http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p6O0VdUGe0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_IvKgt-Lpk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-76SfgmRCFw

How much do you project onto a person you have not met yet?

I was back in Boston for the Holidays, visiting the parents.

The day after Christmas, I had to return a gift I had gotten from the Leavitt & Pierce Tobacconist (See last year's blog about this place) and was waiting around for a clerk when instead of "May I help you?" one of the clerks says "Hey, are you an animator?"

She had just seen the work a couple of days before, and had written a mail that I had not read yet. We chatted for a few minutes, it was very cool.

Anyway, about 2 hours later I was at the Peet's Coffee & Tea in Lexington. When I gave my name for the drink, the kid says "Lev huh... hey, have you ever heard of "Tales Of Mere Existence?" It's also done by a guy named Lev..."

I admit my jaw dropped at that one. I have been recognized before, but never twice in one day, and certainly not across the continent.

I used to work at Peet's, so I drew the kid a pic of the Lev character working in Coffee Shop garb, and let him in on the fact that the episode "Richard's Cash Register" took place in the store at Bush, Battery & Market in San Francisco.

Both of them said that the "Conversation With My Mom" video was their favorite, so in both cases, I had them write notes to my mother.

I've been goofing around with the bad advice column "Ask Dr. Lev" for a while, I never expected anyone to actually ask me for help. This kid, who I'm pretty sure is French, wrote me this question and I actually had something to say on the subject. Here's the letter & the reply:


- - - THE LETTER - - -

> Dear Dr. Lev,
> I used to date this girl and got completely hung up
> on her. I dont even know for sure what we had, i
> just know it didnt end very well....last month i ran
> into her on the street again. I managed to arrange a
> date but we ended up fighting over stupid
> stuff...and then i saw her in a hard ware store
> yesterday, with a guy....ignoring me....I just cant
> seem to get her out of my head. Please, is there any
> advice you can give me that will eventually help me
> get over this drama queen?
>
> Sincerely yours,
> Gxxxxr
>
> PS: by the way i love your stuff, watching it helps
> me to get over the sh**** days of my life! Keep it
> up ^^


- - - LEV'S REPLY - - -

Hmmm...

I don't really know if I should be giving advice about this sort of thing but...

When something sucks, it's sometimes best to indulge in it's suckiness. Don't try to put it out of your head, feel the feelings as strongly as you can. This is what helps it pass. Ever been to an Italian Funeral? They freak the fuck out, mourn their brains out. I think this is a better way to deal with emotions than to subdue it like the Americans do.

IE, instead of saying "Ah, I don't need her, she's no good anyway..." say "Man, I wish she went for me, this sucks every denomination of ass".

Striking out is good for you though. Better to strike out then to not have tried.

Hope that helps.

-L

I frequently misread signs. It happens all the time.

Often, I'ts a source of great amusement. The first one I remember well is when I was in a train station and there was this great big billboard that said "For Victims Of Disaster..." and at first glance I could have sworn it said "For Victims Of Polyester..."

I have seen a bazillion signs that say "Tuxedo Rental" in my day. So have you. I don't know what part of my brains were turned off so any sign would read "Tuxedo Dental".

The first thing that went thru my head was having your teeth cleaned by a butler named Jeeves who says "Sir, Kindly Rinse your mouth out with this Gin Rickey, and then spit please".

-L

Q: GEE WHIZ LEV, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT FRANCE?

A: Simply put, sixty percent of the men you want to kill, and seventy percent of the women you want to have sex with.

-L