Scent of the day: Fake News. A scent of misdirection, of 140 frantic characters typed out in spite at 3am, and churlish accusations hurled at perceived enemies: crushed pink pepper pod, bitter white tobacco, gnarled patchouli, all covered in glinting, garish slashes of gold. #sotd #bpal #perfumesky

Finished up Michigan and Minnesota (my home state) on my map update of indie brick-and-mortar bookshops in the U.S. Canada. Taking a break for the rest of the day, and I hope you enjoy the map! #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Made limpa (rågsiktlimpör for you Swedes out there) bread today. It's a rye with anise, fennel, caraway, and orange peel. It needed 5 more minutes, I think, but it's pretty tasty! #breads #baking sky

Welp, I certainly missed a lot of book shops in my first pass at an inclusive map of the indie brick-and-mortal stores in the U.S. and Canada. I just finished redoing Massachusetts, and am on to Maryland, Maine, and Michigan later. #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Well sung!

👇👇

Whew again! Finished updates to Illinois and Indiana today on my map of all the indie brick-and-mortar bookshops in the U.S. and Canada. Tomorrrow -- Kansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana. #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Got a cool Advent calendar from one of my sweeties! Descriptions for the first 4 days in the alt-text. #advent #adventcalendars

Well, shoot! I missed a ton of Illinois bookshops on my first pass of listing all the indie brick-and-mortar bookshops in the U.S. and Canada. Still work on revisions. #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Scent of the day: Thorns Clove Cigarette. A love letter to goth kids everywhere...the perfect evocation of an old-school clove cigarette. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky

Spent the morning continuing the update on my map of indie brick-and-mortar bookshops in the U.S. and Canada. I got Florida, Delaware, Connecticut, and DC done. #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Scent of the day: Omen. Deep, mysterious, and full of dark portents: oakmoss, juniper berry, myrrh, and patchouli. #sotd #bpal #perfumesky

Whew! Finally updated the California indie brick-and-mortar bookshop list for my map of all such stores in the U.S. and Canada. (California has to my reckoning at least 352 indie bookshops that you can walk into and feel like you're home.) #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

Finally in the midst of a thorough update of my Google map of independent brick-and-mortar bookstores in the U.S. and Canada! (See my pinned post here on Bluesky.) So far I've updated Alaska, Arkansas, Alabama, Arizona, and Colorado. #booksky #indiebookstores www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

“Ah, just one more thing, sir. You’re blowing up those boats, saying they’re filled with drugs headed for the US. But then you go and pardon the guy who brought in 400 tons of cocaine. That’s billions of doses. Help me understand that.”

First big snow of the season — 4-5”, depending on drift. Blew the snow (haha yes I made a funny), shoveled a bit, and dropped a little grit for traction. (Turkey grit, available at your local farm supply store is WAY better to apply than salt — you don’t care about ice, you care about slipping.)

Scent of the day: Oblivion. Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

I would think a anthropologist from Mars would assume that the incessant killing of children by mass murderers constitutes American society's appetite for child sacrifice. Just sayin'. #jdvance #racism

. . . and if you're lucky, your library participates in Libby or Overdrive, where you can download an app and remotely check out ebooks to read on your portable devices! #libby #library #booksky

Scent of the day: Golden Priapus. Insatiable lust, unending vigor! A truly carnal, energetic men’s blend: vanilla and amber with juniper, rosewood, and white pine. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

Heard two owls calling each other early this morning -- I suspect it is the same two I heard last year around thus time. I love owls. #owls #owlsky

Scent of the day: Luperci. The Luperci, the Chosen of Faunus, the Brothers of the Wolf: raw patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey, and East African musk. #bpal #perfumesky #sotd

Scent of the day: Juke Joint. A bawdy, gleefully wicked and unruly scent: Kentucky Bourbon, sugar, and a sprig of mint. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

American Players Theatre is a gem of a theatre in the middle of the woods in Spring Green WI (near Frank Lloyd Wright’s home Taliesin). A.P.T. had announced its 2026 season! They’re doing Uncle Vanya!! #theatersky @americanplayers.bsky.social youtu.be/-_cXgBwfwLk?...

Scent of the day: Love Me. A commanding, dominant oil that increases sexual magnetism, creates an intense and irresistible air of attraction, and amplifies potency. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

The revised CDC site on vaccines and autism comments "The claim "vaccines do not cause autism" is not an evidence-based claim..." You do not arrive at truth by exhaustively proving the negative; the burden of proof lay with those making assertions. #autism #vaccines #CDC www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...

Scent of the day: Inferno. The Dark Side of Fire: cinnamon, bitter almond, and neroli. Heavily spiced, torrid, and possibly conflagrant. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

A story I hadn't heard before. Mary Trump (despite her last name) hasn't lied to us yet. www.marytrump.org/p/the-legend...

Scent of the day: Aureus. True, perfect golden light, refined into an incomparably glorious scent (amberamberamber -- lovely!) #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

Scent of the day: Dwarven Ale. Brewed with fermented mushrooms, pumpkin rind, honey, and apple rootstock. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

I have quite fallen in love with the BBC series Edwardian Farm. I am being entertained and educated — the best sort of television experience. And I know how to build a hay rick. #bbc #edwardianfarm www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Scent of the day: Hetairae. The beautiful, independent, cultured, worldly, witty courtesans of ancient Greece. A seductive and dazzling blend of golden honey, fiery patchouli, sweet fig and clove, and a blushing touch of ylang ylang. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

There is a plaster cast of the Gates of Hell at the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and it is awe-inspiring (as is the rest of the place).

Scent of the day: Ceaselessly By My Side the Demon Stirs. Smoked tonka bean, vetiver root, white patchouli, oolong tea, hazy, muted brown amber, and vanilla husk. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/a-littl...

I'm attending No Kings's event, “No Kings Alliance Mutual Aid Food Drive in Burnsville MN” - sign up now to join me! #nokings www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

Working the volunteer gig at the Stillwater (MN) Public Library book sale (starting tomorrow). Found this near-mint set of Durrant's Story of Civilization set. Wowza! #booksky washcolib.libcal.com/event/14706788

Scent of the day: The Last Unicorn. Frosty lilac petals, iris pallida root, orris, violet leaf, white chocolate, coconut, wild lettuce, white sandalwood, white gardenia and oakmoss. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/product-cate...

Well sung! #booksky

Scent of the day: Dorian. Refined, elegant, and lovely. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea. #sotd #bpal #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

Scent of the day: Snake Oil. Vintage patchouli and deep rich earthy notes swirled with vegetal musks, sugared dark, rich, aged vanilla absolute, and dark spices. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

Snow!! Well, flurries. Well, a flake or two. (Stillwater MN)

Scent of the day: Blood Moon--Dragon's Blood and Red Wine. (Oh, this one is yummy!) #bpal #sotd #perfumesky

Working the used books and records stand at the Twin Cities (Minnesota) Book Fair. If you're in town, come by. #booksky #twincitiesmn

Nothing says ‘fit to lead’ like napping through your own medical endorsement. Get Grandpa Don to bed. 🤦🏽‍♂️

Scent of the day: Anathema. A scent as heavy as thunder from the Vatican, with notes that inspire every sin and excess. Black opium, with vetivert and honeysuckle. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/general...

It is #nationalfountainpenday! You can never have too many! www.nationaldaycalendar.com/november/nat...

Can two (presumably intelligent) young people not realize that there is more to intimacy than inserting a penis into a vagina? www.thedailybeast.com/model-haley-...

The most corrupt administration in American history.

Scent of the day: Samhain. Truly the scent of autumn itself — damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple, and mullein. #bpal #sotd #perfumesky blackphoenixalchemylab.com/shop/hallowe...

For those in the Minnesota Twin Cities area: there is a Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab market at @oddmartmn.bsky.social this Saturday (08 November) from 1500-1800. There will be good shtuff there! #bpal #perfumesky