HomeAboutBlog

Blog

A journal for futures that should feel more human, more playful, and more real.

New essays still anchor the front of the journal, but the older WordPress archive now lives here too. The result is one searchable room for the full writing history: 56 entries spanning 2015 through 2026.

Total entries56
Featured read8 min read

Full archive

Latest first

LetterApril 11, 20262 min read

A Letter from My Future Self

A future-looking letter grounded in marriage, community, growth, and the quiet confidence that becoming yourself is already a beautiful path.

PoemApril 11, 20261 min read

Little White Flower (In the Forest)

A tender forest monologue about shyness, safety, and the quiet confidence that comes from basking in a little warmth.

PoemApril 11, 20261 min read

The Creek (In the Forest)

Part boast, part witness statement, part ecological sermon from a creek that has seen more than it lets on.

PoemApril 11, 20261 min read

Thoughts of a Rusted Can (In the Forest)

A discarded can, a fading memory, and the unsettling realization that time might be the thing doing the chewing.

Raw ThoughtsMarch 11, 20265 min read

BYOHP: Bring Your Own Headphones * [RAW THOUGHTS]

Raw, unedited stream of consciousness on a new kind of free event that pays DJs, funds therapy, and lifts local vendors.

BlueprintMarch 11, 20267 min read

BYOHP: Bring Your Own Headphones

Silent discos that cost nothing to attend, pay artists fairly, and direct crowds toward the businesses and causes that need them most.

Raw ThoughtsMarch 11, 20267 min read

City Builder for the Real World * [RAW THOUGHTS]

Raw, unedited stream of consciousness on turning Taliho into a game studio that builds city planning simulators.

VisionMarch 11, 202610 min read

City Builder for the Real World

Games that feel like entertainment but output real city plans, crowdsourced by the people who actually live there.

Raw ThoughtsMarch 11, 20263 min read

Game Nights * [RAW THOUGHTS]

Raw, unedited stream of consciousness on reviving LAN culture to build friendships one session at a time.

BlueprintMarch 11, 20265 min read

Game Nights: LAN Parties as Community Infrastructure

Bring your own console, find a large space, show up often. LAN parties are an underrated engine for real human connection.

Raw ThoughtsMarch 11, 20263 min read

Movie Events * [RAW THOUGHTS]

Raw, unedited stream of consciousness on private movie nights that build community one screening at a time.

BlueprintMarch 11, 20265 min read

Movie Events: Private Screenings, Public Community

Rent the room, vote the movie, split the cost with a tap. Group movie nights designed to turn casual friends into actual community.

Raw ThoughtsMarch 8, 20266 min read

Futures Worth Playing For * [RAW THOUGHTS]

Raw, unedited stream of consciousness on the forces shaping how we create, connect, and play.

ManifestoMarch 8, 20268 min read

Futures Worth Playing For

A manifesto about iteration, curation, games, language, automation, and why better worlds often start by making better forms of play.

ArchiveSeptember 27, 20223 min read

Club Professionals

At the start of August 2022, I (JP) had just quit my job and started my venture as a freelance software engineer. I had been quite miserable from my previous job and was looking to find a fresh start. I had just gotten...

CultureSeptember 27, 20221 min read

Jollibee is No. 1!

TRANSCRIPT: Today, I want to share with y’all my favorite fast food restaurant in the world: Jollibee! At the front door is this adorably charismatic bee from the Philippines, who pursued his dreams rather than follow...

FictionSeptember 1, 20221 min read

JP’s German Joke

Dieter und sein Opa Peter sitzen am Berg. Und Opa Peter sagt, Dieter siehst du alle diese Hauser. Ich habe diese Hauser mit meinen eigenen Händen gebaut. Aber nennt man mich Peter die Hausbauer? Nein. Und siehst du die...

PersonalJune 26, 20183 min read

LIFE UPDATE! (Graduation, Nashville, and Birthday)

It’s that time of the year again! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and I HAVE GROWN ANOTHER YEAR! So I’ll be frank, and go ahead and say thank you so much for your love and support! I cannot thank you guys enough....

PoliticsNovember 11, 20168 min read

A Case Against Donald Trump

I am scared. Legitimately scared. On November 9, 2016, I woke up to realize that Donald Trump has been elected to be the next President of the United States. I went into my classes unable to focus, constantly thinking...

Nuggets of WisdomJanuary 1, 20162 min read

16 Lessons for 2016

For the past two months, I have been writing a lesson a day to keep track of something I learned that day, so in respect of the New Year, I wanted to post some of the biggest lessons I learned to keep in mind for the New...

CultureDecember 25, 20152 min read

Why Doesn’t It Feel Like Christmas?

I don’t know about you, but to me, it feels less and less like Christmas every year. Maybe because the toys went away. Maybe because Santa became a myth. Maybe because the responsibilities started setting in, and the...

PersonalDecember 12, 20154 min read

A Letter to Pat

Hello, I just wanted to personally thank you for an incredible semester. I have never felt such a great feeling of discovery in my entire life because throughout the whole semester, I found myself in a state of deep...

PoliticsNovember 15, 20153 min read

On Terrorism

As much as I would hate to admit it, the world is not at peace. It hasn’t been for a while, and it won’t be in a long time. There is so much transparent violence in the world today that we seem to forget about everything...

CultureOctober 9, 20152 min read

Entitlement

It’s hard to understand what’s wrong with the world when all you’ve seen your entire life was all the good that it had to offer. It’s not about what you think is the problem. It’s not about how you think you can solve...

PersonalSeptember 18, 20152 min read

RA Stories (Courtesy of a Friend)

So this one duty night, our phone rang about a fire alarm going off. My friend (another RA in the room) and I headed down to the building of said fire alarm. I get out of our golf cart kind of contraption and walked to...

PoliticsSeptember 11, 20153 min read

The Importance of Being Human

I think that one of the things that we tend to forget nowadays is how to be human. How to be human to others and how to consider ourselves human. Being human to others is pretty straightforward. Treating your neighbor...

RelationshipsSeptember 4, 20153 min read

Love Is Hard Y’all

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this way, but I know that a percent of the population has felt it. Many are left skeptical of these chosen few, but many others seek to feel the same thing. I’m talking about love. Oh...

Nuggets of WisdomAugust 28, 20151 min read

The Authentic Self

One of my professors was talking about having an authentic self, and that made me think if I had one. After some speculation, I know for a fact that I do not have an authentic self. And by that, I mean I personally don’t...

Nuggets of WisdomAugust 21, 20155 min read

Change (Well, College) + A List You Need To Survive

For many of us younglings, a huge change is about to happen again. Your first time is definitely a very special moment that you will cherish forever, and it only happens once a year (hehe). Moving in to your new dorm or...

Nuggets of WisdomAugust 8, 20152 min read

Finding Your Inner Peace

Finding your inner peace is probably one of the hardest things that you can try in life. Given that there are hundreds of different challenges thrown at us on any given day, this is definitely not an easy feat. You might...

CultureAugust 1, 20153 min read

Acting [insert color here]

Have you ever heard of the phrase “he’s acting so white” or anything else related to it regarding race? I know by personal experience that I have heard phrases as such throughout my whole life strictly in the U.S., never...

PersonalJuly 25, 20152 min read

Other Stuff That I Wish Would Have Happened Otherwise

It seems like it was just yesterday that I posted this, but alas, it feels like it’s time for another installment of ‘Stuff That I Wish Would Have Happened Otherwise‘. Just to recap. This is a list of what the title...

PoliticsJuly 2, 201518 min read

Confederate Flag/Gay Pride Debate

It’s funny to me how these two controversial topics seem to have created one gigantic debate among people who are mere acquaintances as well as those who don’t even know each other. They just keep going back and forth,...

PersonalJune 26, 201510 min read

Becoming Me

In respect of my birthday, I felt like it would be appropriate to tell you guys how I came to be. How I became me. I also felt like this was long overdue since I didn’t really have an about page on this blog, so without...

PersonalJune 20, 20153 min read

What Seems To Be The Problem Officer?

For those of you who don’t know, and I’m pretty sure many of you don’t, I was pulled over by a cop recently, and a lot of things went through my mind while I was in the process of aforementioned being pulled over. I...

FictionJune 13, 20152 min read

Fun Friday Deux

Once upon a time, there was a man jogging outside in the park. Listening to some music. Admiring the environment around him. He casually strolled by the couple in the bench, staring deeply into each other’s eyes, waiting...

CultureJune 6, 20154 min read

Appearance v. Reality

(I know that I’m a little late to the Caitlyn Jenner conversation, but I think that this topic goes in handy with this post) Sometimes, what we perceive isn’t the same as what truly is beneath the picture. People in the...

Nuggets of WisdomMay 23, 20151 min read

Moving On

At some point in our lives, we need to learn how to let go of some things. Whether it is letting go of your high school popularity right after graduation or seeing yourself without the one you love, we all have to let...

PoliticsMay 16, 20153 min read

The Education System

I think that the education system in America is very outdated and obsolete. I say this being a person who went through this system not too long ago. I think that it reduces the intellectual capacity in children because...

PersonalMay 1, 20151 min read

Finals

Good luck to everyone on their finals! Unless you’re already done then yay! To the other people though, may the odds be ever in your favor. (Applicable only to college students and parents with kids in college)

PersonalApril 24, 20153 min read

Stuff That I Wish Would Have Happened Otherwise

Sometimes, I wish a certain time in my life plays out a little differently than what actually happened. I think a lot of people think about these things that they wish had happened, but something else happens then...

Nuggets of WisdomApril 18, 20152 min read

Appreciation

I think learning how to appreciate something is one of the most powerful things that some people have forgotten in today’s society. Whether it’s as small as getting your coffee for free or enjoying something as...

Nuggets of WisdomApril 11, 20152 min read

Punctuality

Sometimes, being on time doesn’t mean being at the place you need to be at the time specified. You need to be there maybe 15-20 mins early to be there ‘on time’. I know from experience that there will be times where...

Nuggets of WisdomApril 3, 20152 min read

Dedication

Have you ever wanted something so bad that you were willing to do anything to get it? Well, that right there takes dedication and perseverance, and I say this without any hidden meaning or subtlety. It’s really just a...

FictionMarch 27, 20151 min read

Fun Friday

Once upon a time, there was a boy walking down the street on his way to his favorite coffee shop downtown. He feels the breeze as he looks around, and he sees all the birds sitting on the trees that run through the...

RelationshipsMarch 20, 20153 min read

Interest (Not The Compounded One)

I have a bad habit of flirting with people without even knowing about it; pretty much all of it is really just unintentional. Sometimes to people I have never seen in my life and sometimes to people that I have known for...

Nuggets of WisdomMarch 13, 20151 min read

Pressure

Have you ever felt so pressured to the point that you were considering pulling out your hair and screaming for an eternity? If you are in college or considering to go to college, then this will be your life for generally...

CultureFebruary 20, 20151 min read

The Controversy Of Sexuality

The only problem with showing your sexuality to the world is that the world doesn’t usually accept people who are open with their sexuality. Other than that, you do your thang, no if’s or but’s (well maybe butts if...

MoralityFebruary 13, 20152 min read

Religion’s Role On The World

I believe that religion is one of the most important aspects of today’s world, and let me explain, not because it’s arguably not a big aspect but because it’s more than just believing in some deity. There are people in...

Spooky DookieFebruary 6, 20153 min read

Otherworldly Nature

Ghosts are cool, right? I mean, some people have seen them, and many others haven’t, which leads to a lot of speculation. This conversation (monologue?) could go into many different directions, like what are ghosts or...

FriendshipsJanuary 30, 20151 min read

The Art Of Ridicule

It seems to me that in this day of age, we need to insult the people around us to make them our friends. Before you start running around willy nilly and lowering everyone’s self-esteem, let me explain. Obviously, this...

PoliticsJanuary 23, 20151 min read

Regarding Racism Part I

Don’t be racist. End of story. Keep Reading: Part II

PoliticsJanuary 23, 20152 min read

Regarding Racism Part II

To continue from this, it’s a little ignorant to completely expect everyone to like everyone else, especially when it comes to different personalities, but it is a nice dream to have. Racism is one of those things that...

MoralityJanuary 17, 20152 min read

Envisioning A World Of Pacifism

I think one of the most important things to be aware of in today’s world is how globalized it is. However, with this globalization, the differences between cultures become more and more apparent, but these differences...

SocializationJanuary 15, 20153 min read

The Beauty/Horrors Of Omegle

This post is pretty long. If you want, the main part to read is on the second paragraph. If not, then enjoy this first part. ENJOY IT! For those of you who don’t know, Omegle is an online chat website that puts you in a...

PersonalJanuary 14, 20152 min read

Trusting Your Thoughts With A Friend

My friend asked me if I wanted to workout. I haven’t lifted a single weight or ran even one mile in about a month, so I said yes. Afterwards, we ate at Cookout, and we started talking about the things that you should...