7 Word Reviews: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Regé-Jean Page is my James Bond now
Recent Posts
7 Word Reviews: Thor: Love and Thunder
Paraphrased Garth Marenghi: subtext is for cowards.
7 Word Reviews: Nope
Signs was good. Nope is much better.
Links post for 2022-05-09 – pro-choice edition
Vote Save America’s FUCK BANS ACTION PLAN – if you’re not already supporting your local abortion fund or want to donate to a national network, check this out. Roe v…
Indiana Voters portal reminder
If you live in Indiana, hopefully you’ve been paying attention to our Republican rulers trying to impose their beliefs on all Hoosiers. Their denial of the history of race in…
7 Word Reviews: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
I’m here for the weird magical MCU.
7 Word Reviews: The Harder They Fall
Excellent addition to the western Western canon.
7 Word Reviews: Dune (Part One)
Made me appreciate Fellowship Of The Ring.
7 Word Reviews: The Green Knight
Filled with portent. I liked the ending.
7 Word Reviews: Malignant (2021)
That’s not how any of this works
Thinking about Iain M. Banks’ Culture books
The last few days, I’ve been thinking about one of the Culture books that I read 7 or 8 years ago. (I think the book was “Player of Games,” but…
Reading about substack and shaking my head
This morning I read a write up at Vox and a post by a soon-to-be-former Substack newsletter writer, and I’m equal parts bemused and frustrated. It seems like people keep…
Why Indiana has Republican supermajorities
[compiling & adapting a birdsite thread here for preservation] I turned off a radio program in anger today when @Brian_Bosma claimed Hoosiers elect Republican super majorities bc we love @indgop…
Hoosiers: tell your legislators that you’re opposed to HB 1577 and SB 353
Just called the legislative assistants for my state representative and state senator about HB 1577 and SB 353. Indiana already has some of the most restrictive laws in the country…
Banging the drum for RSS feeds again
Part of me is excited by the (slow, far too slow) trend of people starting to back away from social media and moving to formats that are more under their…
Recommended Reading: The Failed Dianas
Over lunch, I just read “The Failed Dianas” by Monique Laban over at Clarkesworld Magazine. It’s a short story about the conflict between identity & parental expectations, and I’m not…
Links post for 2021-01-28: agender bookmarks
That is, bookmarks I tagged “agender” or “gender.” What It Means to Identify as Agender – I like to think of a person’s gender as a piece or collection of…
Hoosiers call your reps: 2021-01-15 edition
Gotta say, the aides answering phones are very friendly (even when I’m calling to say I’m opposed to two bills my state senator co-authored). 5 bills I just called my…
Hoosiers: Tell your state reps to not block funding our lives
The Indiana General Assembly has just started the 2021 session, and there are (at least) two bills I think you should be asking your representatives to oppose: Senate Bill 42…
I wish I could hope
Things I said today: “We’re watching what is arguably the most significant terrorist attack on U.S. soil in 19 years, against both the processes and symbols of democracy itself. Call…
7 Word Reviews: His Dark Materials s2
Plot happens, but doesn’t feel like it.
Happy Solstice 2020
The darkest day in a dark year. It gets lighter from here.
7 Word Reviews: Tenet
Very good spectacle, but very poor storytelling.
Write a goddam blog post
Every time I see a twitter thread that goes for more than 3 or 4 posts, I mourn the death of Google Reader and the rise of social media. Yes,…
Normalize Changing Pronouns
There are a fair number of people who say “your organization should normalize sharing pronouns!” and also a fair number of trans people (or people at some point on their…
Stop feeling the need to justify taking care of yourself
I see a lot of posts mocking people or HR depts or whoever who say “rest and relaxation makes you more productive,” because (they say) feeling the need to justify…
Happy International Pronouns Day
they/them, still 🙂 Check out the site
Update on Indiana absentee voting
Judge Temporarily Halts Effect Of Indiana Ballot Deadline Ruling “In a new order, Barker said she doesn’t want Hoosier voters to have a “false sense of security” about getting their…
Today is the last day to register to vote in Indiana
Hopefully you’re already registered to vote (assuming you’re an eligible Indiana voter; if you aren’t a Hoosier, thanks for stopping by but this doesn’t apply, sorry. If you live in…
Working from home and Work Clothes
This morning, I listened to The Indicator episode “RIP Business Suit?” about how the increasing number of people working from home during the pandemic may affect clothing choices after people…
In which I learn the Libertarian Party’s position on abortion
So earlier I was reading a WFYI article about Indiana gubernatorial candidate positions on abortion, and read “Libertarian Donald Rainwater said it’s unlikely a total abortion ban would ever reach…
Twitter posts aren’t essays, they’re mumbles in a crowded cafeteria
Opinion: if you’ve only posted to Twitter about it, you’re not allowed to say “I have written elsewhere about __” (doubly if you don’t link to it) With the algorithm…
Cranky about memeified economic discourse
Sometimes (often?) I think that people who blame everything bad on capitalism don’t realize that greed and oppression predate it. By a lot? I’ve been cranky about memeified anti-capitalism at…
Master passphrase resource
My password manager nudged me to update the master passphrase this week; apparently I’ve been using the same one since 2016 (!). Which definitely isn’t a best practice. Thought I…
One More Voice – a resource for Indiana voting
Check out https://onemorevoice.com/ if you live in Indiana and are eligible to vote (sorry, nibblings). They have resources for getting registered, and learning about your candidates.
Were we overreacting in February? (I don’t think so)
This isn’t about toilet paper. In February, based on advice I was seeing from early alarm raisers, I bought a bunch of canned food and ramen, and other foods with…
Thoughts the morning after the Hugos ceremony
I’ve never watched the stream of the Hugos ceremony, and that continued last night. Instead, I tend to skim twitter for announcements, look for the reactions related to winners I…
7 Word Reviews: The Old Guard
Another good violent movie for cognitive dissonance.
Disclosure on Netflix is very good
After seeing people in my feeds praising the documentary Disclosure last week, I watched half of it on Monday and finished it tonight. Powerful in so many ways, I really…
Thinking about violence in media
NPR: Pop Culture Happy Hour re-aired their episode on John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, and it’s causing me to revisit my cognitive dissonance about these movies (and violent media…
Get ready to live in Mistborn
Listening to a podcast episode discussion McConnell’s judges, and it made me think of the premise of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn. In the world’s backstory, a group of heroes went on…
Treating the symptom
I’ve been saying for years, one of the things that scares me most about President Trump is when liberals focus on him as the problem, rather than the symptom. His…
Stepping away from Warren Ellis
h/t to Stina Leicht’s Feminist Monday patreon for this link – Warren Ellis Accused Of Sexual Coercion Since I’ve often referenced his blog and recommended his books, I feel obliged…
7 Word Reviews: The Lovebirds
Much laughter, much cute, you must watch.
Wanted: central site where workers can publicize their strike information
On Wednesday, I learned that McDonald’s employees had been striking for hazard pay and better working conditions. After the strike was over. I hadn’t ordered McDonald’s that day, but it…
Requesting a ballot
Dropped my absentee ballot request form in the mail today. If you live in Indiana and want to vote by mail for the primary or local questions/elections, don’t forget that…
Indiana – start asking now for Absentee-by-mail in May
In Indiana, absentee voting by mail is limited to a portion of the population – and requiring large numbers of people to stand in a cramped location for hours seems…
Ok. What’s next?
It’s dangerous to be a fan of a politician, but Sen. Warren is the kind of administrator & negotiator I want in my executive branch, and listened & responded to…
7 Word Reviews: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn
Harley is John Wick, pass it on.
My 2020 Hugo nominations are in
I love nominating for the Hugos – it makes me feel like a part of the community, and gives me a chance to support the authors/storytellers whose work I love….
7 Word Reviews: Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker
Fuck “redeeming neo-Nazis with five minutes’ remorse.”
7 Word Reviews: Knives Out
So great! Watch de Armas and Stanfield
Nov. 12 is Run For Something Day
I’m pondering. I only moved to town at the beginning of this year, but on the other hand our town council election this year only had one contested race. But…
This is your semi-regular suggestion to own your content
Yesterday I saw someone on Twitter criticizing people who post to Medium instead of getting their own domain & site to post to. (I hope they were aware of the…
You should be listening to Orphan Black: The Next Chapter
I’ve been meaning to post for a few weeks now about the Serial Box feature Orphan Black: The Next Chapter. I’m usually doubtful about continuing fan-favorite shows in another medium…
“Lesbian necromancers… in space” -Charles Stross
[I received an advance reader copy of Gideon the Ninth from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019] I’d been hearing great things about Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir from…
7 Word Reviews: Always Be My Maybe
So great, so funny, so very Keanu.
7 Word Reviews: Good Omens
Crowley and Aziraphale: an asexual romantic couple. <3
7 Word Reviews: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Great at what it wants to be.
7 Word Reviews: Mortal Engines
More like “Final Fantasy: Bioshock Terminators” amiright?
7 Word Reviews: Hellboy (2019)
Should adaptations be visually faithful, or spiritually?
Looking at the 2019 Hugo finalists
Excited to see several of my nominees on there (although I continue my streak of having completely different taste in short stories from the rest of the nominating population). Also…
Cui bono?
A recent page from Atomic Robo had some really good dialog on history (as Robo is teaching a new AI about the world), and I wanted to share it. Choice…
7 Word Reviews: Us
Great to see with people who scream.
7 Word Reviews: High Flying Bird
Beautifully shot, great story. I wanted more!
Black Lightning
I’m still a few episodes behind, but this show is so great. I have no desire to have children – I have an active desire to NOT have children of…
Kickstarter: Critical Core is a game for autistic children
I don’t always share Kickstarters I’m backing – often I’m just pre-ordering the product, or supporting a creator I like. I do want to share out Critical Core, tho. It’s…
7 Word Reviews: Captain Marvel
Star Trek with superpowers (read Acks’ review!)
Hugo Nominees 2019
Hugo nominations close this week, so I thought I’d share what I nominated this year. This is absolutely not a slate; nominate what you like. This is a list of…
An analogy
Saying (or implying, as our president has done today) “how can the planet be warming if it’s cold in some places right now?” is like if you asked me “how…
Social media & RSS
I’ve been a huge fan of RSS for a long time; over the last few months I’ve been think of RSS feeds more and more as a way to get…
Fuck Mike Pence and the Trump he rode in on
From Vanity Fair, but reported elsewhere: The Trump Administration Wants to Define Gender as Biological Sex at Birth I’m upset enough about this that I don’t have anything coherent to…
What Kavanaugh means for evangelical/Christian fundamentalist voters
You no longer have an excuse. In 2016, evangelical and Christian fundamentalist leaders said it was okay to vote for Trump, because he would give you the courts. You’ve got…
I just watched a wonderful critique of The Hobbit movies
A few years ago (2012 or 2013 I think?) there was a multipart YouTube series from a channel called “RedLetterMedia” that broke down all the reasons why the Star Wars…
I wish I could quit facebook
Whenever I start thinking about what my ideal social media platform would be, before long I realize I’m describing “my own website + RSS to follow others + email”
“The Iran Deal”
I’m more worried about the consequences of unilaterally pulling out of a peaceful nuclear deterrent deal – one that many inspectors said Iran was abiding by – than I was…
Oliver North
It seems strange that the NRA, chief proponents of the “good guy with a gun” myth, would appoint as president a person most famous for illegally supplying bad folks with…
Phrasing
I think I’ve figured out what bothers me about the phrases “this is not normal” and “don’t normalize this.” I’ve said for a while that if you listen to marginalized…
Everyone deserves a fair hearing
And that a “fair hearing” includes “suffering consequences for the wrongs you have done” And that a “fair hearing” does not include badgering non-white politicians for their birth certificates And…
Hearing complaints about California’s open primary
…and want to yell at the entire country that the solution is a ranked open primary, not closed party primaries.
7 Word Reviews: Arrival
Huh. I think that’s deus ex machina?
Most primaries in the U.S. are inherently anti-democratic
I’m not 100% sure, but I’m pretty confident that tomorrow will be the first party primary I’ve voted in. n.b. – I’m specifically referring to party primaries. I’ve voted in…
yet another plea to advocate for social systems that prevent abuse instead of meme-hating on capitalism
bc of the magic of automatic reposting & my choice to follow an author on multiple platforms, i’ve seen the phrase “why psychopaths get rewarded in capitalism” several times the…
7 Word Reviews: Black Panther
Great characters, great story – go see it!
Twitter blip
Today I saw that an author I like had tweeted about something I care about, and I wanted to interact. So I signed up for an account, responded to their…
Tribalism and Branding Among Groups That Don’t Like Trump
“The Resistance” is not the Democratic Party. “The Resistance” is not Indivisible. Indivisible is not the Democratic Party. “The Resistance,” as it’s commonly referred to, is like Anonymous – there’s…
“A failed state is a political body that has disintegrated to a point where basic conditions and responsibilities of a sovereign government no longer function properly”
I don’t want to believe that we’re at a point where the party in power is saying it’s “playing politics” for the opposition to demand they (those in power) do…
CrossFit Open 2018 and rule 1.04
I can’t boycott the CrossFit Open this year bc I’m not affiliated with a gym (and am out of shape), but am sharing this in case you or your friends…
White Wine In The Sun
This song by Tim Minchin may be my favorite for this time of year [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q]
7 Word Reviews: The Last Jedi
Far and away, best Harry Potter movie. (it was actually really good, I had a lot of fun)
7 Word Reviews: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
After Thor: Ragnarok, this doesn’t quite land.
The president is killing Americans by sabotaging the ACA
Mid-week link bc this is immoral, even by Trump’s standards. Trump to end key ACA subsidies, a move that could threaten the law’s marketplaces Just like Mike Pence in Indiana,…
tonight hurt
i already knew our president is a hateful racist misogynist homophobic transphobic white-supremacist asshole, but i was not expecting him to take both actions after the end of business on…
In a weird brain space with social media
After a very rough weekend, yesterday and today have been strange. I don’t think I’ve had this particular feeling about a terror attack in the US since 9/11 (on Sunday…
Remember this. Stay angry.
Remember this anger and fear. Realize that Donnie & his pack are the abusers, but we need to fix the system that enabled this. Stay angry. Nationwide popular vote for…
7 Word Reviews: Wonder Woman
Best movie about religion? Also great action.
7 Word Reviews: Doctor Strange
Problem casting, but amazing world, action, & ending.
Focus
Over the next four years, keep thinking about the future. In coming decades when the children ask “why did people let that happen?” you will either tell them how you fought back…
An Open Letter to the CrossFit Games staff
Dear CrossFit Games staff, I’m a relatively new member of the CrossFit community. I stepped into a gym for the first time last December, and had a blast participating in…
7 Word Reviews: Captain America: Civil War
Everyone is dumb (except Black Panther). Mediocre.