Masterpieces in Sand
Roy looked down from the cliffs at the man drawing in the sand. The picture that started to emerge startled him. It was an extraordinary face, not realistically rendered, but seemingly viewed from many angles at once. In fact, it looked much like a Picasso.
A Letter from the Superintendent of Schools
We have no control on what Chipotle charges for their burritos.
Holding My Son as We’re Violently Burned to Death [REPOST]
But, son, I was not lying when I said I’d do anything to protect you.
Anything to keep you safe.
Sometimes that meant watching you put yourself in harm’s way.
Life is pointless without risk.
Sometimes it meant watching you get your heart broken
or hearing your bones break from the bleacher seats on the sidelines.
Harm and hurt, you see, are unfortunately, required of us.
The Universe demands it.
They are two of the many ways we learn and become stronger, better people.
Or so I always tried to be better
and I hope that I instilled that desire in you.
The Bog
Finn placed his hand on Michael’s shoulder and squeezed. “I wish there was another way, Michael. I do. But this is best for you. And us, o’course. A hunter best hunts alone. You’ll be a better man for it when ye come home.”
I Believe... [1619 + 1776 = A Fuller Picture]
...that the 1619 Project is some solid reading and, while not a definitive history of the country’s founding, a brilliant parallel view to understanding the brilliance of the Founding Fathers creating the republic. Both are true and together provide a more complete comprehension.
It's in the Pragmatic Solutions that Salvation Awaits
While I look nothing like Joe Biden (I've been told I look like Al Franken, which is the closest to any former political seat of power I'll ever be, I suppose) I believe that most of our cultural and political issues are easily solved with some common sense, aw-shucks pragmatism.
I Like to Watch | Tree of Life (2011)
It's about the molecular connection we all have with the planet and the universe and each other. It's about primordial soup evolving over time into weeds that Jack is instructed to pull from the root, not just the top. It's about the brief glimpse of a human life, filled with pettiness and violence and sex and love and hate.
Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of January 16, 2022
Parenting is sometimes you and your kid getting pissed at each other over how fast he eats his box of raisins.
Based On A True Feeling
Now something has broken, and her vision is brand new and it feels amazing. Little more than a week past eighteen and really in her own skin for the first time. Like he gave her something that would always be hers.
This is the first time she has let herself look in the mirror since then.
Let’s Ruin Your Favorite Shows and Movies!
HOW I MET YOUR FATHER: We don’t find out.
Performative Trauma is a Devil's Bargain
Complexity and marketing are not compatible lovers.
I Believe... [A Mouthful of Shit]
...that an opinion without some factual backup is like a cake without sugar. It's heavy, flat and tastes like a mouthful of shit.
The Definition of Success and Failure Determines the Roads You Take
What would you do if you knew you would not fail?
Beware Strangers Bearing a Gift Freelance Gig
With the pandemic, lockdowns, stimulus checks, and the dramatic rise in remote gigs, the grift is in full force.
Notes from the Post-it Wall | Week of January 10, 2022
Want evidence that humanity sucks? Look no further than a parking garage and the way humans park far outside lines and leave their SUVs in spots marked “Small Car Only.”
The Music of Obscenity
Favorites include "douchebag," "asshat," "shit stain," and, of course, any variation on the word "fuck." The Irish can use these words like Yo Yo Ma can play an arpeggio and I consider myself a near virtuoso.
Helpful Ways to Own the Libs
Quote Marjorie Taylor Greene whenever possible.
Vegas Diary: Part Tomorrow — The Lady Opportunist
This is not to say that I should have known better and come here earlier. No, you have to be ready for this place, unless of course you were born here and have been immersed in it your whole life.
I say you have to be ready, because Vegas finds a way of zeroing in on your vice. Finding your deepest weakness and exploiting it by offering you what you think you want while painlessly extracting its own needs.
I Believe... [Bag of Weasels]
I believe... that every relationship comes with its bag of weasels.
The Coffee Shop
“You know.” The stranger winked. “I mean, what if you pissed someone off bad. I mean really bad. And they wanted it taken care of? In a coffee shop? Say, this one? At,” he looked at his watch, then looked up smiling. “One o’clock and thirty-five seconds.” He laughed. “And the guy to do it was supposed to be me? Weird, huh?”
The first chapter of an in-progress novel.
“The voice began on a Tuesday morning while Monte Walsh was standing in his kitchen, holding an unopened package of bacon over the garbage can.”