Thomas Tortorich
Bio
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The Birds & Bees of Climate Change
Positive Futurism emphasizes a sustainable future and cooperative, inclusive culture ~ fiction & nonfiction
Stories (13/0)
Eden on Earth
The Macaw’s resplendent wingspan, regally adorned in phosphorescent blue, gold and scarlet feathers, spread across the thunderstorm gray of the late afternoon sky. The heavens rumbled like the belly of a beast as Quinn snapped the shutter, capturing the pre-historic bird with his 800-mm telephoto lens that rivaled the length of its wingspan. Voilà! The talons and wings were frozen in complementary symmetry.
By Thomas Tortorich2 years ago in Fiction
Slowing down was a life-and-death decision for me
I had a serious concussion before I learned to slow down. Being in a hurry is a bad habit most of us have picked up working in a society dedicated to "the cult of speed," as Carl Honoré so poetically phrases it in his book In Praise of Slowness.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Motivation
What does it mean to be successful today?
The old answers to the question of how to be successful are being re-evaluated. Money. That was the answer from the 19th and 18th centuries. And the 20th century’s answer? Materialism. Big house. *thumps chest* Big Car. *grunts, engine revving*
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Earth
Sincerely, the Future
The first time he meets Charlene, the host of Empathy Today, Tom knows he's going to have a hard time sticking to his story. It's not that she asks hard-hitting questions or creates a confrontational environment. Her way of teasing out the truth is far more compelling: Charlene cares. About people. About sincerity. She's a woman of integrity.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Futurism
Are single-income households feasible?
I honestly believe the model of a single-income household is a healthy one ~ but certainly not along gender lines. Significant lifestyle changes that might seem uncomfortable at first are required. They are ultimately healthy choices.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Families
Quitting my job was a leap of faith
Today, there is the emerging rhetoric that "No one wants to work." But that's an age-old spin-job, akin to calling the working class lazy. Actually, people are learning to "just say no" to wages that in some cases are designed to keep workers below the poverty line.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Journal
Not an Activist
It's one of the greatest ironies of the 21st century that the world's largest online megastore is named after the most vital ecosystem on Earth whose exploitation makes our addiction to materialism possible. It's as if there's a big red flag waving in the wind, the truth so glaringly obvious that we ignore it.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Earth
For the birds...
At Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri every autumn, there are Pelicans. Pelicans in Missouri? Yes, and not only that, Bald Eagles nest here, Snow Geese, Mergansers and dozens of other species most of us probably haven't heard of. Loess Bluffs is a waylay for hundreds of thousands of birds during their annual migrations.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Earth
Wingspan, Lifespan
Leaving my job was about more than just turning my back on income and saying no to life-threatening stress. I dared to "just say no" to participating in something that every fiber of my being told was out of integrity with my values and ethics. But finding a way to live with the courage of my convictions was a far more difficult journey than I ever realized.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Motivation
Satire sells, Sincerity is Stronger
Yesterday, I received a touching and unique gift. My dad had taken the time to collect, collate, and publish (print-on-demand) a hardcover book containing all the articles I had published in the Daily Iowan newspaper (Iowa City, IA) when I wrote for them as a Columnist during my undergraduate years.
By Thomas Tortorich3 years ago in Motivation