Gordon Meyer

An Arizona UFO

One year ago today I wrote about my encounter with a St Augustine monster. In recognition of that suspicious event, I present a snapshot of a UFO that shadowed our car along portions of Route 66 in Arizona.

Track your accomplishments

A number of years ago (too many, if you must know) I learned a hard lesson at my first real-world job. It was time for the infamous annual review, and as part of the process I was asked to provide a list of all of the things I had accomplished over the course of the year.

The only problem was, I couldn't remember but a handful of the things I'd done. And because of a particularly inhumane corporate culture, my boss really had no idea what I had done either.

Needless to say, my performance review that year suffered for my lack of memory. I vowed to never let that happen again.

Ever since then I've maintained two lists of accomplishments. They're text files, so they're easy to update whenever I meet a goal or deadline. There are two because I like to separate personal and professional accomplishments separate.

Entries are written in single-line bullet-point style, just right for a PowerPoint presentation. Not that they'll ever be part of a presentation, but I like the exercise of writing in corporate-speak, even for my personal accomplishments. Something about "Surpassed August weight loss goal by 2%" makes me smile.

I recommend developing this habit; it has certainly served me well. Whenever I need a pep talk, it's easy to review a list of all that I have managed to achieve lately. And on a few occasions they've proven useful for answering questions like "What year did we publish that book?", and other trivia. Since they're your lists, feel free to pat yourself on the back and add anything you'd like to acknowledge.

With a new year approaching, there's no better time than now to get started.

My encounter with a St Augustine Monster

On November 27, 2011 at approximately 12:40 in the afternoon I encountered an unknown water creature in St Augustine, Florida. My wife and I had just finished walking our dog, after visiting one of the outlet malls, and suddenly she spotted a large Nessie-like animal in the nearby pond.

It was dark black in color, moving quickly, and although we only saw about 2 feet of it at a time (due the way it was arching its back out of the water), it was clearly quite long. If it hadn't been moving and clearly alive, it would be easy to assume it was a tractor truck tire sticking out of the water. (Just to give you an idea of the size.)

True to form for these type of events, the photos I hurriedly snapped are inconclusive and don't show what we witnessed. The thing was moving fast, and mostly all I managed to capture was the wake it left behind. Although in the first photograph, you can barely see its body slipping below the water's surface.

Was this the spawn of the St Augustine Monster? I don't know. As America's oldest port and home of The Fountain of Youth, clearly there's more to the city than meets the eye. I don't know when or if we will return, but if you're in the area, remain calm and be aware.

A Sequence of Lines proves a sad truth

A Sequence of Lines Traced by Five Hundred Individuals demonstrates that people can't even copy the simplest of things without screwing it up.

Book Review: Cryptozoology: A Pragmatist's Guide

Reid Psaltis' small book about so-called mythical creatures is really a delight. True to the title, the discussion of each creature briefly covers both sides of the argument for, or against, the existence of a cryptid. But what got me hooked is that, in the Preface, Psaltis states:

The purpose is not to defend nor deny the existence of any of its subjects. I feel their existence is moot. [Cryptozoology] is less a study of monsters than it is of human understanding.

True, indeed. But as the discussion is brief, the real reason to buy this book is for the wonderful artwork you'll find throughout. A sampling of which you can view at the author's website. The book is well worth the measly $6 cover price. I got my copy at Quimby's.

Paranoia in Your Pocket

New to iPhone, an application that utilizes the GPS functionality of the device to show you that you're surrounded by creeps and perverts. (As if you didn't already know.)

Offender Locator, for the mere price of 99 cents, will give you a real-time Google map of every registered sex offender in your immediate vicinity, including their address, name, and offense.

Clearly the possibilities are vast. Next up will be a version that taps in P.A.C. databases so you can know if you're walking through a neighborhood of like-thinking people.

Book Review: The Secret Symbols of the Dollar Bill

David Ovason's The Secret Symbols of the Dollar Bill: A Closer Look at the Hidden Magic and Meaning of the Money You Use Every Day is a fun book of trivia and esoterica related to our most familiar form of currency.

Many people know about the easy to spot design features of the bill, such as the 13 arrows clutched by the eagle on The Great Seal. Or, perhaps, the Star of Solomon arrangement of the constellation above the bird's head. But Ovason goes much deeper than that, bringing out geometric arrangements and deep background on the unfinished pyramid, the treasury shield, and the Omega that surrounds Washington's portrait. (And much more.)

Unfortunately, the book is arranged in an awkward style that numbers each "secret" separately. Because so many of the observations are linked, and only make sense when considered in context with others, there is a fair amount of repetition throughout the book. This makes it frustrating to read, and contributes to the feeling that some of it might be padding to make the book more substantive than it really is.

I was prepared to dismiss the book as fun, but unsubstantiated, until I reached the very end. There I discovered a series of footnotes and sources that lend credence to some of Ovason's more obscure assertions. The book would have benefited greatly by giving an indication--any indication--that these existed in the main body of the text. If you read this book, be sure to read the notes in the back as you go along, I think it will significantly enhance your enjoyment of the book.

Overall, while the book is flawed and could have benefitted from a proofread, it's a comprehensive reference that brings out aspects of the dollar's design that are not easy to find elsewhere. In the end its low price makes it a worthy addition to a library of obscure knowledge.

The master who made the grass green

I am very sad to hear the Robert Anton Wilson appears to have left this mortal coil. As I've written before, his work has been tremendously influential in my life.

Edward Abbey. HST. Abbie Hoffman. Frank Zappa. RAW.

Nearly all my favorite artists have gone.

Fnord.

Robert Anton Wilson needs your help

I've written before about Robert Anton Wilson (RAW), an amazing author whose work has profoundly influenced me. His many books are not only entertaining, but they lead you down ontological rabbit holes that, without exaggeration, change the way your brain works. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but I assure you it is not.

Well, RAW is sick and dying, and desperately needs financial help. Douglas Rushkoff provides details about how to contribute and calls RAW one of his heroes. Mark at BoingBoing echoes the same sentiment, as do the many comments on Rushkoff's post.

When I moved to California in 1996 I was thrilled when I realized that I'd be living less than 100 miles away from RAW. I thought for sure I might happen to meet him, and over the years my fantasy was buoyed by learning that several of my co-workers and friends either already knew him, or knew someone in his inner circle. But I was determined not to try to make the meeting happen; leaving it to fate or dumb chance. So it goes.

If you've never read any of his books, visit the Robert Anton Wilson bookstore. (Cosmic Trigger is a good one to start with. If you prefer fiction, then The Illuminatus Trilogy is your best choice.) If you have read his work, then I'm confident you'll join with me and help a brother out when he needs it most.

Automated Hallowe'en Hijinks

I think that Hallowe'en is probably the most popular holiday among home automation enthusiasts; it's certainly the source of a lot of neat ideas for (temporarily) haunting your house.

One of the best "tricks" is to activate your mechanized ghouls, or start creepy sound effects, when the kids approach your home. It's easily accomplished using a variety of Motion detecting switches.

If you've ever been on the receiving end of Hallowe'en pranks, and this year you want to turn the tide, a good solution is the Scarecrow Animal Repeller from Smarthome. It'll blast water towards anything that moves into the area that you want to keep clear. That'll teach the little hoodlums, right?

And it almost goes without saying that you can otherwise utilize these items for plain ol' home automation throughout the rest of the year.