Open2Discussion

Those are the powerful words that Maynard opens the last song of Tool's most recent album: 7empest -- Fear Inoculum. This album released in 2019 is the soundtrack for the entire year of 2020. So let's jump right in... It's been a hell of a year this 2020 CE. So many things to unpack, so many lies told, and so many millions dealing with the loss of a job, loss of their homes, or loss of loved ones - surreal isn't even a strong enough word to describe this mess we're experiencing in the US of A. At this point we've already seen over 150,000 deaths related to COVID-19 and symptoms like it, but we're reopening schools across the nation this fall! I could spend hours diving into any one of these topics, but if you've been living under a rock (and who hasn't envied it) since February, here's a rough catalog of the things that have happened. March 2020  COVID-19 became a household term thrown around 200 million+ households multiple times a day Tiger Ki...

As my daughter passed her 9 month birthday a couple days ago, my wife and I suffered over how much she has grown.  It's a parent's eternal yearning to want their children to stay the same - but we also want to see them grow.  I was thinking how nice it would be to see things new for the first time all over again.  Just like the first time I experienced sushi, or tried to water-ski (I nearly cracked a rib that time). The newness of living is exciting.  Just like falling in love is so amazing.  With a brand new human being living in my house, I can experience all those new things all over again with her as my proxy. It's why mothers and fathers want to be there when the baby takes his/her first steps... We want to be a part of their lives through all the new things they do because it makes us feel good just to be there.  Parents sure are selfish when it comes to their kids.  We want them to have the nicest things, eat the best food, wear the most comf...