SCRAPS!

Months ago, I picked up a copy of Sylvia Plath’s diary. I am someone who loves “The Bell Jar” and considers it to be an incredible study of mental illness and the struggle to get past one’s darkest thoughts. The allusion present in the title is even more impressive in how it comes to reflect the suffocation one feels when they’re meant to be observed but never engage with the outside world. It’s a feeling that I’m sure Plath knew well. I say “sure” because I am not her biographer. I haven’t studied much of her life story and remain on the lookout for a book of her poetry to be on sale. But it was in reading her diary that some things became clear. It was this clear, succinct portrait of a young woman who was coming to terms with her changing place in life. Along with the blossoming of her creative potential, she was observing the world around her and discussing the value of certain institutions. At the time of writing this, I had finished reading a passage on religion and the duality o...

Something that I’ve found very difficult over the past week is to keep my opinions to myself. In general, I tend to lean towards practices that are associated with liberal ideology. In a time where it feels like so much of the world is backsliding, it’s hard to not want to just get out there and say things. In fact, it almost feels too obligatory at times, and it sometimes feels like it comes at the expense of social reputation. In general, I am blocked by a few people on Bluesky whenever I post something positive about transgender ideology. Among the causes I believe in, it’s an important one to stand up for.  It becomes difficult to notice how I perceive myself compared to the general public because sometimes I fear that I come across as a contrarian or that my opinions aren’t always the most thought-out. I worry that me saying that I never wanted to be an activist is some pathetic excuse as to why I’m not more outspoken. It’s something that I’ve struggled with my entire life, in...

Every month, I find a new project to do. There’s been a fun variety to choose from, and it has encouraged me to start expanding my horizons on what I want to do with my free time. While I still aspire to return to sketching more often, these activities find me entering the physical world and trying to create something that will hopefully last as a reminder of my curiosity and ambitions. So far, the easy frontrunner is wood burning, which has produced some fantastic personalized art. However, I had to wonder… what could possibly come next? In short, I don’t have what I’ll call “surgical hands.” I am not good with small details. Even if I love doing jewelry sculpting, I recognize how clumsy my hands are and that I’ll ultimately just never get to the angle that I want. It’s the great intimidation that I was met with when assigned to tackle the subject of… macrame! In short, macrame is my first real exposure to a craft that involves tying ropes together for the sake of purposeful art. If y...

To be honest, I have been meaning to write this for a few days. It’s not that I was lacking in topics to discuss, but more that I just couldn’t get in the right headspace to fully jot down what it is I wanted to say. This was originally planned for Monday, but something about that day had me distracted, so now I’m here. Ideally, this would’ve been the second essay this week that I published because, quite honestly, I was planning to dedicate a whole entry to attending the recent WNBA game between The Los Angeles Sparks and The New York Liberty. Even as I realized in an initial write-up that I didn’t have that much to say about the experience itself, it’s maybe one of the best Sparks games that I’ve been to, period.  But I’ll get into that in time.  Want to start by saying that August is rolling on, and it’s surreal how fast time is going. I don’t know what happened on August 1, but something just clicked into place and was like, yeah… now we’re just going to throw the punches....

For fun, I’m highlighting a handful of records that I have enjoyed from 2025. To be honest, I don’t feel like making this all that formal, but I also wanted to highlight how impressive the year has been so far. It’s disappointing how my usual Top 25 is already finding some great titles dropping out of the bottom half, but that’s just a testament to this excellent year. 1. The Weeknd – Hurry Up Tomorrow An incredible end to one of the most exciting musical projects of the modern era. While the film was whatever, this album is jam-packed with moments that haven’t left my mind since the first listen. 2. Various – Maybe Happy Ending There’s a good reason that this won the Tony. Every track has this aching sincerity and longing for a deep romantic connection. After a lackluster 2024, it’s refreshing to have OBCRs that are really going for something more creative and original. 3. Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper It didn’t seem likely that he’d ever top “I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You,” ...

There is an episode of The Simpsons where convenience store worker Apu cheats on his wife. Unsure how to act in the situation, Homer tells Marge that he wants to tell Krusty the Klown because he believes that he’ll have a good joke. The way that the scene is written, the audience is led to believe that there will be some grand punchline that makes sense of this affair. He is, after all, a comedian. He knows how to make light of any situation. He had for over a decade of the show’s run at this point.  Enthusiastically, Homer tells Krusty the news. In a moment where the cartoon subverts into a rare moment of practicality, Krusty lowers his head and says, “That’s just sad.” He thinks about Apu’s children and how disrespectful the act is. There is irony in Krusty saying it, especially since he’s an even more notorious philanderer. And yet, as I get through August 6, 2025, I think back to that one particular line. It’s not the punchiest thing that has been said on the show, nor is it th...

All in all, July 2025 will go down as one of the better Julys I’ve had in a few years. It’s less because it was packed with memories, but more just the feeling that enough went right. It’s a far cry from last year, when I was a nervous wreck. If anything, it’s better just because I’m currently wearing a smile and have a good disposition for what lies ahead. I won’t pretend and say that 36 is off to the most groundbreaking of starts, but things are being mapped out in a way that makes me hopeful that it’ll be a necessary reset after 35 kind of fell into too much of a groove. But to discuss the past week, I wanted to highlight some things that went down. I’ll begin with news that may not be a big deal, but still means a lot to me. After approximately six years, I have retaken the Jeopardy! Anytime Test. For as much as I’m doubtful that I have the knack to be on the show, it’s an ongoing dream to at least try. Maybe if I ever get a microchip full of geography and history facts, I’ll be g...