Well, here we are. Another Substack. Because what the world really needs right now is another opinionated, over-caffeinated loudmouth with a camera, a keyboard, and a finely tuned bullshit detector.

But stick with me. I’m not here to reinvent the wheel—just to point out which ones are currently rolling off a cliff.

My name’s Brian Ragle. I’m a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and lifelong wanderer with a deep love for storytelling, a deep suspicion of authority, and a deep disdain for nonsense masquerading as enlightenment. I’ve traveled all over North America—physically, mentally, and spiritually (though mostly physically, because the rest is usually marketing fluff). From the backwoods of Tennessee to the coastlines of California, I’ve sharpened both my lens and my tongue.

This newsletter—VagabondVisions—is where I capture the world as it is, not as we pretend it is when we’re trying to win Facebook arguments with our in-laws. I’ll be writing about U.S. politics, technology, photography, and culture, with a tone that’s somewhere between a newsroom editorial and a barstool rant—equal parts insight and eye-roll.

🔍 The TL;DR of Me

I’ve spent years behind the scenes in tech, media, and creative industries, usually asking inconvenient questions like:

I’ve been an IT director, an AI wrangler, a photographer, a project manager, and the guy who fixes everything while someone else takes the credit. Now I’m channeling that accumulated experience into this newsletter—because the world doesn’t need another hot take. It needs clear-eyed observation, sharp analysis, and the occasional well-placed middle finger.

🧠 What You’ll Find Here

🏛️ Politics (with Teeth)

If you’re looking for a bipartisan cuddlefest, jog on. I cover American politics like a war correspondent trapped in a Kafka novel. Expect deep dives into policy, propaganda, and the increasingly surreal world of American governance—plus the occasional reminder that neither side holds a monopoly on corruption or idiocy.

🤖 Tech (Hold the Kool-Aid)

I love technology. I live in it. But I also know when it’s selling snake oil. Here, I’ll explore AI, surveillance, social media decay, and why half of Silicon Valley thinks “disruption” means setting everything on fire and calling it innovation.

📸 Photography & Storytelling

Sometimes words fail, and that’s when the camera steps in. Expect original photo essays, behind-the-scenes dispatches, and visual explorations of overlooked places and people. Not everything I shoot is pretty—but it’s always honest.

🧠 Cultural Commentary (Because Someone Has To)

Whether it’s the latest moral panic on Fox or a TikTok trend that somehow made it into congressional hearings, I’m watching the whole circus. We’ll talk about books, memes, art, music, media, and the increasingly blurry line between parody and politics.

🗺️ Field Reports from the Road

I’m not tethered to any one place, and VagabondVisions reflects that. I’ll occasionally post dispatches from the road—forgotten towns, roadside oddities, weirdos I meet in diners, and the kind of Americana that never makes it into a Netflix docuseries.

🧠 Who This Is For

If you’re skeptical but curious, jaded but still engaged, allergic to echo chambers, and appreciate the surgical application of sarcasm, this might feel like home. If you want someone to connect the dots between power, policy, tech, and culture—without dumbing it down or lacing it in performative outrage—pull up a chair.

But if you think billionaires are misunderstood geniuses, or your favorite political cult-leader walks on water… you’re gonna hate it here. And that’s fine. The unsubscribe button works.

📆 Posting Schedule

I’ll be posting at least twice a week, with a mix of commentary, photography, and cultural analysis. You can also expect at least one long-form, magazine-feature-length piece each month, where I really dig into a topic that deserves more than a tweetstorm and a couple emojis. In retrospect and as I edit some of my most recent stuff to post here, the frequency will be a lot more than twice a week. A lot.

💸 P.S. – It’s Free… for Now

Right now, VagabondVisions is 100% free. No paywalls, no tip jars, no guilt trips.

That might change later—once there’s a solid community here, and if it turns out folks want deeper, exclusive content or extra goodies. But for now, subscribe, read, share, and let’s see where this goes. If it turns into a full-blown media empire, I’ll try not to let it go to my head.

Thanks for reading. And welcome aboard.

—Brian

💸 P.P.S. - Co-authors will sometimes include 🐈‍⬛ Samson, 🐈‍⬛ Emperor, 🐈 Arizona, 🐈‍⬛ Dice, 🐕 Tybee, and 🐶 Gynger

VagabondVisions