Author Archives: Cam

Low-Point Theory: A moment (or absence of an expected moment) from which a story can be understood in relief or contrast; like the canyon that forces an awe-inspiring angle to better appreciate the mountain’s grandeur.  A perfect example of this High-Point corollary comes from Guy Clark. Along with wife Susanna, Guy was half of theContinue reading “Something around to be loved: “Let Him Roll” by Guy Clark”

High-Point Theory: A critical moment in a piece of art from which all understanding descends, as if rain from a roof. In his rejected master’s thesis, Kurt Vonnegut argued that “stories have very simple shapes, ones that computers can understand.” Undeterred by the University of Chicago’s anthropology department, he would often enlist this analytical frameworkContinue reading “Something around to be loved: Sirens of Titan”

“The machines are to practically everybody what the white men were to the Indians. People are finding that, because of the way the machines are changing the world, more and more of their old values don’t apply any more. People have no choice but to become second-rate machines themselves, or wards of the machines.” KurtContinue reading “Something Around to be Loathed: Baseball’s New Pitch Clocks”

Of all the fine golf cities (Pinehurst, NC, Bandon, OR, Bethpage, NY, etc.) in these United States, I’d take San Francisco. You’ve got elite, major championship hosting venues like Olympic and Harding, other acclaimed, stratified-by-religious-denomination private clubs, photogenic Lincoln, some fun par 3 tracks in Golden Gate, Fleming and Olympic’s Cliffs Course and other fineContinue reading “Something Around to be Loved: Sharp Park”

Cam’s Theorem: Surface area is the most important measurable trait. Proof: Sub-Theorem 1: Everything has a surface area.  Case 1-1: Any mathematically perfect, theoretical volume has surface area (cubes, spheres, cones or icosahedrons, they all possess outer planes or otherwise measurable exteriors). Case 1-2: Creatures, human or otherwise, have surface area (mostly skin, hair andContinue reading “Something Around to be Loved: Surface Area”

Please stop saying that a piece of art gives you “all of the feels” to compliment the emotional breadth of the experience. This hollow, gilded term prefers songs, movies, conversations etc. that dip their toes into every possible emotional variant rather than using that time to venture to Jacques Cousteau depths. I worry that textureContinue reading “Something Around to be Loved: Clay Pigeons by Blaze Foley”

An evaluation of modernity led a prominent culture critic to conclude: “the present age is an age of advertisement, or an age of publicity: nothing happens, but there is instant publicity about it.” I am not on any social media platforms, yet still worry about my relationship with information dispensing machines. Was that my phoneContinue reading “Something Around to be Loved: Information Access”

Growing up (sometimes referred to as maturation) seems to include many different ways to mark “progress.” There are birthday or age related milestones (old enough to drive a car or buy a beer). Pieces of paper can signify development (diplomas or professional certifications). There are numeric ways to track the growth of skills (the bigContinue reading “Something Around to be Loved: Conversations with Depth and Conflict”

To start, I have long loathed the state of Florida. When ranking my favorite states one through fifty, I quickly mark California in the top spot and Florida dead last before proceeding to fill in the rest. The list of reasons for this opinion includes, but is not limited to: Ted Bundy’s most horrific spreeContinue reading “Somewhere Around to be Loved: Streamsong Golf Resort – Black Course”

Ostensibly this will be an essay about fashion, but I like to think of it more of an essay about decisions that build community. About the joy of connecting with strangers and a celebration of silly, arbitrary karasses. Although all the main arguments herein are specifically about shirts with logos, they could just as easilyContinue reading “Something that is Around to be Loved: Shirts with Logos”