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A *Somewhat* Private Performance

We’re fortunate to have Gerald Chavis instructing Isaac on the trumpet.

In addition to his wonderful tutelage, Gerald leads multiple live music endeavors and takes the spotlight in solo performances.

Tonight we had the pleasure of sitting in on the Clifford Brown Festival Orchestra’s rehearsal. For a moment, we had the auditorium to ourselves.

It’s important to my educational approach to expose my sons to the possible futures, to show them what can be possible if they dedicate their lives to growth.

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A Proud Moment

My sons are participating in Pages Alive Theater‘s Shakespeare Festival. Both will serve in multiple roles, but two stand out as special.

Westen will be playing Mercutio in his death scene from Romeo and Juliet. With sword fighting, a flurry of double entendres, and a flamboyant exit, Westen was made for this role. He’s seen it on stage and screen and I’m excited to see his interpretation.

Isaac is getting stretched with the “slings and arrows” speech from Hamlet. Certainly the most somber role he has tackled, it will fit well as he becomes a teenager this Spring.

I’m blessed with how much these boys love Shakespeare. As much as they like the stage, nothing motivates them like the Bard.

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#FreeAssangeNow

Julian Assange is rotting in a UK prison without any charges against him. Former CIA director Mike Pompeo discussed assassinating Assange after the agency was embarrassed by published leaks.

Pompeo has not been charged and the United States is seeking to extradite Assange.

In this interview with Tucker Carlson, Stella Assange, Julian’s wife, advocates for his release.

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1,007

When we opened By Her Hand Tattoos in May of 2023, Kristen brought an amazing core of clients with her from Dover to Wilmington. In Delaware, it is no small feat to convince someone to drive 60 minutes out of their way for anything but french fries on the boardwalk.

We’re slowly building a local reputation and the number of people getting their first tattoos from Kristen has been remarkable.

We haven’t leaned into social media, except for the fact that Instagram is the perfect platform to show off Kristen’s creations.

As our main outlet, it was exciting to approach a milestone like 1,000 followers. At 999, I made a short request on my personal Facebook page to recruit a couple more friends to follow. Most of my FB friends are real and local and it was encouraging to see our number pop up to 1,007 (the banner pic is already archival).

We’re not obsessed with metrics, but we are proud of an organic growth that is bringing us to light in the community.

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But What About College?

In this episode of The Tom Woods Show,  Michael Gibson discusses his 1517 Fund. He’s part of a growing movement away from the established educational institutions. The Fund aims to support those who aren’t following the institution-to-career path that has become the modern norm.

This project is one of the concrete ways that “renegade students” have of creating value without accreditation.

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We Could All Use A Little Deschooling

Anyone can unschool, but it requires a brand new mindset for most people.

Deschooling is an intense process, it’s not about “taking time off” school, it’s about analyzing the innumerable assumptions we carry with us from our past. Yes, school-based assumptions are the initial target, but the process has taken me further back, to a more authentic self than I have known since I was a child.

It’s not comfortable to let go of testing and age-based metrics, but it is so worth it as we live in a world that doesn’t care how well adults do on tests.

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Rookie Season

This year has been a parade of novice excursions: business ownership, living in a blended family, continuing my white belt journey in jiu-jitsu, and taking on goaltending as a primary position in soccer.

It’s an exciting place to be as I approach my mid 40s. New challenges are constantly arising: fixing a clothes dryer, installing a dishwasher, and various other repairs were other first-times this year.

The process is rarely comfortable and never smooth, but the results compound to make me more capable to face the next obstacle.