As Emily got the brand-new Leica SL3-S camera yesterday, she gave me her Leica Q3. Naturally, I wanted to take something really cool with it, and I had an idea of having my vinyl kitties from Sailor Moon – Luna, Artemis, and Diana – doing various activities. Tom suggested tic-tac-toe, and I immediately gravitated to…
Years ago, a friend of mine and I discussed an important idea about human relationships. He argued that we should focus on where we agree with others, rather than where we disagree. This struck me as a good concept to ponder further. Eventually, my thoughts on the matter grew into what became this essay. Basically,…
Humans are stubborn, willful little creatures. We’re relentlessly determined to understand the nature of, well, everything. But as much as we act like cosmic detectives, we don’t have the skill, the right tools, or even a faint idea of what the mystery is we’re trying to solve. Sure, we can keep pretending we can wrap…
As Charles Schulz once said, “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” This brilliant observation sums up so much of the human condition. We’re all equipped with potential, yet most of us coast along, our metaphorical legs doing the bare minimum while we let life roll downhill. Of…
When I was knee-deep in the digital marketing swamp, I thought I could keep up with it all—knowledge, trends, my inbox, you name it. My goal was to become some kind of 21st-century renaissance woman who would become one of the expected heroes of the information age. Yeah, I was dead wrong about that. It…
Recently, Emily Slatin and her friends Luke and Lucas from the YouTube channel Luke Explores checked out the now long-abandoned I-86 Diner in Parksville, New York. It’s a relic of the grand tradition of American dining—one of many across the nation buried beneath the weight of greasy takeout bags and UberEats orders. Thanks to what…
In a plot twist more unexpected than Jar Jar Binks’ continued existence, Winnie the Pooh has quietly slathered honey all over the ambitions of the Star Wars franchise, emerging as the third highest-grossing media empire. Yes, you heard it right. That honey-obsessed bear, who can barely put on a pair of pants, has outperformed lightsaber-wielding…
Throughout my professional life in digital marketing, I often would witness patterns that underscore foundational truths about business, trust, and ethics. Over the years, I have found that the simple salesman ethos of underpromising and overdelivering isn’t just a professional virtue. In fact, it’s a life principle that can save time, heartache, and resources. Much…
In early February, on a cloudy, chilly Monday, Emily Slatin and I made our way through the winding roads of Vermont to visit the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury. It’s a hidden gem of a museum, known only to Thomas because she had visited it nearly twenty years ago. It’s known best by those living…
On a cold and cloudy Monday morning in February 2023, Emily Slatin and I decided to take a day trip to Glover, Vermont to check out The Museum of Everyday Life. When we arrived after a three-hour trip, it appeared a small, unassuming outbuilding, but inside was a grand variety of obscure curiosities. I’ve never…