In the future we will all play for our freedom.

Chain, New Orleans, 2012

Real life is so much easier when you're not trying to impress people.

EDIT: Though it's hard as hell not to want their adoration.

My favorite part about this picture is that all the hands are equally spaced from each other.

"Words can be meager things."

This is my friend Leah Floyd's To-Do List.

Notable items include:
- make cookies
- dance
- woodworking
- good food (cheese)
- motorcycles
- drinking tea

Yesterday I witnessed a kite flying above the highway I was driving on. As it got near, it became apparent to me that the kite was not being flown by anyone. It was, in actuality, flying itself; the connecting line caught on a nearby lamp post.

It hung in the sky, gently supported by the wind. Climbing and diving across the clear blue background, the tiny, bright yellow spot maneuvered through the air with all the skill of an expert pilot.

I thought, "How fortunate that someone who lost their kite was able to, knowingly or unknowingly, create such a wonderful moment." A moment that could only last as long as the wind chose to keep it there.

I saw her face so clearly.
Amidst all the blurs, the bodies.
The people you'd recognize if you could just
grab a hold of them and shake the mist away.

She smiled, first looking at me, and then to her side.
I think I said something; though I can't recall what.
Even if I could relive that moment what could possibly have been appropriate to say?

I'd yell at her for handling everything so immaturely.
I'd tell her how heavy the guilt weighed on my shoulders.
I'd whisper to her about how cool the breeze was that night,
and how well it paired with the warmth of the bourbon on my tongue.

"Everything is okay," she said.
"Things aren't as bad as you think they are."

I woke up and deeply exhaled my relief.

I went to work.

Itch

Temptation.
That small itching in the back of your mind
reminding you of your flesh, bone, and blood.

Reminding that you still need,
you still want,
desire,
crave,
and lust.

In the split second before you scratch
do you ever wonder, "How exactly will
I remember this moment?"

"Will it ever be able to eclipse the moment
I realize I will never be satisfied?"

Tangles

I threw it on the ground. Its twisted shape made it hard to carry like a writhing child. Or perhaps it could have been a snake.

Sun

The Magic of Radio

a disembodied voice

Black Cool

Interesting story heard on NPR's Talk of the Nation the other day. Read the transcript here.

Above All Else

Actor/comedian Ricky Gervais writes about fame:

I've always been fascinated by the subject of fame. Probably because I've never really understood it. Or rather, I've never really understood why people would put fame above all else. And it seems to be getting worse. A recent university survey asked a sample of 10-year-olds what they wanted to be when they grew up. They answered "famous." Just famous.

I guess I always wanted to be eminent. That's the old word for fame, by the way. Being known for something. Being known for being good at something. Maybe even the best at something. "Fame" used to be fused with "respect" in some ways. That's what distinguished it from infamy. But not any more.

It'd be nice to find that "recent university survey" but I'm preoccupied with other things. Read the rest of the column here.

via The Huffington Post's Culture section.

The Best Laid Schemes

My plan for the "restart" of this blog was to start posting at the beginning of the new year. It's been a month. I'm tired. I'm busy. Here's a picture of the sky in New Orleans for your viewing pleasure. I took it this past weekend while visiting for the close of Prospect.2.

"New Orleans Sky, Jan 27, 4:22:21 PM"