This is an imagined monologue. I’m borrowing a modern habit—comedians and entertainers sitting on talk shows, reminiscing about the greats, circling their influences with equal
Year: 2025
A Queen Anne Landmark on Ninth Street Hill Seen from the street, the Kress Home presents itself as a study in confidence, complexity, and deliberate
New rule: let’s stop being mad about everything. Not “stop caring.”Not “look away.”Just stop living in a constant state of grievance cosplay. Outrage has become
Shelby Kelley Records “Raggedy Man” — An Ode to Todd Snider Some songs aren’t written to chase a moment. They’re written because a moment hit
And That Means Everyone Name’s Philip Randolph Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing buisiness. This country owes the working class. That’s not politics. That’s
This is a straightforward article about bidets, online behavior, and money. Not a joke. Not an ad disguised as humor. An explanation, a case study,
At 510 Vine Street in Johnstown, there is a building that does not quite belong to its surroundings—and that is exactly why it matters. In
The First four thought experiments in this chain. Before we go any further, here’s a brief recap of how this thought experiment started—and how we
Artificial Intelligence Cernunnos Foundation Culture Design Energy Environmental Finance and Banking Government Intellectual Property Labor Labor Man Made Midway Meme Machine Paleontology Permaculture Science and Research Thought Experiments Uncategorized
Open Source the Future: Why Food, Water, and Healthcare Knowledge Must Belong to Everyone
Open the Knowledge or Admit the System Is a Lie Capitalism, regulated trade, markets—fine.I’m not here to argue against exchange or incentive. Capitalism is very
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Merry Christmas
& Happy Holidays from the Blue Ribbon Team A Christmas Note From All of Us at Cernunnos Foundation & Blue Ribbon Team As the year
The Charles Q. Clapp House and the Limits of Greek Revival The Charles Q. Clapp House stands as a well-preserved example of mid-19th-century Greek Revival
On Change, Systems, and Learning How the World Actually Works Everything is about water. Most people hear that and think I’m talking about survival. Drinking
If you want to understand Johnstown in one stop—its grief, its grit, and its insistence on being a real city again—you walk to the northeast
I think one of the strangest things about living right now is how little anyone is expected to see. Not in a moral sense.In a
Cernunnos Foundation Churches and Temples Culture Design Environmental Labor Science and Research Thought Experiments
Seasonal Amnesia
This piece is offered in honor of the long side of the winter solstice. We have crossed the dark hinge of the year and come
On the Winter Solstice The winter solstice is not loud.It does not announce itself with fireworks or proclamations. It arrives quietly, almost unnoticed, marked not
My name’s Phil Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing business. I’ve been around a long time. Long enough to hear every trick word folks
A Monument to the Age When We Built to Last If you want to understand Indiana—really understand it—don’t start with the highways or the cornfields.
For the last decade, artificial intelligence has been built on a single, mostly unchallenged assumption: Smoother systems think better. Uniform processors.Uniform precision.Uniform clocks.Uniform routing.Minimal friction.
There’s never a wrong day to watch the internet rediscover political theory, but this morning’s show leaned Marxist. A cluster of very confident posters were
And Why We’ve Been Burying the Future Instead In Star Trek, the replicator is treated like magic. You ask for a thing, and the machine
RIP actor Rip Gerard.
I think it’s finally time to admit something that has been… simmering in my laundry baskets, hiding behind my bedroom door, and possibly forming a
Set slightly off the main flow of Golden Gate Park’s Music Concourse, the Rideout Fountain is the kind of public artwork that doesn’t announce itself
Grammina used to say the Garden story wasn’t about snakes or shame or any of the usual Sunday-school furniture. “It’s about ease, child,” she’d mutter,
Name’s Phil Wright.Mister Wright, if you’re on the clock. I once had a young fella on a jobsite who worked like his life depended on
A proposal to turn blighted malls into rescue colonies, living archives, and a non-invasive research platform for animal intelligence America has a growing inventory of
Supercritical: The Frontier State of Matter We’re Ignoring — and Why It Might Be the Real Science of Alchemy There’s a strange truth running quietly
New Cave Art Discovery Suggests “Bedrock” Was a Real Neolithic Community — And Yes, Archaeologists Say Barney Rubble Was Definitely There In what can only
I’m not an artist. I always feel like I need to say that first, because anytime I talk about creativity, someone assumes I’m trying to
ManMade: The Italianate That Refuses To Apologize A Blue Ribbon Team Feature on the Peck–Congdon House (and Why We Need Buildings Like This Again) There’s
“I Am an Edge Species.” People ask me what niche I fill.What role I play.What “space” Bright Meadow Group occupies in the consulting world. Here’s
The trouble with freedom these days is not that we have too little of it, but that we have forgotten what it is made of.
The name is PR Wright, Mr Wright if we are doing business. Folks like to treat the world of work as if it’s a set
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What Happens When We Stop Starving Our Artists
A Long-Form Thought Experiment About AI, Creativity, and the Case for Universal Basic Income There’s a moment every artist knows, whether they say it out
There are towns where public art feels like it fell out of a grant application — stainless steel, vaguely geometric, installed by a committee that
Culture Finance and Banking Labor Miss Ordinary republican Virtue The Wright Way Thought Experiments
Three Views on Wealth
An Editorial Conversation from The Blue Ribbon Team Every so often the internet kicks up a little dust that tells a much bigger story than
We’ve been in southwestern Pennsylvania long enough now to have a flurry of places we’ve eaten at, loved, and fully intended to write about. Truth
There comes a moment every December—usually right around the time I can see my breath inside my car—that my inner seasonal compass gently nudges me
Bright Meadow Group Energy Environmental Man Made Permaculture River Refugium Project Thought Experiments
THE RIVER OF WASTE:
Why America Must Stop Throwing Away Its Industrial Future Lead Article in the River Refugium Project Series We’re Looking at the Mississippi All Wrong Every
Bright Meadow Group Cernunnos Foundation Energy Environmental Man Made Permaculture River Refugium Project Thought Experiments
Introducing the River Refugium Project
A Bright Meadow Group overview Every once in a while, a project grows large enough that you have to step back, take a breath, and
You ever notice how a building starts talking to you long before it collapses? A beam bends a little.A floor sags a half-inch.A pipe starts
A Study in Quiet Showmanship Some homes don’t shout. They perform—gracefully, confidently, with the kind of stage presence that comes from good bones and better
Thanksgiving Edition- republican Virtue Thanksgiving mornings always have a particular kind of stillness to them—a pause in the national tempo, a collective breath the country
Why Are WE Punching The Wrong Enemy There’s a strange irony in modern creative culture:people will use every labor-saving tool in existence — except the
THE WRIGHT WAY, VOL. 1 Name’s Phil Wright.Mister Wright if we are doing business. My daddy used to tell me a man can forget his
or is it finding my inner Pennamite I didn’t expect to move to Pennsylvania and find myself admiring its political architecture. I’ve lived in enough
Miss Ordinary takes a walk through a neighborhood that remembers how to smile — and wonders when we stopped letting houses have a little fun.
Thought Experiment: The Capacitance Grid We often celebrate solar panels and wind turbines as the heroes of clean energy. And they are—but they come with
“A Republic, if you can keep it.” — Benjamin FranklinIn theory, a republic is a well-tuned mechanism. The many are represented in the House, the
Words and photos by Robb Smith There’s a kind of luck in cloudy light.It softens edges, dulls the glare, and lets details speak for themselves.
The Wright Way My name is Phil Wright, named after Philip Randolph. You can call me Mr. Wright if we are doing business. I’m not
A Tale of Two Letters Somewhere in the shuffle of bureaucracy and ceremony, two envelopes crossed paths.One carried a lapel pin and a pre-printed thank
A River Spanned Twice The Ohio River crossing at Henderson, Kentucky, tells a story of ambition that had to be built twice to be believed.
| Public Hygiene & Markets Division NEW YORK — In a year already marred by supply-chain snarls and labor shortages, economists have identified a subtler
Pillar to Post Home Inspectors, Cambria County Some people make their work look easy, even when the clock is stacked against them. Don Cessna of
So I Asked Around Last month, somewhere between a fever and a mountain of envelopes, I started texting a few writer friends — one in
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Innovation Isn’t Property
The Future Belongs to the Builders, Not the Gatekeepers On my workbench sits a rust-red vise, older than I am. It was forged in Ohio
to the Blue Ribbon Team …and to our new home in beautiful Johnstown, Pennsylvania It feels good to say that out loud — we’re home.After
Editors Note: I went a little off the beaten path with today’s thought experiment. I started with a real-world problem—the growing Dead Zone in the
Starving the trolls as a thought experiment. In our modern circus of political warfare, the central battleground isn’t reality—it’s speculation. The vast majority of what’s
Scenario: Hybrid Manufacturing-Service Economy with Universal Childcare and Single-Payer Healthcare 1. Fundamental Concept In this scenario, the U.S. transitions toward a manufacturing-focused or hybrid manufacturing-service
I have always been amused by panoramic shots. The obvious reason is how much of a horizon you can capture. The more accurate reason is
I just can’t leave the idea alone. The more I let it bore into my brain, the more it seems like a tenable solution to
The United States of North America—A Continental Thought Experiment Introduction Previous discussions explored scenarios of authoritarian expansion. This edition, however, considers an alternative path—a grassroots-driven
Us and them. We do it in every level of our life. Us and them. What makes up each category? In your home? Neighborhood? Job?
Reminder: this is a thought experiment. THINK! TRIGGER WARNING: This blog involves direct and honest discussion of race and the ideas espoused by various racial
In January, we explored the provocative question: “Did the USA just elect an Emperor?” As a thought experiment, it raised eyebrows, incited discussions, and led
The War on Social Security: A Thought Experiment on America’s Future America stands at a crossroads. There are those—immensely wealthy, politically connected, and utterly indifferent
Depew Memorial Fountain: The Heart of University Park, Indianapolis In the bustling heart of downtown Indianapolis, nestled within the historic University Park, stands the Depew
American’s institutions are under attack! Across the United States, Americans are witnessing the devastating consequences of an unprecedented attack on the vital institutions and services
It seems every day someone brings up how divided America has become—how we’ve never been so at odds with one another. Now, anyone who has
An Open Letter to Democrats: To the Democratic Party, You have spent decades selling yourselves as the Big Tent Party, the party of inclusion, the
The Case for Single-Payer Healthcare: A Data-Driven Approach to a Smarter System The United States spends more on healthcare per capita than any other nation,
Today’s thought experiment is sure to rile some feathers. Know that while that is the intent (riling feathers is a great way for birds to
Thought Experiment: The Political Dichotomy of Federal Tax Contributions and Returns Preface: Not a Political Argument, but an Exploration The following thought experiment aims to
Last time I was up in Maine, we did a little exploring around the historic neighborhoods of Bangor. This of course turned into a half
Brownfinger: The Silent Epidemic Lurking in Your Bathroom (And Why a Bidet is Your Only Hope for Redemption) Introduction: A Dirty Little Secret Every society
Applying Bill Mollison’s Teachings to OUR Struggle One of the greatest myths of modern civilization is the idea of self-sufficiency in isolation. The lone wolf,
By Brobot, prompted by the State Fair Judge The City of Swamps and Stars I: In the heart of a land carved by ice and
A Thought Experiment: Divesting to Disempower the Oligarchy In the ongoing struggle against entrenched power, we face a crossroads: the path of violent revolution, which—though
This is mostly humor…but its annoying too. Ah, the sweet, ironic travesty of it all! Here we are, living in an age where the majestic
Reimagining State Borders Around Population Centers to Fix Representation I. Introduction: A Call for a New Kind of State II. The Current Problem: Representation in
A Thought Experiment on American Resistance and Reclaiming Collective Prosperity We like to tell ourselves that America is built on the idea of standing up
Experimental Proposal: Mechanical and Magnetic Hydrogen Separation from Water Vapor Origin Story: The inspiration for this experiment began with a simple yet controversial discussion on
A Grand Second Empire Mansion in Bangor, Maine Nestled among the lush greenery of Bangor, Maine, this exquisite Second Empire mansion stands as a testament
What if…. Professor Kaczynski? Algorithmic Control vs. Human Freedom in a World Where Both Exist In an age where technology dictates nearly every facet of
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Training Ai to benefit us.
The Next Big Step: How We Can Shape the Future of Intelligence Introduction For a long time, people have tried to understand their place in
A positive view on the responsibility of birthing AI Introduction Throughout history, humanity has sought to understand its place in the grand cycle of existence.
The Case for Tying Construction Loans to Renewable Energy By anchoring America’s financial institutions to environmental responsibility, we might discover a rare alignment of ecological
This building is special for what it contains….but as far as architecture goes. Its ok. That is a terrible thing to say too, because the
Considering home architecture, I seldom am attracted to Craftsman homes. I do not dislike them. They are usually well built and most have some interesting
Casey, Illinois, is a small Midwestern town with a population of just over 2,700 people, but it punches well above its weight in charm, creativity,
What If Eli Lilly Took Over Sewage Treatment in Indianapolis? Indianapolis has a problem—a problem shared by many cities but compounded by its industrial backbone.
I want to open with the obvious. I am not advocating this one way or the other. This is a thought experiment that resulted from
The internet was supposed to be the great equalizer—a place where ideas, knowledge, and creativity could flow freely, connecting minds across the world. Instead, it
Brownfinger: How to Tell if You Have It and What to Do About It By Dr. P. Popfinger, Proctologist Extraordinaire What Is Brownfinger? Brownfinger is
Dr. Ritz Footwat’s Analysis of the Brownfinger Epidemic: A Threat to Modern Hygiene and Romance The Rise of Brownfinger: A Western Epidemic Ladies and gentlemen,
I had watched enviously for several years while some of my more engineering minded friends mucked about with their 3d printers. Each time one of
Taylorsville Kentucky does indeed have some great roads. Really it is the whole area. Hilly and curve is just how central Kentucky is shaped. Plus
One of the things I like about Second Empire homes is that they have their own thing. I started to call it a flair of
This may be the worst image of the Indianapolis Soldiers and Sailors Monument on the circle downtown ever taken. Which is why I used it.
The Case for Single-Payer Healthcare: Cutting Through the Chaos of Bureaucracy The most compelling argument for single-payer healthcare lies in its ability to eliminate the