Author: patmcg

Quotes

“One person’s annoying is another’s inspiring and heroic.”

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Alright, I admit it. I like to post more than my share of inspiring quotes on here. If that’s not your cup of tea, feel then free to browse my section about the world we live in and not just what we aspire towards.

In the mean time, here is Leslie Knope (I always loved that ironic last name) acknowledging that she can be annoying to some but is still going to be herself.

One person’s annoying is another’s inspiring and heroic.

Leslie Knope in “Parks and Recreation”

Via Wisdom From the Best Characters in TV Comedy.

And remember what her pragmatist peer says 👉 “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” (Ron Swanson)

Texas

Sandcastle Days are here! 🏖

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Hey ya’ll, the Sandcastle Days festival is coming right up.

This festival is the annual chance for sand sculptors to work their magic on the beaches of South Padre Island while it’s not too not and not too cold.

👉 I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. Hitting South Padre Island every summer as a kid, I did my best to craft some badass sandcastles. But I must admit now that they were mostly just Hot Wheels race tracks, doomed sea levees, or abstract drip art.

I’d love to see what the pros can do.

I can’t make Sandcastle Days this year, but it’s officially on my list of stuff to do in Texas.

By the way, I found this festival on a list of Beaches That Are Even Better in the Fall right alongside La Jolla, Dubai, Costa Rica, Aruba, and Greece. So take that, Texas beach naysayers! 🤠

History · The World

The collapse of the Bronze Age – and what came next

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Here’s a pretty fascinating story about the collapse of the complex, globalized society of the late Bronze Age around 1200 BC. As we’re facing climate change, political polarization, and a raging virus, it’s an interesting listen. 😬

About 3000 years ago, it got bad. There was famine, drought, and earthquakes. And worst of all, the mysterious Sea People were attacking out of nowhere without warning or mercy. ⚔️

But this chaos eventually became a rebirth that led to the alphabet, iron working, monotheism, the Greek and Roman empires, etc. Basically, Western civilization.

The historian notes that, more often than not, civilization pulls back from the brink before it gets toooo bad, so he’s optimistic.

👉 Throughline: The Aftermath of Collapse: Bronze Age Edition (2021)

Illustration by Deborah Lee.