given recent events, it would be negligent if i didn’t talk about gun violence. but i am beyond tired of this becoming a political topic and i think if we’re going to talk about it we have to talk about it in a far more causal way and stop simplifying… Read More »schools on fire

let’s talk about sand. it’s a beautiful, sunny day and you’ve spent the morning dreaming of sunbathing, swimming and the joy of bikinis. or not. i mean, it’s october and i’m stuck in the sixth ring of hell — northern europe in fall as the arctic ice melts and the… Read More »take your table to the beach

i’m often accused of being anti-tradition. i’m not. i’m just anti-useless-tradition. if we’re going to do something the way it was done in the past, it has to still be relevant for the future. for example, it’s not a useful treatment for the flu to cut open your body and… Read More »epistolary verse

actually, let’s talk about a very specific hole — the hallowed mortise. we can talk about tenons at some point but those are really easy. and i always thought digging holes in (or through) pieces of wood was something rather basic. but i have, after years of being a teacher,… Read More »let’s talk about your hole

i’ve loved reading woodworking magazines since i was a kid. actually, i’ve loved reading instructional magazines in general — fine woodworking, popular mechanics, national geographic, popular science, pc magazine… you name it, i was always excited when a new issue came out. now the rise of the internet has turned… Read More »words and wood

meditation is a solid path to peace. if you meditate every day, you will feel better. life won’t necessarily be easy or even objectively less difficult. but you won’t mind it as much. you’ll find yourself less controlled and obsessed by your emotions. they’ll stop really being issues in the… Read More »meditation in outer space