Seven successful authors talk about dealing with self doubt. Sure, it might be comforting to think you could look at your Hugos, Nebulas, Sideways, National Book and all the other Awards and have that self doubt vanish in a puff of teenaged angst, but that's not how this thing works. Even cowgirls get the blues, you know.
Jeff VanderMeer on labeling fiction and the human compulsion to want to put names on things. Or as Lucy says, "If we can figure out what you're afraid of, we can put a name on it." I've seen some other discussion of the new label for fiction based in a climate changed world, I'm also not a fan on the name.
Photos of the cherry blossoms of Japan. (Grokked from Jim Hines)
"I’m still alive. So are you. Find the life you want and make it yours without apologies. Whether it’s loud or quiet or filled with dancing or books, or a combination of each." The Bloggess on introversion and looking though the window of the internet into other people's lives.
On those "lazy" workers in the office. A semblance of productivity does not always equal actual productivity as well as the opposite.
The myth of gender equality around the world. I remember a time here in the US when women couldn't get loans by themselves. `(Grokked from Janiece)
"Is spending money to retain brainpower a bad thing? Obviously not. However, as long as tenure remains so weak in Wisconsin, the regents will have to keep doling out cash to stave off poachers if they want to remain a top research university." The conservative policies of Gov. Walker attempts to cut spending, but then actually increases spending? Why, that's unpossible. And by the corporatization of higher-education leads us all to poorer lives. (Grokked from George Takei)
"President Obama has signed the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which guarantees all military service dogs a ride home and retirement on U.S. soil." Because they should be returned home. (Grokked from Janiece)
"During Q&A at a news conference in Washington on Monday, Donald Trump called on a tall, striking woman in the press corps. He liked her question… and her look…, so he invited her to join him at the podium for an impromptu job interview… Following a brief exchange, the billionaire declared that 'if we can make a good deal on the salary, she's gonna probably have a job.'" And that's when things started getting weird. Her backstory doesn't completely check out, and there are lots of inconsistencies. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
"A heavily contaminated area within a 10-kilometer radius of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine will be used to store nuclear waste materials, the chief of a state agency managing the wider exclusion zone said in an interview." Because why not. (Grokked from Dan)
"Memphis man was taken into custody after he attempted to enter Easter services at a local Baptist church packing a loaded handgun and an assault rifle in a backpack." But the kicker is "Authorities report that (the suspect) stated that 'People in society are a threat to him and that he must be vigilant.'" Isn't that exactly the NRA line on protecting yourself and the myth of a good guy with a gun? (Grokked from Jim Wright)
Politico reports that Politico Caucus says Donald Trump shouldn't be the nominee unless he gets the required 1,237 delegates needed to win on the first vote. Yeah, I'd like to see that. Dear GOP "establishment" (aka Party Leaders and wonks), the ground support for Trump already thinks you're a bunch of wankers who don't listen to them. If Trump gets a majority but not the golden number, and you decide to go the #NoTrump way, you might get some of them to vote in a #NoHillary way, but the majority of them will just stay home and sulk (or go third party). This is your Kobayashi Maru test. Only Kirk ever won it, and he cheated. The story then goes on to talk about how the same is true on the Democratic side, to which I only have to say, bwahahaha, you guys tell the best jokes. (Grokked from John Scalzi)
But if they have nothing stupid to say, then they have nothing to fear. On taking the stupid out of politics. Hahahahaha… wait, isn't that how noise cancelling headphones work? (Grokked from Janiece)
Oh look, a real voter fraud case, except this one is about the wishy-washy application and enforcement of Ohio voter laws. Guess who got the benefit of the confusion here? I mean it's no fun unless you guess. (Grokked from Levin Armwood)
The Trumpster rules out internment camps for muslims, but says nothing. I know what he's signaling here, but his words mean nothing except to people who really don't pay attention to the world. Which, unfortunately, is a lot of Americans. His rhetoric doesn't even come up to pablum. His pandering is weak. It's not even up to the level of GW Bush's word salad.
Janiece on the Chicago Trump Event counter protestors.
"As the Republican Party collapses on itself, conservative leaders struggling to explain Mr. Trump’s appeal have largely seized on his unique qualities as a candidate… Others ascribe Mr. Trump’s rise to the xenophobia and racism of Americans angry over their declining power… But the story is also one of a party elite that abandoned its most faithful voters, blue-collar white Americans, who faced economic pain and uncertainty over the past decade as the party’s donors, lawmakers and lobbyists prospered." And specifically were hurt by the policies advocated by the GOP. Unfortunately, so far at least, those supporters don't see how the ideology of the GOP has intentionally screwed them over. That's due to decades of indoctrination of "we may be bad, but those lefties are worse!" The GOP groomed those "Reagan Democrats" to be angry and to believe "government is the problem." They stoked the fires that brought them elections and power. But now a huckster has come along and said, "I can do it better than you." (Grokked from Paolo Bacigalupi)
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