Animated film is not simply for kids. More and more people are coming to grips with this now that Pixar is creating some of the best films to come out of Hollywood in years, but there was one man that understood the power of animation long before Pixar became popular: Hayao Miyazaki.
Miyazaki is not only a master of hand-drawn animation, but also a master storyteller. His films are nuanced and complex, yet feature themes and tropes that resonate with every single member of his audience. His characters are richly-developed, and he mixes this incredible knack for storytelling with visuals that are breathtakingly beautiful and stunningly haunting at the same time.
Today, I want to thank Hayao Miyazaki for being inspirational.
Hayao Miyazaki’s remarkable ability to convey emotion and share truth through rich and sensual storytelling is something I strive for constantly. I strongly encourage you all to check out My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away, two of my favorite Miyazaki films, if you haven’t seen them already. They have been, and continue to be, and inspiration to me.
Every Sunday for the next little while, I’ll be writing one or two paragraphs about people that inspire me as a kind of thank you for making me want to do and be better. Who inspires you?
I’ve learned a lot of things this week: I’ve learned to never under-appreciate a good night’s sleep, I’ve learned that some people disappear just when you thought they were about to finally be there, I’ve learned that simply processing and responding to email can take up an entire week at work, and I’ve learned that there are so many great things to see on the web that I can’t fit them all into the Weekender.
I’m heading to Barcelona in July, so this set of wonderful photos from the city by Alix (who runs one of my favorite blogs ever) was particularly timely:
Links for the weekend.
Twilight of the Tummlers
Two of my favorite auteurs, Woody Allen and Larry David, have just made a new movie together. That fact alone has to make you excited about cinema this summer.
Play With Your Food, Just Don’t Text!
I’ve been guilty of this once in a while in the past, but in general, when you’re at the dinner table, the mobile phone needs to be put away. Seriously.
Simple Happy.
I love when people share stories of human goodness and kindness like these. That’s part of the whole reason I changed the purview of this site from a place for me to write about anything to a place for me to tell stories.
25 And Over
I linked to this article about two years ago when I turned 25, but it’s making the rounds on the web again, so I figured it would be nice for me to repost it. Every single thing on that list still holds true.
Archie commits — finally
I always knew Archie would pick Veronica, so this comes as no surprise. And while I have a soft spot for Betty (perhaps because I know what it’s like to be strung along like that), I think Archie made the right choice for his situation.
Starting with Fear, Ending with Freedom
It was a sad day when Prop 8 was held up earlier this week. Very very sad, and it made me question the human capacity for love and kindness. Amy’s post, however, reminded me that hopelessness isn’t going to solve the problem: speaking up for love and equal rights is.
For Teenagers, Hello Means ‘How About a Hug?’
I’m still figuring out how this is news enough to make the New York Times. I’ve been using the hug as my standard greeting for people I know and care about since I was a child, and still do. Then again, it’s no surprise I’m a fanof the hug.
Videos for the weekend.
This is one of the most amazing commencement speeches I’ve ever seen. My graduation speaker tried to be fun, but he was a math nerd and put me to sleep. Honestly. Ellen’s speech is just what you need if you’re about to leave school and join the real world:
A friend of mine passed away a few days ago. He wasn’t a particularly close friend, but the news still hurt.
After hearing the news, I went through my usual routine of coping with loss: first, I didn’t tell anyone and just tried to keep it all to myself; second, I confided in one person I could trust and told them exactly how I was feeling; finally, I shared the news publicly but in a way that I can speak about generalities and talk about what I had learned instead of how I feel. (Yes, this post is part of that final step.) That’s how I deal with loss. All the time.
Understanding my cycle of coping with loss made me curious about how other people cope with loss, whether it be of family, friends, pets, or anything else close to them in their lives.
Dealing with loss.
I decided to spend some time this weekend asking total strangers how they deal with loss — not in the big picture sense, but the actual actions they take when they experience loss. I recorded the conversations and I’m transcribing some of the excerpts here. I’ve cleaned up the language and grammar a bit, but the essence of each message is the same.
Zaybeen, mid-50s:
I’m a crier. I cry. I’m not afraid to tell people too. You need to cry to get all the tension out sometimes. After I’m done crying, I feel better. It doesn’t solve the problem — it didn’t bring my dog back when he died last summer — but helps you get things out so you can think about stuff clearly afterwards.
Peter, early-30s:
I don’t know. I guess I just talk to my wife about things and that helps me. She’s really good at listening. I think if you just talk about things, it makes them easier to deal with.
Chantelle, late-teens:
I just go play some tennis. It’s easy to forget about things when you’re playing and when someone dies or you’re really sad, you just need to forget about stuff.
Mike, early-40s:
It’s tough, but you just deal with it. My mother passed away last year, and when she did, somebody had to take care of arrangements and make sure the family was okay. That’s me. Just take charge and understand that it’s part of life. It sucks, and it hurts, but it’s life.
I’ve got a few more but I’m tired and it’s late so I’m going to stop here for now. If you’re willing to share — and you don’t have to, I know it’s a sensitive topic — let me know how you deal with loss.
It’s obvious that libraries hold a special place in my heart. Growing up — and even now — some of the most special experiences of my life have involved libraries, and I tip my hat to all librarians that continue to make libraries some of the most important places in any community.
One such librarian is Jessamyn West. West isn’t just a librarian: she’s a visionary. She understands that libraries need to evolve to embrace new technologies and new types of interaction, and she has been doing a lot over time to help make that change happen. While many on the web are calling libraries obsolete institutions, West has been evaluating the role of libraries and librarians in our current context and helping make them even more relevant.
Today, I want to thank Jessamyn West for being inspirational.
Jessamyn West’s vision and relentless pursuit of freedom of expression is something I admire. I strongly encourage you all to check out librarian.net where she writes about libraries and their evolving roles, and her personal blog as well. They have been, and continue to be, and inspiration to me.
Every Sunday for the next little while, I’ll be writing one or two paragraphs about people that inspire me as a kind of thank you for making me want to do and be better. Who inspires you?
Been in Silicon Valley attending the O’Reilly Where 2.0 conference all week. Spent a lot of time in planes to get out here, so I’ve amassed a pretty solid set of photos, videos, and links to share with you for this edition of the Weekender. Try and clear up a good chunk of time this weekend to get through it all.
In Pursuit of Elegance: 12 Indispensable Tips
Matthew May talks about how sometimes the best design is elegant design — when a product or tool does just enough, and not more than it has to do.
Newspaper Narcissism
Walter Pincus thinks about why people got into newspaper journalism in the first place, and how far we’ve come since then — to the detriment of the industry.
The Next iPhone
If there’s anyone I trust when it comes to all things Apple, it’s Jon Gruber. This is why I’m holding off until July to buy my new iPhone.
The Median Isn’t the Message
Stephen Jay Gould’s essay may be about statistics on its surface, but underneath its a story about resilience and determination.
The Management Myth
Ever since I considered going back to school for my MBA, I’ve been coming across a good number of articles telling me why it’s not worth it. This is one of them.
What I’ve Learned Raising a Daughter (Thus Far)
You don’t need a daughter to keep your heart from getting too hard (or maybe I’m just oddly effeminate), but I can see how raising a little girl can be one of the most amazing things in the world. One day…
The Most Interesting Man in the World
Everybody loves those Dos Equis ads, but what they do highlight is that the whole concept of interesting these days has become vanilla and boring. What’s really interesting?
The young woman in seat 2A stared out the window like it was her first time flying. In seat 2C, I sat next to her, intrigued.
I asked her what she was looking at.
The young woman in seat 2A was a seasoned traveler, but for her, the luster of air travel had never faded. She pointed at a mountain peak below and explained:
“Just a few decades ago, when people wanted cross those mountains, they would have to spend days on foot or hours on a rickety old train, never really being sure what was awaiting them on the other side. Today, we spend just over an hour flying over them and forget about just how beautiful but also imposing they really are.”
It was a statement I had heard before, particularly in light of my sometimes-too-frequent complaints about business travel, but this time, as I stared out the window looking at the mountains beneath her slender fingers, I was reminded that it while it may be easy to take nature’s majesty for granted, you miss out on a whole lot when you do.
By the end of the flight, we were practically sharing seat 2A, peering out the window, pointing out interesting patterns in the rivers that criss-crossed the mountains below us and wonderful shapes in the clouds that flew by.
That night, after landing, I changed my preference for my return flight from an aisle seat to a window. I’m ready to capture that luster for air travel again.
Roger Ebert is not my favorite film critic: I’m partial to the opinions of A.O. Scott and Anthony Lane. Ebert is, however, the best film critic in the business. His writing on film is unrivaled, and these days, he has extended his skill with words to address other issues other than film with an amazing deftness.
Ebert has taken his love of film and has expressed it in many ways: he has written screenplays, become a television star, and now hosts one of the most interesting and eloquent blogs on the web. More importantly, he has taken the time and effort to help educate and to help fuel the passions of others, whether that be through his workshops, festivals, or just allowing extremely intelligent discussion to take place on his little slice of the internet.
Today, I want to thank Roger Ebert for being inspirational.
Roger Ebert’s passion for his craft is something I strive for constantly. I strongly encourage you all to check out Ebert’s fantastic blog and his really great Film Festival that takes place every year, if you haven’t seen them already. They have been, and continue to be, and inspiration to me.
Every Sunday for the next little while, I’ll be writing one or two paragraphs about people that inspire me as a kind of thank you for making me want to do and be better. Who inspires you?
One of my best friends here in DC moves across the country later today. After an exciting and wonderful week where we spent lots of valuable time together, I know I’m going to need a good rest this weekend. If you’re caught inside over the next few days, this edition of The Weekender has some good photos, video, and links to keep you occupied.
Photos for the weekend.
White Space: a wonderful gallery of paintings by Silke Schöner that leaves large parts of the landscape bathed in white for us to fill in.
Links for the weekend.
Like Mother, Like Son
Most little boys grow up emulating their fathers. Not me: my role model from the first day I have been alive has been my mother, and I couldn’t ask for a better person to serve as my inspiration and love of my life.
Best Patios in Toronto
DC has some great patios, but I have to admit that Toronto has one of the best patio cultures I’ve witnessed in North America. It’s really fantastic, and this is a good starter list to explore some of the best patios in the city.
How to Challenge Google (And Win)
I’d argue that Umair Haque is one of the greatest business thinkers of our time. Here, he demonstrates why he’s so great: he looks at what made Google successful, and offers ways that we can all adopt similar thinking.
The Optimist Conspectus
Sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in the bad news around us and forget the wonderful things in our life. I love this site because it helps remind me that there’s always sunshine around the corner.
Don’t! The secret of self-control.
An article in the New Yorker about teaching ourselves how to think so that we can outsmart our desires. Yeah, I need to work on that.
Videos for the weekend.
Absolutely gorgeous shots of nature and wildlife as the sun sets in the horizon by Ray Paunovich. Peaceful, calming, serene, and beautiful.
Cute, fun, and really well executed. A short video by Nelson Boles that will bring a smile to your face.
The waitress at the cafe in Alexandria was visibly tired. It was a slow night, so I told her that she was welcome to join me for my late-night coffee.
She had been working at this cafe for about six months. Before that, she had tried her hand working at a fancy restaurant. It hadn’t gone so well.
The story was sad and simple: it was her third day on the job at this expensive restaurant in Old Town, and her boyfriend had just broken up with her the night before. She hadn’t slept well, and was clearly distraught. Halfway through her shift, she was caught by a moment of emotional and physical weakness — and the tray that she was carrying came crashing to the ground.
The food on her tray had managed to completely cover three restaurant patrons, and in the process, she had knocked over a bottle of wine onto the lap of another. Everyone in the restaurant looked at her aghast when, instead of maintaining her composure and trying to fix things, she broke down in tears.
Apparently, the restaurant patrons had been quite vocal in their complaints; some of them had asked that she be fired immediately. The owner, understanding her situation and believing in her abilities — believing in who she was on the whole instead of focusing on the one mistake she made — decided to give her another chance at his small cafe in Alexandria.
Six months later, she was sitting with me, sipping coffee, at that same cafe. She was now more than just a waitress, but was also the night manager of the cafe and her regular patrons loved her. She had been given a second chance, and not only did she perform well, but she thrived and enjoyed her new work more than any other gig she had been given before.
Sometimes, that’s all someone really needs: a second chance.
It’s easy to form quick first impressions, especially when those impressions are based on mistakes or slips in character. It’s harder to give someone the benefit of the doubt: to give them a second chance.
The story of the waitress reminded me how lucky I have been to be on the receiving end of someone’s ability to look past my initial transgressions; despite certain things I have done or said that may have been detrimental to a professional or personal relationship, I have been blessed with second chances. Most of the time, what has come after that initial blip, that initial mistake, has been more fruitful and more fulfilling than anything before.
I spilled a bit of my coffee on my shirt (I’m clumsy, it happens) during my late-night chat with the waitress at the cafe. She didn’t mind — and told me to come back any time.
The fact that my mother is my inspirational person this Sunday, on Mother’s Day, is not completely coincidental. I always knew that my mom would be featured on this series of inspirational people, I just hadn’t quite planned what I would say. I’m still not quite sure what to say, but it’s Mother’s Day and it’s only fitting that I write a little bit about the woman that has cared for me and loved me more than anyone else in the world over the past twenty-seven years.
It’s no secret that I’m a complete momma’s boy: I’ve written a whole post about that fact before. If you have ever met my mother, you would understand why: she displays the most selfless love for everyone she meets and sees beauty and goodness in the eyes of everyone she meets.
The other day, I overheard one young woman telling her friend that she felt that, as she was growing up, she was turning into her mother, and this horrified her. I was taken aback — if I were to ever grow up to be like my mother, that would be the ultimate compliment. My mother taught me how to love endlessly and selflessly. My mother has taught me to to never compromise myself and who I really am in the face of criticism and adversity. My mom is the person who reminds me how blessed I am to be alive and to be surrounded by wonderful people.
Today, I want to thank my mom, Shahsultan Vasta, for being inspirational.
My mother is the most beautiful woman in the world, inside and out. If you ever meet her, please give her a hug for me and remind her that her son — even though he may be hundreds of miles away — is thinking of her every moment of every day.
Every Sunday for the next little while, I’ll be writing one or two paragraphs about people that inspire me as a kind of thank you for making me want to do and be better. Who inspires you?
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