Why a Photo is Made, And Not Just Taken
“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams This quote is from Ansel Adams, one of the 20th century’s most acclaimed photographers. It’s one of my favorite quotes about photography, because it highlights the fact that a photo is made as much as it is taken. Many people focus too much on […]
Luck is the Residue of Design
“Luck is the residue of design.” – Branch Rickey, legendary baseball general manager Branch Rickey is most famous for being the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers who signed Jackie Robinson, the first African-American to become a regular player in Major League Baseball. In baseball circles, though, he’s perhaps even more famous for inventing what […]
Talent is a Terrible Thing to Waste
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” – Stephen King Human beings are blessed with one sort of talent or another. Some are great at public speaking. Others are great at composing music. Still others are very good at writing essays; […]
It’s Not the Volume That Matters But the Frequency
In December of 2021, I penned and posted a piece on my website titled “The Crossroads at Panic Street and Heartbreak Avenue.” It was later removed and published as a part of my short essay collection, Cloud Pieces. I have no idea how I came up with that title, but it’s still there today. The […]
On Complexity and Equilibrium of Societies
“For when too large a proportion of the populace is supporting itself by the indirections of trade and business and commerce and art and the million schemes of men in cities, then the complexity of society is likely to become so great as to destroy its equilibrium, and it will always be out of balance […]
I Get All the News I Need From the Weather Report
In an age of information deluge, the line “I get all the news I need from the weather report” from Simon & Garfunkel’s song “The Only Living Boy in New York” resonates more profoundly than ever. Today, when our attention is under siege from 24-hour news cycles, incessant social media updates, and an endless barrage […]
My Brief Sojourn as a Vermiculturist
Once in the fantastical realm of elementary school, an epic quest was bestowed upon us pupils. Our teacher summoned us to a great and wiggly challenge: we were to raise earthworms as a motley troupe of amateur vermiculturists. The excitement of the task was palpable in the classroom, both for good and ill.Some of us […]
Don’t Ask Why, Ask Why Not
“Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not.” –Pablo Picasso Many people might think of Picasso as the man who looked at the world as if it were a kaleidoscope and thought, “Why not make it even more twisted?” But, he’s also the guy […]
Downeast Drug Den
There are three things that I hate more than anything else in this world: bigotry, hypocrisy, and illicit narcotics. All three are destructive and all are out of control. It makes me physically ill to witness teenagers and young adults trading the promise of their youth for an easy high. These fools feel invincible until […]