Blahg

1 January 2019

The onslaught of reports suggesting Mattopia has been gentrified have reached such a crescendo, the masses have been whipped into a frenzy of hysterics and other hyperboles fueled by rumors the end of the world might very will be nigh. After all, what kind of world would it be without the rough-and-tumble neighborhoods of Matthattan?

Take Matt's Kitchen, for example. Once upon a time it was a notoriously grimy dive of greasy spoons and crummy service. Now it's drawing the nation's upper crust.

"It's like the Disneyfication of Times Square in New York City," quips one cantankerous cuss who demanded anonymity. "Without darkness and light, the world is bound to fall into a perilous state of imbalance. Everybody should turn out the lights, curl up in a corner and suck the thumb while Alexa reads a collection of bedtime stories in a dreadful monotone."

But, leave it to Mattopia Jones to put it all in a positive perspective. "Chill," he says. "Everybody will reap the benefits of the rapid societal and economic progress that's taking place all over Mattopia."

Even so, have things gone too far, too fast? Consider this striking scenario on the countertop:

• The combo cappuccino/coffee maker
• The cute little coffee cups from Pastéis de Belém in suburban Lisbon, Portugal
• The coffee mug from the world-famous Harrington's Pie and Mash; we all know what goes on at the tres classy Harrington's
• The bar cloth from the Heineken Brewery in Amsterdam, Netherlands
• The bar cloth from Cheers in Boston, Massachusetts
• The dish rag from Café du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana
• The coffee pot full of freshly-brewed java (a coffee and chicory mix, also from Café du Monde)
• The dime bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans imported from San Diego, California
• The quaint, nautical-themed curtains
• The bottle of bubbles — bubbles!

Holy Hell, Mattman. The hysterical hoi polloi certainly seem justified. Has the world gone mad? Or has the world gone Matt?

Compounding matters, there are rumors of a Russian connection in this hot mess of steamed milk and freshly-ground beans. Rest assured, dear reader, the Mattopia Times is on it — we're a hot press, so to speak. Stay tuned to this space for breaking details.

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4 October 2018

Tango steps, found while walking the streets of Buenos Aires

It's been quite a revelation to use my iPhone's Health app and track the number of steps I take while on vacation, walking around the planet. It's pretty staggering to consider the miles logged in a short amount of time — and to think that doesn't include transport by things like trams, undergrounds, trains, Ubers, airplanes and boats. Just my two feet, made for walkin'.

Here are some recent trips, most of which are still waiting for me to add photos, videos and stories to these pages.

• Netherlands, Portugal and Spain — 7-25 September 2018: 157.7 miles
• New York City — 31 March - 5 April 2018: 49.7 miles
• Argentina and Uruguay — 5-23 October 2017: 114.9 miles
• San Diego — 20-25 September 2017: 43.3 miles
• Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar — 25 November - 18 December 2016: 111.7 miles

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10 June 2018

Degas' Paris workspace, recreated as part of the Denver Art Museum's exhibit Degas: A Passion for Perfection

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I had meant to publish a whole write-up about the Denver Art Museum's Degas: A Passion for Perfection exhibit. I attended the member preview back on 10 February. As has happened all over this site, my attentions got diverted; one thing led to another and here I am, on 10 June, finally adding this one picture. It actually encapsulates it all for me, so that works out well.

“The dust stays.”

That's why I took the picture. It's a recreation of Degas' attic laboratory, where, as the exhibit notes stated, "Degas created a world perfectly suited to his creative chaos." And Paul Valéry, a friend of Degas, described it as a place "where light and dust mingled gaily."

To truly appreciate an exhibit, one has to take time to read the placards and listen to the audio tour (if/when available). While doing so, I came across that gem of a quote from Degas. He liked to experiment and he liked to stay on the move creatively. He was a curious fellow. And he didn't want his desk tampered with by people looking to help him out by cleaning his place.

In the past couple months I've dashed around to New York City, Dallas, Las Vegas and Nashville. And each time I returned, I reminded myself, "Oh yeah, I need to steam clean the carpet and dust up around Matt Manor."

Then I dig into the photos and stories from my recent travels and I think of Degas. And I think of my own creative pursuits.

The dust stays.

Photo taken with the iPhone 7 Plus.

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