Brian Dusablon

Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on James Baldwin

"The role of the artist or responsibility of the artist is to make you respect that moment above all other, to recognize that there is nothing under heaven, no creed and no flag and no cause, more important than the single human life." – James Baldwin

Your Dreams Matter

Don't ever, ever stop dreaming. This world can beat us down. Mean people can try to silence us, bully us, manipulate us into believing our dreams don't matter. But they do.

The Onion Wins InfoWars Auction

This is some much needed positive news. "And yet, in a stroke of good fortune, a formidable special interest group has outwitted the hapless owner of InfoWars (a forgettable man with an already-forgotten name) and forced him to sell it at a steep bargain: less than one trillion dollars.

This Week In Drifting – 004

“You can write a narrative in your head, and spin yourself down a negative path, and beat yourself up and second guess. But what’s true is you made what you thought was the best decision in the moment. Then, you leave it behind. There’s no going back. Everyone

Hope, Even Now

"The fact that we cannot save everything does not mean we cannot save anything and everything we can save is worth saving."

You see me, but not all of me

I wanted to share this beautiful poem by Luis Perez I discovered in his Ted-Ed talk titled "What losing my vision taught me about access." Neither here nor there Neither blind nor sighted I see you, but not all of you You see me, but not all of

Disability Drives Innovation

An excellent TEDx presentation about Universal Design by Michael Nesmith from the IAAP CPACC Prep course. “When you achieve universal design, it snowballs to the point where people, even if you don’t share the same disability, everyone benefits from it. Disability drives innovation. The existence of disability forces you

Probably not. But maybe.

"I can tell you with 100 percent confidence that there is a 50 percent chance of any goddamn thing happening." "Their projection is absurd, mine is correct, and they both mean the same thing." McSweeney's nails it, again. (via Kottke)

This Week in Drifting - 003

Recently, I've been reflecting on time, energy, and where we direct it, and spend it. Some of the books I've been reading are interrelated around the idea of time. Mostly, about how fleeting our time on this planet is, and how incredible it is that we exist at all.

It is up to us...

When President Joe Biden announced just a week ago that he would not accept the Democratic nomination for president, he did not pass the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris. He passed it to us. It is up to us to decide whether we want a country based on fear

This Week in Drifting – 002

One of the best live shows I've ever been to was the DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist "Renegades of Rhythm tour, where they used Afrika Bambaataa's original vinyl. Amazing. I can't believe some of the shows I've been fortunate to see.

What Does Your Heart Say?

How can we breathe, and appreciate each day, and do at least one thing that brings us or someone else some joy? How can we overcome the haters, the internal critic, the impostor syndrome?

Dark Days

It's important to remember that even on dark and rainy days, there is still opportunity to enjoy the water.

This Week in Drifting – 001

I used to write a series called This Week in Browsing. I've decided to blend that into a weekly or semi-weekly post about my adventures and experiences. This will be a recap of what I'm learning, reading, watching, and listening to, among other things. Hope you enjoy!

Balancing Act

Perhaps instead of striving for the capitalist ideal of work/life balance, we should aim for a positive imbalance that emphasizes our overall well-being.

Always Learning

Opportunities are out there. Barriers are also out there, but do not let fear be one of them. Go for it, and you will learn something, about yourself and about others. And that’s the most amazing thing we humans can do.

Icicles and Power

This morning, I woke up to icicles hanging from the trees and feeling thankful to never have lost power in the night. I opened LinkedIn on my phone, and found a share from Dave Gray to Bill Keaggy’s Ted Talk in Vienna on Attention, Mindfulness, and Creativity. He states,

Dispatch for September 4, 2022

Howdy. I hope you're doing well this (hopefully) long weekend and you have plans to rest and recuperate. We have nothing planned except for some yoga and some minimalist cleanup activities. And lots of rest! It's been a while since we didn't have anything

Drifter Life Dispatch June 2022

Howdy folks. Welcome to the latest edition of Drifter Life Dispatch. I hope you find value in this new-ish format. I will be sharing more frequent updates about my travels, learnings, and findings around the world and as I embark upon the next chapter of my life. With that, here

New Music Find: The Veils

Something about The Veils just hits right in this moment. The drum beat across their Total Depravity album is outstanding.

New Music: The Lone Bellow

Another band where I cannot recall exactly when the first time I heard a song was. But, this version of "For What It's Worth" is lovely and popped back up in my playlist today. From the lead singer, Zach Williams: > “I do hope someone will

New Music: Cory Henry and Snarky Puppy

Found some awesome new music today - Cory Henry and a jam band he was formerly part of called Snarky Puppy. Check 'em out!

How and Where Will We Live in the Near Future?

As I close in on the next chapter in family life – my daughter graduates this year, and my partner's two younger sons graduate in the next two consecutive years – I am fascinated by how and where we will live in the coming years. Given the current state of

New Music – The Steeldrivers

As a big Chris Stapleton fan, I'm surprised I didn't know about this before today, when "Where Rainbows Never Die" popped up in my queue in Spotify. The Steeldrivers [https://thesteeldrivers.com/] are a bluegrass band out of Nashville. Apparently Stapleton was their lead

New Music – Hot Buttered Rum

Some fun new music for you. A fun album from a band with a great name: "Something Beautiful" by Hot Buttered Rum.

"Pacific Visions" Aquarium Project

I added this place to my bucket list a while ago, but never shared it. This addition to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA, has some amazing architecture. > Its biomorphic shape consists of over 800 panels that respond to its surrounding weather and lighting conditions. – Archinect

While I Was 42

The last time I wrote one of these was in 2017 [https://briandusablon.com/2017/02/22/while-i-was-37/]. Five years ago. Quite a bit has happened in five years, because life is a flowing river that does not slow down for any of us. Sometimes we sit on the shore

New Music — Marcus King

I do not remember the first time I heard Marcus King [https://marcuskingband.com/bio], but damn can he sing and he plays a mean guitar. He's featured on Ashland Craft's new single, "Highway Like Me [https://open.spotify.com/track/1X2kXnXDrzskT3rFuLTU7D?si=7b3a320215df49b9]."

New Music Friday – "The Marfa Tapes"

My favorite record store, Cactus Music, has a small email newsletter where they announce new music coming into the store and record store drop days. You can subscribe here [https://cactusmusictx.com/email-newsletter/] (I recommend it, even if you’re not local to Houston). This week, I discovered “The Marfa

Rakuten Cash Back

I am a big proponent of buying small and buying locally. The small businesses near you need your support and patronage. And you don’t have the added carbon footprint of one-off shipping to your house. Sometimes, though, you can only find something you want or need online. In those

Skateboarding Genius: "Girls of Guanabara"

What a lovely little film showcasing some incredible skateboard dancing talent from “The Girls of Guanabara” (Sara Watanabe, Ana Maria Suzano, Beatriz Gavelak, and Teresa Madeline) and a beautiful song from Icky Blossoms called “Perfect Vision [https://vimeo.com/45726821].” The skill shown in this video is next level. I’

Conversations That Matter

I enjoyed this podcast featuring Daniel Stillman on the topic of intentional conversations. I especially appreciated his perspective on not assuming malice from others in conversations, meetings, responses. As someone who struggles to avoid cynicism as a default, I enjoyed the tips and analogies he used. Podcast #634: How to

Keep Showing Up

> It’s as simple and as complex as that. You’re the only you that’s ever been. Keep showing up despite the chaos. Be humble in the pursuit of your art and ruthless about finding the time to make it. Find friends with whom you can weather the

New Music: Black Violin

I came across this group when I found Jam in the Van [http://jaminthevan.com]. They are incredible, and their music is beautiful and inspiring. From “Dreamer”: This is the day when I finish the race I make it somehow, no matter how long it takes This is the day

Saving Bees By Making Music From Them

This is cool. Give it a quick watch, then go plant some bee-friendly plants in your yard. Via Kottke [https://kottke.org]

New Music: "Little Bit Sweet" by The Wood Brothers

I came across this song via the Gary Clark, Jr. Radio playlist on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E4ENBUe96rvif?si=VnpNuYloRDmeg9JRUVU8Xg] . It's a little bit sweet It's a little bit bitter Bittersweet That's the way Love is made to be A lovely and

Book Worth Reading: The Hate You Give

I really enjoyed this book. It was an excellent, fast read for me. This is a story of tragedy, triumph, and overcoming. It’s a story of being brave and giving a voice to those who are silenced. The message is solid throughout, and the author develops the characters nicely.

Michael Franti – New Music Friday #004

I have been a huge fan of Michael Franti & Spearhead ever since I saw the flash mob scene to “Say Hey” in “Weeds” way back in 2009. My daughter and I listened to that song on the way to school for years after. It’s on my celebration of

The Black Pumas – New Music Friday #003

I cannot recall when I first discovered The Black Pumas [https://www.theblackpumas.com]. But I remember that I was immediately hooked. They are excellent song writers and play a wonderfully unique funky soul. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. From "Colors": It'

J.S. Ondara – New Music Friday #002

I love music. Music can change your mood, your outlook, your life. So, here’s a new outlet for me to share new music finds. Some of these artists I’ve been listening to for a while, but the video or song is new to me. Some of these will be brand new for me as we go. I hope they bring you some joy.

Brittany Howard – New Music Friday #001

💡I love music. Music can change your mood, your outlook, your life. So, here’s a new outlet for me to share new music finds. Some of these artists I’ve been listening to for a while, but the video or song is new to me. Some of these will

Food Hack: Torchy's Tacos Chips

I love tortilla chips. Too much, really. I eat too many when I eat out at Mexican restaurants (or Chili’s). I take any leftovers home and stick ’em in the fridge for chilaquiles the next morning. One dilemma I encountered when trying to reduce the amount of plastic I

Squandering Our Gift

I am currently 3/4 of the way through Rogue River Journal [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781593761059?aff=duce] by John Daniel. It’s an excellent book and I’ve jotted down several paragraphs that have made an impact on my thinking. Taking a page from Thoreau, John heads

New Music – Do Wrong Right

A buddy of mine went to a concert recently and saw The Devil Makes Three [http://thedevilmakesthree.com/] and mentioned it in a post. I had never heard of them, so I did a quick search and found the song, “Do Wrong Right” and loved it. > Well most things

Learn Something: Eudaimonia

I discovered the word “eudaimonia” in the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. > A state in which you are achieving your full human potential. Deep Work [https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781455586691] – Cal Newport I love this. It takes discipline, focus, and effort to fully utilize your gifts, whether

How to Write a Short Story

This site will be full of stories. Some will be short. Some will be long. Most will be nonfiction. Some may be fiction. Found this via Tim Ferriss [https://tim.blog/] the other day, who added that these rules apply to nonfiction writing as well. I agree. “Kurt Vonnegut on

2019 Free Entry Dates at U.S. National Parks

The U.S. National Parks are a forgotten wonder for most. Americans take them for granted. Tourists flock to atrocities such as Las Vegas or Orlando. The beauty is lost on many of the last few generations. The accessibility is lost on the older generations. It saddens me. The park