Life

Untitled June Update

In Life on 18 June 2009 with 3 comments

My mom says she always knows when I get incredibly busy because I stop updating my website. Sad but true.
So here’s a quick list of what’s been keeping me awake at night for the last few months.

I had laser eye surgery. It hurt. A lot. And it took far longer to recover than [...]

I am a Jewish Atheist

In Belief, Life on 7 January 2009 with 23 comments

And it makes perfect sense to me.
The are large parts of Judaism that are about being a good person, living a good life, and helping your community. I can do all of that without believing in an old school biblical god. I choose to interpret any talk of "god" to addressing the vast unknown [...]

2008 Personal Year in Review

In Life, Powazek on 7 January 2009 with 7 comments

January: DePo Skinny released, I geek out on copyright, Fray Busted ships, we get some press and have a reading, Heather and I decide to move.
February: I speak at TOC in NYC, I go Obama, Pixish launches, Pixish gets graggred.
March: Heather and I move into our new apartment, I speak at SXSW, Heather and I [...]

Tamed By the Beast

In Life, Stories on 6 January 2009 with 16 comments

A snowmobile is basically the biggest, meanest chainsaw you’ve ever seen, with two skis bolted to the front and a seat slapped on top. It roars. It spits diesel fumes. It wants to go faster. My mistake was listening to it.

A couple nights before I met the beast, I was at a New Years Eve [...]

Wishing You A Grisly Death in the New Year

In Christmas, Judaism, Life on 23 December 2008 with 55 comments

Consider the following thought experiment.
Imagine that suddenly everyone around you begins to act funny. First your coworkers start to ask you what you’ve got planned for the Dark Days. Then you notice that storefronts are putting up decorations of burgundy and black, 10 foot-tall spikes festooned with bones. When you walk into stores, they’re all [...]

Regina Powazek 1919-2008

In Life, Stories on 8 October 2008 with 171 comments

Regina Powazek is my father’s mother. She was born in Dobre, Poland, in 1919. When she was 20, the nazis invaded, and she fled to Russia. The border was closed behind her. Most of the rest of the Polish Powazeks were murdered. She escaped along with my grandpa Ben, her sister Hanka, and her brother [...]

White Folks for Obama

In Life, Politics, Stories on 27 August 2008 with 9 comments

One of the many things I love about my dear wife is her patronage of the arts. After too many years living in cities, I’ve got my defenses up when we’re out on the street. But Heather loves artists and will usually buy from someone selling their work.
Over a year ago, we were walking down [...]

The Caladium Project

In Gardening, Life on 21 August 2008 with 9 comments

I love growing orchids, and I’ve had some luck with it. But orchids are the toy poodles of indoor growing – fussy and high maintenance. Sometimes you just want a big slobbery mutt.
So a few months ago I asked my dad what plant he thought had the most beautiful leaves. Dad’s an amazing green-thumb and [...]

Linden Lane, Flickr Wow, and BRB

In Life, Photos on 1 August 2008 with 2 comments

Today I dropped by Blue Bottle on Linden Lane to recaffientate and noticed a particularly awesome wall of, well, let’s call it “user-generated, collaborative, public art.” I snapped a photo and sent it off to Flickr and went on with my day.
Tonight I got a mail through Flickr from the artist behind the “Just Married” [...]

Self-Portrait with Squid

In Life, Photos on 24 July 2008 with 11 comments

About a month after I started the process, and a couple weeks since Jason at Cyclops did the shading (less painful getting, more painful healing), my first tattoo is done. I’m still startled when I see him in the mirror first thing in the morning, but I think we’re gonna be friends.
Additions to my ever-growing [...]