Grankids Create Art, Saguaros On The Brain & Print Gets A Reprieve

 June 25, 2024

   Nothing makes a certain grandpa happier than seeing his grandkid's artwork.

"Mega Jaw" by Fenton Bell, age 5

And here is that budding artist

at his art station.

   Meanwhile, another talented grandkid, also an artist, turned 11 yesterday and he is pretty good at art himself.

Weston in G-Pa Ha Ha's Studio

   And, it must be said, I have had saguaros on the brain for a long, long time.

The Razz, Vol. II, No. 6, 1975

The Vinyl Effect

   It's about time. A prescient piece in the New York Times tells about the rise of certain niche magazines on printed paper—and they are thriving! Why? 

The Lean In vs. The Lean Back

   Digital content forces you to lean in to see your phone. It's harder on the eyes, your muscles feel a little tighter. A printed coffee-table book or a niche magazine is a lean back. You can lean back on your sofa, open it and relax. Also, according to the article, people are tired of being on their phones, paddling through "the fire hose of online content."

"The screen experience is just so reductionist. It just flattens the world, so that a Pulitzer Prize-winning story feels the same as spam. Some things deserve better."

—Stephen Casimiro of Adventure Journal

The Takeaways

• A minimalist cover

• A flat binding meant for stacking or shelving

• Deep stories

• Beautiful photos

• An aura of timelessness

• Never underestimate the intelligence of the reader.

• Quality. Quality. Quality.

   Okay, got it.

A Walmart in Deming, New Mexico

In Praise of The Long View

"The view is better from a greater age. Suddenly, you see the entire line—where things were, where things are going, where they veered out of control. The long view. And I think the mistake we make—certainly the mistake I made—was to think too small, too safe. I think that life was meant to be big. I think that people were meant to be big. I don't mean through gesture or demands: I mean big of heart and impact. We are here for a very short run of the timeline, and if a mark isn't made, if people aren't helped or moved by what we've done, then we haven't mattered. Show up to matter, not to be liked. Show up to be big. Investigate your heart and the hearts of others to find out what the big thing needed at that time might be."

—Marlon Brando

The Long View from Cactusland