In 2004 I took a holiday to London. I came back with about Β£50 and some change. I'm pretty sure I decided to keep it safe by slipping it into a book in my home office.
So if anyone find Β£50 in a used book they picked up, you can keep it guilt free. It's yours now.
When Trump struck a TV-ready pose after a bullet whizzed past his ear, Mark Zuckerberg called it "one of the most badass things Iβve ever seen in my life." Imagine if Trump's billionaire masters had the emotional maturity to recognize what real badassery is: Biden sacrificing his own ego and ambition to preserve our democracy. Go Kamala.
Fuck off, Washington Post. This is not your party, not your election, not your country, you are not in charge. Stop your open-convention wet-dreams. Zip it up. You helped The Times hound Biden from office. Now @KamalHarris needs every minute to defeat the fascist you still do not fully cover. So fuck off.
With Biden stepping aside, Democrats must now embrace an open process https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/07/21/biden-drop-out-dnc-convention-harris/
Holy cow, this is really happening! I wrote a book about the science of real-world zombiesβants, roaches, caterpillars & moreβand it's heading your way in Spring 2025 from @HopkinsPress.
There are so many weird, cool mechanisms for behavior manipulation, and they lend insights into neurochemistry, evolution and human behavior. If you're curious about the origins of the zombifying fungus in The Last of Us, this may align with your interests!
So, wait. Are you implying Men In Black wasn't a documentary?
Wanna come at me saying you saw a UFO? Or that we're being visited by aliens?
You better have the evidence, baby. Because it's never aliens.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nope-its-never-aliens/
"You can rationalize it however you like; I understand itβs important for oneβs self-image to do that. Iβm not inclined to buy into the rationalizations any more."
Every bit of this, many times. Many, many times.
I've written a longish take on the last couple of days, including about how what looked like (and initially was) Democratic panic over Biden morphed somewhere along the way into a rope-a-dope strategy against the GOP, and whether Harris can win (spoiler: yup):
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2024/07/22/biden-harris-trump-and-2024/
I'm drinking a shot every time someone calls her shrill, lecturing, school-marm-ish, or suggests she should smile more.
Anyone have the number to the alcohol poisoning center?
Get ready. With VP Kamala Harris as the presidential nominee, she is going to be criticized for anything and everything unrelated to the job. Best to be prepared to call out the sexist nonsense when you see it. Read more in my Fast Company article here. https://www.fastcompany.com/90889985/new-research-reveals-critiques-holding-women-back-from-leadership-that-most-men-will-never-hear
"Allowing" you? Seriously?
#harris2024
I woke up to an email from my college boyfriend (from 40 years ago) apologizing to me for allowing me to get an abortion. I don't know what's in the water on the other side, but if this is what passes for appropriate, I will fight until I drop.
So... me. Work in aerospace, more space, not as much aero. Can fix my own car, choose not to. Can fix the random appliance of your choice. Hardcore introvert in person, which is why I love online. Lifelong science fiction fan. Read constantly. Scalzi is my favorite author, because he mixes exactly the right amount of snark into his writing. Together with a guy 30+ years, married since it was legal. Own a home in CA and don't plan to leave unless I immigrate to another country.