Everybody loves cupcakes. Today, Santa is cruising down the road in one. He got caught in traffic, which is why I’m late getting this posted.
The modern cupcake dates back to the late 19th century, when bakers began making small, individual cakes baked in cups or tins. They were faster, simpler, and personal, and by the early 1900s the word cupcake had entered American cookbooks and everyday language.
Since then, cupcakes have become cultural shorthand for celebration. Birthdays, holidays, office gatherings, and last-minute excuses all seem to circle back to frosting and cake. They’re indulgent, familiar, and quietly universal.
For National Cupcake Day, I leaned into that idea a bit literally.
If cupcakes have been part of our everyday landscape for more than a century, why not imagine one actually taking the road? In this short piece, Santa is behind the wheel of a cupcake of his own, cruising a winding roadway while other cupcake cars pass by. No rush, no spectacle, just the calm logic of holiday imagination.
There’s no message beyond that. Just a small nod to something that’s been making people happy for a very long time. Sometimes a cupcake is enough. Apparently, it’s even enough to get Santa where he’s going.
Not everything I’ve been working on follows a straight path. You can see what else has been moving through my projects at SecondFocus
When I saw that today was National Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day, I was immediately intrigued. Scenes from The Time Machine, H.G. Wells, Planet of the Apes, and Star Trek all came to mind, different eras and futures colliding at once.
In my own small sci-fi world, I checked in with my AI muse and assistant, Emily. Her response was immediate: “Let’s send Ronnie. Her look could span all of it.”
I’ll admit I hesitated. Sending Ronnie’s pixels and algorithms into the future felt risky. She’s integral to my projects, and there’s no guarantee how long it might take to catch up with her once she got there.
Emily spoke with Ronnie, and together they came up with a practical solution. Ronnie wouldn’t go far. Just a few years ahead. Enough to suggest the future without disappearing into it. Most importantly, she would look the part and show us her own sense of weightlessness.
Ronnie didn’t bring back time-travel answers. She did reinforce my love of science fiction.
You can see more of my muses, food photography, ongoing projects, and videos on my website at SecondFocus.com
Some of you have been wondering what Emily—my AI assistant has been up to lately. Looks like being digital-only wasn’t cutting it anymore.
Now she’s prepping burgers for one of our fast food photo shoots. Focused, confident—and honestly, a little too attractive for someone made of code. The line between assistant and studio presence is getting blurry.
She still handles research and planning for From Bag To Background. But lately, I turn around and she’s already setting the scene. At this point, I’m just trying to keep up.
Spotted Wednesday on a photo road trip: this Barstow building once known as the Hacienda Tequila Restaurant. The food is gone. The staff is gone. The only thing left? “Tequila” And frankly, that feels like a solid business model for the Mojave.
Bright yellow stucco and fresh green trim suggest someone’s trying to bring it back—or at least make it look like they might. There’s no menu, no hours, no explanation. Just a sign, blazing in the desert sun, whispering: “Tequila”.
Is it coming soon? Is it performance art? More roadside mysteries, faded ambition, fast food and eroticism on my website at http://SecondFocus.com
Some things are so familiar that we rarely stop to look at them differently. In my latest video, M&M’s take center stage—not as a snack, but as a mesmerizing display of motion and texture. Shot in close-up, the candy-coated chocolates rotate, filling the frame with an endless blur of color. With no background or outside context, the viewer is fully immersed in their movement.
The History Behind M&M’s
M&M’s were first introduced in 1941, designed specifically for U.S. soldiers in WWII who needed a chocolate treat that wouldn’t melt in their hands. The sugar shell coating solved that problem, making them a practical ration. In 1954, their branding became legendary with the introduction of the slogan: “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.”
Over the decades, M&M’s evolved. The colors have changed (tan was replaced by blue in 1995 after a public vote), and flavors expanded beyond the classic milk chocolate. Today, Mars Inc. produces over 400 million M&M’s every single day.
Exploring Motion in Food Videography
This piece is an exercise in minimalism. By removing distractions, the focus remains solely on the candy’s glossy texture, uniform shape, and movement. The rotation creates an almost hypnotic effect—what is normally a static object becomes dynamic, alive.
Food photography often emphasizes stillness, but motion transforms perception. Whether it’s steam rising, a sauce dripping, or candies rotating, movement brings a new layer of engagement to an otherwise simple subject.
For more of my striking food photography and other visual work that challenges the expected, visit SecondFocus.com.
How does movement change the way we experience everyday objects? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
SecondFocus Blog 
Just Tequila: Maybe That Works!
Spotted Wednesday on a photo road trip: this Barstow building once known as the Hacienda Tequila Restaurant. The food is gone. The staff is gone. The only thing left? “Tequila” And frankly, that feels like a solid business model for the Mojave.
Bright yellow stucco and fresh green trim suggest someone’s trying to bring it back—or at least make it look like they might. There’s no menu, no hours, no explanation. Just a sign, blazing in the desert sun, whispering: “Tequila”.
Is it coming soon? Is it performance art? More roadside mysteries, faded ambition, fast food and eroticism on my website at http://SecondFocus.com
May 10, 2025 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: abandoned buildings, Barstow, California desert, desert travel, Hacienda Tequila Restaurant, Highway 58, Mojave Desert, photo road trip, quirky landmarks, repainted building, restaurant revival, roadside Americana, roadside architecture, roadside photography, Route 66, satirical commentary, stucco architecture, tequila sign, travel photography, visual storytelling | Leave a comment