I have a ton of family only and friend only pictures on my Flickr feed. I chose to use the 6th picture on the 6th page that a non-friend/family person would see. If you go to the 6th photo on the 6th page and don’t see this picture, then you’re a friend or family member on Flickr, so you see pictures of mine that most people don’t see.

Balticon has been an anchor in my life almost immediately from the time I moved to the D.C. area. I has been my favorite con for over 15 years and about a decade ago I started volunteering my time to help run the it. I started out helping CZ run computer gaming, and eventually took over the reigns as his personal life got more complex. When my interest in computer gaming waned I started the podcasting track and the Balticon Podcast.

This turns out to be one of the best things I’ve ever done. The podcasting track morphed into the new media track and now includes blogs, podcasts, and web comics. I’ve met and become friends with a huge creative community which enriches my life on a daily basis. I can’t remember a time when I’ve had so many friends all over the world with whom I’ve been able to create new and better things.

The first year we had the podcasting track at Balticon, someone wanted to have blue crabs. I think it might be Mur Lafferty who made the initial suggestion. Since then a blue crab feast has become a regular event for the podcasters at Balticon.

For Balticon 42, Earl Newton is the one who really made it happen. He got everyone together, placed the order, wrangled the crabs, and found us a place to eat. The large paper bag is full of steamed spiced Maryland goodness.

Where do you ear blue crab? First you go to Maryland because they make the best. Ideally, blue crabs are eaten outside and with beer. A good crowd of friends always makes the meal that much sweeter.

How do you eat a blue crab? Then you get some plain brown paper for a table cloth and a big wooden mallet. You open up the body of the crab like a pop top soda can and get the mustard and good body meat. Then you take the mallet and smash the claws to get the delicious claw meat. If you’re a pro, you can get a little meat from the legs. I am not, so I skip them.

Don’t bother washing up until you’ve had your fill. Maryland blue crabs, eaten this way, are messy. Downright delectable, but very very messy.

Our yearly crab feast is always one of the high points for me. I expend so much energy getting the track coordinated and getting recordings for the Balticon Podcast, that it really matters to me that I get to sit down with my friends and peers and just enjoy the company and the meal.

A free book? There’s no such thing as a free book! What’s the catch?

No catch. It’s free, click here to download it. But, Mur asks that if you like it you purchase it from Amazon.com on August 25. She’s making a run on Amazon and really needs us all to pitch in and help her get noticed. She, like so many others, has a book contract now. But podcasting novels are still a new medium for delivery and we need to show the publishing industry that this makes a difference.

Martha and I have read the PDF version multiple time. We help Mur by making the PDFs and doing layout and formatting. We also did a little editing. All of this was to help Mur make the best product possible. We bought the first version of Playing for Keeps when it was self-published on Lulu.com. And now we’re joining her for her run on Amazon and we’ll be buying multiple copies of Playing for Keeps as published by Swarm Press.

Mur has delivered countless hours of enjoyment and encouragement to the pod-o-sphere. She has also inspired and rallied people including me. It is not an exaggeration to say that if Mur wasn’t here I wouldn’t be either. I wonder how many other people to whom you listen, read, and watch are here because they were inspired by Mur Lafferty. I’m guessing the number is larger than you think.

So be ready to place your order from Amazon.com for Playing for Keeps on Monday August 25. Be there! Aloha.

These photos are now available on my Flickr.

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The Prius is a great car, but it could be better. In many other places where the Prius is sold, with the exception of the US, the Prius has an EV (Electric Vehicle) mode. This allows the drive to completely disable the gas motor if he chooses. It’s supposed to be a huge energy savings when you’re driving in traffic or at low speed. If you could combine this with a plug-in option, you could save money and energy. This is called a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).

I want these options. I have wanted them since I found out about them by reading Prius board and website on the net. However, the only places that sell kits to hack your Prius that I’ve found, such as Coastal Tech, are west coast based. Until now.

Enter Harvey Coachworks. This is the first Mid-Atlantic company I’ve seen that does any kind of Prius conversions (a.k.a. Prius Hacking). They’re based in Knoxville, MD less than 30 minutes from where I work. For the first time, I have hope that I can work with a local company to install some of the cooler Prius mods on the market without screwing up my car. I just contacted Mike Harvey, the owner of the company, but already I know we’ll be able to work together.

Why?

In and odd coincidence I have worked for him before. In a previous day job he was my supervisor. And, while the company wound up sucking the life out of me, I generally enjoyed working with him. (Except for the time he gave me a performance review and had his head in his Powerbook the whole time he was talking to me. But he was going through some heavy shit at home during that time, so, in hind sight, I’ll cut him some slack.)

What’s even weirder is that he’s going to be on the Science Track at Balticon to talk about his EV and PHEV conversions. I’m definitely going to snag an interview with him. I may even try to record it from inside his car, a VW Cabriolet which he personally converted into an EV.