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My favorite part of Peacebone!  (Excerpt from the video)

“You must not blame me if I do talk to the clouds.”   -Thoreau

Living in San Antonio doesn’t feel much like Seattle.  And for good reason.  However lately it’s been uncharacteristically cloudy and rainy here and it’s actually made me feel a little like I was actually in Seattle.  When I wake up and it’s dark and wet outside I like to think that that’s what I’ll be experiencing when I live and work in Seattle a year from now.  In a way, all this “bad weather” is actually sort of comforting.  It is very much a reminder that there’s a day after tomorrow, and all that jazz.  If this weather somehow miraculously kept up until the end of the year, I’d have to call it a smooth transition.  It isn’t exactly cold here, but that’s okay, I can settle for one of two Washington weather characteristics.

The sun is overrated.  I realize it’s necessary for life on Earth and whatnot, and I appreciate that, but unlike every other manifestation of nature out there, it isn’t appreciable to the eye.  On the contrary, we can’t even look at it directly.  This is where clouds come in.  When it’s cloudy out, it allows us to look at the sky without squinting and to take in all that majesty.  Clouds are even responsible for the only aesthetic aspect of the sun, its rays.  Sun rays streaming in between clouds can be a beautiful sight, but without the clouds there we wouldn’t even be able to distinguish the rays.

Clouds are also responsible for rain, thunder, and lightning, three of the most amazing expressions of nature.  So bring on the cloudy days.  A piece of home come to visit.

Whoever dubbed Paris as “La Ville-Lumière” has never been to modern day Las Vegas.  Descending upon Las Vegas at night is an experience unrivaled.  Regrettably I don’t have a photograph of it, but perhaps I can paint a picture with words for anyone who hasn’t seen it.  If you have ever flown before, chances are you’re familiar with what it looks like to be above a range of clouds.  As far as the eye can see there is nothing but that plane of frothy whiteness.  Looking down on Vegas from above creates something of a similar sensation with light.  Everything is pitch black with the exception of a seemingly endless field of light.  It made me feel as if I was descending upon some alien planet from space.  Some kind of super advanced technological civilization, whose globe is covered over with brilliant fabrications beyond our comprehension.  Despite the power of this image, after touching down it soon becomes apparent that reality is far more down to earth.

Vegas is actually very ‘down to earth’ in more ways than one.  It is a place whose function is entirely driven by base human desires.  The truly ultimate congregation of all mankind’s vices.  The seven deadly sins just about comprise the list of competitive advantages the city possesses as a business.  A true feast of Bacchus, on the grandest scale you can imagine, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The grandness of Vegas is comprised of two contributing factors.  The first is the very extravagant architecture and decorations.  This might have actually been my favorite part.  A giant golden lion, three times the size of my house.  A pyramid, an Eiffel Tower, a State of Liberty.  They may all be imitations of the real thing, but where else can you see giant replicas all together in one place?  The second component of Vegas’ grand scale is quite simply the fervor with which the city as a whole attempts to shove itself down your throat.  It is the most uncompromising expression of identity that I have ever encountered.

The grandness of Vegas is actually sort of ironic because the city is so very shallow at its core.  It’s as if you climbed Mt. Everest just to find that it is really a giant inflatable toy.  Another way to describe it is to say at some point you realize that you’ve been duped.  The grandness is, in large part, a mere illusion in the middle of the vast Nevada desert.

The shallowness of Vegas is not something the city or its visitors shy away from.  In no other place on earth can a man so readily assume the role of an ass.  The man who truly embraces Vegas typically looks something like this: cigar smoking, drunk, and donning a fedora for God knows what reason.  The prototype woman is wearing a dress that expertly straddles the highest possible point on the thigh without being obscene, and which loudly displays the silicone implants on her chest that signal her membership in the Vegas member’s club.  If Vegas existed in this form a thousand years ago, those who would be thrown in the looney bin would be the only ones not parading about as fools.

If I sound critical of Vegas, it’s probably because I don’t much fit in.  Different strokes for different folks, and all that.  However, to give an appropriate review of the city, I will say that it succeeds admirably at what it sets out to do.  I mentioned that it’s uncompromising.  This is true in its presentation and its delivery.  This city simply doesn’t beat around the bush.  It is the premier spot for getting drunk in public, paying for legal prostitution, wasting away your money in slots, and being an all-around jackass.  If you’re especially fond of any one of those things, I’m confident that you could have a great time in Vegas.

As for what I did while I was there, I lost some money gambling, and finding that generally boring, spent probably the majority of my time touring the city and hotels on foot, eating a lot of food, and drinking a lot of mojitos.  I saw a live performance by some rockabilly band named Devil Doll while at a bar called Diablo’s Cantina (fitting?) and they were actually pretty good.  That, the cityscape, and perhaps the food were probably the highlights of my visit.  Oh, and my sister won $1500 randomly by drunkenly sitting down at the $5 slots and winning on her first spin.  She gave me a cut, so that I can actually call this trip profitable.

I didn’t see any shows, which is sort of regrettable, but I was not in a position to make that decision, and besides there wasn’t much good showing anyway.  Who wants to see Howie Mandell live, seriously?

I’ve known with certainty for awhile now that I was going to move to Seattle after I graduated.  I knew back in March even before I visited during my Spring Break.  And though I’ve done precious little to prepare, I seem to realize, at least to some extent, the complications involved in this move.  Let’s see if I can break part of it down for anyone who is unfamiliar with being in this position.

Moving halfway across the country (Texas to Washington) is most always going to be a big move, no matter who you are.  Big in a number of ways.  Logistically, it’s much harder to move things from Texas to Washington than it is to say, move from San Antonio to Austin, for obvious reasons.  This sort of a move requires special planning in regards to how to move as much stuff as possible in as economic a manner as possible.  Of course, if your employer is paying for your move, it’s a different story, but I’m not working under that context as of now.  For my part, I’ve decided to try and cut back as much as I can in regards to what I take with me.  A minimalistic lifestyle is a virtue, although that’s a discussion for another day.  Despite my minimalistic philosophy, I have a significant list of things that I really can’t move without (most of them electronic).  When you invest all your money over the years in technological enhancements to your home entertainment, it’s hard to let go.  I’m just hoping I can cut back enough on everything else that it won’t be a problem.  I’d really like to ultimately be able to move using only my hatchback and maybe an accompanying SUV.  So here’s more or less how I’m prioritizing things…

Clothes: only take those that I’m definitely going to wear.  Since I’m moving to a much colder climate, I may even cut back on a lot of the old t-shirts that I’m used to wearing here in Texas.

Books: only take those that are special favorites that I’m likely to reread.  This is a hard one.  I’m someone who reads for pleasure, and there are many books in my library that I have not yet read, but that I may pick up any old day of the week and begin.  However, due to the inconvenient, weighty nature of books, combined with their relative cheap value, I have to say leave the books behind.  After all, we’ll all be using Kindles in 5 years anyway.

DVDs: this category barely even applies to me but I’m going to put it here regardless.  Leave the movies behind, or rip them to a hard drive.  That 200 DVD collection?  Ebay.  It simply isn’t worth it, unless you’re just some kind of uber movie buff.  I would actually treat this kind of like books.  Keep the special ones, ditch the rest.  Yeah sure they’re somewhat compact, but these things add up.  Plus, to me, any good movie can always be ripped or otherwise acquired on your computer, where its much more conveniently stored on your hard drive.

Computers/Peripherals:  not everyone has a lot of computers and peripherals, but I do.  And I love my computer “junk.”  All the extra parts, gutted cases, dangling wires, and unused optical drives combine in my eyes to form a secret garden, aesthetically unmatched.  Leaving these things behind is actually harder for me than the books or movies or many other things.  I love that when I need a part or cable or adapter I can just dig through my collection and find what I’m looking for.  Because of that I’m not going to leave all of it behind, but at the same time I have to draw the line somewhere.  The really old stuff, the zip drives, the legacy ware, the floppies, old printers, old keyboards and mice, parallel cable technology, etc.  All of that, despite whatever nostalgic value it holds, has to be left behind.  Priority is to be given to those things most compact and readily movable, meaning cables and adapters.  Old monitors – not so much, even if they still work.

Decorations:  I call them decorations for lack of a better word, but I mean any poster, wall print, statue, figurine, or other form of artwork whose purpose is just to sit there and look pretty.  For most of us, our desks are adorned with these types of things, and most of them are small are very movable.  However, that doesn’t mean we should take them.  I’m planning on leaving the vast majority of this kind of thing behind.

Video Games:  Consoles, games, and peripherals included here.  Since gaming is arguably my biggest hobby, I have to save space for this stuff.  Games are small enough and valuable enough that I can justify taking them with me even if I don’t necessarily anticipate going back and playing them for sure.  The things I might leave behind here are just the big peripherals, like a super scope or a DDR pad.  That doesn’t mean I’m not packing the SNES though.  You better believe I’m keeping that yellow colored beauty ’til I die.  To be fair, I probably won’t take the consoles that are outdated by backwards compatible technology, i.e. the gamecube and psx.  And I really doubt I’ll be playing my N64 anytime soon… so I might leave that too.

TVs: Definitely bringing the LCD.  Might bring the old tube if there’s room, but it isn’t too high on the priority list.  This one is kind of a no-brainer.

Speakers: I have a couple old speakers that I got from my grandparents who got them in Japan in like 1970 or something.  They’re high quality, but rather large and heavy.  I kinda hate to leave them behind but I’m probably going to.

Furniture:  another tough one.  On the one hand, I want to take as much furniture as possible because it’s free.  However it’s obviously very cumbersome, and will most likely ultimately increase the cost and inconvenience of moving.  As a result I’m probably only going to take what I can fit in whatever car, cars, or trailer I choose to make the move with.  The fact of the matter is, desks can be made extremely cheaply (board from home depot on top of some milk crates anyone?), and other than that you only really need a bed and one good chair.  Depending on the packing situation, I may or may not bring a bed and chair.  The rest of the furniture, such as couches or dining room tables or anything like that, is much too large to consider moving conveniently.  As well, I don’t know where I’m going to be living as of yet, and if the place is going to be furnished at all.   My advice in this area would be, if you’ve already made a significant investment in nice furniture, you’re kind of forced to take it, but if you haven’t, just go without and find the furniture after you move.  After all, the experience of living somewhere new is more immersive if you aren’t surrounded by the same furnishings you’re used to living in.

Car:  I just got a new car not all that long ago so this one is an obvious ‘yes.’  If I still had my old car, it would be a ‘no.’  Really just simple economics here, cost vs. benefit.

Misc.:  General rule is, the smaller the better, but no matter how small, only take it if I really want or need it.  Moving is a great excuse to really weed out your life, so to speak, of all the junk that isn’t really important to you.  Yeah, it’s hard in some respects, but at the end of the day it’s better to learn to let go of these material things when you can.

The lesson here is that if you’re going to make a move for reasons other than your employer requesting it of you, do your best to make it a true experience.  Don’t just leave your life intact and change the backdrop.  Make changes!  Leaving your old things behind forces you to fill up your life with all kinds of new stuff.  And some of it may be just as ultimately worthless as the old stuff, but at least it’s different.  At least, that’s the philosophy I’m operating under.

The name of this blog is not an arbitrary combination of letters that happen to sound similar to Seattle.  It’s simply the city combined with the word atlatl.  Since most people probably aren’t familiar with atlatls, I figured I’d define them here.  Consider it a bit of education.

An atlatl is a tool, or weapon, or better yet, a tool used to handle a weapon.  More specifically, it’s a length of wood or bone normally with a notch on one end for which to place the butt of a spear or javelin.   The atlatl is then used to throw or launch the spear at the target.  You may think of it as a way of elongating your throwing arm.  The atlatl was mostly used by historical hunter and gatherer civilizations.  You can imagine a hairy guy tossing spears into a mammoth’s backside with this.

As for how it relates to Seattle, well… I have an anecdote to share.  As I’m sure you’re aware, there exists the cliche of pinning a map to the wall, closing one’s eyes, and tossing a dart to see where your destination should be.  This is supposed to be some sort of romantic wanderer, rambler, drifter, or what have you behavior.  Now, I’m a a romantic myself, and I have a bit of the adventurous spirit in me, so I opted to leave my destiny up to fate as well.  However, I couldn’t associate myself with those foppish types.

Taking up one of my many giant maps of the world, I donned my hiking shoes, and set off on a two month journey towards the rugged forests of California.  There I patiently located the largest, oldest redwood I could find.  To this I carefully pinned up my map, and set a trained grizzly bear at the foot of the tree to guard it.  Then, grasping my legendary tree-hewer in both hands, I leveled the neighbor redwood and proceeded to fashion it into a spear to rival the armaments of Mars himself.  This I notched into my trusty whalebone atlatl.  Fate in hand I returned to the giant redwood and, facing the northern star, I took five hundred steps away from the tree.  Once far away enough, I closed my eyes, spun around, and catapulted my missile towards its target with the ferocity of ten times ten lions.  My spear struck the tree like lightning and I heard a heavy sonic boom rip the air.  From where I stood, I could see what fate my Delphic spear had decreed.  Seattle, Washington was to be my destination.

To christen this weblog, I figured I ought to write a little something about the main inspiration.  The fact of the matter is I could probably list a million and one reasons why Seattle is ‘the best city in America’, but it would be a long, didactic, undisciplined post.  So instead I’ll focus on one aspect at a time, and do my best to enumerate the myriad benefits found in each one.

The first answer to “Why Seattle?” has just a little bit to do with this site, hence why I’ve chosen it.  Seattle is the most literate city in the United States. Well, okay, so technically it’s tied for most literate city with Minneapolis currently, but in prior years it has donned the crown solo, which leads me to deem it the undisputed champ.

The most well-known definition of “literate” means simply a knowledge of how to read and write.  However the study that ranks the “most literate” cities isn’t just judging literacy by that definition alone.  Literate also means having knowledge of literature, or  having an education in general.  This concept of education lends itself to a great many reasons as to why Seattle is superior, but I won’t go into that right now.

At its base level, literacy is a necessary skill for a populace to be reasonably productive in this day and age.  Illiterate workers cannot effectively communicate or follow written instructions.  For the literate individual who grew up among educated peers, it may seem laughable that someone with a high school diploma couldn’t read an instruction manual, but it happens.  Having a literate populace not only guarantees a certain level of education, but it also promotes continuing education.

At higher levels of literacy, in which the populace is actually fond of reading or writing as subjects in and of themselves, there is even more to be gained.  Reading, in general, functions to make an individual more cultured and open-minded by exposing them to a variety of ideas, philosophies, and beliefs.  Writing is simply the best known medium for expressing oneself known to man, and any pursuit in that direction is a step towards better communication.  The qualities of being open minded and highly capable of communicating are two essential elements that make up functional communities.

With all that said, you have to wonder why levels of literacy aren’t a higher determining factor on most people’s rankings of places to live…