Good for Health, Bad for Education
I’m in a bit of a slump. I’ve been sitting here, staring at a blank screen. I want to write, but I’m just an empty vessel. I feel it in other aspects, as well. It’s a kind of anhedonia, a listless feeling, neither up nor down.
I wake up, drink coffee, move some weights around, go to work, have the same stupid conversations, make noisy keyboard sounds, then quietly leave early. The summer sun takes its damn time going down. With its setting, a reprieve from the Texas heat and the monotony of the day.
I’m definitely a night person. Moonstruck – a lunatic in the strict etymological sense. The unfathomable depth and cold indifference of a clear night sky are like a salve for my soul. Few things excite me more than a major metro after midnight. The empty streets, the buzz of the lights, the almost liminal atmosphere.
One of my favorite pastimes on this earth is an overnight hike through Tokyo. Pick a mileage you’re comfortable with and take one of the last trains in almost any direction from your hotel. Take your time walking back. Seriously, try it, but be sure to learn enough Japanese to politely explain yourself to the police. Ask me how I know...
Bad Translations
I’ve had that Akira patch sitting on my desk for a long time now. It came with the 35th Anniversary edition box-set of the manga. It has absolutely no relevance to anything I’ve written here, but I stared blankly at it for a long time before finally hitting some keys.
Those of a certain generation and weeb-ish proclivities are familiar with the phrase, but did you know it’s nonsense? The actual Japanese on Kaneda’s jacket is 健康優良不良少年. It means something closer to healthy delinquent.
健康優良 (Kenkou Yuuryou) is healthy and excellent/model (often used in Japanese schools for "healthy, model students"). 不良少年 (Furyou Shounen) is a juvenile delinquent / bad boy.
The irony is wonderful. Kaneda and his Capsule Gang are thugs, dangerous delinquents with a vendetta against the world, yet they still embody the robust vitality of youth.
Those were the days.
My youth, along with the energy for rebellion, is long gone. I haven’t quite lost the spirit though. My early retirement plan continues to come together. I received a letter today notifying me of some small victories. One step closer to being able to frisbee my laptop at an executive’s head and walk out the door forever.