“Two hundred years of American technology has unwittingly created a massive cement playground of unlimited potential. But it was the minds of 11 year old that could see that potential.” – C.R. Stecyk My first stories were skateboarding stories inspired by C. R. Stecyk‘s Skateboarder Magazine articles, his fabrication and chronicling of the Dogtown’s Z-boys’ […]
Category: Observations
Why I Keep A Journal
I’ve been keeping a journal for more than 25 years. I should say “mostly keeping a journal” because there have been periods of time where I haven’t written in a journal regularly – though probably, I was writing just not in a journal. At the pace of one page per day, that’d come to 9,132 pages […]
Regret? Is It Even Worth It? | Observation
Is it productive to regret the hours, days, months, even years you spent stressed out of your mind? The days you were worried about world events that you had no influence on? That you could never even hope to influence? The days when you were anxious over your career’s trajectory? Nervous about your finances and the […]
Minecraft for Teaching Biotech | Minecraft Biotech
Minecraft could be the ultimate biotech learning tool. Kids that play the game are already used to crafting – taking blocks of stone, wood, ore and creating novel tools and materials on a crafting table – and brewing – creating potions by adding ingredients to water bottles in a brewing stand. It would only take a […]
Afraid of the Future?
Afraid of the future? Wonder why? Probably because you don’t know what’s ahead and you can’t control what you don’t know. That lack of knowledge fuels your fear and anxiety. The antidote? Focus on the present and embrace the unknown. What makes you uncomfortable makes you stronger. (12.100)
Stop. Listen. Learn. What To Do When You Need Inspiration.
It is so much easier to consume, accumulate, and continue distracted than it is to stop, create and take action. So, then, the first step is to turn off, disconnect and take a few deep breaths. Then wait. Feel uncomfortable and listen. The next action will be clear. (11.100)
NSA Art Project
With the National Security Agency’s new open source face recognition API, take a selfie, upload it to their database and begin searching for your twin(s). Armed with a series of matches, create photographs and profiles based on available online data and post to your heart’s content. Bonus points for using genomic information to find your twin(s). […]
Dub: Best Dressed Chicken in Town
In my world, Dr. Alimantado (born Winston Thompson, AKA The Ital Surgeon) and his Best Dressed Chicken in Town was my introduction to reggae long before I realized the power of Catch-A-Fire-Bob-Marley, Legalize-It Peter Tosh and Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread Lee “Scratch” Perry. Public Image Limited’s Jah Wobble’s reggae-influenced thunk-punk bass, morphed into dancehall and reggaeton drilled into […]
The King of Distractions. A Confession.
I’ve been the king of excuses and distractions. The expert of hiding behind work and business drama, family and online shopping. New ideas for books, novels and other businesses appear, get started but never finished… It’s no wonder the muse has stopped visiting. What about you? (6.100)
It’s Complicated
I was just in Panama for the unveiling of this monument.That’s my grandfather’s name, Karl Schmieder, right there on the plaque. And here’s the mass grave he’s buried in along with nine other victims of the 1941 massacre. It’s a complicated story that I’ve never written about but David Fishlow has. I’ll write about this […]