Tom's Review #186 - Manson, Crichton, Shackleton

📖 What I’m Reading:

“The small-penis strategy allows creators to portray a real-life figure in a fictional work while minimizing the risk of a libel suit by attributing the character a small penis. The reasoning is that any potential lawsuit would require the plaintiff, in this case, Trump, to tacitly confirm the description as accurate.”

DOG of the month: “In the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mount St. Helens, Landsburg visited the area many times in order to photographically document the changing volcano. … Before he was engulfed by the pyroclastic flow, he rewound the film back into its case, put his camera in his backpack, and then laid himself on top of the backpack to protect its contents. His body was found 17 days later, buried in the ash with his backpack underneath. The film was developed and has provided geologists with valuable documentation of the historic eruption.”

Eye-opening. Kind of boils down to three stories: (1) holes in the official Helter Skelter explanation of the Manson murders; (2) shenanigans by the FBI and CIA in infiltrating counter-culture groups and inciting violence; and (3) insane coincidences and overlap between Manson, his Family, and G-men researching mind control and LSD at the same time and place that Manson was researching mind control and LSD. My one criticism is that the author spends too much time narrativizing his own journey and reporting, which, while impressive, I don’t care about nearly as much as the facts and speculation. Fun book for skeptics.

Book finished: Prey by Michael Crichton – 4/5

Fun, easy read. About a swarm of AI nanoparticles that go rogue. Published in 2002 but comes across perfectly current and eerily plausible.

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Incredibly well written, even if I didn’t understand all the sailing jargon. Such an amazing story, miraculously preserved and retold. My one criticism is I wish there were a bit more of a post-script or epilogue. It ends kind of abruptly.

sangfroid (n) san-FRWA

Calmness, especially under stress.

From French sang-froid (literally “cold blood”).

"Lemony Snicket's approach is wholly different, featuring the offhand sangfroid of a standup comedian.”

“Sweet are the uses of adversity, / Which like the toad, ugly and venemous, / Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

-William Shakespeare

ps: dudes rule (Instagram)

pps: aura (Instagram

ppps: there’s a 98-year-old federal circuit judge (Wikipedia). She's currently suspended for health concerns, but fighting it. 98.