屯 ䷂ (water over quake)
Life grows through the abyss. Great potential is attainable with good character. Be adaptable and dynamic, as clouds and thunder. Birth is a treacherous moment. Associate with noble people.
~
Good start, don’t get cocky. Victory is attainable at great cost. Shape order from chaos with good company.
