Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedWhat to wear to a voter intimidationWondering what kind of Democrat “costume” would scare a MAGA As you probably read somewhere, a federal judge has declined to bar a right-wing group “monitoring” outdoor ballot boxes in Arizona’s largest county, Maricopa, saying that to do so could violate the group’s constitutional rights. And as you’ve probably seen…Politics3 min readPolitics3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyA Tale of Tinnitus, for What It’s WorthStop, now, what’s that sound? — Nature is said to abhor a vacuum. The human ear and brain abhor silence. If auditory stimulation from the outside world is diminished, the brain and the ear will make up for it, creating phantom sounds that are usually labeled tinnitus. Though it’s often used interchangeably with “ringing in the…Music4 min readMusic4 min read
PinnedMember-onlySimplifyA playful ditty about getting back down to the real nitty gritty First, a big shout out to fellow Medium contributor Scott Vatour. His recent post, “A sustainable future may bankrupt Elon Musk/Electric cars are no magical solution to the future’s pollution problems,” is a great read, and it reminded…Simplicity2 min readSimplicity2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedMember-onlyIs this the real life? Is this just fantasy?Someone, please explain this Medium . . . to me — The more I read and explore on Medium, the more I feel as though, like Alice, I’ve fallen down a rabbit hole or stepped through the looking glass. And not just because I’ve already encountered the equivalents of the Mad Hatter, the Tweedles, the Cheshire Cat, and the Red Queen. …Writing3 min readWriting3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·PinnedSacramentA poem about life, death, tomatoes, product placement, and rebirth — Sacrament I want to be a sacrament When I die Mix my ashes with garden soil, Miracle Gro Put us in the plot I tilled and tended every spring Plant tomatoes — Beefsteaks, Better Boys and Brandywines Water well And when we ripen Slice us thick and lay us out good white bread slathered with mayonnaise Preferably Hellman’s, though Duke’s or Blue Pate will doPoetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Mar 11Ode to the Egg HouseAppreciating a farm family that trusts its customers and neighbors — The Egg House is a peeling pastel cottage walking distance from downtown Athens, Georgia. So far as I know, nobody but me calls it that. It does look a little like an Easter basket in certain light, but it’s not made of eggs, nor is the owner named Egg. It’s…Humanity2 min readHumanity2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Mar 11Remembering a Southern Rock giantYou may not have heard of Davis Causey, but you probably heard him A giant of Southern Rock passed away last week in Athens, Ga. You may not recognize the name Davis Causey, but you probably heard him. He was a charter member of Sea Level, a great Georgia band…Music2 min readMusic2 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Mar 6Making a case for modest housesI’m not saying “tiny” houses are for the birds, but returning to our old housing normal, size-wise, is a worthy and more pragmatic environmental goal. If you suspect American homes have gotten super-sized over the years, just like pick-ups trucks, Slurpees, and thousands of other products, you are not wrong…Life3 min readLife3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Feb 12Monty Pelican’s Flying CircusAnd now, for something completely different — South Carolina sea coast, clabbered-cloud sky, trees designed by Dr. Seuss, more than a dozen pelicans flying with the precision of Blue Angels — the photo all but took itself. Keep your eyes and your mind open. No telling what wonder you will see.Photography1 min readPhotography1 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jan 31How Now, Brown and White Cow?“They’re gonna put me in the moovies/They’re gonna make a big star out of me.” — Sweet Olive Farm, an animal rescue ranch near Winterville, Georgia, is surely one of the most benevolent places on Earth. Roaming its grounds are everything from Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs to alpacas, from chickens to mules to Emus. A visitor wandering around this peaceable kingdom faces the possibility of stepping into more than two dozen varieties of manure.Animals1 min readAnimals1 min read
