Talking Smart

[lydamorehouse]

 I bet y'all didn't know that my father has a vlog. He invited me onto his show ostensibly to talk about my book release, though we, in many ways, ended up chatting more about Sherry Turkle's Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in the Digital Age and other ways that the Internet has changed conversation and thinking. 

I would normally embed the video here, but that option has been restricted. Regardless, if you're curious what my dad looks like and/or want to otherwise check out  our rambling conversation (and the thumbnail that makes me look like a wanted criminal) you can follow the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjSix3rLWF0

Otherwise, it is reading Wednesday and I have very little to report, although I did just finish a manga called Mermaid Scales and the Town of Sand by Komori Yoko, which I enjoyed tremendously. It's the kind of story that I'd call fantasy-adjacent, as there are a lot of fantastical elements, though most of them end up being metaphorical or allegorical. I described it on my manga blog as a sophisticated slow burn slice-of-life about the kind of grief that nearly all young kids experience--that moment when you realize that your parents are human beings, riddled with faults of their own. The story begins as the middle school-aged heroine is relocating to a small seaside town because her parents are divorcing (due to her mother's infidelity) and ends in a place of acceptance, at least the acceptance for now. It's a very grown-up book, honestly.  Surprisingly PROFOUND. (Which is why the review, if you go off to read it, starts with a rant about frustrated I am that the gross pedophiles of the world have ruined anime and manga for so many mundanes.) People should read this book!

Anyway.

I am up at the a$$-crack of dawn because I just took our family friend, John, to the airport, so that he could catch a flight for home. He was staying with us for a few days on his annual Midwestern tour to see his mother (in Iowa.) He's always a very easy houseguest, basically family, so it was lovely to have him while he was here. 

Comments

[profiterole_reads]

I only watched a few minutes, but that was very sweet of your dad to have you on his vlog. :-)

Ukuda? Am I reading this right? What does it mean?

[lydamorehouse]

I don't know what "ukuda" is either. I'm not sure where that's coming from?

[profiterole_reads]

Oh, wait, it might be Rakuda instead. They look almost the same and I'm very rusty, even with Wikipedia's help, apparently.

[lydamorehouse]

I still don't know what this is in reference to?

[profiterole_reads]

The giant Japanese behind you on the video.

[lydamorehouse]

Oh, Rakuda, yes! It's the Hiragana of 駱駝 (camel), which was my nickname in my Japanese language class. One time I lost my shit over the list of words we were supposed to memorize and started ranting in class about how VERY UNLIKELY it would be that I'd be wandering the streets of Tokyo and suddenly need to talk to someone about camels.

[profiterole_reads]

lol

[pshaw_raven]

I've got the video open to listen to later - the conversation sounds like an interesting one.

[lydamorehouse]

I hope you enjoy it! I like talking to my dad, honestly? We used to have these kinds of long, rambling, far-reaching conversations all the time. In fact, we used to call those chats "Talking Smart," which is why he named the vodcast what he did.

[offcntr]

Listened in the studio this morning while assembling chalices.

Great fun hearing smart people being thoughtful, and I appreciated how he respected your teaching experience and melded it into the discussion.

10/10, would listen to more.

[lydamorehouse]

Awesome! Yeah, I think this is such a great project for my dad. Like, it plays to his strengths. So, yeah, I mean, I'm subscriber? I will listen to some of his others from time to time too!