Outfit and stage make the man on top of lifeguard tower

I salute, thee, lifeguard. Costume and staging cannot be over-estimated.

John John salutes daddy forever and ever. RIP, Stan Stearns.

Photographer Stan Stearns is dead at 76. John John and daddy are perpetually at the moment of parting. Counting the photographer and Saint Jackie, that’s 4 dead people united in our era’s greatest homage to death.

I <3 (heart) Nakano

It’s great that Japan celebrates the first day of spring as a national holiday. I celebrated with a trip to Nakano Broadway and Sun Mall for a coffee and some ramen. My favorite coffee shop in Broadway serves an amazing cup of cold-dripped coffee (水出し) served with the cutest mini-carafe of sweetner and tiny tin of cream. For serving the most amazing coffee, with no pretension, I salute you sisters!

Equally exciting, I visited the new Sun Mall ramen shop in a cool, metal-clad building. The shop is paneled in wood, and serves delicious pork-broth Kyushu ramen. Best of all, all six male staff wear white towels on their heads, each tied differently. Friendly and tasty! I’ll be back.