Melissa Borrell

A panorama I created of Melissa working in her Canopy studio back in 2013.

“Austin-based artist Melissa Borrell creates kinetic, architectural sculptures and immersive environments that surprise and delight while striving to inspire participants to see the world in a new way. Using light, shadow and movement, she creates artwork and spaces that encourage viewers slow down, wonder and smile. Fascinated by math, geometry, nature, technology and architectural forms, Melissa’s work is sophisticated yet playful. With an engineering mind and a delicate aesthetic, Melissa combines materials and shapes in a unique way to create environments that illuminate the things that she finds awe-inspiring.”
— www.melissaborrell.com/pages/about

Melissa Borrell is a multi-talented, savvy, and successful artist that I have known for many years. She was my neighbor in the studio next to mine at Canopy, and I think that is where we met. I’ve always been impressed with how she uses technology to create her various styles of work and her expert use of line, shape, and especially color!

She creates pieces as small as earrings and other jewelry all the way up to public and private art installations and murals.

She has thankfully chosen me to photograph her work many times, so I wanted to take this opportunity to share something about her and a selection of my favorite images of her work.

It’s not always easy to capture artwork and accurately translate how it feels to see it in person. But it is a challenge that I enjoy very much since I love working with and helping artists document their work at a high quality. They look more professional and can share it and grow their portfolio. With Melissa’s art, it’s fun because each piece is quite interesting and unique as is the placement. Her clients luckily have great taste and foresight commissioning her to create something that will brighten and enhance their space.

Be sure to check out her website to see more of her work with descriptions, and a link to her pop out jewelry line. www.melissaborrell.com

48 ft x 64 ft x 48

Glass, Concrete, Steel

Rising Sun 2020

Private Residence, Austin, TX

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PolyChrome Hallway 2019

Financial Mgt Firm, Austin, TX

12 ft x 52 ft

Digital Print

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12 ft x 9 ft x 3 ft

Wood, Aluminum, Paint

TopoGraph 2020

Financial Mgt Firm, Austin, TX

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The 5 Love Languages

“Our most basic emotional need is not to fall in love but to be genuinely loved by another, to know a love that grows out of reason and choice, not instinct. I need to be loved by someone who chooses to love me, who sees in me something worth loving.

That kind of love requires effort and discipline. It is the choice to expend energy in an effort to benefit the other person, knowing that if his or her life is enriched by your effort, you too will find a sense of satisfaction — the satisfaction of having genuinely loved another. It does not require the euphoria of the in-love experience. In fact, true love cannot begin until the in-love experience has run its course.”
— Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages
“People tend to criticize their spouse most loudly in the area where they themselves have the deepest emotional need.”
— Gary Chapman, The Five Love Languages

The 5 Love Languages are Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Acts of Service, Gifts, and Physical Touch. I’ve been aware of this list for many years but never fully read the book or tried that hard to implement the intelligence of this approach to my past relationships in an intentional way. I’m impressed by Dr. Chapman and what he was able to figure out after years of counseling couples. Essentially everyone interprets and takes in love from others in their own way. If you can figure out what your partner’s primary love languages are it will go a very long way towards making sure they are feeling fulfilled and safe in the relationship.

You can take a quiz on the official website and it’s nice because they give you the results without requiring your email like some other test/quiz sites. Here are my results below. Seems fairly true. I do often feel much better after getting verbal confirmation of where I stand with people, especially after being in a black hole of no information for too long. You know, the kind of mental and emotional limbo where a lot of negative stories are created. If I get the words along with the quality time and physical touch I’m golden. Gifts and acts of service do not mean nearly as much to me to receive, but it’s interesting I do enjoy sharing those very much.

I’m looking forward to including this approach next time around. I’d recommend you at least familiarize yourself with the basics and pay attention to what you need for yourself and observe what someone else might need the most. Very often in his practice, it seems Gary was able to save many relationships using this framework.

My results from the 5 Love Languages quiz.

Thanks to Fiercemarriage.com for making this nice graphic based on Dr.Chapman’s work and book.

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AUSTIN ART TALK | Lauren Hunt - Glass Work

Lauren Hunt is one of the rare artists who works with glass, and she has been at it for over 10 years. After college she worked for 7 of those years at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York with the Hot Glass Show, on land and traveling all over the world on cruise ships doing live and educational demonstrations. Eventually she made it to Austin where she has continued her practice making functional, whimsical, and sometimes purely artistic works of beauty out of molten glass. Lauren is a hoot and we had such a fun conversation. I’ve always wanted to learn more about glass blowing and what it’s all about and Lauren did not disappoint. Check out the shop on her website laurenhuntglass.com and see if there isn’t something there that strikes your fancy. Support local artists and fill your house with beautiful handmade objects by people you know!

Have a listen to our conversation in the player above or wherever you listen to podcasts! And take a look at the photos I made of Lauren and her assistant making glassware a few days after the interview. It was fun to watch, learn, and photograph the process.

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Lauren and her trusty assistant Ryan working the heat at Ghost Pepper Glass.

Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator

Apparently this book, Reminiscences Of A Stock Operator, is quite famous in the Wall Street world and after hearing about it in an interview I decided to check it out. I’ve also been paying more attention to stocks recently and was hoping to get some insight into the elusive world of stock market trading.

The book is a fictional biography of the life of a real trader, created from extensive interviews by the author. It was a decent listen and might have been more enjoyable if I did work in the financial sector due to a lot of the technical explanations and the repetitiveness of the theme of all the stories. It is interesting though to hear about the life of someone so different from me who lived over 100 years ago.

The recent craziness with the Gamestop stock and the WallStreetBets reddit members market manipulation has been big in the news. When things like this happen you get a glimpse and attempted explanations of the insane ways that people speculate and bet on the market through often complicated maneuvers.

It’s was quite interesting to hear in the book of very similar actions to the Gamestop event being taken by traders back in the early 1900’s. It seems things have not changed much. It’s definitely a complicated system I will never fully understand.

“Another lesson I learned early is that there is nothing new in Wall Street. There can’t be because speculation is as old as the hills. Whatever happens in the stock market to-day has happened before and will happen again. I’ve never forgotten that.”
— Edwin Lefèvre, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

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The Practice by Seth Godin

“To be of service. Isn’t that what we are here to do. To do work we are proud of. To put ourselves on the hook. To find the contribution we are capable of. The only way to be on this journey is to begin. But there isn’t a guarantee. In fact, most of what we seek to do will not work. But our intent, the intent of being of service, of making things better, of building something that matters, is an essential part of the pattern.”
— Seth Godin - The Practice

Seth Godin’s new book The Practice: Shipping Creative Work is just chock-full of his style of wisdom and unique take on the world. As one reviewer on Amazon stated, it’s Seth’s magnum opus on the subject of creativity. Even though it is not a long book it feels massive in the scope of its inspiring offering. The book is separated into 11 sections containing a total of 219 individual maxims. My main take away is no matter what, I need to maintain a consistent creative practice without fixating on the outcome. Create, be of service, and keep moving forward.

Trying to listen to the whole book straight through had my head swimming and I definitely lost track a couple of times. It’s a lot to take in and I would recommend splitting it up or if you have the physical book even better. Maybe digest one rule at a time and give yourself a chance to absorb it. I might even try reading one every day.

I’ve included in this post an interview he did for the book with Jordan Harbinger which I really enjoyed. And I’d like to share some of the quotes from the book that resonated with me most at this point in my life.

“Better is possible, but not if we continue to settle, continue to hide, and continue to scurry along the same paths. We have more to do. We need your contribution. But it can’t happen, and won’t happen if we can’t figure out how to trust ourselves enough to do the work. ”
— Seth Godin - The Practice
“The creativity you put into your work is an opportunity for better. It opens doors and turns on lights. It connects the disconnected and creates the bonds of culture. Art transforms the recipient even as it allows individuals to become us. Art is the human act of doing something that might not work and causing change to happen. Work that matters, for people who care. Not for applause, not for money. But because we can. ”
— Seth Godin - The Practice
“The story we tell ourselves leads to the actions we take. If you want to change your story change your actions first. When we choose to act a certain way our mind can’t help but rework our narrative to make those actions become coherent. We become what we do.”
— Seth Godin - The Practice

AUSTIN ART TALK | Kevin Ivester-The Art Of The Gallery

What does it take to open an art gallery and frame shop in Austin during a pandemic? A lot. For Kevin Ivester, owner of Ivester Contemporary and Eastside Picture Framing, these businesses are the culmination of a long-term dream and years of working in all aspects of the art world including, galleries, auction houses, restoration, conservation, handling, framing, and appraisal. Now with the potential of both endeavors and his well-rounded years of experience, Kevin wants to help artists further their careers, sell their work, and raise the profile of Austin as a town where you can buy great art and from any of the numerous talented people that call it home. We talk about what it took for him to get to this point and his intentions going forward. He’s genuinely interested in adding value and helping to further the awareness and understanding of visual art and the artists he represents. What a great mission and now he has the means to see it through.

Have a listen to our conversation in the player above or wherever you listen to podcasts!

East Side Picture Framing
916 Springdale Rd,
Bldg 4, Suite 105
Austin Texas 78702
(512) 520 8031

Ivester Contemporary
916 Springdale Rd
Bldg 2, Suite 107
Austin, TX 78702
(737) 209-0379

Make An Appointment!

About The Gallery

Ivester Contemporary is an Austin-based contemporary fine art gallery committed to connecting people with leading local and regional artists and ideas. Rotating exhibitions are focused on creating a context for contemplation, deepening appreciation for the visual arts, and facilitating a dialog between the artist and their viewers. Ivester Contemporary is located within the Canopy Creative Complex in East Austin, a central hub for artists, gallerists, and other creative types.

Commons Ford Relics

Commons Ford Ranch has to be one of my favorite places to hike in Austin. I shared my first post about it back on December 4th. The other day I decided to try a different trail and discovered many artifacts and relics of this land’s history that I had not seen before. These kinds of discoveries always get my imagination going. Who lived here previously and what were their lives like? I suppose it’s somewhat sad to think that the rusty and dilapidated remnants might be most all there is left of someone’s long-lived life. Tractor implements, a silo, barbed wire, a collapsed building, tires, and what looks like a well, skillfully built with care.

Making Up Stories

Tim Ferriss mentioned on a recent podcast episode, a communication technique that he learned from his girlfriend, that I think could be valuable. He also mentioned Nonviolent Communication and the audio program I’ve included in this post is an excellent introduction.

The way I understood it, if you are feeling some tension in a relationship and you want to share your anxious thoughts and feelings without putting the other person on the defensive you could say, “The story I am making up in my head is_____, and when I believe that thought I feel_____.”

This seems like a smart way to express the often negative and paranoid interpretations we all have of events and people’s actions, without going as far as accusing someone of something that could all be in your head. I find that the majority of the stories I create about others in relation to me are completely off base and are in the end a waste of energy. If you can hold off on making assumptions and get more info before forming a judgment and somehow avoid getting triggered that is even better.

“All violence is the result of people tricking themselves into believing that their pain derives from other people and that consequently, those people deserve to be punished.”
— Marshall B. Rosenberg, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

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Yes,And

This post will be a compilation of a bunch of thoughts and connections I am trying to make, in my ongoing quest to be more aware of myself, figure out how to move past my limitations, find more peace and joy, and add value to the world, or at least reduce the amount of suffering. I definitely don’t think too much! I’ll try to make this short but there is a lot to say.

If you are a fan of Bill Murray, you’ve probably heard the stories of him showing up at parties, or inserting himself into people’s lives for a few minutes or hours, injecting a lot of joy, laughter, and presence into any situation. The documentary I have included in this post is about exactly that. The director Tommy Avallone chases down the validity of the stories and Bill himself, and eventually through interviews in many different cities, compiles snippets of the life philosophy that likely drives Mr. Murray to do what he does. As Bill states in one interview, he’d “like to see how long he can last at being really here, you know really in it, really alive and in the moment.”

A possible origin of Bill’s attitude, surmised in the doc, is his years of doing improv. One tenet or rule of most improv schools is the Yes, And. When you are improvising a scene in front of an audience, there is much more potential to entertain and create momentum if you agree and build on what others suggest, as opposed to negating it and sticking with your own direction and ideas. It’s about being creative in the moment and open to any possibility.

When living in NYC I took a few improv classes at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade theater and did perform at the end of one class, on the main stage. It was a ton of fun. While studying I frequented the theater and saw dozens of live improv shows. I’ve probably never laughed harder in my life, before or since. And through the classes and watching the pros perform, I learned about this Yes, And approach. And now there are books that have turned that improv lesson into an approach to living life. You open up and say yes to what comes your way, and you add something positive to it moving the narrative forward in an exciting and unpredictable way.

The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man
Starring Joel Murray, Peter Farrelly, Gavin Edwards, David Allen, Jordan Goetz

A good friend gave me some valuable feedback recently. She said most of the time when I greet her I don’t smile or seem very excited about the meeting. It’s so valuable to get these honest reflections, giving you a perspective outside of yourself. What she said made me realize how much I’m like my dad, often stoic, serious, and hard to read. That is just not how I want to be and that is not the energy I want to bring into the world. It’s very likely a way that I believe I’m protecting myself from criticism and rejection, trying not to be open and vulnerable to the world. It’s the opposite of Yes, And. It’s shut down and don’t be seen. And it’s the opposite of reality. The more vulnerable people get, from what I’ve seen, the more powerful they are. If you’ve ever witnessed someone fully open up and share their pain and truth, it’s very moving and impressive. You see great strength and courage.

Tim Ferriss, whose podcast I like very much, recently stated one of his goals for 2021 was to be more playful and mischievous, in a fun and positive way. Sounds like Bill Murray. I as well have a desire to be less rigid, with fewer limiting beliefs and limiting stories about who I am and what is possible. More playful and open. The source escapes me, but something else I heard last week that fits in with these intentions is the idea of making whoever is in front of you the most important person. Being truly present to the moment with whoever and whatever you are engaging with. There is also this practice of saying in your head or out loud when you meet someone, “I’m so happy to see you!” You make a practice of generating and exuding excitement for people and for life. So what does all that I’ve said here add up to? Like Bill says, his goal is to be in life, and in the moment. For me, all of this points to Yes, And-ing more moments, to creating an open and engaged life, appreciating and connecting with others, and gratitude for this opportunity to exist right now. I’m not saying it’s easy or even possible to make every moment count and always be present, but I do think it’s a good intention to have.

“Be available for life to happen.”
— Bill Murray

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Deborah Roberts At The Contemporary Austin

This post commemorates the great achievement of Austin-based artist Deborah Roberts with her first solo Texas museum exhibition. She has been on my podcast twice and we covered her early life and the progression of her career from humble beginnings until just over a year ago. I’m thinking about asking if she would come on a third time to get updated with this new phase her career. Very exciting! She inspires a lot of artists and those two interviews are definitely ones that people positively comment to me about the most. Have a listen here or anywhere you listen to the podcasts and be sure to buy a ticket to see her exhibition if you will be in Austin before August 15, 2021. It has been a long time coming and I’m so happy for her and her success. If you want to read further there are quite a few great articles about her new show that I will link to at the end of this post.

“I’ve always dedicated my life to the work, and whatever the work needed that’s what I did.”
— Deborah Roberts - Episode 19

Text from Episode 19 summary- March 2018

It has been an incredible year for Austin based artist Deborah Roberts. But after decades of hard work and scholarship, it’s not really a surprise. She was already an established artist long before deciding to go back to school to get her MFA in 2014, to study and find the language and direction for her new work. Her imagery started out in a very romantic Americana style but after a time that didn’t completely match the reality of what she was feeling and seeing in the world. The work needed to change. After finishing school she gave herself two years to succeed in art before having to give up once and for all. Then she received a grant from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in 2016. For the first time, she could spend a whole year completely focused on her art full time and create without fear. What has followed is sold out shows all over the country and lots of press praising the work and giving her credit which was overdue.

With a focus on collage, painting, mixed media/installation, and text, Roberts is best known for creating portraits of young black girls, aged 8-10, that ask the viewer to consider how their beauty has been imagined: by art history, pop culture, American history, and black culture. And when and why do these young vulnerable girls have to put on their gloves and start fighting battles? It's important work and it resonates with a lot of people.

Deborah is a delight to be around and the interview was a lot of fun. We go all the way back to her beginnings in art and work our way to the present. She then dissects the meaning and language of the work and talks about the future and her newfound fame.

“I’m going to continue to push my work forward. The work has always come first. It has to be the work because it’s no good if it’s not. That’s my philosophy. I don’t push that on anyone else. That’s just always been my thing. That the work has to do what it needs to do.”
— Deborah Roberts - Episode 71

Text from Episode 71 summary - Oct 2019

In this highly anticipated follow-up to my first interview with Deborah from March of 2018, we sit down to talk about all of the wonderful and sometimes challenging aspects of her amazing career over the last year and a half since we last spoke. From grants to residencies to gallery representation in Los Angeles and London, it has been a wild ride. But don’t think she is an overnight success. Her work ethic and passion have carried her through over four decades of pursuing art to where she is now. As they say, luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

Deborah shares how her work has been evolving and where it is headed, her studio practice, as well as giving us a peek into some ideas for her upcoming one women show at The Contemporary Austin a year from now. I think Deborah proves that hard work, integrity, and persistence can change your life and the lives of others in a positive way. She is even planning to start a foundation to help other artists get the help that she so dearly needed to grow her career early on. If you haven’t heard our first conversation that covers the history of her life and career before last year, have a listen to Episode 19.

Zoe

Movies are not a big part of my life at the moment but I do watch one every once in a while. I’m actually canceling my Amazon Prime membership because I’ve gotten a little too addicted to watching shows, and I would prefer to be spending my time in potentially more productive ways. Not that I regret over the holidays, binge-watching Star Trek episodes, the original series, and the next generation, all 258 of them. I’m not admitting to having a problem, but I was very into TV growing up. Just like with food it’s easy to passively numb out and avoid creating anything new yourself.

Not sure why I decided to watch the movie Zoe, but I am glad I did. It’s the type of movie set in a future that seems very possible, disturbingly so. Actually, I doubt we will be able to create completely believable artificial humans for a long time if at all. The movie’s accuracy was more in portraying how people would likely act and live in this new reality. A world with robot companions to keep you company and also an addictive drug that induces the feeling of falling in love over and over.

The aspect of the movie that resonated with me and made me think about my own life was how even though Ewan McGregor’s character wants to fall in love with his female creation played by Lea Seydoux, he can’t. She is a robot who seems as human as anyone physically and emotionally. They date and have a love affair. Still, he can’t see past how he perceives her and the physical reality of her existence.

How many potential partners over the years have I dismissed or kept at arm’s length because of something superficial or some limiting beliefs about what I want or need? That is a tough question. Probably too many. The movie illustrated very well that bias and struggle and gave me a glimpse of myself. More awareness the better.

Zoe
Starring Ewan McGregor, Léa Seydoux, Theo James, Miranda Otto, Rashida Jones, Christina Aguilera, Matthew Gray Gubler, Anthony Shim

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1776

The timing of deciding to listen to this book is I suppose interesting, with the inauguration finally happening today. This notable year is often mentioned and used to convey the idea of rebellion and patriotism. So I thought a refresher beyond college history class was in order. A quick search reminded me of Trump’s 1776 Commission, whose report was just released as a reaction to The 1619 project.

1776 covers a time period from the middle of 1775, near the beginning of The Revolutionary War, with the Siege of Boston by the British, until Washington’s vital early victories at the end of 1776, which changed the sentiment about the possible outcome for both sides. Here are a few things that stood out for me in the book.

It’s mind-boggling to realize how luck and chance, the weather, or even just a few inspiring well-timed words from a sometimes not so confident leader, swayed some of the decisive moments that culminated in the independence of this country.

Hearing about the lives of people that existed only a few hundred years ago, I was reminded how utterly horrible life could be back then. Many people died from disease, there was no such thing as anesthesia or pain killers, hard labor was the norm, people were enslaved, and life expectancy was much lower than today.

Some of the things those revolutionary soldiers had to endure must have felt like torture. Try marching for miles in the winter during a freezing storm at night with no shoes and then having to cross an ice-covered river in boats with horses and heavy canons. Then muster the energy to fight for your life and your country!? Talk about heroes. Many of us have it so easy, and we forget the sacrifices of those that made our way of life possible. Knowing your history and our history is important.

If you haven’t read or listened to any of The 1619 Project you might check it out. There is no lack of controversy about its historical accuracy and whether or not it should at all be used in schools. If you are a critical thinker I suspect you can handle the content, do your own research, and decide for yourself.

As I’ve written before, I believe learning about the lives of others will only help to grow your understanding and compassion, especially towards those you hate, fear, or reject. When your bias is for a reason you can’t justify or you’ve adopted it without fully investigating why you hold that belief so dear, there’s room for growth.

1776
By David McCullough
“There are no people on earth in whom a spirit of enthusiastic zeal is so readily kindled, and burns so remarkably, as Americans”
— David McCullough, 1776
“Washington insisted—possibly to rally his own resolve—that they must never lose sight of “the goodness of our cause.” Difficulties were not insurmountable. Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”
— David McCullough, 1776

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2001: A Space Odyssey

When I recently listened to Stephen Hawking’s book Brief Answers To The Big Questions, it made me think of 2001: A Space Odyssey, so I then listened to that book and will re-watch the movie soon. Science fiction is one of my favorites genres, and I was not disappointed. And even though I can’t remember the movie fully, I could tell there are differences, as is typical. It’s interesting that in the introduction Arthur C. Clarke himself shares that the book and movie were created concurrently.

Listening to both books got me thinking about how far away the closest stars and their planets are and how it’s very unlikely in my lifetime that humans will be able to travel outside of our solar system or that we will discover extraterrestrial life. Who knows for sure. No doubt I’m not alone in wishing to know and see more of this incomprehensibly vast universe. I love the awe of looking up at the stars at night.

So I then looked up what man-made object is furthest from the earth. Turns out it is Voyager 1 which has traveled over 14 billion miles from here since it was launched in 1977, traveling at almost 38,000 miles per hour. Astounding! The Nasa Jet Propulsion Lab has a great website showing the current location of many spacecraft, modeled in 3D, and flying through space, all in a really nice full-screen interface.

It seems for now I will have to just settle for books and movies and my imagination to take me beyond what’s known and seen. Do you ever think about what’s out there?

“Behind every man now alive stand thirty ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living. Since the dawn of time, roughly a hundred billion human beings have walked the planet Earth.

Now this is an interesting number, for by a curious coincidence there are approximately a hundred billion stars in our local universe, the Milky Way. So for every man who has ever lived, in this Universe there shines a star.”
— Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey

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Thom Yorke At The Piano

When I watch and listen to Thom Yorke soulfully play the piano, I often wonder if I will ever be able to do anything in my life that feels like how I imagine it is for him in those moments. What can compare to performance? Using your body and voice in such a moving way? Possibly losing yourself in those experiences, creating, and re-creating. Expressing your innermost self. Sharing that experience with others. It looks to me like something worth working towards and figuring out how to get closer to. Piano and voice lessons?

The closest I’ve ever been to Thom in person was at an Atoms For Peace concert at Roseland Ballroom in NYC on April 6, 2010. It was kind of an adventure and I think an interesting story. Since I had never had the experience of waiting in line for hours ahead of a show to get a great spot close to the stage, I decided this would be the concert to give it a try. So I got in line at Roseland eight hours or so before the doors were to open. There were already at least 30 people in front of me when I arrived. So we all sat there for a few hours talking and people watching, and then something happened that altered our sidewalk vigil. Con Edison was working on some utilities at the end of the block and somehow they started an electrical fire under the street. Horrible smelling smoke began to billow in increasing intensity from the metal grates where they accessed the depths of the city.

Fire trucks eventually showed up and the street where we were camped started to fill with this smoke. Since we were really the only stationary people anywhere near this problem whoever was in charge had to decide what to do with us if things got worse. It seems they did, and we were asked to relocate to the back of the building. Those of us who had been there for many hours became worried we would lose our places in line, but one smart and quick fellow concert-goer wrote numbers on a piece of paper and handed them out to us so we could reassemble in order at the back door.

Once safely away from the sirens and the dangerous smoke-filled block, we waited the rest of our time in peace and were eventually let into the venue. It was worth the wait and the narrowly averted catastrophe. The spot I claimed was right against the front wall, directly in line with Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. If you watch the blue low-quality video you can get an idea of what the scene and show looked like. It was a marvelous experience made even more interesting by the near disaster we avoided innocently waiting to see some of the best musicians in the world.

Statue Of Liberty

New Colossus

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

– Emma Lazarus, 1883

I’ve been really enjoying going through photos from years past, looking for content and things to share with you. These images of the Statue of Liberty are from 2008 when I was living in Manhattan, and it looks like I never processed them. Better late than never. The main statue image is a photo merge of 6 individual images, making a sort of vertical panorama. When I captured these images it was the first and only time I’ve visited Liberty Island in New York Harbor. It was an impressive sight to behold in person.

Stephen Hawking

“So remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up. Unleash your imagination. Shape the future.”
— Stephen Hawking - Brief Answers to the Big Questions

Other than Lou Gehrig himself, Stephen Hawking is probably the most famous person to have had ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.) He passed away almost exactly one year after my father, in 2018. The difference is he miraculously lived with ALS for 54 years and my father only survived it about a year and a half after being diagnosed.

When I heard the news about Mr. Hawking it definitely made me think about my father. Dad only made it to age 67. I often wish that I could give him a call and ask him questions when I am struggling with different things in my life. He worked for the Veterans Administration as a programmer for almost 50 years and most of his efforts were in service of veterans. He was one himself, having served in Vietnam.

Stephen Hawking unquestionably contributed a great deal to science and was a role model and inspiration for persons with disabilities. The last book that he wrote, Brief Answers To The Big Questions, turned out to be very understandable and enlightening. He covers a lot of subjects. God, extraterrestrials, black holes, time travel, artificial intelligence, and more. I highly recommend it if you have an interest in hearing a unique perspective on these subjects from the mind of a true genius.

“One of the great revelations of the space age has been the perspective it has given humanity on ourselves. When we see the Earth from space, we see ourselves as a whole. We see the unity and not the divisions. It is such a simple image with a compelling message; one planet, one human race.”
— Stephen Hawking - Brief Answers to the Big Questions
“Let us fight for every woman and every man to have the opportunity to live healthy, secure lives, full of opportunity and love. We are all time travellers, journeying together into the future. But let us work together to make that future a place we want to visit. Be brave, be curious, be determined, overcome the odds. It can be done.”
— Stephen Hawking - Brief Answers to the Big Questions

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