But at least it is formatted nicely…

I only wish the papers I grade were this interesting. And don't forget this little gem.  H/T Five Feet of Fury.

Regret

One of the many differences between women and men, at least on the right-hand side of the IQ bell curve, is that men will have a thought and pursue it relentlessly via blogging, while women often have better things to do than to try to promote their ideas or fight for credit when an insight is finally pushing its way into conventional wisdom.  For example, Half Sigma/Lion of the Blogosphere is really good about reminding his readers of his predictive “hits,” and good on him for doing so.  Steve Sailer makes sure that he points out when and where his ideas are appropriated by more mainstream writers.  This is very masculine behavior. 

Back when my daughter was first born, I began to suspect that the whole “breast is best” campaign was ultimately some status competition between elite women and working class women.  I even made some tentative comments on other people’s blogs, but never pursued it vigorously.  I was roundly and personally attacked for this thought, and I backed down, because I did not want anyone to dislike me.  I wish I had fought for my ideas now that more and more evidence is coming out that breastfeeding studies were incorrect or misused.  Of course, everyone wants credit for something they did not work for, and I didn’t even really try to nail this idea down on my own blog.

Venn Diagram

I find it interesting that there are very few web pages which contain the words “‘elke the stallion’ AND steatopygia,” according to Google.  I do not have any stimulating or relevant things to say about the uncommon intersection of the sets of vastly different people searching for these two terms. 

What I Read in 2013

I admit that this is the main reason why I have started blogging again.  VD posted his “Reading List 2013” and I realize that I haven’t been keeping track.  Buying a Kindle changed my life.  Whereas before when I had to haul around a physical book, and I was always losing the bookmark (and the book), I had mostly stopped reading aside from what I did on the computer.  I am back to reading now that I can keep everything on a slim little Paperwhite (never the Fire, because the kids won’t leave it alone).

Here is a partial list.  I know I have omitted some, and I haven’t included all of the “how to” freebies I cannot seem to not download (gardening, backyard chickens, essential oils, fermentation, etc.)

Plague Year by Jeff Carlson

The Scientist and the Sociopath by Joseph D’Agnese

The Sociopath Next Door by Martha Stout

Feed the Animal by Richard Nikoley

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

Crimes Against Magic by Steve McHugh

The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2010 edited by Paula Guran

The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2012 edited by Paula Guran

The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror 2013 edited by Paula Guran

The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Jalpern

Hard Magic by Larry Correia

The Last Witchking by Vox Day

Goblin Moon by Teresa Edgerton

Troll Valley by Lars Walker

Draw One in the Dark by Sarah Hoyt

Hailstone Mountain by Lars Walker

This Book Is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude, Don't Touch It by David Wong

John Dies at the End by David Wong

Sea Sick by Iain Rob Wright

Enjoy the Decline by Aaron Clarey

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

The War in Heaven by Theodore Beale

Erlings Word by Lars Walker

Interrupt by Jeff Carlson

My favorite finds of the year were the novels of Lars Walker.  I am really enjoying the the Erling Skjalgsson saga!

I looked at Goodread’s “Best Books of 2013.”  Dan Brown’s Inferno was #1 in “Mystery & Thriller.”  Margaret Atwood and Jim Butcher were top in “Science Fiction” and “Paranormal Fantasy.”  The latest Stephen King novel led the “Horror” category.  What a depressing list.  The only thing that looks remotely interesting is Temple Grandin’s latest, The Autistic Brain.

I'm Back!

I’m Back!

I cannot believe I started this blog in 2004.  Has it been ten years?  I intend to start blogging again in the tradition of blog as a diary.  I have been missing telling the truth.  Facebook and Twitter are not places to tell the truth.  I have no desire to hurt friends or family.  I also have no desire to fight with anyone.  For now, I can be almost anonymous.  I say “almost,” because Google insists on linking Gmail accounts, so it is only a matter of time before they out us all.

I stayed away for years because I was afraid of being outed professionally for my reactionary beliefs.  However, as the economy continues to decline, my “profession” is falling away.  This is for the best, as I was a minor cog in an evil machine.  I justified what I did (and still do) by noting that there are hundreds of people lined up to take my job, and that my participation (or lack of) changes nothing about the industry.  The work I did allowed me to be at home with my kids (although I was distracted and exhausted, working nights and dozing on the couch during the day).  It also paid well.  Later, I will write more about the industry, which is in its death throes.  I hope that by 2015 it will be dead, dead, dead, although this would put me in a personal financial pickle.

Happy 2014!