PicoBlog

Happy New Year. Lunar new year, or lunisolar new year. January first was proclaimed the beginning of the year by some medieval pope in order to sync Easter up more mathematically with the seasons and then gradually, sometimes begrudgingly, adopted around the world as the standard calendar for doing business. This year I hope you will join me in rejecting this Gregorian timeline in favour of the lunar calendar which according to the old Chinese calendar begins Saturday 10 February.

LANGSTON, Okla. — Her reaction upon arrival brought tears to her oldest and youngest sons. Immediately, this surprise shindig was a smashing success. Guests poured in from near and far. Oklahoma City. Little Rock. Dallas. Houston. Louisville. Seattle. All but one of her sisters among her six remaining siblings made the celebration. All but one of her four sons and all but four of her 12 grandchildren were in attendance. Still, not even a few sorely missed family members could dampen her day.

Hello Earth Lovers, Welcome to Autumn! I’m going to make this newsletter short and sweet, as I’m currently recovering from the dreaded Covid. Once I’m feeling better, I will send more well wishes and things to mull over regarding our lovely Earth. I have three quick takeaways to share with you all—about life in general. These are ways that I am attempting to deal with my own vacation woes as they have been arising over the past week.

Hello everyone I am on a train to Malmo. Yesterday was the birthday of Allen Ginsberg. I wanted to send you this performance of his poem Footnote to Howl. So, a belated birthday wish. Tomorrow will be a new Rimbaud installment in a new city. I will send some pictures of the Malmo terrain or at least a new cafe or hotel window view So here is so holy smoke for Allen.

On this day, August 20, 1890, Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in his beloved Providence, Rhode Island. His parents, Winfield Scott Lovecraft and Sarah Susan Phillips, imparted to him a hereditary taint. Winfield was committed to the Butler Hospital following a psychotic break in a Chicago hotel room. Winfield would die in the mental ward in 1898, the likely victim of late-stage syphilis. Mother Sarah would follow a similar path, being committed to Butler in 1919.

When I was little — maybe 6 or 7 years old — we had to bring photos to school for a project. I don't recall exactly what we were doing. Probably something about a family tree. My parents picked this photo for me to bring in. Although my father bought a nice camera after we immigrated to the United States, we didn't have one back in Korea. Cameras were a luxury for the rich and we weren't wealthy.

The happiest of happy hours include food, lest the bargain booze leaves you wobbly. At Marble + Rye, one of the best happy hour menus in Buffalo just happens to be vegan, and an absurdly good deal: three dishes for $9. Nope, not a typo. Three dishes at $3 each makes $9 - and these aren’t common-denominator Sysco snacks, either. ncG1vNJzZmien6q%2Fo7XTnqpnq6WXwLWtwqRlnKedZL1wtMCpp7JlmKTCs3nSrZirZZ2Wv6O4xGapsp0%3D

Everyone wants to claim the invention of the Margarita, the Martini, the Cosmopolitan, even the Gin & Tonic. Regions, cities, and bartenders battle over who really invented the most “Classic Cocktails.” Mixologists fight for the honor of the discovery. Cocktail historians disagree on the murky origins claimed in most cases. See my previous newsletters, “10 Classic Cocktails and Their Murky Origins Part I and “Part II: Making the Cocktails.” These newsletters dive into the 300 years of cocktail history and talk about famous bars I have visited like the King Cole Bar in New York City; Dukes Bar, London, England; Harry’s American Bar, Venice, Italy; and Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, San Francisco.

I hope that you have a most wonderful New Year holiday, and that 2024 is your very best year ever! I am thrilled to have you with me here on Emeth, and I look forward to our continuing quest to create truly Legendary Freemasonry! Christmas and New Years have fallen on our normal Rummer & Grapes evenings, so unfortunately, like last week, we’ll not be able to gather as we usually do.