Lifestyle | Steven Stiefel

Mar

Coronavirus and the rise of telecommuting

These are surreal days. In a matter of a couple of weeks, America has gone from dismissing COVID-19 as a “hoax” to scrambling to limit contagion. Much of the world has done the unthinkable, shutting down public spaces and canceling major sports and entertainment events.

With workplaces shutting down, a lot of companies are moving toward telecommuting.

I did this for 8 years, working with colleagues on the other side of the planet (Sydney, Australia) to produce a men’s lifestyle website called Savvy.com. Then I continued it when I changed jobs and joined a TV network based from Los Angeles.

As an introvert, I absolutely loved it. I could go to visit the beach as long as I brought my laptop along and got my work done.
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Mar

A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Fort Payne Opera House

Landmarks of DeKalb, Inc., brought the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to DeKalb County this week. I was at Saturday’s show in the Fort Payne Opera House. What a remarkable performance by these talented actors. We were so fortunate to have ASF visit our county, speak to kids at local schools and share their hard work for our entertainment.
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Feb

A Cast of Dozens… Or just a Dozen

I created this “group photo” of the cast of the dinner theater play “Deliver Us From Mama” at the request of director Amber Norman McPherson. It shows all 30 characters played by 11 cast members by combining them in a composite of several carefully choreographed different photos of various groupings following costume changes.

Dec

Review: ‘The Rise of Skywalker’

I just finished “The Rise of Skywalker” and the little boy who fell in love with these movies 42 years ago is happy with the way it ended.

No spoilers, except to say that some characters don’t make it, and there’s a major plot twist. Duh.

Maybe you should stop reading if you want to go into it with your own fresh take.

Nov

Remembering the first Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare 30 years later

It’s Iron Bowl day, baby!

This is more than a football game in my home state of Alabama — it’s time to face off for 365 days of braggin’ rights!

This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the year the Crimson Tide finally came to play in Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. I was just days away from graduating, so I remember it vividly.
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Nov

Fort Payne Halloween Block Party Portraits

The DeKalb County Democratic Party opened its doors during the Fort Payne Block Party, Halloween edition. These people came in off the street for me to photograph.

Thanks to everyone who participated. You can download a color version for free — or find your child’s photo if you don’t see it here.

Oct

Come Drink a Beer with Me

If you are a craft beer fan, I encourage you to visit Fort Payne, Alabama on October 12 as we have what will hopefully become an annual event, the Mountain Town Hop Fest.

From 2-6 pm, you’ll find a variety of Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia craft beers, along with food and great music. The organizers expect more than 30 breweries to participate. The only drinking vessel that volunteers will pour into is the 4oz commemorative glass. The glass come with your ticket purchase.

Oct

‘Joker’ Portrays a Descent into Madness

I just watched the movie “Joker” and it’s clear this is one that will be in my head for a few days as I try to figure it out. I don’t know whether this is one of the best or one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen.

If you haven’t seen it yet, be warned. Spoilers ahead.

Early on, we see that the main character is an extremely unreliable narrator, fading from his miserable existence into delusional fantasies in which he is treated with kindness and admiration for his dreams.

Sep

Raging Against the Dying of the Light

“Every time when I look in the mirror,
All these lines on my face getting clearer.
The past is gone.
It went by, like dusk to dawn.”
– Aerosmith

I don’t want to grow old. I refuse to “go gentle into that good night” and will “rage against the dying of the light,” as Dylan Thomas put it.

I define “oldness” as a crescendo of blandness, diminished enthusiasm for life, less arousal/passion, and heightened fatigue. So set in our ways that we can no longer open our minds to accept we don’t know it all.