March 17, 2024 — Existential Autotrip

March 17, 2024
# 1649

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COVER:
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is a figure shrouded in both history and legend. Born in Roman Britain around 385 AD, he wasn’t Irish by birth. Captured by Irish raiders at the age of 16, he spent six years in captivity, working as a shepherd. During this lonely time, he turned to his faith, becoming a devout Christian.
After escaping, he experienced a divine revelation, urging him to return to Ireland as a missionary. His mission was twofold: minister to existing Christians and convert the Irish.
Although many legends surround him, St. Patrick’s impact on Irish culture and Christianity endures.

Saint Patrick's Day celebration at Trafalgar Square in London, 2006

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Commentary
TEDx talk at Babson less than 2 weeks away. Am happy with script. Less sanguine with my mastery of it.
I’ll keep practicing.

My 82nd birthday has come and gone.

A dear friend has dementia. and six months to live.

Someone I respect has shared an interesting idea with me. I gave him some direction and hope to hear back from him soon.

I continue to send Queries out to agents. No hot responses pending.

Kat and Will, at age 25, are entering the world of hosting dinner parties. They are thinking through the protocols of host/ess gifts.

Several years ago Blue Bottle threw a surprise celebration for Dom.

Prioritizing Silence

Not until my trip to the Indian ashram did I realize how scarce silence was in my life. Not only do I live and work in the overstimulating borough of Manhattan, but I love music and audiobooks and The Ezra Klein Show. I never just brushed my teeth. I brushed my teeth to The Daily. I never just washed the dishes. I washed them while listening to Demon Copperhead on Audible. I prided myself on my multitasking skills, as if I’ve hacked life and could be productive at all times and in more ways than one. Afterall, I’m a forever student who loves listening to dozens of books a year and always engaging my mind to feel intellectually stimulated. I genuinely enjoy soaking in the infinite knowledge my Airpods have to offer me.

However, underneath the excitement for culture and politics, I felt like allowing in silence was a failure on my behalf — that if I wasn’t tapped into some source of knowledge at all times, then I would be behind or, God forbid, bored. It wasn’t until experiencing the most stripped down and bare month of my life, in India, did I have to face what I’ve secretly feared: silence. And I learned to love it.

Silence is healing. Silence is a teacher. (Silence is secretly my next intellectual challenge. Ha!) But really, the quieter you can make your mind, your whole field of awareness, the more you can hear. You can learn a lot by returning to silence, even when you’d rather not. In fact, the moments you feel bored or uncomfortable in the quiet are probably the times when silence can be most productive.

So, I’ve ditched my annual audiobook challenge. I don’t put in earbuds until after I’ve left my house in the morning, and put them away hours before I go to bed. I’m giving myself permission tolisten— to the cars as I walk along the city sidewalks, to the beautiful, sweet quiet of my apartment when my upstairs neighbor is away. I’m giving myself permission to listen tome.

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Tucker’s Corner

When I was 8 years old I lived for something called Toonami, a 3 and a half hour programming block on weekday afternoons on Cartoon Network that exclusively showed anime. This was a huge deal for U.S. viewers as in 1996 this was one of the only ways anime could be viewed outside of Japan. Toonami aired many series but none was more impactful than Dragon Ball Z. I ate DBZ up because as a boy I was primed to devour the “shonen” style of its narrative. “Shonen” means young boy and the stories of Dragon Ball Z were heroes journeys that stressed perseverance and camaraderie. When you’re a kid and the world is completely out of your control, stories that focus on such deeply routed human needs and qualities bury themselves deep in your soul. They feed it.

There was nothing like the sprawling, slow-building story of “Dragon Ball Z” on American TV at the time. Cartoon shows rarely tried to tell stories even over multiple episodes. But “Dragon Ball Z” acclimated young millennial viewers to serial TV decades before Netflix bingeing became a thing.

Dragon Ball Z was created by Akira Toriyama and today, there is hardly a space in pop culture that hasn’t been touched by his art. Watch a Marvel movie and you’ll see action sequences that purposefully echo the climactic, planet-destroying battles of Dragon Ball Z. Drop a needle on a hip-hop track and you just may hear a reference to “going Super Saiyan.” Watch sports and you’ll see athletes credit their dedication to Goku, the hero of the Dragon Ball series.

Bird Studio, the company Toriyama founded in 1983, announced on Thursday that the author and artist died on March 1. He was 68. But the legacy of his work is alive and well all over entertainment. After filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Toriyama is likely the most influential Japanese artist of modern times. He brought manga and anime into the global mainstream and broke down the walls that had once sealed off Japanese storytelling.

The cover of the first issue of the Dragon Ball manga

Toriyama’s most famous creation is the “Dragon Ball” series, the manga he began in 1984. It was inspired by the classic Chinese epic “Journey to the West,” but adapted with humor and a focus on martial arts. The animated TV show “Dragon Ball Z” made his work a global success. The franchise became so popular that its protagonist, Goku, was even given a Macy’s Day Parade balloon.

Toriyama’s work made impact all over the world, particularly in Latin America where Goku is considered a kind of folk hero. Latin American countries aired lots of Japanese TV programming because it was cheaper, and the rest is history: Goku slid into the hearts of another audience.

As an artist, Toriyama had a sharp, distinctive way of depicting humans. They followed the classic rules of cartooning: exaggerated expressions that clearly communicate emotions. But Toriyama was louder, more intense than most. His faces were easy to spot, but much of Toriyama’s storytelling occurred in how he drew hands. Toriyama’s most iconic hand gesture is placing Goku’s wrists clamped together, his palms face-open as he shoots out fireballs that destroy mountains. This style of magical martial arts would later inspire the entire genre of fighting video games, notably the fireballs of “Street Fighter 2.” Today, Toriyama’s style of combat is omnipresent in action narratives. (He even inspired the boxing matches of “Creed 3.")

His inspiration to spiky-haired characters is obvious and everywhere, but he also popularized the external depiction of chi, the spiritual energy that runs through the human body. In the West, “the force” in “Star Wars” was invisible and a matter of faith. Toriyama envisioned spiritual energy bursting and bathing our bodies in light and fire. He envisioned the human spirit as a powerful, visible presence and made it feel real.

Artwork for the video game Chrono Trigger

Athletes often cite “Dragon Ball” as an inspiration because of Toriyama’s focus on telling stories about determination and grit. Old stories about Spider Man and Batman would focus only on the conflicts, interpersonal and otherwise. The stories of “Dragon Ball,” however, created entire story arcs and multipart sagas specifically about training and self-improvement. What would be a throwaway training montage in other stories, Toriyama would use as an opportunity to build up characters and tension.

Beyond TV, Toriyama lent his art and style to other fields. Just as “Dragon Ball” was starting, he was commissioned by a Japanese software company to draw up a fantasy land. With Enix, Toriyama would help create “Dragon Quest,” one of the most influential video games of all time. He was the lead artist of “Chrono Trigger,” a Super Nintendo role-playing game that’s often cited as one of the best games ever made.

On the evening of March 7th, artists and animators from the three industries Toriyama touched shared work that he inspired. A “Spider Man” animator demonstrated a fireball he gave to the character Miles Morales. Many noted that Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog are both inspired by Toriyama characters. And then there’s Eiichiro Oda, creator of the “One Piece” franchise, whose work follows in Toriyama’s footsteps.

“The excitement and emotions felt through the Dragon Ball series will forever take root in the youth of the creators of this industry,” Oda wrote. “His existence is like that of a great tree. … May the heaven he envisioned be a most joyous place for him.”

A Note from Ralph:

Dom,
Here is a poem I think might be a good Saint Patrick’s Day piece.

“Untitled “
Alone on an Island warriors
Alleged barbarians await the
Onslaught of dubious civilization
They came and went
They came and went
Taking everything that went
They took their Celtic language
And left them howling at the moon
They did not surrender their indomitable heart.
They had the courage not
To deny who they really are
On their broken swords
They took up paper and pens
The English took their language
But they did English better than the English
Macbeth said,
“Give me my Armor
Give me my sword
The Celtics said,
“Give me my pen,
Give me my paper.”
Not to kill but to create
Not to dominate but to set free
Nurtured by mother’s who gave
Them more than mother’s milk
Reared by fathers who connected
Them to a farther Father
What didn’t kill them
Made them stronger
Their pain and lose
Did not stop them
From Being as Christlike
As they could
Their voice's could not be denied
By boundaries on land or sea
In the land of the free
Two Celtic brothers gave
Their voice for a New Birth of Freedom
They lost their life But not their voice
That will forever sing
Always waiting to be heard
God bless the Irish!
God bless the Irish!
They certainly blessed us.

Dedicated to Erin whose presence inspired this poem.

Ralph Indrisano

From: Chris Capossela
Subject: Patagonia 2024 on YouTube...

Hey folks – this past January I got a chance to spend two weeks fly fishing in Patagonia and it was just fantastic.

Since then, I’ve had a lot of fun putting together some videos that are now on YouTube.

These videos are amazing when viewed on a large monitor. They’ll work on a phone but they lose a lot of the detail so if you can watch on a big monitor or even a laptop, it will be much more engaging.

Given how busy everyone is, I put together a 4-minute speed recap called “Just the Fish” which you can see here: https://youtu.be/l2GuJlb-wSc?si=KaMMdntSqejg5a3x

The longer videos give a better feel for what the trip is like but are more geared to people who like fishing. if you have time for more of a diary approach, check out the week 1 and week 2 recaps below.

Week One (22 minutes!): https://youtu.be/jXBPGNDMln8?si=tQtjqmXFRG2px5Ci

Week Two (11 minutes) : https://youtu.be/vVvw0GLTcvs?si=3wSdzKrpwxWJVnCh

If you can’t spare 4 minutes, here’s a link to the 1 minute portion of the week 2 video where I landed my biggest brown trout so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVvw0GLTcvs&t=455s

We caught mostly brown trout with some rainbow trout. All of the fishing is catch and release and the guides were great teachers on how to care for the fish and the bodies of water. Most of the fish were caught on flies that look like beetles or grasshoppers and the diversity of water from lakes to rivers and streams to very small spring creeks was just amazing.

Enjoy!

Chris

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Chuckles and Thoughts
Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma.

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Six Word Stories
"Falling stars, dreams revealed, wishes granted."

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Mail and other Conversation
We love getting mail, email, or texts, including links.
Send comments to domcapossela@hotmail.com
text to 617.852.7192

This from dear friend Colleen G:

Dom!

Good Morning:)

I have thought of your story about you making your mom's tuna salad for her guests since I read it---a week ago? And kept saying--I need to tell Dom how much I enjoyed that story and how I think of it when I look at my son Charles, who is 10, and wonder if he could pull that off. But, mostly I think of how much you loved your mom. Not the ooey gooey kind or the hollow words kind, but the kind of love that means you take off the wellies and muck through the mud in your bare feet if you have to kind. It really struck me. As messy as relationships can be, there was such a love and loyalty you had for her that shined through that piece.

And then there's the photo from the museum. I am finally attaching that for you:) Proof that a person can be thought of even if they're not around.

Have a great week!

And then you know I have to "spoil" the emotion of thoughtfulness by including a photo we got (or maybe mostly me and my son) got a lot of good laughs from at that same museum . . . Uranus photo op. That planet added years to my life in the potty humor style belly laughs it gave me when we said things like, to George, "We saw Uranus in the next room." and things like that. Maybe you had to be there--but it was funny stuff!

Cheers,

Colleen:)

And this from dear friend, Sally:

Dear Dom,

Tucker really has a deep talent for reviewing films. I see few modern movies; I grew up where there were few theaters and less personal disposable income for that form of entertainment. But here’s Tucker, talking about “Shogun,” a film/series I haven’t seen, based on a book I haven’t read (but which I have heard of, of course) and having seen perhaps one episode of the 1980s series. And I understand what he’s talking about!

This from his post, referring to the Englishman Blackthorne and his Japanese captors:

Both parties are not only confused by the other, but enamored all the same…

This brings to mind my current place in the historical novel I’m writing, set in Jerusalem in the days of Jesus the Nazarene. Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish council, has recently become acquainted with Longinus, a Roman centurion. I find myself showing each of these men comparing what’s familiar in his own culture with the differences he observes in the other’s culture. Yes: confused, yet enamored, each open-minded enough to learn more about the other despite the social stigmas of the day.

And Dom, with regard to your upcoming TEDx Talk, you will knock your audience out of the park. Your dedication and discipline are most admirable – you want to give them your best, and you will. You go, man!

Sally

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Last Comment
I saw where Trump hosted Viktor Orban where he hid classified documents. Orban is an anti-Semite.

Starting with the Second Orbán Government in 2010, during his uninterrupted stay in power, Orbán has curtailed press freedom, weakened judicial independence, and undermined multiparty democracy, amounting to democratic backsliding during Orbán's tenure.
He frequently styles himself as a defender of Christian values in the face of the European Union, which he claims is anti-nationalist and anti-Christian.

In a July 2022 speech, Orbán criticized the miscegenation of European and non-European races, saying: "We [Hungarians] are not a mixed race and we do not want to become a mixed race. His tenure has seen Hungary's government shift towards what he has called "illiberal democracy", while simultaneously promoting Euroscepticism and opposition to liberal democracy and establishment of closer ties with China and Russia.
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Restaurants that support the North End website we edit and publish: questonorthend.org

Bricco - Our talented kitchen team creates “boutique” Italian food, so-called because it is unique, personal and created for a select and sophisticated diner. The food is complemented by an enoteca (wine bar) with an exceptional selection of all-Italian wines. Our chic and energetic bar serves up great one of a kind cocktails as well as brick oven pizza with gourmet toppings such as prosciutto and fresh mozzarella from Italy in addition with appetizer selections.

Umbria - This classic Italian Steakhouse features rustic cuisine of the region of Umbria as well as a wide selection of Italian-style steak cuts. In addition to the rustic cuisine, guest can also enjoy food and beverages on the rooftop lounge Mia which opens shortly.

Mare - A modern Italian seafood restaurant and oyster bar in Boston’s North End, offering a plentiful variety of options from the sea.

Quattro - Inspired by Italy’s passion for high quality foods prepared with fresh ingredients, Quattro brings delicious foods from simple locally grown ingredients. Frank DePasquale does something few restaurateurs have every tried, melding a full service restaurant that serves wine, beer and cordials with a kitchen equipped with a rotisserie, a char broiler and an authentic Neapolitan brick style pizza oven.

Trattoria Il Panino - Located right down the main vein of Hanover Street is Trattoria Il Panino, “Boston’s first original trattoria.” Our famous pasta dishes are best enjoyed on our covered patio area, open to the breeze and the sidewalk which is prime for enjoying the ambiance of the North End. Our menu combines traditional Italian cuisine with only the freshest of ingredients.

Aqua Pazza - Charming neighborhood hideaway serving cuisine-jumping Mediterranean small plates.

Assaggio - Intimate bi-level eatery for romantic dining, offering Italian-American classics & a full bar.

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Mar 14 March 17, 2024