blivet 2.0

From December 4 through 22, The Aristocrats will host, and a great many blogs will participate in, a celebration of the late Frank Zappa, in the annual blog event known as Zappadan.

It also worth mentioning that Frank’s daughter, Moon Unit, will turn 40 this weekend. Happy Birthday Moon. [Crooks and Liars]

• Las Vegas Renaissance Festival - Home Page
  Coming up on October 12, 13 & 14. See you at the faire!
  (tags: renaissance chivalry renfaire)

via Aaron Diaz’s excellent Dresden Codak–

Show your hots for the sciences!

Your learned friends, relatives, colleagues, instructors, partners, lovers, and spouses are sure to love it!

Plus, they’re only a buck.

[I have no personal or financial connection with Blood Red Squid]

• Understanding autism
  “With diagnoses on the rise, it’s time to learn more about this complex disorder.” Nice little intro article from the Austin American Statesman.
  (tags: autism aspergers advocacy)

• Find Your Candidate - VAJoe.com - Where The Military Matters Most
  “Answer the questions below to find the 2008 Presidential candidate that best aligns with your beliefs.” They have all the candidates and the big issues. You might be surprised!
  (tags: politics election)
• The Classic Texts of Taoism
  The Chuang Tzu, Selected Quotations from Lao Tzu, Selected Poems of Tu Fu and Selected Poems of Li Pai [via Ed]
  (tags: taoism spirituality chuang-tzu)
• How to Save the World: How to Save the World Reading List - Revised and Updated
  “Here’s the updated list — 80 books and articles that have forever changed my worldview and my purpose for living. The fifteen most critical readings have a numbered triangle in front of them.” [via Ed]
  (tags: books sustainability progressive environment philosophy)
• The Illustrated Road to Serfdom
  via Ed
  (tags: politics activism history)
• The Conscience of a Liberal - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
  Krugman’s blog and no TimesSelect. Yea!
  (tags: blog politics economics krugman)
• The Self-Directed Student Toolbox: 100 Web Resources for Lifelong Learners | OEDb
  (tags: learning education resources lifehacks diy self-improvement teaching productivity)

• Peter Russell’s World Clock
  global information concerning demographics, environmental status, etc…
  (tags: demographics reference clock visualization statistics)
• Catalina Offshore Products
  sushi supplies for future reference
  (tags: food shopping sushi)
• Main Page - Sushi-ya-pedia - Find a Sushi Bar or Teahouse Anywhere - Including Reviews
  “community moderated sushi bar and teahouse finder with restaurant information and user contributed reviews” it is hard to know where to go for good sushi
  (tags: wiki sushi food japan teahouse)

• Archaeolog
  “all things archaeological” a collaborative effort
  (tags: academic archaeology blog archeology culture theory)

original here

I got back mid-day from Pine Creek and have been abed for much of that time. It is time to retire an old friend, my North Face Cats Meow sleeping bag. After 29 years and a dozen cleanings (good grief, it’s almost historic!) it is now a faint shade of its former 20º rating. Plus someone’s girth has increased, making things a tight fit. I froze even wearing all the clothes I had — shorts and t-shirts only take you so far.

Pine Creek is a beautiful campground with the creek running right through the middle. We saw deer, a fox and plenty of birds. And there is this pool in the creek aways up the Pine Creek Trail that has trout written all over it…

Heading out of town to the Pine Creek Campground about an hour and a half north of Tonopah and Belmont for the quarterly board meeting of the NAA. See you Sunday.