by Pick W. Hargreave (No. 48324) Floating in space for centuries, a hunk of rock peacefully drifts, turning slightly as it goes, perhaps losing a few tiny fragments in the process, free from the constraints of gravity. There is a slight pull on it’s north side and in the blink of an eye it is […]

This newsletter often revels in the successes of our noble order. It’s important though, especially on this, the 29th anniversary of the Beach Boys’ album “Still Cruisin’,” to remember our greatest failures. The year was 1986 and the Grand Lock’s song writing robot TUNIVAC had gone through a controversial re-engineering. Rather than writing hit songs, […]

As every Grand Lock in good standing already knows, a major source of income for our illustrious group is through the sale and resale of that ubiquitous, yet seldom actually enjoyed, soda named Fresca. This, however, was not The Order’s first attempt at producing money outside of membership dues. Today we take a look back […]

 When the calendar flipped over from 1979 to a brand new decade, there were two questions that The Order of the Grand Lock were asking itself: “Was 1980 the start of a new decade or party of the 70s (since, after all, it still felt a lot like the 70s)?” and, “What would be the […]

The moon and The Order of the Grand Lock have a long and intertwined relationship dating back beyond most records. The early Lock oral tradition makes reference to Order potlucks given to honor the moon in the hopes that it would finally stop following us around. But time marches on and technology develops ultimately leading […]

By Barron E. Wong From October 8 to October 10 in 1871, one of the most abominable fires in American history roared through Chicago, Illinois. This blaze claimed over 300 lives and 3 square miles of the Windy City. The ramifications of this fire still echo today in the annals of American history–but many may […]

by Pick W. Hargreave (No. 48324) In 1920, Prohibition came to the United States like a scourge, bringing with it the earliest traces of organized crime, creative uses for bathtubs, and a massive uptick in insurance claims concerning barrels. For a Grand Lock living during this time, however, things weren’t all that different. Unless, that […]

by Pick W. Hargreave (No. 48324) For those of you that saw Hollywood’s celluloid sugar-coating of Steve Jobs’ life, think back to the opening scene. Well, actually, one caveat: is former Mr. Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, in the opening scene you’re imagining? If so, stop thinking about that movie, for your own good. We want […]

By Pick F. Von Waldbaum (edited by Pick F. W. Hargreave) [We take a break from our usual historical column written by myself, Pick W. Hargreave, as I cede the floor to Pick F. Von Waldbaum for a special one-off history column. He has a writing style quite different from my own, but the story […]

by Pick W. Hargreave (No. 48324) If one searches the (non-Order) internet or visits their local (non-Order) library to discover origins of Valentine’s Day, they will find the results are murky. Did it begin with martyred Catholic saints? A jailed man who fell in love with the jailer’s daughter? A pagan holiday marking the beginning […]