You know those weeks where it seems like 109.3% of the people you know has a birthday? Yeah well, I just lived through one of them.

And because I am the ‘optimal’ combination between lazy and opportunistic, I bowled over all the gift shopping in one evening: The British Museum had a ‘members only’ night on Tuesday where everything in the Grenville Room was 20% off.

Also there was free wine. That might have been a factor in my opting to show up after work for a couple of hours. Just saying.

In less retail-specific news, here’s what else happened this week:

Lyn reminds me that not everyone is me

She wanted to be born elsewhere and I always wanted to live in the UK. Funny old world. Want to swap passports?

The Cockney Visionary has a show more than 50 years after his death

It’s the biggest showing of Austin Spare’s work since he died. Expect some Rune Soup reportage. See above for why I want to swap passports/why London is awesome. If there are gifts in the gift shop that aren’t £160 then there might even be a blog giveaway. Because why not?

My PAW draws a line an agreeable line in the sand

If you’re not subscribing by now, then there is limited hope for you. It’s good stuff. My only contribution is to link to something I saw scrawled on Oscar Wilde’s grave in June.

How is a wand like a shrimp?

They can both be de-veined. Hadn’t thought of this before. But then I hadn’t thought much past stuffing a length of copper tube with various 777 detritus and festooning it with ribbons like it had wandered away from Sydney’s Gay Mardi Gras parade.

A very clever paragraph about the ‘quote unquote’ Ground Zero mosque

It’s the last paragraph. It’s witty and snarky and good. But read the whole post first so you build up to it. The last sentence is everything that is good about America.

Common sense gets deconstructed

And awareness is raised for an interview with (Victorian Stage Magician voice) The Great… DuQuette! Because he is great.

Psyche and I both yearn for Scotland

Believe me; those are words I never thought I would say. Have you been to Scotland? Stand naked in a horizontal sleet-storm and have complete strangers be very unfriendly to you. It will save you a trip. (It’s pretty, though. But I lived in NZ for six years so the prettiness bar is set impossibly high.)

Kenaz uses myth correctly

Granted, that’s not very surprising, but he touches on something which was one of my very favourite subjects at university: The American narrative and the Enlightenment ideal. I like the idea that calling out the American ‘Myth’ doesn’t diminish its impact of efficacy… Because he’s using ‘myth’ correctly and not just saying ‘it’s something that doesn’t exist’.

Witch house music is a thing

Those hipsters have gone too far. Too far! Because there is now a sub-genre of house music called ‘witch house’. Did other people know about this or have we all conclusively left the year 1998 and so know very little about house music in general?

Veles puts on his metaphoric sandwich board

A new e-service has arrived in NYC.

What to do -and not to do- with Naga vases

I’m just going to steer clear for the time being. But Jason posted a fascinating video on the subject. This is definitely one of the literal ‘wizards taught me’ links for this week. Also, keen eyes will note he has recently changed his blogger image from ‘Business Jason’ to ‘Action Jason’. It’s a good move. Makes me wonder what he’s looking at. I’m gonna guess Bear Gryll’s film crew?

Are you impulsive? Then your brain’s meth lab is faulty

PJC wrote that ‘personality is chemistry’. Understanding this makes transcendence that little bit easier. You are not all the little quirks -like chocoholism- that you like about yourself. Or, at least, you have no proof of that.

How to make jackballs

Speaking of meth labs… Kidding! But it does sound like something you could freebase, does it not? No, this is another detailed hoodoo formula from Dr Raven.

Why I will retire to Zambia

I was born in the fourth best country in the world, and then moved to the thirteenth and then the fourteenth. So I’ve slipped ten places in 9 years. If I continue at this rate, I will die of old age in Zambia.

The hicks in my hometown are also ghost hunters

Ever briefly wondered what kind of ridiculous home town could spawn the chemically renegade fruit-storm behind Rune Soup? Look no further than these profoundly irresponsible teenagers trying to find ghosts by risking innocent lives as well as there own. Just grow up already and use a ouija board like a responsible adult! I incandescently disapprove of this -yet I am not in the least bit surprised.

Could you get rid of all your magic books?

Heard of digital minimalists? They can fit their entire life into two small suitcases and live digitally. This so appeals to me on a minimalist front as a ‘global citizen and professional wanderer’ but… I don’t know… I have a pretty good book management system for my magical library. I just can’t see how a Kindle could give me that kind of cross-referencing ability. (My evenings often resemble the scenes from Buffy where the Scoobies are huddled around dozens of open occult books. If the Scoobies were also necking French wine and watching Futurama. What can I say? I like to multi-task.)

The web is dead apparently

Once every 18 months, there is an article that you have to read. This is the article. If you are either

• Under forty
• Thinking about starting a digital business
• Already own a digital business

Then you need to read Chris Anderson tell you what’s going on with the internet. It’s only rarely I will push ‘Work Gordon’ stuff in the direction of ‘Magic Gordon’. This is one of those times.

Does the Bible confuse you? Will seeing it in Lego form help?

You know it will.

An Angelic amulet has been banned

First of all, pretty sure this is a cult. Second of all, I can’t get away with making claims like this about SUVs or cell phones or whatever else I am shilling at work so you can’t say it about amulets. Third of all… Ummm… Have a look at the amulet. It’s probably asking a bit much to pull results of such lofty scale with these materials.

Anyway, kids, have an awesome week.