In between dozing, reading comics (the new DC comp box arrived a couple days ago) and trying out my new microwave rice cooker and veggie steamer, I thought I'd catch up on blog reading again, as I probably won't be able to again for a long while with my boss back in the country (so consider this a heads-up as well for Light Blogging Ahead):
• Anthony Bourdain reports in from Beirut: "Thanks for the good thoughts and well wishes. We are all of us... in good health, good spirits and working ferociously on our tans and sipping blender drinks while watching the fireworks from a secure location. Our masters at Travel Channel have made sure we are being well looked after. Though I'm not sure the 'gold-plated, monkey-navigated rocket-sled' I requested as an exfiltration vehicle will be laid on imminently...we have nothing to complain about. Particularly compared to the locals who are having an atrocious time of it. This is a great city--filled with many lovely, proud and generous people and it's heartbreaking missing so much of it. Worse seeing all that pride and hope and tolerance turn overnight to grim resignation." Thanks to Cookie Jill for the initial alert.
• Speaking of which: I wish for peace. Don't you? (Via Arthur.)
• Barbara wrote something that caught my eye during her analysis of Bushonomics: "In the United States, income inequality declined from 1947 to 1968; since 1968, inequality has increased." So really, what we think of as the halcyon days of American economic growth and stability, where citizens lay down real stakes in this country because they had more of a stake in it, came about because a system was in place that played fairer with those citizens. And as the fairness decreased, so did many citizens' hopes and dreams. Not for nothing do a lot of folks think the last great Republican president we had was Eisenhower.
• Once again it looks like I'll miss the deadline to contribute to the second Carnival for Feminist SF/F Fans, this time at Kalinara's blog. There's a lot I'd love to write about my many years of reading science fiction and fantasy but I just don't foresee having the energy by the end of today. Heck, I still haven't even read the first Carnival over at Ragnell's place. Maybe next time...
• Kath is the alpha human to her family's cats, and I'm extremely jealous, as Robin's definitely the alpha human in this cat-owning household.
• Frank has the go-to site for information on the Joe and Valerie Wilson civil suit and its funding initiative. When patriotic service like this is deemed unpatriotic, you know you're living in an upside-down world. Germany in the '30s, anyone?
• It's always a treat when both The Firesign Theatre's Phil Austin and Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre's Merle Kessler update their blogs at the same time. Near as I can tell, Phil reminisces about the Dead. I've never quite grasped Phil's stream of consciousness style, but it's always fascinated me anyway. Meanwhile, Merle heads to Wisconsin to talk philosophy and enjoy his father-in-law's Dixieland band. And another old favorite acquaintance from the days when I was publishing Firesign's newsletter, sf writer Rudy Rucker, treats us to pictures from his son's wedding with, as you might expect, lovely text accompanying them.
• Fafblog - how I've missed them! - is indignant that some pesky ol' court would take away our imperial president's right to torture and, perhaps, eat babies and such. If he felt like it! Presidents don't live on boar alone, you know!
• Jill has a great take on why the idea of PMS-alleviating chocolate disturbs fatphobic writers with little knowledge of either feminism or facts.
Off to read the rest of the News+Views Guys and watch some baseball...
• Anthony Bourdain reports in from Beirut: "Thanks for the good thoughts and well wishes. We are all of us... in good health, good spirits and working ferociously on our tans and sipping blender drinks while watching the fireworks from a secure location. Our masters at Travel Channel have made sure we are being well looked after. Though I'm not sure the 'gold-plated, monkey-navigated rocket-sled' I requested as an exfiltration vehicle will be laid on imminently...we have nothing to complain about. Particularly compared to the locals who are having an atrocious time of it. This is a great city--filled with many lovely, proud and generous people and it's heartbreaking missing so much of it. Worse seeing all that pride and hope and tolerance turn overnight to grim resignation." Thanks to Cookie Jill for the initial alert.
• Speaking of which: I wish for peace. Don't you? (Via Arthur.)
• Barbara wrote something that caught my eye during her analysis of Bushonomics: "In the United States, income inequality declined from 1947 to 1968; since 1968, inequality has increased." So really, what we think of as the halcyon days of American economic growth and stability, where citizens lay down real stakes in this country because they had more of a stake in it, came about because a system was in place that played fairer with those citizens. And as the fairness decreased, so did many citizens' hopes and dreams. Not for nothing do a lot of folks think the last great Republican president we had was Eisenhower.
• Once again it looks like I'll miss the deadline to contribute to the second Carnival for Feminist SF/F Fans, this time at Kalinara's blog. There's a lot I'd love to write about my many years of reading science fiction and fantasy but I just don't foresee having the energy by the end of today. Heck, I still haven't even read the first Carnival over at Ragnell's place. Maybe next time...
• Kath is the alpha human to her family's cats, and I'm extremely jealous, as Robin's definitely the alpha human in this cat-owning household.
• Frank has the go-to site for information on the Joe and Valerie Wilson civil suit and its funding initiative. When patriotic service like this is deemed unpatriotic, you know you're living in an upside-down world. Germany in the '30s, anyone?
• It's always a treat when both The Firesign Theatre's Phil Austin and Duck's Breath Mystery Theatre's Merle Kessler update their blogs at the same time. Near as I can tell, Phil reminisces about the Dead. I've never quite grasped Phil's stream of consciousness style, but it's always fascinated me anyway. Meanwhile, Merle heads to Wisconsin to talk philosophy and enjoy his father-in-law's Dixieland band. And another old favorite acquaintance from the days when I was publishing Firesign's newsletter, sf writer Rudy Rucker, treats us to pictures from his son's wedding with, as you might expect, lovely text accompanying them.
• Fafblog - how I've missed them! - is indignant that some pesky ol' court would take away our imperial president's right to torture and, perhaps, eat babies and such. If he felt like it! Presidents don't live on boar alone, you know!
• Jill has a great take on why the idea of PMS-alleviating chocolate disturbs fatphobic writers with little knowledge of either feminism or facts.
Off to read the rest of the News+Views Guys and watch some baseball...
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