The more things change, the more they are different from the way they used to be

Somewhere in there, I guess I forgot to mention the trip out to visit Dad and Lois in Brea. Had a great time with them and they took us out to Taps in the 'new' Downtown Brea. The beer and porkchop were both awesome, but I still miss the way downtown Brea used to look. Fortunately, if I ever get in that nostalgic mood, I can always watch Phantasm, which has a shot of the little western town Brea once was -- [There's a screencap about halfway down that page: "Next we go to the antique shop..."]

Compare with Brea Blvd. today.

Which one is the horror, really?

Art & Artifice by Steinmeyer

Steinmeyer wrote the amazing Hiding the Elephant, so I was interested enough to try out some of his other work, in this case a book of five lengthy essays on different aspects of magic. Art & Artifice covers some of the same ground as Hiding the Elephant, but not as engagingly. HtE was also a book for a popular audience, while these essays have more of a feel of being aimed at the trade. Still lots of interesting detail on the historical development of tricks and magical principles, but a distant second to HtE. If not a great prose stylist, Steinmeyer does have the gift for ferreting out mysteries. My admiration has cooled a little, but I'm still curious to see what he's done with the life of Charles Fort.

They're Norwegian, Mac.

Thing Prequel

Adventures in humorous maltypography

What should I take in my backpack for a two day viking trip?