Monthly Archives: August 2026

It’s Only A Paper Moon or Globe

I have always been fascinated by globes. When I was a wee lad I had a globe/lamp combo on my nightstand and I would spin the globe and dream of breaking out. I even made my own paper mache globe … Continue reading

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Rotterdam Rocks

Rotterdam Rocks (image above & below) is the winning proposal for a landmark on the banks of the river Maas. Designed by MVRDV for The Shift Embassy whose aim is to raise public awareness of the climate crisis. It is a 30,000 … Continue reading

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A writer’s needs

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“Name the most horrible thing you know!”

This ukiyo-e woodblock print, by the late Edo period artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), illustrates a story involving the “Sea Monk” or Umibōzu, a spirit in Japanese folklore. The ocean dwelling spirit — so called because of his smooth monk-like round head — is … Continue reading

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Everybody Loves A Good Archive

David Sizemore created an archive of archives; who doesn’t love a comprehensive archive.  Per David, this is “an online archive of other archives I’ve run across online. I love when folks feel passionately enough about something to document it meticulously.” … Continue reading

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Plein Air

You may recall that I previously share a post about the website  “Current Rothko”, a clever little web app by Joonas Virtenan that analyzed your local weather and picked a Rothko painting to match it. Now Virtenan is back with a … Continue reading

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Books are natural wonders

“It had been startling and disappointing to me to find out that story books had been written by people, that books were not natural wonders, coming up of themselves like grass. Yet regardless of where they come from, I cannot … Continue reading

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Time is not a straight line but rather a labyrinth

“Time is not a straight line but rather a labyrinth, and if you press yourself against the wall in the right place you can hear the hurried steps and the voices, you can hear yourself walk past on the other … Continue reading

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Elements of a masterpiece

Almost word for word what my first book editor told me .

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Coffee Makes The World Go Round

I would like to think of myself as a semi-pro coffee roaster, but I know that’s just the beans talking. My roasting is limited to small batches for  family and friends. And my roaster only has the capacity to do … Continue reading

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