Jackdaw Posts

Writing can be both a cathartic and frustrating experience. There are those rare, glorious moments of inspiration where words flow like fine wine, leading to paragraphs of brilliance. And then, there are the less glamorous moments—staring at a blank page, questioning your life choices, Googling “Can humans survive without creative fulfillment?” This article dives into the messy, wonderful art of creative writing, from generating ideas to crafting characters, and everything in between.   Image courtesy of Unsplash.com Generating Ideas Let’s start with the hardest part: coming up with an idea. (Fun, right?) This step is the creative equivalent of trying to cook dinner while your fridge contains only a half-empty jar of pickles and a questionable block of cheese. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Brainstorming is an excellent place to start. Write down every idea that pops into your head, no matter how ridiculous. (Yes, even “talking squirrels overthrow the government” is w...

Ah, the cocktail. The perfect blend of spirits, mixers, and panache. Whether you prefer a classic Old Fashioned, a zesty Margarita, or a modern craft concoction, the cocktail has been an enduring symbol of elegance and sophistication throughout history. But where did this beloved libation come from? And how did it evolve into the diverse and sophisticated drink we know today? To answer these questions, we must travel back in time to the 18th century, when the cocktail was known as a “bittered sling.” These early cocktails were simple mixtures of spirits, sugar, and bitters, designed to stimulate the senses and invigorate the soul. But as the 19th century rolled around, the cocktail began to evolve and take on new forms. Jerry Thomas: The Original Bartender Extraordinaire One of the key figures in the evolution of the cocktail was Jerry Thomas, also known as the “father of American mixology.” Thomas published the first bartending guide in 1862, which included recipes for classic cocktai...

Time—an invisible yet inescapable force—dictates every second of our existence. Philosophers endlessly debate its essence, scientists bend over their equations to decode its nature, and everyone else simply complains they don’t have enough of it. Time is both the medium in which we exist and the measure by which we plot our lives. In other words, it’s a universal nuisance we can’t live without.   Image is courtesy of Unsplash.com   Time’s Mischief: The Fast and the Frustrating If there’s one thing we’ve learned about time, it’s that it loves to play games. Ever notice how hours vanish into thin air when you’re enjoying yourself, but a single minute in a waiting room feels like an eternity? This isn’t just perception; it’s the brain’s uneven processing of moments. Psychologists suggest that when we’re immersed in an engaging activity, we don’t track time’s passing because the brain is too busy firing dopamine rockets. In contrast, boredom stretches seconds into marathons as our...

Rome wasn’t built in a day. That phrase has been whispered by patient mentors, muttered by frustrated artists, and grumbled by anyone who has ever tried assembling Ikea furniture. It has outlived empires, economies, and social media trends. But where did it come from, and why does it still matter in a world obsessed with instant success? The Latin version—" Non uno die Roma condita est "—reminds us that great things take time. While misattributed to Juvenal, it actually hails from 11th-century France. He never said it, but he would’ve nodded, wine in hand. Rome didn’t rise in a flash. It took centuries, betrayals, and bad emperors. But it endured. Patience, not ambition, built it.   Image is courtesy of Unsplash.com   Why Rome Took Its Time Rome wasn’t a weekend project. It took centuries of engineering, political maneuvering, and betrayals fit for a Shakespearean tragedy. Every aqueduct, temple, and road was laid with patience. The Colosseum? A decade. The Pantheon? Multiple...