GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Notes

  • Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Hiroyuki Okiura, 1999

    Jin-Roh is a story of power, love, and belonging.

    For a film based on an ultra-armored police unit, the pacing is contemplative, with atmospheric lingering shots, even during a riot.

    Of course, there are moments of intense violence. But it’s ultimately about a man finding his place in society – an authoritarian society whose peacekeepers struggle with their humanity.

    I’d write more, but I don’t dare spoil it. Highly recommended.

    ䷀䷙

    The movie is part of a wider fictional universe, but it doesn’t require any prior knowledge, though it helps to know that it’s set in an alternate history post World War 2 Japan that had allied to the Americans but lost to the German occupation.

    Jin-Roh is a classic along better known anime films such as Ghost in the Shell and Perfect Blue. In a DVD world, I most would have bought a copy of it. Nowadays it’s free on tubi.tv. That said, I’ve been told to avoid the widely panned Korean live-action adaptation.

  • How Will You Measure Your Life?, Clay Christensen, 2012

    A business self help book that is unashamedly both. As a businessman, Christensen starts with incentives and culture.

    He splits incentives into motivation and hygiene factors. Hygiene (fair pay, good team) are the basics that allows you to avoid disliking your job. Motivations are the warm fuzzies that turn your work into a passion.

    He starts with corporate culture to discuss family culture. I generally despise the work = family equivalence, but he frames it well to present a fresh perspective on the matter. I need to ponder how incentive factors affect our family culture.

    Following his thesis from the Innovator’s Dilemma, his key refrain is that the little things beneath our notice are what will determine our future.

    The time and resources that you devote today, at this moment, prove your real priorities. Repeated execution of these priorities create your life.

    His final chapter is a warning to stick to one’s standards. A small compromise in the moment may be a clever marginal play, but the full cost might be realized after one’s course has been steered in an ill direction.

    ䷲

    I listened to it at 1.5x speed. It’s another classic pull yourself up by the bootstraps self help book, this time from a business consultant’s perspective. I haven’t felt the need to listen to it again, but I should watch his TEDx talk.

  • The Sea Beast, Chris Williams, 2022

    A fun buddy movie between a man, girl, and massive red beast.

    It’s appropriately popular in the Netflix Kids section, though I suspect it will fade with time, like The Little Prince movie.

    I enjoyed the ride, even if imperfect.
    The beats were predictable (understandable, given the intended audience).
    Less forgivable, some plotlines felt rushed while other threads were left hanging.

    However, my biggest quibble is with the coda.

    Hard to say much without spoiling the film. So I’ll stop here.

    ䷒

    I doubt the kids will ask to watch it again. I wouldn’t veto such a request, but I won’t propose it either. If still unsure, watch the trailer. It’s a fair representation.

  • Will another comic crash or fly on the wings of actors?

    I watched the long awaited first episode of Sandman.

    I’m conflicted.

    Do I want one of my favorite works replayed on the big screen?

    Or just turn off the TV?

    Is it greedy to search for revived greatness in another format?

    It’s been a quarter century.

    The hours are more precious now.

    I’ll let the internet decide before I hit episode 2…or season 2.

    ䷰䷾

    The mouse has eaten the king of dreams.

  • Three games with a deck.

    We played Dixit.
    He kept showing his hand.
    And always picked his own card.
    But she understood the game.
    We played a few rounds.

    Cute Wars did not go so well.
    He hated his sister’s claims that her card was cuter.
    (That’s the point of the game!)
    Crying ensued.

    Later that evening, we played with my wife.
    She correctly guessed one of my clues.
    The girl hated it.
    Especially when when I joked “Mommy is my soulmate.”

    ䷺䷃

    a spring wells up at the foot of the mountain

  • Wisdom of Solomon, Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1894

    The Wisdom of Solomon might be a fine devotional for a believer. It’s chock full of paeans to wisdom defined as the faithful adherence to God,

    But there’s nothing else.

    As a former Christian, I view the religion from both the inside and the outside. My parents still practice, but my house is very much non-devout.

    Growing up, Bible stories felt as real as other historical stories. But try explaining Bible stories to someone who wasn’t indoctrinated from birth. Last Christmas, I told the gospel story to my daughter. It was fantastical. I’m certain she’ll have a similar look on her face if I ever recount Greek myths.

    This is my one regret from forsaking religion. I wonder if my kids will miss out on the allusions buried throughout western literature. For that alone, it may be worth an extensive study of the classics, including the Bible — but don’t start here.

    I fully endorse the exclusion of this book from the Protestant canon. I started focused but only skimmed the second half while watching the kids jump on their bed.

    After stumbling across the gem of the Havamal last year, I printed out the wisdom literature in the Apocrypha. After this read, the other books have remained untouched.

  • Zooleretto, Michael Schacht, 2007

    I played Zooloretto at my first game night at Jim and Troung’s house.
    Just OK.

    But who can deny a giant panda on the cover?

    So I bought it as my birthday present.
    We played it once according to the rules.

    Then they constructed a massive mega zoo in the playroom,
    Filled the pens with animals.
    Lego people visited Zoo.

    ䷰䷩

    Zooleretto is a good game, deserving of the SDJ. I prefer the conceptual purity of Coloretto but now appreciate the purposeful complexity provided by additions to the original engine. She still dislikes competitive games. Maybe they will enjoy it in a few years.

  • Berol Draughting 314 Pencil

    If brands are an emotional connection, this one grabbed me while laying buttery blacks on ED11A drawings during my freshman year at Berkeley.

    A few months ago, my mom returned old pencils that I left with them after college. That night, my daughter was using this round burgundy pencil with a thick graphite core in the living room.

    In spite of the two decade hiatus, a warm fuzzy feeling swept over me. I was surprised at the strength of the reaction.

    It’s just a pencil.

    What a fine pencil!

    Unfortunately, Berol is no more.

    What will be the nostalgia brands for our kids? 2056 is just around the corner.

    ䷇䷯

  • The White T

    He’s got a crew neck; mine is a v-neck. Same difference.

    The boy is wearing a white T this morning.

    I like white T’s. It’s what I wear.

    There’s nothing as cute as a little man dressed like 爸爸. Especially when you’re 爸爸.

    (Actually, wrong. It was cuter when he was a baby in his sister’s pink onesies. Poor guy didn’t know any better while defying gender norms.)

    He’s starting to get picky about his clothes. When he grows up, he’ll dress better than his daddy.

    But for now, I’ll take him dressing like me.

  • Disneyland in the Kitchen Living Room

    It started innocently, pushing the boy around the house on the tricycle. To mix it up, I counted down from ten and took off like a rocket.

    The girl heard him laughing and wanted to join the fun.

    The boy didn’t want to share but learned that half is better nothing when we stopped playing with him.

    We started zooming across the floor, again and again.

    While waiting for her turns, my daughter started riding their plasma car. She wove between the scattered trampoline, tent, and slide. With this spark, we pushed and pulled the furniture to create a second ride that weaved through the living room and kitchen.

    Disneyland at Home.

    The Plasma Boat Cruise was a figure-8 circuit. It started with a leisurely River of Animals, passed the Drawing Station and slid underneath the (dining) Table Mountain, next to the Aladdin’s Cave (tent). It rolled through the Cooking Zone and Frozen Land, looped through the Furniture Alley (with the trampoline, slide, reading chair, and ottoman), baked through the Sun Canyon next to the patio door, flowed through the Gorge of Chairs, dug under the Snow Tunnel and we were back at the beginning.

    In the meantime, the Rocket would take off. When the Cruise had ended, the tricycle would be ready to go again. The riders would switch and do it all over again.

    This wasn’t the real thing. But the kids had fun, and I ate a tastier (and much cheaper) home-cooked breakfast before heading upstairs for work.

    See you in Anaheim.

    Someday.