On The Fly

In this episode, Echoes of Giants: A Dream Panel at Converge 2035 The year is 2035, and the world has changed. I didn't attend AGS/GIA Converge in Carlsbad, at least not in the way we once did. Instead, I sat in my living room, surrounded by the shimmering holograms of friends' posts. In a dream, lectures floated before me in glowing 3D, memories made tangible—yet behind the futuristic spectacle, something old stirred inside me. It was a pull back to the years I spent at GIA from 1987 to 2014, a time of tactile learning, not holographic projections. Two familiar faces appeared first: Dr. Jim Shigley, whose quiet generosity I'd relied on countless times, and John Koivula, whose incredible microphotography once graced our alumni newsletter, Facts on the Fly . Their holographic presence felt so real it nudged me into a dream—one where time dissolved, and I found myself in a ballroom where past and future coexisted. A panel was about to begin, not just of peers, but of giants. ...

If you’ve ever seen Blazing Saddles by Mel Brooks, you may recall one of the first scenes in the movie; railroad workers in the scorching desert being driven by a stern taskmaster, a blistering, parched, scene. One worker drops from exhaustion and dehydration. Taggart barks out, “Dock that Chink a days pay for nappin’ on the job, can’t be more than 115!” I could never really relate to that scene until last years trip to Las Vegas, teaching Diamond Grading class at AGS. We endured 115-degree days for weeks on end. This year, thank goodness the weather is more temperate. Returning to the same hotel it’s apparent that things change from year-to-year. New buildings sprout up, employees move on, businesses change and empty lots are filled - but what remains untouched is nature’s beauty - the glowing landscape of the Mojave Desert in Nevada! Without fail, my early morning walk treats me to panoramic views of the mountains in Summerland bathed in the golden sunlight of Red Roc...