If you’re wondering how everything could get so messed up around here, this is a possible explanation.

When does one become an Old Curmudgeon?

Our brains are dark. Visible light is a trick of eyesight. Most of what happens during any day, our unconscious brains handle, while our cortices claim supremacy. But there's even more to dark matter. There is the dark matter of things as yet unknown to us; and the dark matter of our own ignorance regarding both this fact and its implications for us as we struggle to live well together.

Written as part of a contest on futuring several years ago, The Balcony explores human reaction to a world in which technology has at last triumphed. Or has it? When I wrote this, I thought it explored a world in the far future. Or perhaps next week. Or perhaps now. It still feels that way to me today. Read and decide for yourself.

I couldn’t resist. With all the hype around this latest plaything, this seemed inevitable.

Observations on what it means to get into the flow, or zone, when improvising music on the piano. I also described this in The Old Piano, a (rather long) short story I will post under my “Works” section.

Nurturing the spark of inspiration - the birth of ideas…