Eric Rothman

There’s this whole thing about street photography where, if you want “authenticity” you’re supposed to steal shots, and just assault people with your camera. That always felt wrong and strange and uncomfortable to me, and this is just another reminder (a necessary reminder) that you can do things however you want. Do things the way you want to do them and the way that feels right to you. Don’t let some imaginary ruleset control you.

Also, the way Sara talks about hanging out with her friends—instead of going out to bars or partying or whatever people do on the weekends—just walking around with cameras to see what’s going on in the world. That sounds so fun to me. Why am I not doing that?

This has gotta be one of the best songs ever. Just a tragic yearning for opportunity and a better life, and kindof knowing deep down that running away isn’t going to be the answer, but doing it anyway because it’s a source of hope. I love so much toward the end of the song, we are tragically seeing into the future at how things do, in fact, fall apart, but then landing back in this moment of decision to go–now or never, this or nothing. And then there’s something deeply American about it all too: the promise of self-reliance as the spoils of hard work, and the romance of hitting the road and the freedom of that.

This video changed my life. I’d spent my 20’s and 30’s being confused and burned out, and the ideas in here made it all clear to me, in an instant, why. There is life as an artist before this video, and life as an artist after. Thank you Van and Tom. 

A story of culture and norms overriding the default urge to find blame.

“…the primary purpose of an aircraft accident investigation is to prevent future accidents — a decision that implicitly privileged prevention above the search for liability. Conducting a police-style investigation that faults a deceased pilot does nothing to affect the probability of future accidents.”