I Thought It Was A Harness

SPOILER ALERT: A popular illusion

When you learn how a trick’s done, does it “spoil” it for you? Sometimes I gnash my teeth a bit, but I find that when I know how a trick’s done, my appreciation for the trickster actually increases, and I have a good opportunity to examine my own cognitive biases and how I fell for redirection.

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A Warm Welcome

Coming home and finding your house a smouldering wreckage, burned down to the foundation – that’s not what happened to me. For some reason, though, I dread it; it’s why I have a whole mental check-list I run through before I depart and arrive, walking down the list of systems that need to be turned off (or on) when I am home or away.

I landed at Washington, Dulles around 8:00pm last night and hit the road for the 3hr drive back up to the farm. So (allowing for bathroom and drink breaks) I got home around midnight, roared into the dark and dust called “my driveway” and up to the house, to be greeted by this:

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A Seriously Cool Monument

Although, if I understand it correctly, it’s a monument to autocracy: “everyone stop fighting because if you keep it up you’ll die.” It’s not the best argument for peaceful resolution of political division but I guess it works.

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More Mokume

The last run of mokume was nearly a disaster. This time, it was nearly a cakewalk. For me, that’s the fun of doing crafts: figuring them out and getting better and understanding them more. And not hurting myself.

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Chocolate Fudge Cream Soap

This is some of the best soap ever. Those of you that I am sending refrigerator magnets to will probably also get soap as well. Be forewarned, if you are allergic to cocoa or coffee you don’t want to use this soap. But, here is a recipe and walkthrough.

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