Book Mention: The Conspiracy Book

Subtitled A Chronological Journey Through Secret Societies and Hidden Histories.  Sure, you've heard of lots of these: the Pythagorean Brotherhood, the Hell-Fire Club, Skull and Bones, the Thule Society, etc.  You can go down all kinds of ratholes sorting out what is what.  Or... you can let John Michael Greer do the in-depth reading and then enjoy his mercifully brief one-page summaries.  Probably all you need or want to know about most of this stuff.  One page each, with a very nicely illustrated opposing page on each topic.  Also, the binding and design have a deluxe feel, so skip the e-book and get this one in hardback.

While each topic is presented on its own here, there is substantial cross-referencing to show how some of these conspiracies fed into others.  It all makes for an easy episodic read, but there's enough linkage to encourage further research if you are so inclined.

Finally and worth mentioning, there's been a rift between the author and publisher detailed here.  If you are having trouble finding at your local book store, there's a link to the author's Bookshop web site at the link.

Deep Fried Coffee: Why?

Video here.  It's an alternative way of roasting beans, as opposed to dumping your cup of Folgers into the frydaddy.  That would likely be...  explosive, as in turducken gone tragically wrong; not a recommended as a best practice.  Anyway, deep fried coffee sounds kind of interesting, in a completely mad scientist sort of way.

TLDW version:  Coffee, barely.  Espresso, no-just-no.

I will never get those 13 minutes back, but now you don't have to bother.

The Time Change Blues

Not a particular problem around here (solution in a moment), but this kicked over the gigglebox anyway:

And the promised solution:

Auto-sets via WWV's time signal.  You do have to enter your time zone, ONCE.  After that, change batts every couple of years (no leaky AA batts, please), and then forget about it.  Keeps up with both local and Zulu time, on the off chance you need to phone any of your Zulu friends.  All for the low, low price of $79 one can be yours.  Yeah yeah, you could set the stove clock from your cell phone too, but would it be as cool nerd-riffic?

A Weekend at the Seafood Festival

Look, I didn't take many pics, and the ones I did were no where nearly as good as these at The Times.  Here are the links:

• Friday's Festivities
• THE Parade (there is no other, puts Macy's and Thoth both to shame)
• Oysters & Crabs: Racing, Shucking, Eating (do not get out of order)

I'll leave the click-throughs to y'all.  On a more personal note, pretty much all I did was eat fried mullet & roe, and talk & catch up with friends, and ate too much yet again.  Took it easy on Sunday and played radio with the new Yaesu FT-891.  (Preliminary impressions: Overall favorable, a more modern replacement for the FT-857d, with all the crazy menus we've come to expect from Yaesu.  Expect more on this in a couple of months.)

Meanwhile, out in the astroid belt...

Wasn't me.  Not this time, anyway.

Hat tip to one of the nephews on this.

Miss Ol' St. Louie

It's a nice musical interlude by J.J. Cale on this partly cloudy Halloween day.

A real pro makes it look easy.

High Bluff Monday

Yet again hiked the High Bluff Trail two days ago.  It was a little hot, things are a little bushy, and overall it was a really nice day.  Not a lot to add beyond some of my past posts on the subject.  Here's the one worthwhile pic I took, an inchworm on a black-eyed Susan: