Cuts you Up
Woke up far too early yesterday morning, and decided that instead of lying in bed (more likely, tossing and turning), I'd get up and go for a walk. Quite glad I did - I got to watch a lunar eclipse happen as I hoofed it around the block! Very short totality, and just a lovely thing to watch pass.
Also seen on the walk: a few Blackhawks on the ground across the street at Bowman. A few hours later, they flew over the house, and man, five of those things at about 250' altitude means a lot of noice. Shook the windows!
Took The Niece to Mom&Dad's for Easter and her Spring Break. We had a really good afternoon and eveing together. Making dinner as a family brings me a lot of happiness, for whatever reason. Just being together, y'know?
Drove back to Louisville shadow-casting-bright new moon. So beautiful.
So, the Hugo Awards this year. The Hugos are a popularity contest - buy a Worldcon membership and you can nominate pieces and vote on 'em. I don't think I've ever bought something because it won a Hugo or didn't because it, um, didn't. A few years ago, Larry Correia started some kind of movement to disrupt the awards process, and the worse elements of his fellow travelers ramped it up, and got a slate of writers and their products on the ballot. It's a big ugly mess.
I'll cop to my bias. I lean left, and while I won't read an author because of his or her skin color or national/cultural/ethnic origin or genitalia, I won't not read for these reasons. However, I will avoid an author that I consider a terrible person, by my own private calculus. The puppies (and they for-real call themselves that, either sad or angry, depending on oh hell I don't even know) are aghast that there have been a growing number of nominated and winning writers who are not white and male. Many many strands of pearls are being clutched, I'm sure. I've read part of one of LC's books, and I couldn't finish it. I guess he's gotten better at the craft, but those hundred or so pages started the poisoning, and a face-to-face encounter a few years later sealed the deal. Fortuneately, there is no shortage of things to read, and I can easily avoid seeking him out.
Okay, there's my preachifying for the day. I gotta do some homework and send out a flurry of e-mails. Happy Easter!
Also seen on the walk: a few Blackhawks on the ground across the street at Bowman. A few hours later, they flew over the house, and man, five of those things at about 250' altitude means a lot of noice. Shook the windows!
Took The Niece to Mom&Dad's for Easter and her Spring Break. We had a really good afternoon and eveing together. Making dinner as a family brings me a lot of happiness, for whatever reason. Just being together, y'know?
Drove back to Louisville shadow-casting-bright new moon. So beautiful.
So, the Hugo Awards this year. The Hugos are a popularity contest - buy a Worldcon membership and you can nominate pieces and vote on 'em. I don't think I've ever bought something because it won a Hugo or didn't because it, um, didn't. A few years ago, Larry Correia started some kind of movement to disrupt the awards process, and the worse elements of his fellow travelers ramped it up, and got a slate of writers and their products on the ballot. It's a big ugly mess.
I'll cop to my bias. I lean left, and while I won't read an author because of his or her skin color or national/cultural/ethnic origin or genitalia, I won't not read for these reasons. However, I will avoid an author that I consider a terrible person, by my own private calculus. The puppies (and they for-real call themselves that, either sad or angry, depending on oh hell I don't even know) are aghast that there have been a growing number of nominated and winning writers who are not white and male. Many many strands of pearls are being clutched, I'm sure. I've read part of one of LC's books, and I couldn't finish it. I guess he's gotten better at the craft, but those hundred or so pages started the poisoning, and a face-to-face encounter a few years later sealed the deal. Fortuneately, there is no shortage of things to read, and I can easily avoid seeking him out.
Okay, there's my preachifying for the day. I gotta do some homework and send out a flurry of e-mails. Happy Easter!