FIREWORKS: REIGNITING MEMORIES
Many historians believe that fireworks originally were developed in the second century B.C. in ancient Liuyang, China. It is believed that the first natural “firecrackers” were bamboo stalks that when thrown in a fire, would explode with a bang because of the overheating of the hollow air pockets in the bamboo. The day I left […]
TRUMP MERCH
On November 6, the nation awoke to the news that Donald Trump was elected the 47th President of the United States. While nearly half of America was in shock and grief, the winning half pretended like Donald Trump received an unanimous vote and is entitled to wreak havoc on our “liberal democracy.” It’s not my […]
GULF OF MEXICO
“We’re not on a planet we think we’re on—when we call it the earth but it’s clearly the ocean.” Richard Powers Trying to imagine a planet that is ¾ water and contains 90% of the life on the planet, where life first evolved before life on the terrestrial surface, is a humbling thought. Trying to […]
GAS AND GOD
The evangelical faith is a current that runs through this country. And it runs real deep in the south. During the election this year, the Christian right organized behind Donald Trump. The outcome of the election was a shock to many of us. And I’m still in disbelief as I think about the stark contrast […]
EURIBA PUCK
In an on-line adventure, Laurel Casey, writer, singer and performer happens upon a small camper, a ’67 Euriba Puck, in hopes of fulfilling a dream of living an engaging nomadic (and romantic) life. Fueled by this fantasy, she spends $10,000 on a small camper that falls short of her expectation. In this short video, Ms. […]
SIMULTANEITY
The capacity and limitations of the human brain fascinate me: how much of this world can we process at once? How much can we hold in our heads simultaneously? Obviously, there is a limit to what we can see and understand about the world, because so much of it is not apparent to the human […]
TIDAL CURRENTS
After returning recently from a vacation to northern Maine coastal waters, and kayaking on the open waters, I have a renew awareness of the rise and fall of the tides: twice a nearly 11 feet, leaving large mudflats and rocky coastal shores visible at low tide. At high tide, mud flats became inlet bays. A […]
EXPANDING UNIVERSE
Imagine that the entire universe exists inside your head. All of the expanse “out there” exists “in here.” Two parallel universes. Next, imagine on this planet in this universe — the innocence of a young child in the nascent period of their life. In this moment existing in an unselfconscious way… sitting, legs outstretched, feet […]
SPONTANEOUS EXPRESSION
Everyday in the world “acts of spontaneous expression” are created. Graffiti artists incite us to stop and take notice of their creativity appearing in unexpected places. For some, the act is a crime and for others an aesthetic object of admiration. For the creators it results out of doing what feels natural or good, combined […]
UNDER THE KANSAS SKY
I believe that the world is a mysterious place, that all life is a mystery. And in its mystery, it can be a cruel, indifferent and lonely place. In the spirit of defining mystery, humans have created narratives. And in our endeavors to explain our place on the planet or to escape our loneliness, we […]