Bippity boppity bacon!

 I love bacon.  That is certainly not unique, but during the bacon craze of a few years ago, I really leaned into it.  It became a standing joke among family and friends that my bacon affliction was incurable.  References were often made to memes, novelty bacon themed products, and an endless stream of bacon-heavy recipes.  I can even recite from memory the entirety of Jim Gaffigan's bacon monolog.  In more recent times, my bacon ardor has cooled but not fully receded.  Alongside of all that goes my interest in history, and my attraction to author autographed books.  There is just something remarkable about a published book which has been physically touched by its author as they leave a personal inscription as a souvenir.  Try doing that with an audio book or a Kindle.  So when I recently learned that my local independent bookstore - which deals only in autographed books - was holding a book signing for a book devoted to the history and cultural significance of bacon, there was no way I could pass that up.

Yesterday afternoon, then, I was able to meet and briefly talk with Mark A. Johnson, a history professor who has recently published his latest book, American Bacon: The History of a Food Phenomenon.  Initially a little surprised that there was a whole book in bacon, I recalled other similar books that explore society's complex relationships with individual food items, like cod, coffee, and salt.  Johnson's book was a multiyear effort involving scholarly research and disciplined formal writing.  In talking with him, I found similarities in our authorships:  his book was peer-reviewed, just as my papers are in scientific journals.  I suspect his research involved more delicious investigation than mine, however.  This was an early stop on a book publication tour that is just beginning as Johnson continues with appearances at academic and culinary institutions around the country.  I look forward to reading his new book and wish his every success.

Letter Month midpoint

 In addition to it being Tax Day (don't forget to file your returns!), today is the midpoint of National Letter Writing Month.  I'm glad to report my goal of writing and sending one letter each day to family and friends has so far been uninterrupted.  The commonly given benefits of handwritten letters are that they are a pleasant and personal way to communicate with another individual.  In today's digital age, it is certainly unexpected and hopefully a pleasant surprise to receive such an old fashioned message; an actual, physical object, manually transported by a postal system that remains by far the world's largest.  But being a scientist myself, I must mention that there are actual biological benefits to writing letters.  It's science!  According to one scientific paper:

 Handwriting is a complex neurophysiological process integrating motor, cognitive, and emotional components. Beyond its functional role in communication, it carries cultural and psychological significance. 

 Handwriting develops more areas of the brain than keyboard or texting messages.  It contributes to enhanced memory development and greater engagement with the material.  It's also a classy, joyous, and affirming way to strengthen relationship.  It may take more time and effort, but that also has value in fostering a deliberate and thoughtful moment in what otherwise can be a frantic life. So in the remainder of the month, I will continue to improve my neural pathways, burnish my penmanship, and sustain my friendships.  Write on!

Postcards of the future

 It's generally accepted that the first postcard was sent in Austria in 1869.  And for many decades, postcards were a convenient method of sending short messages, often compared to modern day text messages.  But only 30 years after their origin, postcards were used to predict the future.  A somewhat whimsical, somewhat serious collection of cards issued in France in 1899 sought to predict the state of the world 100 years hence.  This sort of futurism always fascinates me, mostly because we humans are so bad at predicting the future that when we sometimes get it right, it is all the more amazing.  For instance, the collection of French postcards predicted that in the year 2000, people would travel in submarines pulled by whales.  Or that firefighters would battle flames in tall buildings by wearing wings.  Yet some of the cards show future life that is recognizable to us today.  One, called "Correspondence Cinema" depicts electronic long-distance communication via voice and video, familiar to anyone with a smart phone.  "Electric scrubbing" shows the mechanical floor cleaner that mirrors today's Roomba.  So while postcards may not be a completely reliable forecaster of technological advancement, they continue as they always have to provide enjoyable amusement.

Letter Writing Month 2026

 It's April once again, which means Letter Writing Month is here.  As in past years, my goal is to write one letter each day to mail to family and friends.  (Last year's efforts were interrupted by a medical event, which I don't expect to be repeated this year.)  The letters I write during the month may be typewritten or hand written using my small collection of machines and fountain pens.  But all will be sent by USPS mail, while the service still exists.  This is a time of year I always look forward to:  renewing friendships, catching up with those who aren't online, and practicing the nearly-forgotten  communication method that served mankind for centuries.  The paper, ink, and stamps stand ready, so let's go.  Write on!

Breaking news: Postcrossing stamps

 For about as long as I've been a member of Postcrossing (well over 13 years), there has been an effort to create a US postage stamp design dedicated to the hobby.  In fact, many American Postcrossers have a plea in their profile urging everyone to contact the USPS Citizen's Advisory Committee to include a Postcrossing stamp design in each year's new stamp issues.  Many years ago, I myself wrote the committee on more than one occasion and never received any sort of response.  I'd given up hope that the USPS would ever issue a Postcrossing stamp, even as other nations continue to do so:  Germany, Estonia, and Czech Republic are but a few.  Well, today I was thrilled to learn that in May the USPS  will release a new stamp dedicated to Postcrossing.  The issue includes four different designs, and are triangular.  It will, of course, be at the international 1 ounce rate (currently $1.70).  Seems like persistence pays off, as they say.  I can't wait for the USA to join the family of nations with a stamp dedicated to Postcrossing.  Write on.

Next up

 Yesterday was the final meeting of the Trollope Society to discuss the current title of the ongoing Big Read.  The meeting presentation was given by Oxford University professor Nicholas Shrimpton, and was a detailed historical analysis of one of Anthony Trollope's lesser known works, The Bertrams.  As is usual in these bi-weekly Zoom meetings, I learned a great deal and gained much more insight into the novel than I would have on my own.  Each meeting has about 100 participants from all around the world, and their viewpoints in the small breakout groups and in the final full group discussion never fail to be enriching.

And so today begins the next novel in this year's reading list: Mr Scarborough's Family.  This work was published in 1883 and was one of the last of Trollope's many works to reach the public.  As always, I've prepared myself with a print copy I obtain through the used book clearinghouse webpage ABE Books, as well as a digital version downloaded from Project Gutenberg to my vintage second generation Kindle.  I'll dive into the new book later today, and look forward to discovering another work from the highly prolific Victorian author.

Rare card alert

 Today's rare card is a bit unusual.  It was not sent or received from an obscure, small country.  Instead, it is a card I sent to Denmark, a country that ended its postal system last year.  On December 30, 2025 the state run postal system, PostNord, ceased operations entirely, making it the first nation in the world to do so.  Reasons given were the decline of familiar person-to-person letters and other common mail, which has been largely replaced by digital communication.  And yet, Denmark remains a member nation of Postcrossing, and I was assigned a Danish address 17 days ago.  Instead of a national postal system, private couriers exist to provide the same service.  Think of it as sending a postcard by FedEx.  From what I can tell, it's an expensive option for Danish citizens to use the company, Dao, to send their postcards.  In fact, the Postcrossing member I sent my card to mentions in their profile that they live close enough to the border that they send their outgoing mail from Germany.  So today I present the delivery of a postcard I sent to a country without a post office.  Write on.

Pizza Passport 2

 At long last, we recently made our second Pizza Passport visit.  This is the ongoing project to visit all the prominent pizzerias in the metro area and record our experiences in a handy little booklet that we received as a Christmas gift.  Our second stop on the pizza trail was a place we've been before: Pizza Grace.  Located on rustic (and cobblestone paved) Morris Avenue in central Birmingham, Pizza Grace has been attracting plaudits for several years.  The place changed owners last year, and since then things have changed slightly.  The menu is now a little more extensive.  In addition to the well-made Neapolitan pizza standards like the Margherita, they now offer a changing lineup of some interesting varieties.  Last summer I had a delicious pistachio and mortadella pizza.  But on this visit we shared the chorizo: romesco sauce, green olives, Manchego cheese, hot honey, and generous amounts of fresh oregano.  It was tremendous!  All pizzas are made with traditional sourdough fermented crust made in a process that takes many hours.  This sometimes forces an early closure of the restaurant when the day's allotment of ready dough is used up.  Be mindful of this, especially on popular Saturdays- late arrivals may miss out on the best Neapolitan pizza in the city.  A substantial menu of side dishes, desserts, and a healthy wine list finish out a memorable meal.  Service is friendly, efficient, and knowledgeable.  Decore is stylish in a mod/industrial sort of way.  The dessert offerings are wonderful, I'm sure, but one can do no better that walk next door to Cannella for authentic Italian gelato after your pizza.  We always do.

Passport score: 5 of 5.

Pizza Grace- chorizo pizza

Feb stats

 Once again, my monthly postcard numbers fell a little short of my goals.  Real life always seems to get in the way.  In the shortened month of February, I sent 84 cards to recipients around the world, and received 94 cards.  This gives me a ranking of 26th among 78,000 Postcrossing members in the USA, and I remain #1 among members in Alabama. My longest distance card this month was one that travelled 8,179 miles in 90 days to Taiwan.  I sent off a batch of cards this morning, with a new emphasis on observing holidays throughout the year.  So a few St Patrick's Day cards are now on their way and will hopefully arrive around March 17.  Write on.

Evolved birthday

 Happy Darwin Day! On this day each year, I mark the birth in 1809 of the man who would lay down the foundation of biology.  It was on this day, 217 years ago that Charles Darwin was born, along with some chap in the USA named Abraham Lincoln, who would amount to something later in life as well.  After an astonishing voyage of discovery on HMS Beagle, Darwin would dither and procrastinate for many years before finally publishing his world changing ideas.  More than two centuries later, there are those (many in the area of the country where I live) who remain stubbornly resistant to the clear truth of science that Darwin and others first elucidated.  But those of us who can recognize reality will today celebrate the birth of the man best known for providing the core tenants of the life sciences.  Happy Birthday Charlie!