The Patchwork Monolith

Over 500 years ago, the Polynesian inhabitants of Easter Island carved the Moai- monolithic stone statues. Scientists are not sure why these massive, 14-ton statues were carved. Are they grave markers? Status symbols? Religious symbols? One thing about the Moai is recognized: they mark the existence of a certain people at a certain time in history. The Moai are monoliths, but they tell the story of a people in fragments that, however indecipherable, are as solid and real as the stone from which they were carved.

People are monoliths as well. We are living monuments to the lives we lead, aspire to lead, or pretend to lead. People are much more fragile than the Moai, and unless we are lucky, our remains will not survive to puzzle a civilization hundreds of years in the future. We live in an age, however, where we can fully tell our stories in ways that are much easier to comprehend. Read the full story

A Bridge Is Not A Wall

An officemate of mine once boasted about getting a near top-of-the-line computer for free. When I asked where he got it, he told me that a friend of his was a computer information manager. This friend had more retired computers than he could handle. Apparently, he worked for a wealthy firm and they had the cash flow to order new computers for the staff every year.

So, I asked what he was planning on doing with those retired computers. My officemate told me that this friend had tried to donate them to Reston’s public schools, but they already could afford new computers. This guy had a few dozen computers clogging his storage room, and he was at a loss.

What about a poorer school district, I asked. This guy could call the superintendent’s office in DC or PG County and have those computers out of his hair by close of business.

Fuck them, he said. Read the full story

Shallow

Art is defined as “an aesthetic object or feature that implies the conscious use of skill and creative imagination.” These many forms of expression, visual art, music, dance, writings, serve to enlighten us, enrich our lives, and otherwise influence us in many ways. Art can soothe, irritate, and enable. The artist can express alternate methods of thought, create various levels of existence, and allow intimate levels of understanding.

It is in the latter that, perhaps, the artist could serve the most important role. Since the beginning of civilization, man has sought a single unifying force that would help us to attain a “one mind” existence. Many have strived for peace through shared understanding and coordinated action. Read the full story