Latest Becoming Polymathic Pieces
Backward Update
Yes, I’m still here. This has been the longest duration between newsletters since starting Becoming Polymathic. What necessitated it wasn’t lack of ideas or time, but a need to dedicate resources towards my second novel, Backward. It became apparent after my last piece on May 4th, despite my continued belief its first draft is significantly […]
Adventures in Cold Brew
The fall of 2014 was significant for a couple reasons. The first, I started my sophomore year of college. The second, I began drinking coffee. My roommate Collin worked at Babcock Dairy beginning at 5:00AM and he’d leave about two cups in the Mr. Coffee for when I’d need it around 9:00AM. I was, and […]
Why I Write
Perhaps its no surprise since turning 30 in December 2024, Becoming Polymathic’s pieces have been more reflective. This week will continue that trend as two more milestones were crossed since the last piece. The first was a long-due ending, the other intermediate but increasing in significance. Furthermore, the latter offers a partial answer to the […]
The Hawthorne Effect
Cicero, IL is known for two things – Al Capone and the Hawthorne Works Factory. In the 1920’s, it became headquarters of the notorious Chicago Outfit. Simultaneously, the factory, operated by the prominent telecommunications manufacturer Western Electric, reached its peak capacity of 45,000 employees spread across 5 million square feet. For perspective, the Boeing Everett […]
Meditations from Staring at a Wall
This piece will be the 60th I’ve written for Becoming Polymathic. In of itself, that’s not significant. March 2025 also marks its 18 month anniversary. Again, insignificant in of itself. There’s been a gamete of topics covered in this time, a fact made especially clear as I return to old pieces and update them to […]
Why is the Mona Lisa Famous?
In 2024, 8.7 million people visited The Louvre. Furthermore, if you take Louvre Director Laurence des Cars’ word, 80% of them went solely to see the Mona Lisa. From that perspective, I was in the minority who couldn’t be bothered. Even at the end of January, the queue was tremendous. I steered to the right […]