On this episode of the Lair of Secrets podcast ... David Moore has had a strange few weeks and he's not really sure who he is anymore. Meanwhile, Ken Newquist digs into a good, scary graphic novel, tries out some new backpacking gadgets, and investigates a small-town murder mystery.

David Messed Up Bullet JournalingRolled over into September without migrating from AugustStill haven’t quite caught up since he was also teaching last week which isn’t the normal day-to-day job.ColonoscopyThe Trials of Online GamingBrindlewood Bay and the trials of online gaming with my other group"I am the Law"David picked up the Judge Dredd 2000 AD Humble BundleCovid ScareTo Sail the Infinite Oceans...David discusses a five-year plan for buying a boat and sailing the world. And you thought backpacking was adventuresome!The Wilds of New JerseyYes, New Jersey has wilderness.Ken spent lots of time in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.Ken went on a 10-mile canoe trip along the Delaware River.5-mile hike on the AT and Rattlesnake Swamp Trail Coming up (but not really, since we recorded this last year: 2.5 days of camping and backpacking, totally 20 miles on the trail.Picked up a new gadget - a water purifier for the trail (filters out bacteria, not viruses; for that you need to treat the water)Hiker Microfilter by KatadynGeek Needs Exercise ... BadlyKen's exercise routine is stalled. Need to get back to it (and sleep better)Ken's Summer Reading List Additions (2020 edition)The big, scary books: Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series and Aliens: Nightmare Asylum and Earth WarFrom the late 1980s and early 1990sDirect sequel to Aliens (before the disappointing Alien3)Features Hicks and Newt about ten years after Aliens.Once Alien3 was released, they were renamed (Newt became Billie while Hicks became Wilks) ….. which was dumb … and they restored their names for these editionsFocuses on the intersections of humanity and the alien, from alien-worshipping cults to military officers obsessed with crafting the perfect army.Unsurprisingly, infection (how to contain the aliens … and how to deal with them when that fails) plays a major part in the series.Main Topic: How do you like to read?Print booksNo school like the old schoolDoesn’t run out of batteriesHas that new book smellHey, why can’t I increase the font size on this thing?Already have so … many … booksVs. E-Reader bookBooks don’t take up any physical spaceGo ahead. Make the font as big as you wantBacklighting makes it easier to read on the trail or camping … or at 2 a.m. when you can’t sleep (but you should really just get up anyway)Doesn’t have that new book smell. Doesn’t feel like a book.Vs. AudiobooksRead at the pace of the book. No skipping ahead, no flipping backward, no skimmingMaybe slower. And may take weeks to finish a bookThe Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss? 42 hrs and 55 mins.Digital, so they don’t take up spacePeople may not consider this “reading”

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Cover art for the Aliens: Nightmare Asylum and Earth War. Credit: Dark Horse Comics.