I’m not a scientist but I’ve come up with a few formulas which help me parse the world we’re living in. If they add up for you, fine. If not, don’t bother. Make up your own for fun. If you want, try to figure out what each one means … (the formulas are loosely arranged into related categories). I’m sticking with my opinion that most of us prefer life served in small, potent bites.

Causes plus conditions equals results.

  • Grand County minus Fraser equals Leaving Planet Earth.
  • Art plus focused effort equals beauty.
  • Drugs plus music equals Phish.
  • Grateful Dead minus Jerry equals Phish.
  • Music plus Grand County equals magic.
  • Mansions minus inhabitants equals hollow communities.
  • Overcrowding plus vehicles equals road rage and potholes.
  • Steep plus snow plus Mary Jane equals bumps.

 

  • The number of guns in the US minus the number of people in the US equals more guns than people.
  • Anger plus easy access to weapons equals death and tragedy.
  • Incendiary bullets plus dry brush equals fire.

 

  • Love plus hope equals work.
  • Bodies minus skin equals equals.
  • Isolation plus apathy equals sad.
  • Desperation plus family plus violence equals refugees.
  • Greed plus power equals suppression.
  • Human kindness plus empathy equals equals.
  • Home gardens plus tending equals fresh healthy foods.
  • Zucchini plants plus water plus sun equals massive squash.

 

  • Burning plus enclosed space (ie. Atmosphere) equals warming.
  • 109 degrees Fahrenheit plus Paris equals climate emergency.
  • Scorched earth plus heavy rain equals flash flooding.
  • Climate emergency plus denial and the square root of inaction equals worse.
  • Single use plastic plus humans equals convenience.
  • Convenience plus humans equals ocean gyres.
  • Gyres plus sea life equals sickness.
  • Desert plus drilling equals more desert.

 

  • Righteous plus judgment equals inequals.
  • Social media minus human touch equals isolation.
  • “I got mine,” minus “Y’all get y’allses,” equals income disparity.
  • Riches minus safety nets equals homeless.
  • Homelessness plus comfortable people equals uncomfortable people.
  • People minus access to doctors equals emergency rooms.
  • People minus housing equals Van Life.

 

  • War plus soldiers equals disabled veterans.
  • Disabled veterans minus proper care leads to heartbreak.
  • Arms sales plus countries equals profits and wars.
  • Military industrial complex plus complex geopolitics equals jobs.
  • Jobs plus security equals consumption.
  • Consumption plus security equals boats, ATVs and Legos.

 

  • Fresh coffee plus beauty in the forenoon equals longer life.

 

  • Writers plus readers equals formulas.

 

Thanks for reading. Send your formulas to nigel@sopris.net