A subordinate, bondsperson, or slave. Originally, a vassal was someone who entered into an agreement with a feudal lord, gaining protection in exchange for some land and services. Now, though, it just means someone underneath someone else. Although the meaning has eroded somewhat, the art depicting vassals has improved from two-dimensional figures to awkward stock photography (created by vassals).
This gif is the work of blind artist George Redhawk. More of his work can be seen here (some images NSFW).
AnimalsHumansFlowcoursePhoenixSurrealismMesmerizing imagesIn colors red and gold they set us on fire
Frank Bruni wrote this thought-provoking column a week ago, which has stayed with me since then. His basic assertion: focusing on the "quality" of the time spent is the wrong approach.
We delude ourselves … when we invoke and venerate "quality time," a shopworn phrase with a debatable promise: that we can plan instances of extraordinary candor, plot episodes of exquisite tenderness, engineer intimacy in an appointed hour.
I think Bruni is onto something. Showing up is important. It's not the only important thing (as countless numbers of try-hard-but-untalented sports teams can attest) but it's from practice and effort that the wonderful moments often come. Like Jacob August Riis' stonecutter, hammering away at a rock without any sign of crack until the rock splits in two. Faithfulness in small things begets faithfulness in big things begets success in important things.
Worth thinking about.
ArticlesTime is a jet plane, it moves too fastQuality vs. quantityFalse dichotomiesShow up, work hard, and do stuffPrinciples, not equationsHard way home