Note of the Living Deb

Not quitting DuoLingo after all

2026-02-28T22:17:59Z

So, right after I dropped out of the family plan of DuoLingo, I was partnered with one of my friends and I helped her make our weekly goal.

During this period, I found the ads weren't as bad as I remembered. (Nowhere near as bad as on my favorite videogame.) And also, they added a new "explain my answer" feature which occasionally will actually make a useful generalization. Teaching!

I still won't use DuoLingo quite like I used to. There's no infinite energy; I can do only about 3 lessons at a time I won't ever do the golden reviews I used to like anymore because they take way more energy. I can still usually accomplish the goals they set up for me and there sure are still a lot of lessons for me and plenty for me to learn.

So, I'm just done paying them cash, I'm not done learning from them. So much subjunctive! And more vocabulary. And more practice listening.

In other online news, I recently quit my favorite videogame. (When I tell people this in person, everyone asks me what that game is. I just want to say, "Don't do it!" But it's SimCity BuildIt.) That game has sucked me in way too many hours for too many years. I said a long, satisfying goodbye to my fellow "mayors," giving verbal tours of the various neighborhoods I had been building all this time. And I sold off all my inventory to them at a discount. It was like having a nice retirement party where people compliment you and then you leave.

It was also perfect timing. They just nerfed all the "services," which is requiring everyone to re-do a bunch of stuff, which is very time-consuming and unsatisfying. (Some things like fire stations protect a smaller area, so you have to build a lot more of them, getting rid of some other stuff you like more. Other things like wastewater treatment, for which I often had double the capacity I needed just to make sure I never had to deal with it, suddenly was not enough even for me. I didn't check all the utilities in all my locations but after the update, I found I was covering no more than 80% of what I needed and it one case, only 15%!)

Plus my device started crashing all the time. Last time this happened I ended up buying a new device. Not this time. I was in no danger of going back anyway, but it was nice to be accidentally also be making a statement to them about this update!

I'm still playing another videogame that doesn't take so much time. (Gardenscapes.) But I won't be starting any more. I'll watch other people play if they seem kind of fun, but that's it.

I'll only do "games" that are really about something else. A friend of mine is periodically using Habitica, which can help you with things you want to be habits. I've already written about Focus Friend. And DuoLingo. These things won't suck me in. (If I get too old to do anything fun but can still play videogames, I'll reconsider.)

So I have ideas on what I want to do with my new spare time. But what am I actually doing? So far, I am recovering from a cold. Yay?

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2026 Primaries

2026-02-21T22:14:53Z

In Texas you can vote in either primary without having to be a party member. However, you may vote in only one party's primaries for the whole year and this disqualifies you from signing petitions for Independents or candidates from other other parties for the rest of the year. Of course in the general election you are not restricted by party.

This year I'll be voting in the Republican primary, to vote against certain Republican incumbents, but I've also gotten information on the Democrat primary so I'll include all that information below, for those of you who are voting for any of the same positions as I am.

Once again, my knowledgeable anonymous friend (who I'll refer to as "my friend") who keeps up with Democrat doings throughout the year has shared knowledge, though that's been a tough job this time. And if you have more information on anyone you'd love to recommend or oppose, I'd love to hear it.

US Senator

James Talarico (Dem) – He has experience in the Texas House and I like his policies. For example, 'Our border should be like a front porch—a giant welcome mat out front and a lock on the door. I'd propose modernizing ports of entry to detect threats before they enter the country, hiring more asylum judges to process cases quickly, stopping ICE abuses so they focus on deporting criminals instead of community members, passing the DREAM Act, and creating clear pathways to citizenship.' And he's made the national news trying to appear on the Colbert Report; the interview can be viewed on YouTube where the emphasis on his Christian background may help him be palatable to decent conservatives. Jasmine Crockett also completed the League of Women Voter's survey, but thinks we should increase the size of the Supreme Court again. I think that's cheating—I'd rather have term limits.

My friend says, 'If you've been reading these messages for any length of time, you'll have seen the profuse enthusiasm I have for James. He's someone I will support no matter what race he's running in, and I'm excited as hell to vote for him for Senator. That said, if you want to vote for Jasmine Crockett, do so. We have two great candidates here, but my vote goes to James.'

Gulrez "Gus" Khan (Rep) – I'd love to vote against incumbent Cornyn, though I like him a lot better than Ken Paxton. Cornyn mostly follows along with whatever Trump and Ted Cruz want; Paxton makes up even more extreme horrors and pressures Governor Abbott to follow along, and then sues everybody doing anything too decent. Khan has some ideas I like (integrity, accountability, transparency, 'a willingness to admit when something isn't working,' reducing some of the problems with health insurance) and some I don't (he loves tariffs and promoting gas and oil).

US Representative, District 37

Greg Casar (Dem) – This newly gerrymandered district includes both my current Rep who I love (Lloyd Doggett) and Casar, so Doggett is retiring. I've liked Casar as my city council member where his focus has always been on the little guy, especially job safety and housing costs. He was considered more to the left of other council members because he wanted to lower housing costs with denser building, including even apartment buildings of three stories, or even five! The horror! He's also an incumbent, and I see no reason to switch to someone else. My friend agrees: 'Greg is a strong candidate that we've watched from his days on Austin City Council, and he's great.'

Lauren Pena (Rep) – This district is gerrymandered for Democrats to win, but I like that Pena seems to have specific ideas rather than just platitudes. For example, In healthcare, she wants to increase price transparency, and prioritize patients and doctors over 'federal middlemen.' She also admits that we do want some immigration and the authorities should treat people humanely.

Texas Governor

Gina Hinajosa (Dem) – My friend says, 'This one's easy. I've known Gina for years, and she's wonderful. Let's put her over the top.' The Austin Chronicle agrees, saying they love everything about her.

Evelyn Brooks (Rep) – I'd love to vote against Greg Abbott who, with any pressure, succumbs to MAGA. And Brooks seems reasonable. She says she 'would limit state cooperation with federal [immigration] enforcement that threatens to take away the Constitutional rights, liberty, and privacy from Texans and state sovereignty. Due process must be given to all within our borders.' She seems pro-life, but prioritizes the woman's life.

Texas Lieutenant Governor

Vikki Goodwin (Dem) – My friend says, 'Four-term legislator in the TX House. Solid choice.'

Timothy Mabry (Rep) – It's great to vote against incumbent Dan Patrick. But I also like some of Mabry's policies. 'I support regulating, not criminalizing cannabis. Industrial, medical uses must be clearly separated. Medical access should allow low-potency products without excessive barriers. Recreational use should be treated like alcohol, with strict age limits and impairment testing. … Water policy must prioritize people, agriculture then business.' And he says he's 'skilled at bringing people with different views together to solve complex problems.'

Texas Attorney General

Nathan Johnson (Dem) – My friend says, 'I hate this race. I love Joe Jaworski, but I also love Nathan Johnson. I'm sad we lost him in the TX Senate, but he's great, and probably stands the best chance in November.'

Joan Huffman (Rep) - Glad to be getting rid of Ken Paxton, but the Republican candidates all look terrible to me. I know Chip Roy is a horror. Aaron Reitz certainly looks like one in his answers to the League of Women Voters. The others didn't bother to respond. Per https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-attorney-general-candidates-spar-during-heated-debate/, Middleton and Reitz want to be seen as MAGA, and they still all seem horrible. 'Huffman later came under fire for her response to Reitz and Middleton’s intent to remove the “rogue” Democrat district attorneys in Dallas, Harris, and Travis counties from office for violating their oaths of office by refusing to prosecute crime.

Huffman implied that such an action “cannot be done on day one … or in the first month. It is a process.” She proceeded to point out that the “vast majority of the prosecutors in this state are great people” who have their constituents’ “best interests at heart.” ' So she gets my vote for not acting like a dictator.

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Sarah Eckhardt (Dem) – My friend says, 'Another easy one. Sarah is a great person, and a great candidate. I'd love to see her serve statewide.' The Austin Chronicle agrees. I also heard some good things about her during an unrelated candidate forum.

Kelly Hancock (Rep) – I don't like any of the Republicans running, and normally I wouldn't choose someone endorsed by Greg Abbott, but Huffines is a horror (and endorsed by both Ted Cruz and Chip Roy, both worse than Abbott). It looks like we have a choice between pro-insurance bias, pro-oil bias, or pro-real estate bias. I'm choosing Hancock for being 'one of two GOP state senators who voted in favor of convicting Attorney General Ken Paxton on impeachment changes.' I got my information from https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-gop-comptroller-primary-don-huffines/.

Texas Commissioner of the General Land Office

Benjamin Flores (Dem) – From Ballotpedia, Flores explains that 'The Texas General Land Office generates revenue from state lands that flows into the Permanent School Fund,' so he wants to 'make sure we're getting maximum value from every lease and every acre. That means embracing innovation, welcoming renewable energy producers alongside oil and gas, and running tighter operations.' He also says, 'The federal government found that Hurricane Harvey recovery funds were distributed in a discriminatory way. That's a systems failure. Preventing systems failures is what my career [in cybersecurity and risk management] prepared me to do. … Most failures aren't surprises. They're predictable if you're paying attention. I want government to work the same way: transparent, accountable, and focused on preventing problems.'

Dawn Buckingham (Rep) – unopposed

Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Clayton Tucker (Dem) – unopposed

Nate Sheets (Rep) – Sheets wants to reprioritize state food dollars toward Texas-grown produce and meat,' make it easier for farmers to sell directly to consumers, and 'Instead of subsidizing multi-national processed food companies, I'll use the state's buying power to buy from Texas farmers and ranchers—keeping dollars local.' And you get to vote against the incumbent Sid Miller, a MAGA Republican.

Texas Railroad Commissioner

Jon Rosenthal (Dem) – My friend says, 'Jon Rosenthal is unopposed. Loved him in the TX House, though.'

Hawk Dunlap (Rep) – He calls himself a conservative-libertarian and small government advocate yet is highly critical of the railroad commission’s approach toward regulating the oil and gas industry for being too lax. He wants to charge a tax of 10 cents a barrel for every barrel of oilfield wastewater injected underground commercially, both to increase income and to encourage other uses for that water such as to to cool data centers. (I got my information from https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/09/texas-railroad-commission-primary-2026-guide-wright-rosenthal/)

Texas Chief Justice, Supreme Court

Maggie Ellis (Dem) – My friend says 'Currently on the 3rd Court of Appeals. Solid.'

Jimmy Blacklock (Rep) – unopposed

Texas Justice, Supreme Court Place 2

The Democrat and Republican candidates are unopposed.

Texas Justice, Supreme Court Place 7

Kristen Hawkins (Dem) – My friend says, 'Kristen Hawkins is a district court judge and will be good on the supreme court.'

Kyle Hawkins (Rep) - unopposed

Texas Justice, Supreme Court Place 8

Gisela Triana (Dem) – unopposed

Brett Busby (Rep) – unopposed

Texas, Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals Place 3, 4, and 9

All three have Democrats running unopposed.

Place 3 – Alison Fox (Rep) – She's the only Republican who responded to the LWV Guide and says she is pro-law, precedent, and Constitution. Reading https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/texas-court-criminal-appeals-primaries-who-running-and-what-know didn't change my mind.

Place 4 – Kevin Patrick Yeary (Rep) – unopposed

Place 9 – Jennifer Balido (Rep) – Based on the article referenced above and their two websites, the other candidate seems more extremist.

Texas Member, State Board of Education District 5

Allison Bush (Dem) – My friend says, 'Works well in conservative majorities, which I like. All of these candidates are really solid, which makes this a tough race to call.'

Mica Arellani (Rep) – unopposed.

Texas House of Representatives District 46

Sheryl Cole (Dem) – unopposed.

My friend has this to say about the other districts in Central Texas:
'HD-19: Javi Andrade. He answered the LWV Voters Guide. His opponent did not, Sometimes that's all it takes for me.
HD-47: Pooja Sethi. Former Travis County Democratic Party Chair, effective Chief of Staff in VIkki Goodwin's office, with loads of legislative experience.
HD-48: Donna Howard is unopposed.
HD-49: Montserrat Garibay. Her experience in Education is important, now that we won't have Gina Hinojosa in that seat.
HD-50: Jeremy Hendricks. Strong labor leader, solid dude.
HD-51: Lulu Flores is unopposed.'

No Republican candidate.

Texas Chief Justice, 15th Court of Appeals District

The Democrat and Republican candidates are unopposed.

Texas Justice, Fifteenth District Court of Appeals, Places 2 and 3

Democrats and Republicans are unopposed.

Texas Chief Justice, Third Court of Appeals District

The Democrat and Republican candidates are unopposed.

Texas District Judge, Judicial districts 147, 201, 250, 261, 299, 331, 403, 419, 455, 459

Democrats are unopposed.

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Judge

Andy Brown (Dem) – unopposed

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Judge, County Court at Law No. 1 – 7

Democrats are unopposed.

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Judge, Probate Court No. 1

Guy Herman (Dem) – unopposed

No Republicans are running.

Travis County District Clerk

Velva L. Price (Dem) - unopposed

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Clerk

Dyana Limon-Mercado (Dem) – unopposed, and she was the choice of the previous County Clerk, who I respected.

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Treasurer

Dolores Ortega Carter (Dem) – unopposed

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5

Tanisa Jeffers (Dem) – unopposed

No Republicans are running.

Travis County Party Chair

Doug Greco (Dem) – He's the incumbent and is the choice of both my friend and the Austin Chronicle.

Jennifer Fleck (Rep) - unopposed

Propositions

My friend says, 'Do what you will with the propositions. They aren't laws, they are wish lists from the party that, while lovely, don't do a thing. I almost always vote no on all of them, just because of how annoyed I got fielding calls about it when I was Executive Director of LWV Texas.'

In the first time I looked at these they all looked like they were trying to yank the chains of the other major party; this time they aren't all awful, though many are still unrealistic. I'm voting for 'There should be unicorns.' Just kidding--neither party has that one.

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Why Vote?

2026-02-14T23:42:08Z

I'd like to talk about my philosophies of voting. I feel like this is not talked about in school or many places at all, but I've spent a lot of time thinking of these issues and so maybe I'll say something useful. I think I'll organize it by concern.

Warning: I'm pretty left-wing on a lot of issues, but most of what I say applies to anyone who cares about how the country is run; and the rest can be translated into your own values. Plus, even if you disagree with me about everything, I still hope you vote. I want this to be a real democracy (okay, democratic republic) where everyone gets a say.

Complaint: They all stink.

Even if you feel like you're voting for the lesser of two evils, one of them is less evil. One of them will win, there's no getting around that, but you can add your voice for less evil.

Answer: The lesser evil is less evil.

Complaint: No, they're all the same.

They may all be corrupt, but are they corrupt on just one or two issues or on most of the issues? Does their corruption affect a few people or most people? Are the consequences bad or horrifying?

Answer: Don't be a single-issue voter.

As a test-scoring firm I worked for required: look at the preponderance of the evidence. Right now, one party is condoning war crimes in Israel, punishes success with higher taxes, wants to let women kill their own fetuses, and never prioritized the Epstein files when they had the chance. The other party wants to accelerate the climate crisis, encourage epidemics of diseases we have vaccines for, stick large numbers random brown people of all ages into inhumane prisons, twist our democracy into fascism, break our promises to our allies, and start World War III. Look at all your own top issues and look at the preponderance of the evidence to decide which candidates are your overall favorites.

Complaint: I'm a decent conservative.

This is a hard one. Vote in the primaries, either for the most decent Republicans or the most moderate Democrats. Then in the general election, plug your nose and vote for the lesser evil. Because you don't want the greater evil winning.

And then you can still communicate your wishes to whoever wins. You're still their constituent.

Answer: Vote in the primaries.

Complaint: My vote doesn't matter.

No, one vote is not likely to make a difference. On the other hand, your vote counts just as much as anyone else's does.* And if everyone like you decided not to vote, that would make a difference. This is the best way to make your voice heard--your comments and protests can be ignored, but your vote must be counted.

Also, your vote counts a lot more in local elections, and many good national ideas started at the local level.

Edited to add this idea from my brother: voting shows that you don't want your right to vote taken away. And also, voting shows the registrar that you're still in town--not voting through a couple of general elections and then not responding to postcards they send is one way that people get taken off the voting rolls.

Some people say if you don't vote, then you can't complain. (I disagree--we all deserve to complain about bad service and stupid ideas.) Still, you can think of voting as your ticket to comment.

*Okay, your vote does count less if you're voting in a district gerrymandered to concentrate voters expected to vote in one party. Even then, people do also look at the popular vote, so your vote still makes a statement. But if your district is gerrymandered to spread out voters in one party, they may have cut things so close that your vote actually counts more than other people's.

Answer: It matters as much as anyone else's and it shows you still want your right to vote (and gives you the right to complain).

Complaint: I just cannot make myself vote for either major party.

Then vote for your favorite third-party candidate. No, third parties usually don't win, but if they get a high enough percentage of the votes (something still crazy small, like 5%), that still makes a statement, and the winner will often use their best ideas. I think that counts as a win.

I do want to caution against voting for someone way more more extreme than you would actually want to win, just to send a message. Because of things like Brexit. Either vote for the one you most want to win, or the one most likely to beat the one you least want to win.

Answer: Vote for a third-party candidate.

Complaint: Voting takes forever and is no fun.

You probably have more choices than waiting in line after work on election day. My county generally has at least a week of early voting, and it's always dead when I go (admittedly, usually on a weekday). Your employer may have a policy that lets you vote during the work day. You may be able to vote by mail (this is a hassle in Texas, but may be worth it if you're disabled).

But just in case, wear comfy shoes and bring something you can do while waiting in line. I've also been to some small precincts where everyone uses voting day as a time to hang out with their neighbors.

Answer: Consider alternative ways to vote.

Complaint: I'm afraid ICE will grab me.

I want to say that only citizens are allowed to vote, so you will be safe. And no guns are allowed within a certain distance of the polls, so you will be safe. But I've seen the news. As a person who is so white I'm pink, I'm in no position to tell you to vote. Maybe this has to be like vaccines. Some people are too ill to get vaccinated, but so long as most other people do get vaccinated, those people are still protected. All of us who can safely vote should do so.

You may be able to vote by mail if you register to do that early enough. In Texas you need an excuse to vote by mail. If you're not over 65, note that the definition of disability is that you affirm that "I have a sickness or physical condition that prevents me from appearing at the polling place on Election Day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or injuring my health." If you check this box, that is all the explanation needed. (You could possibly argue that being brown is a physical condition that prevents you from appearing at the polls without a likelihood of injuring your health.)

Another idea is to bring supporters with you.

Another idea, if you have a choice of polling locations, is to go to one where most voters are expected to be Republican; I'd think ICE would focus on the locations expected to have more Democrats.

Answer: Do what you can to stay safe, even if that means not voting; encourage your non-brown friends to vote.

Complaint: I don't know who to vote for.

I'm with you on that one. No one's campaign flyer is going to say how they're only corrupt in one area or that they're a jerk who pisses everyone off. Politicians are also famous for lying on the campaign trail.

So, here are my ideas:
* Do look at their websites to at least see what they're promising. If you disagree with their best side, that's a bad sign.
* Look at The League of Women Voters Guide - they have interviews of candidates and try to list pros and cons of issues.
* Search for news or scandals about candidates.
* Find people who stay informed all year and see who they recommend. Newspapers tend to make recommendations in all the races (or in the primaries, for all the races in their preferred party). Professional and other organizations may make recommendations in their specialties, but these tend to be single-issue recommendations. The best endorsements are like movie reviews--they tell you why they like the person or issue they endorse, so you can see if you agree with their reasoning--they may talk you into voting for someone they don't like or vice versa.

Answer: Look for their stance on issues, what's in the news, and what people-in-the-know recommend.

Edited to add:
Complaint: The elections are rigged.

I've heard several rumors about this. For example:

* Voting machines were hacked - If you have a printed ballot, you can see how the machine thinks you voted. It is standard to choose a few elections in different precincts and compare what's on the printed ballots (hand-counting) with what the machines have counted--so if the printed ballot doesn't match the computer code, that will be caught.

* Non-citizens are voting - That's illegal in all states. It does happen, but only very rarely.

* Sometimes it looks like Republicans are winning, and then at the last second, Democrats win - That's because election-day votes are counted first then early voting and mail-in ballots; Republicans are more likely to vote on election day and Democrats are more likely to vote at other times.

* Mail-in ballots are ripe for fraud - Mail-in ballots must be attached to the names and Voter ID's of registered voters or they are not accepted. If someone tries to vote both in person and through the mail, only the first vote will be accepted unless an in-person voter petitions to destroy their mailed-in ballot.

That doesn't mean hacking isn't a danger; fortunately, it can be resisted. Here are the more likely routes:

* Hack the voter rolls - You can fight this by double-checking to make sure you are registered to vote when there is still time to re-register if necessary. (This also helps you catch other issues, like not having re-registered in a new place you've moved to.)

* Gerrymander - Unfortunately, totally legal. At least this doesn't affect votes for local elections.

* Hack social media - Russians and others have been caught spreading lies in American social media trying to get people angry enough to vote Republican. If something sounds crazy, look for evidence that it's really true before basing any decisions on that information.

* Change voting rules to make it harder for groups of people who are likely to vote for one party. For example, requiring a street address means some Native Americans can't vote. Requiring a passport or birth certificate with a matching name will disqualify many women (and others) who have changed their names and don't travel internationally. Disallowing voting on Sundays affects church buses going to the polls after Sunday services. Letting post offices postmark mail later (this just happens) makes it less likely that mail-in votes will count. Try to keep informed on rules changes and make a plan to deal with them.

Answer: Informed voting is the best way to fight this issue.

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Encouraging Candidate Forum

2026-02-14T21:48:14Z

At today's neighborhood association meeting, several Democrats running for state representative in District 50 came to answer questions. (There is also a Republican running, but he is unopposed. I don't know if he was invited.)

It was actually nice. I'm not in District 50 (my part of the neighborhood is south of that district), and I have to say I'm so glad I don't have to choose between those folks. I would be thrilled to have any of the five who showed up win the election. (One Democrat didn't show up, but one of the folks who came said she'd been to over 40 of these types of meetings, and they all knew the other guy, so it's not like he never shows up.)

Every one of them was smart, passionate, caring, and had good ideas. Most or all of them are into the multi-pronged approach of having ideas, looking for commonalities across the aisle, and resisting when they have to. And they were nice to each other!

It's hard to explain just how touching I found all this. Like: our announcer said their names, and they stood up in that order as he said them, then got in line in that order, and then sat down in that order. No jockeying for position, no boring questions about where to sit, just common sense and efficiency. And they all followed the pattern the announcer had started for when it was their turn to answer a question.

Surprisingly, one said, and another confirmed, that Texas has more Democrats registered to vote than Republicans. What? How would you even know? Per https://independentvoterproject.org/voter-stats/tx, they mostly guess based on what primary you vote in. That same source specifies:
Total Registered Voters: 17,485,702
* Democrats: 8,133,683 (46.52%)
* Republicans: 6,601,189 (37.75%)
* Unaffiliated: 2,750,830 (15.73%)
And who even knew that many people voted in primaries?

One of the candidates also said there were Democrats running in every district. They aren't just giving up and not even trying, even in obviously Republican districts.

I don't want to get too hopeful. Beto made it so easy to feel hopeful, and then he lost! Although, as one candidate pointed out, there were a lot of wins lower on the ballot that year with all the judges we have to vote for in this state. And worse: the president, our governor, and the Republican party have all made it clear they will punish any Republicans who vote alongside Democrats, no matter how reasonable the issue. So that makes it extra hard to work out bipartisan compromises.

Still. Y'all, let's vote!

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Finland Books

2026-02-13T15:48:15Z

In my quest to read books from all the countries, ideally for each country I'd find a good general book, at least one good book on a narrow issue, and at least one fun book, plus learn a bit about the country. I feel like I have succeeded with Finland.

Before starting, I knew that Finland was one of the Scandinavian countries. That's actually wrong (only Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are considered Scandinavian), but it is one of the Nordic countries (along with Iceland and the Scandinavian countries).

Finnish Lessons

Several years ago I read Pasi Sahlberg's Finnish Lessons: What Can the World Learn from Educational Change in Finland? (2011). Finland found that its students weren't doing well compared to those of other western nations, so they looked up research on good teaching methods. Most of what they found was in the US, but unlike US teachers, they tried out the ideas in schools. Then they continued the research themselves. And they decided their teachers should also be researchers. So now teachers are well-paid and they have post-doctorate (research) degrees and they have ways to mentor each other and otherwise share ideas.

I don't remember the actual changes to teaching except they went with a lot more learning-by-doing and lot less learning by reading or listening and a lot less memorization.

Cold Victory

The Book Girls recommend Karl Marlantes's Cold Victory (2024). This book features two diplomats (one a Finnish-American, one a Russian) and their wives, posted in Finland. It turns out the two diplomats had met when they were soldiers near the end of World War II (when the US finally sent the USSR the help they'd promised) and they still considered themselves good friends. Their wives get to know each other and eventually also become friends.

Then a bunch of stressful, exciting, tragic stuff happens because of saving face, too much alcohol, and supreme naivete.

This is not the ideal book on Finland because few of the characters were Finnish, but that says a little something in itself about how Finland has to deal with bigger powers.

I never knew Findland's sad WWII history. First Finland was invaded by the USSR, which was an ally of Germany. Germany turned on USSR in 1941, so the Finns joined them to take back the territory they'd lost. They continued to Leningrad. 'Leningrad never fell, and Stalin never forgot.' The US allied with the USSR to fight Germany and drove the Finns back. Afterwards, reparations of 60% of Finland's prewar GDP were imposed (payable in 'hard currency and dismantled industrial plant being shipped to Russia'), but they were still free. (I'd thought people had learned their lesson about reparations after WWI, but I guess not?)

I was intrigued about one character's description of politics: It's all about preventing war. Yes, countries are still jostling for power, but 'You, above all, should know that no matter how dirty politics gets, it's never as dirty as war.'

On dictatorships: The Germans 'weren't all Nazis. … That's the point. Dictatorships need just a few ardent supporters. Democracies need everyone. That's harder to do.' And 'Punishing an innocent man is as effective as punishing a guilty one when the goal is scaring people to keep them in line.'

The Moomins

Tove Jansson's Moomins series was recommended by an ambassador: “The Moomin books were originally written as fairy tales for children. Their philosophic nature is universal and makes the books enjoyable for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. The carefree and friendly Moomins provide a warm-hearted reading experience, and are also an essential part of the childhood of every Finnish kid."

I checked the Central library branch, and they only had Moominvalley in November (The Moomins #8) (1970), the last book in the series.

In this volume, various people who know the Moomins converge on their house as fall sets in, with its rain, wind, and cold. The Moomins are not in, but they make themselves at home. The Moomins' presence is still felt; the characters find comfort here, even with the Moomins gone.

The characters are all different sizes and shapes, and they have different hobbies: cooking and cleaning, playing the harmonica, organizing people, wandering, hiding, imagining things into existence. They don't always get along perfectly, but they try. Often characters fear that the others don't like them or are angry with them. Some have downright suicidal fantasies. And yet sometimes other characters know their secrets and still accept them. And they never try to change each other, except in an effort to respect that other people shouldn't have to change.

' "So this is how it feels," he thought. "This is what sailing is like. The world turns upside down and you hang on for dear life to the edge of the yawning abyss, you freeze and feel ashamed and when it's too late you wish you'd never come. Let's hope and pray he doesn't notice how scared I am." '

It's in the fantasy genre, not my favorite, and the characters have silly, sometimes dangerous adventures, also not really my thing.

A lot of reviewers were disappointed in the book because there were no Moomins and they found it depressing. It turned out the author's mother had recently died, and that spilled over into the book. It feels to me like she was trying to teach us and herself how to go on without someone we love and how we can still benefit from the parts of them that we love.

Still, it turned out the first book in the series was at my local branch, so I read that one, too, Comet in Moominland (Moomins #1) (1946). Two friends go on an adventure and then run home to prepare for an upcoming disaster. Along the way, they meet and help other interesting characters.

A lot of irrational stuff drove me nutso, so that will be my last Moomin book. It's too bad: the author is also the illustrator and I just love her line drawings. I like holding the paperbacks in my hands and looking at the pictures. But they are not for me.

After the first full-length book was published, a theatrical version followed. There is a related comic strip. And TV series with puppets. And an animated series (Japan). And a museum exhibit. And a theme park. And a song collection. And décor for the Finnair planes. And a Finnish coin. It got popular throughout Europe, but not the US.

Finland

I wasn't able to find a book in my favorite children's series on different countries, but I did find Alicia Z. Klepeis's Finland (Country Profiles) (2023) for a younger audience.

I learned that Finland is "the land of a thousand lakes," though really they have around 188,000. And wolverines scavenge in the Arctic Circle. And reindeer graze on lichen and berries in the tundra (how do they find enough food?).

Finns are big coffee drinkers (20 lbs/year/person; 2 coffee breaks/day are required for workers). They have many kinds of porridge. Most city dwellers live in apartments; houses in the country are usually wooden. Many homes and even some employers have saunas. Finns invented saunas as well as ice skates, the rescue toboggan, the first wireless heart rate monitor, and "Angry Birds."

Rare Exports

I should also mention that a friend showed a bunch of us the movie "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" (2010). I barely remember it now; it's a suspense horror movie where something horrible has been unearthed, and the one to figure out the problem first is a kid who must get the adults to understand.

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Books Around the World: 2025

2026-01-01T20:14:25Z

I made real progress on my goal to read books about or set in every country, thanks in part to the Book Girls who have an Around the World reading challenge for which they list books they like (which are mostly available at my public library system). I didn't discover them until more than halfway through the year, and then mostly just grabbed books that sounded good and were in my local library branch. This year I will do things in order and choose at least one book from each month's category. In future years I will still check out their recommendations but won't try to get something from each category because I don't like two of the categories (transportation, islands, Arctic/Antarctica).

I read books from four countries I hadn't yet done this for, bringing me up to at least one book from 125 countries out of 243 on my list (plus the wikipedia article on 2 more very small countries). I also added two more 'countries' to my list (Kurdistan, Vikings), as one does.

This was my first year to read books set in: Panama, Côte d'Ivoire (aka Ivory Coast), Vikings (Norway, etc.), and Kurdistan (Iran, etc.).

I also made serious progress on: Hong Kong (China), Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Wales (UK), and Waorani (Ecuador).

And here is the full list, by "country":

Antarctica
* Y historical fiction – Endurance in Antarctica (Survival Tales #2) (voyage to Antarctica, from the perspective of the dogs; the dogs are weirdly too human for me to enjoy the book)

Australia
* fiction – On the Beach (preapocalyptic novel; characters mostly have British stiff upper lip)
* fiction – Here One Moment (gal predicts age of death and cause of death for everyone on her plane flight; then we see how various people respond; spoiler: once I read ahead to learn that fate could be resisted, I was able to enjoy the book)
* fiction – Nine Perfect Strangers (In a ten-day stay at a health retreat, nine folks go outside their comfort zone; then things go horribly wrong, followed by a bunch of fake happy endings—guilty pleasure)
* YA nonfiction – Australia (Enchantment of the World)

Cuba
* YA fiction – My Brigadista Year (teenager joins Castro's rural literacy corp)

Ecuador, Waorani
* nonfiction - Five Wives (missionaries try to convert reclusive Waorani and are killed; this is about the women left behind)

El Salvador
* murder mystery – She Devil in the Mirror (chatty gal wonders about her friend's murder, in 2nd person)

India
* fiction - The Case of the Missing Servant (Vish Puri #1) (arrogant PI investigates a prospective spouse and a murder; his mother investigates an attempted murder)
* fiction – The Widows of Malabar Hill (Perveen Mystry #1) (rare female lawyer in 1920s India works with Muslim widows)

Iraq, Kurdistan
* fiction – Take What You Can Carry (photographer joins Kurdish boyfriend on a visit to family in 1979 Iraq; violence happens)

Italy, Renaissance
* fantasy - The Spirit Ring (mage's daughter and future apprentice must save him from enslavement)

Myanmar (previously Burma)
* fiction - The Chequer Board (dying man seeks what happened to colleagues from a hospital stay during WWII, anti-racism themes)

Nepal
* article - " 'It's terrifying': The Everest climbs putting Sherpas in danger"
* article - " 'For us, snow leopards are deities': The farmers protecting Nepal's snow leopards" (They can use lights and noise to repel snow leopards temporarily, add roofs to their pens, and make back some of the lost money hosting tourists.)

Nigeria
* article - "Nigeria: The Happiest Place on Earth" (actually, the most hopeful, apparently because they’re sure things can’t get any worse)
* article - "Ritual killer murders ex-girlfriend, sells body parts for N90,000" (These two articles were in response to a fiction book I did not finish—turns out these parts of the book were true.)
* fiction - No Longer at Ease (first man in village to go to college can’t reconcile his old and new life)
* fiction - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (boy escapes soldiers into fantastical jungle)
* fiction - The Palm-Wine Drinkard (man goes on quest to find his dead wine tapper)

Norway
* murder mystery – Indian Bride (man's new bride from India never arrives)
* gothic mystery – The Nesting (suicidal nanny cares for children of suicidal mother in the land of Nordic folktales)

Pakistan
* YA fiction - The Partitian Project (gal meets grandmother, makes documentary on India/Pakistan Partition)
* fiction – Under the Tamarind Tree (the need for family honor and secrets is just as destructive as the Partition; ugh)

Panama
* historical fiction – The Great Divide (the lives of Panama Canal workers, doctors, immigrants, protesters, a fisherman, a researcher, and a reporter intersect.)

Portugal
* fiction – The Winding Stair (romance and espionage in the Napoleonic Wars)
* fiction – Empty Wardrobes (widow and daughter survive in fascist, patriarchal Portugal)
* Y nonfiction – Portugal (Enchantment of the World)

Romania
* YA fiction - I Must Betray You (life in Communist Romania where anyone might be a spy)
* Y nonfiction – Romania (Cultures of the World)

Russia
* nonfiction – Into Siberia (man investigates Russian exile system to show how much better it is than western penal systems, finds he's not a fan after all)
* fiction – Polestan (idealistic horsewoman becomes hardened KGB operative)

UK, England, Victorian
* cozy mystery - The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries (housekeeper nudges her inspector boss into solving a murder; gaslighting for good is a bit creepy for me)

UK, Wales
* fiction - The Snowdonia Killings (detective moves from the big city to the country; now the job is heartbreaking in different ways)

Vatican City
* article - "Vatican solar farm will make it the world’s first carbon-neutral state"

Vikings (Denmark, Iceland, US)
* historical fiction filmscript – Vinland the Good (re-telling of the discovery of America)

multiple countries
* fiction – A Town Like Alice (strong woman survives WWII and the Australian Outback) (England, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia)

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All You Are Is Mean

2025-12-29T21:23:15Z

I got inspired to write some new lyrics for Taylor Swift's song, "Mean," for all of us. Of course the song isn't long enough for me to get all the important bits in. (Compare to the original lyrics at the bottom.)

My New Lyrics

You, ending USAID
And the Paris Agreement.
You have undone years of work again.
Got us reeling from the impact.
You, with your extortionist tariffs,
Torture camps filled with migrant quotas.
You, pickin' on the weaker man.

Well, you can make up lies
To try to sound decent,
But you don't know what you don't know.

We'll be marching, writing letters to the papers
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
We'll be voting, watching late-night TV comics,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
On the Epstein files and reducing the inflation.
You have claimed to be protecting us.
As if we didn't see the video.
They wave with their boat down, trying to get your help
No fentanyl from their home.
We just want democracy again.

I bet you felt privileged, then
Somebody stopped you cold.
You decided to MAGA up.
But you can't lead us down that road,
And you don't know what you don't know.

We'll be filming, whistle-blowing at the ICE raids
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
We'll be guarding people at the different bathrooms,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big, loud opinion
But nobody's listening.
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things,
Mad and grumblin' on about conspiracies,
But all you are is mean.

All you are is mean.
And a liar, and pathetic.
And alone in life, and mean
And mean, and mean, and mean.

But we'll be watching, calling out your big ole gaslights
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Yeah, we'll have lawyers, rainbow flags, and Plan C mail-outs
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

Sign petitions, stand with all the low-paid workers,
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Call out crimes of fraud and grift and defamation
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

Original Lyrics

You, with your words like knives
And swords and weapons that you use against me.
You have knocked me off my feet again.
Got me feeling like I'm nothing.
You, with your voice like nails on a chalkboard,
Calling me out when I'm wounded.
You, pickin' on the weaker man.

Well, you can take me down
With just one single blow,
But you don't know what you don't know.

Someday, I'll be livin' in a big ole city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

You, with your switching sides
And your wildfire lies and your humiliation.
You have pointed out my flaws again,
As if I don't already see them.
I walk with my head down, trying to block you out
'Cause I'll never impress you.
I just wanna feel okay again.

I bet you got pushed around.
Somebody made you cold.
But the cycle ends right now,
'Cause you can't lead me down that road
And you don't know what you don't know.

Someday, I'll be livin' in a big ole city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean
Why you gotta be so mean?

And I can see you years from now in a bar
Talking over a football game
With that same big, loud opinion
But nobody's listening.
Washed up and ranting about the same old bitter things,
Drunk and grumblin' on about how I can't sing,
But all you are is mean.

All you are is mean
And a liar, and pathetic
And alone in life, and mean
And mean, and mean, and mean

But someday, I'll be livin' in a big ole city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Yeah, someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

Someday, I'll be livin' in a big ole city
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me – Call out crimes of fraud and grift and defamation
And all you're ever gonna be is mean.
Why you gotta be so mean?

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Quitting Duolingo Soon

2025-11-26T00:17:19Z

I've been learning Spanish off and on for half a century (if you count learning the word for "bus" in the first grade) and the latest chapter in this boring saga is coming to an end.

Why start Duolingo?

I've been paying for a subscription to Duolingo (at the Super level) for a few years now to avoid the ads (and get infinite tries on the right answers) and support them in providing free lessons to others and it's been good. I don't really like it for learning grammar, but I got a pretty good education in that from my four semesters of Spanish at the local community college.

(Fun story – I met someone in Elections who'd gotten a 365-day streak, which I thought was amazing. It inspired me to get regular again. Now I have friend streaks longer than that—this is where both you and a friend participate daily. Disclaimer: you can buy streak freezes to pretend that a day you missed never existed.)

I have been liking DuoLingo for learning vocabulary and practicing listening. I still cannot understand Spanish spoken in the wild. But when I'm reading an English book with Spanish phrases in it, I usually understand the Spanish. My vocabulary is definitely a bit better. I can understand longer slowly spoken Spanish sentences than I could at first. I keep hoping for a day when things click and I magically start understanding things. Hey, it happened with cha cha!

What's different?

Things have changed a lot with Duolingo. There used to be a comment section, where the best comments got voted to the top, and some of those had fabulous explanations of things! They got rid of it.

They added a few explanations of things, but often you can't access those until they've been throwing the topics at you for several lessons, as if you can magically learn like babies do. Meanwhile, I ask myself why, why, why are things sometimes one way and sometimes another? Sometimes I figure it out—when I do, I'm usually, but not always, right. Other times I'm able to internet-search my way to the answer.

They added stories which, unlike language-learning stories I've accessed in the past, really had virtually only things we'd already learned and also had a fun twist. They were really nice. Until they were taken over by AI—now they're weird. But then you get the opportunity to write a short paragraph in answer to a question, and AI edits it, showing you what has changed. I find this super helpful—sometimes AI has guessed wrong on what I meant, but mostly changing my writing to the AI equivalent of 'what sounds right' is very helpful. I make sure to try to say things I'm not sure about how to say just to see what happens.

They've also changed the organization of lessons multiple times. Now you have to do everything in a certain order and you can't go back to review (unless you stay away for too long—then you must do a review). And then they have a separate area for various kinds of practice. I try to do the speaking one and the vocabulary one every day. I use the speaking one as an easy listening practice by looking away from the written words while listening and trying to figure out what they're saying, but then I can look back for the actual speaking part.

I actually finished the entire Spanish course once, years ago. But they've since added a lot more to it. I'm now near the end of Unit 7 of 8. They've said this covers through The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) language proficiency level B2, which is upper intermediate.

Why stop?

A few months ago, Duolingo announced their new "AI first" strategy. They said they were using AI for all the boring parts to free up employees to focus more on the fun parts. And yet there were layoffs. And even I can tell that they've handed off some of the fun stuff to AI. Also, using AI is worsening the climate crisis. I really don't want to subsidize them anymore.

(Disclaimer: looking for an article to link, it turns out they are not laying off full-time workers, though contractors are still considered expendable. And they say their goal is to speed up course development (rather than, say, cut costs or maximize profits). I admit I have trouble trusting large corporations these days especially since the CEO literally said he he doesn’t intend to "lay off humans" and I'm pretty sure the contractors are all humans. I guess you don't lay off contractors, you just don't renew their contracts. Also weird: stocks have plummeted since their AI First announcement, and investors usually love anything that screws the workers and the environment, so that's weird.)

And now, after I've made my decision to leave, I've seen Evan Edinger's Duoling Isn't 'Free' Anymore – Lily Told Me Why. He's at the next higher tier, which lets you talk to an AI, which he loves. But also he's learned that the system has changed so that free users literally cannot do enough lessons in one day to make any effective progress. That is low-down. No, no more support from me.

When will I leave?

Another thing that's changing is that my friend who added me to her "family" plan is going to not renew that when it ends early next January. So that sounds like a good deadline. I can see how much I can get out of the system before then. I'm near the end of 7/8 (gigantic) units. I wonder if the last one is somehow smaller.

Researching shows: They change so fast that it's hard to find current information. I can't tell if there still "only" 8 units or 9 or 10. Anyway, I probably won't finish. We'll see.

What's next?

I mean, I feel like this is a question I should think about, right? The answer is: I don't know. Perhaps nothing.

I've been plugging away at Duolingo mostly as a way to not lose what I've already learned, and I've actually cemented a lot of that and added more knowledge. But I don't look forward to doing Duolingo (or any other language-learning activity) at all. So I've been doing nothing else. And I'm privileged—if I forget all my Spanish, there will be virtually no negative consequences for me.

Okay, I have to admit, I did use my Spanish once in Mexico, which let me find the potatoes on the shopping list handed to me by my hosts. And I once helped a store employee figure out how to use his credit card machine to let me pay by credit card. Those moments were pretty great, I have to say.

I'm tired just thinking of other ways to continue my learning. I do know I'm not up for talking to Spanish speakers in Spanish in general. (Just imagining it makes me feel extremely introverted, even though in most of my life I feel only lightly introverted.)

My city used to publish a Spanish-language paper I really liked (Ahora Si), but when BigJerkfaceNewsBehemouth bought the city paper, they discontinued its Spanish cousin.

Nevertheless, I certainly have plenty of resources available to me.
* I own some Spanish textbooks. This is the resource I'm most likely to use.
* I made a lot of flashcards I can use to help me maintain my learning.
* My library branch has lots of books in Spanish. I just checked again, and I still can't understand even books for toddlers.
* I have DVDs with Spanish subtitles and/or dubbing, though I don't know how to play them on our current computer setup.
* The entire internet.
* I live in Texas, which is full of Spanish speakers.

I suspect I'll just be taking a break for a while. Or indefinitely.

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November 2025 Election Endorsements

2025-10-21T00:58:37Z

Ugh, another election. Fellow Texans: If you do nothing else, I'd ask you to vote NO on State Proposition 12. Lines should be very short, especially during early voting. And you will be a much higher percentage of the voters even than in mid-term elections, so you have power!

I've listed everything that will be on my ballot, how I'm voting, and why I'm voting that way. And because you're different, I also listed other reasons you might vote the same way and reasons you might vote the other way. As always, if you have another perspective or more information, I would love to hear it.

Here are most of my sources (in alphabetical order):

Austin Chronicle – https://www.austinchronicle.com/topic/elections/austin-chronicle-endorsements-for-the-november-2025-election/ - An opinionated, liberal biased paper (they are a little extremist for me, but they are well informed and do explain themselves)

LWV – League of Women Voters Austin Voters Guide - https://austinvotersguide.org/LWVAA-VG-EN.pdf - They try very hard to stay unbiased and to seek pro- and con- arguments for every amendment, but they don't always discuss the big picture.

My friend – a progressive democrat who stays up on the issues year round (and does not want to be credited directly because she's tired of arguing). I don't always agree with her but she's more informed than me, I trust her perfectly, and she explains well.

Progress Texas - https://progresstexas.org/blog/2025-texas-statewide-ballot-guide – A progressive organization.

Texas Policy Research - https://www.texaspolicyresearch.com/texas-2025-constitutional-amendments-explained-ballot-guide-vote-recommendations/ - They say they are a 'nonpartisan public policy organization committed to advancing liberty-based solutions'—they are certainly more conservative or libertarian than my other sources.

Texas State Propositions

Proposition 1 - Creates a permanent fund for the Texas State Technical College System

Yes – The UT System has a permanent fund; I'd like to see this kind of support for technical colleges, too.
But you might prefer to vote no if you think:
* less permanent funding would be more appropriate
* funding to existing community colleges would be more appropriate (as my well-informed friend thinks)
* there are a lot more important things that taxes should go to
* businesses should pay to train their own folk (lol! I wish!)

Proposition 2 - Bans the state from ever creating a capital gains tax on investment profits

No – I oppose wealth taxes—which I feel like includes unrealized capital gains taxes—but I oppose disallowing the taxation of realized capital gains in the Constitution. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'A solution in search of a problem. We don't tax capital gains at all in Texas, and we're exceedingly unlikely to do so.' - My friend
* It's good to tax the relatively rich.

Reasons to vote yes:
* Limited government, limited taxes

Proposition 3 - Requires the denial of bail under certain circumstances to persons accused of certain offenses punishable as a felony

No – It has the word "requiring." I'd prefer that judges have flexibility for individual cases. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'This is one of those showboat amendments Republicans love to insert into elections to look tough on crime. It would give judges more options to deny bail to people accused of murder or similar offenses. But don’t judges already have that authority?, you may ask. Yeah, they do. So why don’t we just simplify things and keep the current rules in place?' – Austin Chronicle
* This 'introduces a financial barrier only put on poorer Texans, as denying bail usually requires a trial, increasing risk of imprisonment to overcrowded jails.' – Progress Texas
* 'While aimed at improving public safety, this amendment undermines individual liberty by expanding pretrial detention without conviction and curtails judicial discretion. It creates a rigid, constitutionally enshrined mandate that risks overreach, erodes due process, and expands the scope of government authority without adequate safeguards.' – Texas Policy Research
* Denying bail more often could result in overcrowding of jails and more money required to fund jails.

Proposition 4 - Establish a Texas Water Fund to finance long-term water infrastructure projects

Yes. We have a water problem, with demand set to outpace supply, and water is up there right after air for basic important things, so even though maybe we could do better, I like this focus. Other reasons to vote yes:
* 'This is a transfer of funds to the TX Water Development Board, and while it is a governor-appointed board, they are specialized in the field, and I trust them more than I trust the TX Lege to do the right things for water needs in the state.' – My friend
* Long-term funding would help address aging infrastructure and farmers’ needs, as well as our economic growth. – Progress Texas

Reasons to vote no:
* 'While addressing water infrastructure is vital, this resolution undermines limited government and fiscal transparency by embedding automatic spending into the Constitution. It crowds out private-sector solutions, reduces future tax relief opportunities, and limits legislative accountability for long-term fiscal commitments.' – Texas Policy Research
* 'Water conservation is a critical component of the strategy to meet future water needs in Texas, and is not addressed by this plan.' – via League of Women Voters

Proposition 5 - Exempts animal feed inventories held by retailers from property taxes

Yes. I oppose inventory taxes in general. And this might help a little with food prices. Other reasons to vote yes:
* 'animal feed is part of the food chain, which has other parts exempted from property taxes.' – My friend
* 'Under current law, animal feed is typically exempt from taxation at each location or transaction during its life cycle, from the field where it’s harvested to the purchase of the feed by a farmer or rancher, except for when the feed is sitting in a store as inventory.' - LWV
* 'Due to the seasonal needs of the agricultural business, warehouses are fully stocked when property taxes are calculated. This results in higher taxes on sellers that are passed onto the consumers.' - LWV

Reason to vote no:
* 'Other business owners’ inventory is taxed; we’re not convinced an exception should be made here.' – Austin Chronicle

Proposition 6 - Bans new taxes on securities transactions

No. I don't think this belongs in the Constitution. And I don't think I'd mind this sort of tax if it could be made to work; it seems pretty progressive to me. It seems to me that it would mostly affect day traders, not investors like me or retirement portfolios. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'It seems safe to surmise this proposition is in response to the Texas Stock Exchange set to launch in 2026. The state wants to signal to investors in TXSE that it won’t have those pesky fees and regulations like its New York counterpart. Financial institutions, brokers, et al. don’t need our help making money.' – Austin Chronicle
* 'Solution in search of a problem again. We don't levy taxes on this, and there's no indication that we ever will, so what's the point of a ban?' – My friend

Reason to vote yes:
* 'This amendment would preemptively prohibit the Texas Legislature from imposing taxes on securities transactions or from creating new occupation taxes on registered financial market operators like brokers and exchanges. It aims to shield investors and financial institutions from future taxation in this space.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 7 - Property tax exemption for deceased veterans’ spouses

Yes. 'This proposed amendment fixes a gap with respect to veterans who, while they do not qualify as fully disabled, died due to a condition or disease related to their service. These exemptions could be transferred to a subsequent property for an equal amount, but would apply only to a surviving spouse who had not remarried since the veteran’s death.' - LWV I like fixing the gap. Part of me thinks spouses shouldn't get the same benefits as actual vets, but most of me knows that those spouses also make sacrifices. Other reasons to vote yes:
* 'Applies to a small group' – My friend

Reasons to vote no:
* It doesn't discourage moving, but it does discourage re-marriage, so it's anti-family.

Proposition 8 - Bans taxes on estate and inheritance

No. I prefer maintaining flexibility. I have some issues with inheritance taxes. When the tax is on a family business the heirs intend to continue running or on a house that heirs plan to live in, I oppose taxing it in a way that means they have to sell to pay the taxes. However, if the heirs want to sell it anyway, then I am for a tax. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'Solution in search of a problem. We don't tax inheritance, and we're not likely to. There's no point in a ban.' – My friend

Reasons to vote yes:
* 'Proposition 8 reinforces private property rights, personal liberty, and limited government by ensuring Texans are free to transfer wealth without punitive taxation. It prevents future overreach, supports family financial stability, and protects generational business continuity without affecting current revenues.' – Texas Policy Research
* 'The state would still be able to impose or change real estate title and motor vehicle transfer taxes, or normal property taxes.' – LWV

Proposition 9 - Increases a tax exemption for business equipment from $2,500 to $125,000

No. I oppose wealth/inventory taxes. But 'HB 9 could encourage business owners to avoid taxes by creating new business entities or spreading inventory across appraisal districts to take advantage of multiple business personal property tax exemptions. Without methods to trace common ownership or coordinate between appraisal districts, a taxing entity would lack the mechanisms to ensure that each taxpayer only received one exemption.' - https://hro-dfr.house.texas.gov/bill-analysis?legislature=89&session=R&billNumber=HB9 I feel quite confident that all the scumbag businesses would do this. It also looks like a significant amount of money would be lost.
* Per https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/22/texas-statewide-propositions-november-ballot-election/, 'The state would help pick up the tab for the amount of property tax revenue school districts would lose. This would cost the state an estimated $193.5 million from general revenue in 2027 and more than $100 million annually from general revenue in subsequent fiscal years, according to a fiscal note from the Legislative Budget Board. Other taxing entities like cities and counties would either have to raise tax rates to make up for the lost revenue, or go without it.'
* 'Texas already ranks near the bottom in per-student funding, and the state has repeatedly failed to cover its share of education costs. Until lawmakers fix that imbalance, the state shouldn’t pursue tax breaks that exacerbate the problem.' – Austin American Statesman via https://ballotpedia.org/Texas_Proposition_9,_Authorize_$125,000_Tax_Exemption_for_Tangible_Property_Used_for_Income_Production_Amendment_(2025)

Reasons to vote yes:
* 'The exemption would ease the tax burden on small businesses and the self-employed.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 10 - A temporary exemption from property taxes for homesteads completely destroyed by fire

Yes. 'There is currently no process for tax assessors to recalculate a homeowner’s tax bill if property is destroyed by a fire after the date of appraisal. The legislation allowed under this proposition would set forth such a process.' – LWV More reasons to vote yes:
* 'Fires are getting to be more common in our drought-prone state.' – My friend
* 'It allows narrowly tailored, compassionate relief without mandating new programs or increasing government scope, consistent with limited government principles.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 11 - Increases school property tax exemptions for seniors and Texans with disabilities.

No. As a person on a semi-fixed income who is in a house I could not afford to buy today (bought almost 30 years ago), I am still in a much better place financially than if I were a renter. And the state has already shown they often can't keep their promises to make up for things like this. Disclaimers: I'll be 65 soon and do pay property taxes, but am also pro school. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'While it helps elderly or disabled homeowners, it's unstable and it would be better not to rely on the legislature to reimburse public schools.' – My friend
* 'though the Lege plans to reimburse school districts for those lost funds, that presumes a healthy economy and a budget surplus.' – Austin Chronicle
* 'While compassionate in intent, this measure shifts the tax burden onto younger and non-exempt Texans, expands state spending commitments without reform, and erodes tax equity. True relief should come through comprehensive reform—not piecemeal exemptions that weaken limited government and fiscal discipline.' – Texas Policy Research

Reasons to vote yes:
* 'The state will pay for losses, and this amendment provides extra support for an expected 2 million homeowners—who are more likely to be in fixed income households.' – Progress Texas

Proposition 12 - Overhauls how the State Commission on Judicial Conduct operates, including how judges are investigated and disciplined

Hard no. Per LWV, this increases the number of appointees by the governor from five to seven; decreases the number of appointees by the Texas Bar from two to zero; and the six appointed by judges will be appointed by the Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice rather than various judges of the Texas Court of Appeals. This puts governor-chosen members in the majority, and I feel like our current governor has shown himself to be swayed by MAGA at every turn. And the judge-appointed members would be appointed by a single judge. I prefer power to be spread out rather than concentrated. Or as The Austin Chronicle says, 'This is meant to be an independent tribunal; the last thing we want is Abbott hand-picking seven of its 13 members and eliminating Texas Bar representation.' Other reasons to vote no:
* 'The commission doesn't need to be expanded, and the expansion would be entirely appointed by the Governor, creating an imbalance in the commission in favor of the Governor and against the Texas Bar. Bad for Justice.' – My friend
* 'this could be used against progressive judges.' – Progress Texas

Proposition 13 - Increases the school homestead property tax exemption from $100,000 to $140,000

No. Exemptions help homeowners but not renters. We can't rely on the state to make up the difference.

Reasons to vote yes:
* ''If this was implemented last year, it would have helped homeowners save $490, on average. The state will pay for losses in revenue for school districts (an estimated $2.7 billion for 2026-2027).' – Progress Texas

Proposition 14 - Creates a Texas Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention with $3 billion in state funding

Yes. I am a fan of government-sponsored medical research. Other reasons to vote yes:
* 'A worthy cause.' – My friend
* 'we believe this is money well spent – not just for the half a million Texans suffering from some form of dementia (a number certain to grow with the state’s expanding senior population) but for its potential to make Texas a leader in the field.' – Austin Chronicle

Reasons to vote no:
* 'Agency leaders will be appointed by politicians which could lead to distribution of money based on favoritism rather than scientific expertise.' – LWV
* 'expands the scope and permanence of government by embedding medical research funding into the Constitution. It bypasses the appropriations process, undermines limited government, and risks crowding out private innovation in healthcare without clear fiscal safeguards or performance accountability.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 15 - Codifies “parental rights” language in the Constitution

No. Per https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/22/texas-statewide-propositions-november-ballot-election/, 'The constitution would be amended to include the following: “Provides that, to enshrine truths that are deeply rooted in this nation’s history and traditions, the people of Texas hereby affirm that a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parent’s child and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.”

Looking at that actual wording, first 'truths that are deeply rooted in this nation’s history and traditions' is creepy and weird. Basically all biological forms that raise kids have this history and tradition, and you don't need a law for it. Second, the wording looks as stupid as the old marriage between a man and a woman monstrosity: 'a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parent’s child' – children tend to have more than one parent. And divorce decrees, sometimes mess with this—move all responsibility to one parent or switching it back and forth—how would those be affected? And a parent also has 'the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child.' I have a problem with the word 'control.' It seems huge (oh, I am torturing them for their own good) and also naive (you can't really control other people). This just seems to be a lot of hand-waving without any actual protections. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'If approved, this amendment could disrupt public school education due to parents trying to control curriculum and rules for all children based on their own beliefs and ideas.' - LWV That sounds like the opposite of what the amendment is actually saying. I do know parents are often allowed exceptions to school requirements—you can opt your kid out of vaccinations, saying the pledge, and maybe checking out certain library books.
* 'Elevating the rights of parents to the constitutional level could prevent necessary intervention to protect children from abuse and neglect.' – LWV Yikes!
* 'This language was wielded this legislative session to push learning and conversations around gender, race, and sexuality out of Texas public school classrooms and take books with diverse perspectives off of school library shelves. The Christian push for “parental rights” shouldn’t be given a constitutional foundation.' - Austin Chronicle
* 'Parental rights are already outlined in federal case law, and voting against this language being codified would protect against attacks on LGBTQ+ families, book bans, and what’s taught in our public schools.' – Progress Texas 'The push by Christian Nationalists to use "parental rights" to harm LGBTQ+ kids and ban DEI language is wrong, and shouldn't pass.' – My friend
* Edited to add that this law mirrors an existing federal law, so is not needed unless that law goes away.

Reasons to vote yes:
* 'Parents have constitutional rights to make decisions for their children based on federal case laws. Because laws can change over time, including the rights of parents,
the Texas Constitution would permanently establish the right of parents to raise and educate their children.' – LWV Edited to add the way another friend of mine explains it: 'A lot of state programs currently point to federal laws, so "in compliance with" or "in accordance with" or whatever. It's not clear what happens when those go away.' (I don't know which, if any, state programs point to this federal law.)
* 'Proposition 15 affirms individual liberty, personal responsibility, and limited government by codifying parental rights and ensuring state action is narrowly constrained. It empowers families to guide their children’s upbringing without unwarranted interference from public institutions.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 16 - Specifies that only U.S. citizens are eligible to vote in Texas elections

No. I actually think that all residents should be able to vote on laws that affect them. That includes prisoners, convicts, undocumented immigrants, and even children of at least a certain age (16? 12?). So, no, I don't want this in the Constitution. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'U.S. citizenship is already required to register to vote in Texas; the very existence of this amendment is meant to legitimize conservatives’ bogus claim that there’s rampant voter fraud in Texas. This utterly unnecessary language only seeks to spell out that certain individuals are excluded from the elections that affect their own children, schools, and local community.' – Austin Chronicle
* 'This would protect against the Constitution being wielded to propagate xenophobic rhetoric and policies.' And 'This is an inflammatory response aligned with anti-immigration policies and stokes fear about non-citizen voting (an extremely rare phenomenon).' – Progress Texas

Reaons to vote yes:
* 'Proposition 16 affirms individual liberty and limited government by clearly tying voting rights to citizenship and civic responsibility. It acts as a constitutional safeguard with minimal fiscal impact, reinforcing electoral integrity and state sovereignty.' – Texas Policy Research

Proposition 17 - Allow the Legislature to exempt from property taxation any increase in value to land in Texas border counties that results from the addition of border security infrastructure.

No. We already have the homestead exemption limiting increases to 10% per year. There's no need to complicate things. Also, how would you even calculate how much of a valuation change was due to one particular cause? Ugh, no. Other reasons to vote no:
* 'We imagine a massive wall would have the opposite effect, but either way, we’re not about incentivizing the border wall.' – Austin Chronicle

Reasons to vote yes:
* 'It is a narrowly tailored measure meant to avoid penalizing landowners for voluntary security-related improvements.' – Texas Policy Research

City of Austin Proposition

Proposition Q – Allows an increase of the city's tax rate beyond the 3.5% allowed without an election to $0.574017 per $100 valuation

Warnings: This looks a lot like a bond proposal, but it's a forever increase. Also, there's a list of things they want to do with this money (see page 10 of https://austinvotersguide.org/LWVAA-VG-EN.pdf), but there's nothing tying them to these.

Yes. I don't love everything the city does with our taxes, but I do like most of the things on that list. Also my City Council member who I trust (Chito Vela) supports it, my previous City Council member who I trust wholeheartedly to support the little guy (Gregorio Cazar) supports it, and Save Austin Now (who has funded some seriously awful stuff in the past) opposes it (see https://communityimpact.com/austin/north-central-austin/election/2025/10/08/nonprofits-labor-groups-and-council-members-top-donors-in-support-of-austins-proposition-q/), so that cements my vote. Other reasons to vote yes:
* 'I'm willing to pay for parks, low-income housing, and maintenance. Increasing taxes to do so is just how government works, and the benefits outweigh the cost, here.' – My friend
* A video (https://www.facebook.com/FoundationCommunities/videos/kelas-love-austin-mp4/1501012780915346/) showed 'Proposition Q on the November ballot in Austin will help the city maintain its commitment to services for people struggling with the cost of housing.'

Reasons to vote no:
* It's a forever tax.
* It's expected to raise taxes by about $300/year for the average homeowner. Edited to add that if this fails, taxes are still expected to go up $100/year on average.
* It would also make renting more expensive.

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Government Shutdown

2025-10-04T22:00:43Z

Yet another shutdown.

What's supposed to happen?

The federal government's fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. The previous fall, agencies submit their budget requests to Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The President then provides a budget by the first Monday in February. Then the President, OMB, and agency officials explain and justify their requests to Congress.

The House and Senate each have subcommittees for each of 12 different parts of the budget. Matching budgets for each must pass both chambers and be signed by the President to take effect. (Some or all might be combined into minibus or omnibus appropriations bills.) I can't figure out the deadline--early summer?--but that deadline is regularly missed and they mostly just pretend that October 1 is the real deadline, as if no one needs any prep time in knowing what their budgets are about to be.

If the fiscal year is about to begin and they still haven't passed some or any of those 12 budgets, then to prevent a government shutdown (or partial shutdown), Congress may pass a continuing resolution (CR) to extend funding (usually at the same rates as the previous budget) and give them a new deadline.

What happened this time?

First let's look at what happened last time. Last year's budget was also not ready on time. Continuing resolutions were passed in September, December, and March. Finally the budget was passed in July, using the budget reconciliation process, which meant only a simple majority was required to pass rather than the usual 60% majority. That was last year's budget. No Democrats voted for it.

And now let's look at that March continuing resolution. Some Democrats did vote for that, but the reasons they did that might not apply this time.

1) A shutdown hurts many Americans, especially those who depend on government the most. Many government workers will be expected to work without pay. Federal court cases would be delayed. That's still true.

But this time the continuing resolution is extending a different budget, one that also inflicts harm such as by cutting safety nets (Medicaid being a big one, expected to affect recipients, but also lead to small hospitals closing down, especially in rural areas).

2) DOGE under Elon Musk was slashing funding and programs; they feared that a shutdown would empower them to destroy government services even more quickly by deeming whole swaths of the government nonessential and by furloughing staff. This is still true--Trump is threatening this out loud this time.

Yet last time Trump continued to issue illegal executive orders. DOGE continued slashing funding and programs until slowed by court orders, Elon Musk moving on, and other changes. The White House continued to impound funds. And the political purges increased.

3) They worried that a shutdown would distract from Trump’s failures. He had caused chaos in the markets and damaged the economy, but that would take second place to the crisis of a paralyzed government.

This time most people know that his tariffs are fueling inflation and complicating corporate planning. Most also know the current budget hits the poor the hardest to transfer wealth to the already wealthy.

4) Trump's illegal actions were being stopped in the courts back in March, but a shutdown could cause the courts to close. (Though, unlike executive branch agencies, federal courts can operate on their reserves or carryover funds, including what they obtain from court filing fees, for some weeks. Courts around the country could decide to prioritize cases involving constitutional questions or challenges to the federal government's actions.)

Federal courts are still mostly stopping illegal actions, but it's not clear whether the Supreme Court will.

So what's happening this time?

A continuing resolution doesn't have to continue the current budget just as it is (called a "clean" bill).

The Republican version adds funding for enhanced security for federal officials across all three branches (post Charlie Kirk's murder) and extends several expiring health and veterans programs.

The Democrat version extends ACA/Obamacare subsidies, reverses Medicaid and public broadcasting funding cuts from the last budget, and adds "guard rails" against the president unilaterally defunding programs that Congress has already passed.

It sure seems like there's room for negotiation here, since many Republicans also want to extend ACA subsidies. I suspect they could just literally add that to their own bill and it would pass. Unfortunately, many Republicans see 'negotiating' as a weakness.

Whose fault is it?

It takes two to tango and it takes two to shut down the government. So both parties are at fault. Either party could end the shutdown by completely knuckling under to the demands of the other party.

I've heard Republicans saying that now is not the time for hammering out budget details (and Democrats have said the same in the past). Yet, using the budget reconciliation process to pass a budget means you don't have to consider Democrats in hammering out those details, so this might be their only time to have a say.

How long?

Traditionally, preventing and ending government shutdowns has been a priority. They don't last long. The furloughed and unpaid federal workers eventually get their back pay. And then it takes a lot of time and energy to catch up on all the stuff that didn't get done during the shutdown.

But many are saying this shutdown is different:

1) Trump is threatening to fire people instead of just furloughing them. And he's specifically saying he wants to target Democrats, projects in their cities, and programs that Democrats like, as if Democrats are not also his constituents.

2) Some say neither side wants to negotiate this time. Both want to convince their constituents that it's the other party's fault. The Republicans are just being reasonable, and the Democrats are just fighting for their constituents.

(The administration has altered the out-of-office email messages of furloughed workers to partisan messages on why their office was closed. And when the workers notice and change their messages, the messages get changed back. Yes, this is illegal (see Hatch Act).)

3) It's hard for Democrats to agree to a promise to include something in the future when the Republicans can shut them out from negotiations and when president keeps defunding things he doesn't like.

Yet even though many are saying this time is different, I've heard no one saying the government might stay shut down a crazy long time this time. Like until the midterms. The closest I've found is The Street saying it's possible it will stay shut down until the budget is ready for a vote in November. Ha, next month? So optimistic! I hope they're right. Because our government doesn't feel quite authoritarian enough yet that shutting it down like this indefinitely feels right to me.

Disclaimer: If I ever just skipped all my deadlines, opposed the basic principles that my employer stood for, and saw the use of my most important tools as a weakness, how many seconds would it take for them to fire me? Well, maybe I'd be okay if I also focused on pleasing my bully of a boss rather than my clients.

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The many sides of waiting

2025-09-28T22:46:03Z

DuoLingo is trying to break my brain again, so that means I did some research online and you get a post! (Disclaimer: I know languages aren't puzzles, they are ever-evolving entities that don't have to make any sense. Nevertheless, the puzzle strategy can help me remember stuff, and it's basically my only strategy since I am so amazingly bad at memorizing.)

Multiple Meanings

I already knew that "esperar" can mean either "to wait (for)" or "to hope," two meanings that felt very different to me. I finally, almost always, remember that in Spanish you don't need a separate word for "for" when you're waiting "for" something. Which is easy to remember if you think of "esperar" as meaning "to await."

I feel bad that Spanish-speaking English learners have to figure out when to use each word. I mean, waiting for a bus and hoping for a bus feel like two different situations (although the former can turn into the latter, given enough time).

Related Words

And now DuoLingo is telling me that:

1) "Desesperado" means "desperate." (That's sort of like lacking hope, except you haven't totally given up. It's sort of like running out of time to wait, though you still have a little time left. Researching, the "des-" part, which I've always thought of as being a negative, actually means something more like "apart." Desperate people are separated from waiting or hoping and I guess have to take matters into their own hands.)

2) "Inesperado" means "unexpected." (Um? Yep, that was unexpected.)

So, first of all, it turns out "esperar" can also mean "to expect." So that's three meanings our poor English learners have to distinguish between. And there's also a Spanish word "esperado" that means expected or awaited. So now of course it can make sense in my brain that "inesperado" can mean "unexpected."

Related English Words

Supposedly English is a Germanic language but it seems like we got a bunch of our fancy words from Romance languages (like Spanish, but probably via Latin and French). So, if you know some fancy English, some Spanish is easier to learn, like since I know the word "quotidian," it's been easy for me to learn that "cotidiano/a" means "everyday" in Spanish.

English words that come from the same Latin root as "esperar" ("sperare") include:
* despair, desperate, desperation, desperado (all related to lacking hope)
* prosper, prosperity, prosperous (for hope or according to expectations)

Related English Words I'd Never Heard Of

But things also work the other way. I understood the English word "edifice" the first time I saw it after learning the word for "building" in Spanish ("edificio").

Some related English words that I'd never heard of:
* esperance – hope or hopefulness
* sperable – in the range of hope or something you could reasonably hope for (cool!)

Danger!

Another thing I learned from my online research is that even when you want the "to expect" meaning, you don't talk about things you expect but don't want. (Just like hoping.) If you expect a bad thing to happen, you'd say you "believe" ("creer") or "think" ("pensar") that thing is going to happen. Okay, woah, that could get new speakers in a lot of trouble.

Now I'm wondering if there's a different word for waiting for something you dread.

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Book Review: The Last Policeman

2025-09-18T23:17:03Z

Summary - Ben H. Winter's The Last Policeman is about a young police detective (Henry Palace) in Concord, New Hampshire, investigating whether an apparent suicide is really a murder. And also doing a favor for his exasperating sister.

Characters - I really like Palace. He’ll make one or more observations about a person, then often tell you whether he likes the person. And normally he does, which often is better than my first impression and so is fun. And even when he doesn't like the person, he stays on task about figuring out the reality of whether this unlikable guy is the bad guy he's looking for. Some reviewers find him boring, and he probably is one of the more boring characters in the book, but I like characters who are decent and competent and self-aware.

Writing – I quite like some of the writing. Here's an example of a character description:

'Zell, it seems, was a kind of wizard at actuarial math, had a nearly supernatural ability to sort through long columns of demographic data and draw precise conclusions about risk and reward. He was also almost pathologically shy, is what it sounds like: walked around with his eyes on the floor, muttered "hello" and "I'm fine" when pressed, sat in the back of the room at staff meetings, looking at his hands.

"And, boy, when those meetings ended he would always be the first guy out the door," Gombers says. "You got the feeling he was a lot happier at his desk, doing his thing with his calculator and his statistics binders, than he was with the rest of us humans."

I'm scratching away [taking notes], nodding encouragingly and empathetically to keep Gompers talking, and I'm thinking how much I'm starting to like this guy, this Peter Anthony Zell. I like a guy who likes to get his work done.'

My favorite writing is when Palace tells waitress Ruth-Ann, “I’ve got a question for you.” And Ruth-Ann responds, “I have an answer. You go first.” (Will I be able to copy this in real life? I think in real life, people are more likely to say, "Can I ask you a question?")

Genres – It's a police procedural and a mystery, though the type where solving the mystery is not necessarily satisfying. Sometimes things are just sad or tragic all the way around. But (and this is a little bit of a spoiler, but so is the cover illustration) I'd mainly call the genre of this book pre-apocalyptic fiction. There is a very bad thing definitely happening in several months' time. This is the first book of a trilogy, and the bad thing happens a few minutes after the end of the last book.

I have to say it was hard to read this at the same time as I was reading books about pre-apocalyptic Hong Kong (Hong Kong from the Enchantment of the World series and Karen Cheung's memoir The Impossible City). Hong Kong was colonized back when China was probably the most advanced civilization in the world, so advanced that they considered Europeans to be barbarians. Europe wanted to trade with them, hoping to get silk, spices, etc., but the Chinese were not interested in the Europeans' wool, steel, etc. So the English smuggled in opium. As you might guess, trading silk and spices for opium is not great for your economy. China continued resisting, but somehow England kept defeating them at war and colonized Hong Kong, which eventually ended up in the position where it was to be released back to China in 99 years.

A lot can happen in 99 years. During these 99 years, mainland China changed into a Communist dictatorship that Hong Kongers did not want to be a part of. So the last of those 99 years could be called pre-apocalyptic. If you're one of those people who mourns people and places that no longer exist in your city, just know that trend is much worse in Hong Kong. (I also learned there was actually supposed to be a 50-year period after England left and before China took over, but China jumped the gun.)

It's also hard the read this during the current presidential administration. The scene in the book when the bad news comes out hit me hard in the gut. The closest thing I’ve experienced to that feeling was the two times Trump won an election. (Also pre-apocalyptic, but not as bad as in the book. And I like to think there’s still more hope for us than for Hong Kongers as well—we have a larger majority and are still technically a democratic republic.) I had nightmares.

In the book, there is no hope. I mean, brains are creative and so some people found hope, but no.

The publisher solicited essays, short stories, and poetry from their readers about what they would do if they'd found themselves in this pre-apocalyptic situation, but that page appears to no longer exist. As for me: I've no idea. I suspect I'm a head-in-the sand sort. Thinking about it more could yield ideas for how to deal with a mid-life crisis, I mean find meaning in life, but I'm not up for that right now.

I did not enjoy the other two books in the trilogy as much as this first one. The setting gets a lot darker in Countdown City (book 2). The new mystery is interesting, but Palace takes a weirdly long time to get started on it. And there's a deus-ex-machina moment, which I don't enjoy.

In World of Trouble (book 3), the plot revolves around the annoying sister, and Palace keeps ignoring warnings to stay away from various situations, which I didn't like. His obsessions are less cute when they’re 90% of his motivation instead of 50%. Virtually nothing happens in the first half of the book, where he ends up wandering around almost randomly (which turns out to let us see how two new-to-us families are dealing with reality, so that's interesting). But then finally he gets back to his investigation and it's an exciting plot-twist city.

There are books I love and want to read over and over, and there are books that stick with you, and sometimes they're not the same. This is mostly the latter, though I might re-read the first book a few times.

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Review: Focus Friend

2025-08-22T00:38:31Z

I recently blogged about corporations hacking your brain for profit. And now I’m writing about an app designed to hack your brain to focus on actually doing stuff, “Focus Friend by Hank Green” (and Bria Sullivan of Honey B Games).

It’s a very simple app. When you start it running, you choose a specific period of time during which you are going to focus on something other than playing on your Apple device. During this time, a cartoon bean character begins knitting. When you do anything else on your phone the bean gets distracted and sad and stops knitting. When you succeed in leaving your phone alone, the bean has time to knit quite a lot of socks. And then you can sell these socks to buy decorations for the bean’s room.

So, this is not about rationality. Why spend time setting the timer and decorating an imaginary room if your goal is to actually do stuff? Why is it more motivating to not want to disappoint a cartoon bean than your own self? But people are not always perfectly rational, and when they’re not, it’s so cool if they can work with their weirdnesses to get stuff done anyway. And for people who enjoy the dopamine hits of certain kinds of video games, this app can help them use that enjoyment for something useful.

On first glance, that’s not me. I do like spending too much time on video games, but they aren’t on my phone. They’re on my laptop and tablet. But that’s just a technicality. I can still set the timer and then make myself turn it off if I get off task. In fact, the default setting actually lets you do other things on your phone, and you are just trusted to only focus on the things you want to be doing and not let yourself get distracted.

Another cool thing is how they make their money. Like many apps, it’s free to buy and you can use it for free or spend money for extras (like even faster knitting, or knitting more-valuable scarves, or having a different look for your bean). Unlike other apps, there are no ads. Because there are no ads, they don’t have to collect information. There are actually no scumbags involved. And yet, somehow it jumped to the #1 spot in Apple's App Store in the US and some other English-speaking countries for a while.

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Review: Expecting Better

2025-08-18T01:31:14Z

I found Emily Oster's Expecting Better: Why the Conventional Wisdom Is Wrong--and What You Really Need to Know (updated for 2019) in my closest little free library.

I am not pregnant, never have been, and never will be. The same is true for most of the people I know. So why am I reading this? For the same reason I read my favorite fiction--I like the main character (the author).

She does illustrate the principal that if you give a kid a hammer, everything's a nail. Her hammer is economics research: 'here is the thing: the tools of economics turn out to be enormously useful in evaluating the quality of information in any situation.'

She tries to teach her students 'that making good decisions--in business and in life--requires two things. First, they need all the information about the decision—they need the right data. Second, they need to think about the right way to weigh the pluses and minuses of the decision (in class we call this costs and benefits) for them personally. The key is that even with the same data, this second part--this weighing of the pluses and minuses--may result in different decisions for different people.'

In my own brain, the part about my own preferences is part of the data.

In this book, we get to see the data she found and also her opinions (rare in nonfiction). For example if you're trying to conceive (or trying not to), you might be interested in temperature charting. You take your temperature daily because the day after ovulation, it goes up a half a degree or more. 'The biggest issue is that it tells you only after you ovulate. So although it is useful for predicting the next month [if you're regular], it doesn't help with this month. Also, it's not as simple as it seems. To really make this work you need to take your temperature at the same time everyday, ideally first thing in the morning after four to five hours of continuous sleep. The results can get screwed up by jet lag, a fever, or a bad night of sleep.

'I liked this method a lot, if only because it enabled me to feel like I was doing something proactive every day (and because it produced data, which I could use to make attractive charts). The downside is that I was never especially good at it.’ Ha! Pretty charts!

Summarizing her research on prenatal yoga: 'the word on yoga is positive. So positive, in fact, that I even considered trying it. Once.' See, she's a character!

She decided to [try to] go without the epidural. It doesn't hurt the baby, and it greatly reduces pain, so why not? 'I'd summarize it as harder labor versus easier recovery.' As her husband (also an economist) summarized the data, 'It seems crystal clear that epidural lengthens labor, increases fever risk and worsens fetal position, very likely that it increases instrumentation [using the fancy salad tongs or plunger to get the baby out] and probably that it increases C-section.' And yet he would definitely choose it were he having the baby. Her 'mother, who had three children in a period when epidurals were not widely used, was especially incredulous. "They have drugs now!" she kept telling me, before launching into a description of her 96-hour unmedicated labor with me, which concluded with (in her telling) four orderlies pushing down on her stomach to get me out.' FYI, she succeeded in not getting an epidural, for both her kids.

And here's a fun psychology-related observation: 'One thing I quickly realized was that, by and large, women who want to avoid the epidural also want to avoid any other medical intervention. The natural childbirth community is negative on basically any medical interventions during labor--the epidural, yes, but also any other drugs during or after labor, fetal monitoring, any movement restrictions, and so on.

'The world really seems to contain two groups: those who would like to avoid any medical interventions, and those who embrace whatever is the standard birth practice. I had a strong instinct to want to align completely with one group or the other--I think this must reflect some basic human desire for group identity--but I didn’t want to do this blindly. I wanted to do it with evidence.'

I've only noticed this sort of thing once, for political parties. I didn't feel the need for a group identity, but I did wonder what I might be missing on issues I didn't agree with, especially the ones in the party that I was most likely to agree with.

Okay, here's one more fun quote for you. 'Planning for juice or sports drinks [during labor] may be a good idea for another reason [besides hospitals often don't let you bring food into the delivery room]: once labor gets going, you probably are not going to feel like eating. Marathon runners don't typically stop for a ham sandwich, and you probably won’t want to take a break for one either.'

Of course most of the book is about pregnancy-related research studies, so I won't be re-reading this. I looked up other books by this author on Goodreads, but they are all about parenting. And her professional publications are economics articles, so I'm done.

Have you enjoyed any nonfiction because of interesting or fun character(s)?

Disclaimer: I've read several travelogues (looking for interesting books set in other countries) and in general do not like them. Apparently it's common for people to travel to an exotic foreign land to find themselves, but be whiny, first-world snooty, and unappreciative of all the cool things around them the whole time, and then write a book about it. I mostly try to stay away from those books now.

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Living My Values, Part II

2025-08-02T20:24:24Z

So a friend told me that people who thoroughly live their values like I discussed in my last post tend to have mental issues. Like the guy who volunteered to donate a kidney but was rejected because he had already donated his other kidney.

Okay, I should probably make a whole other post about how I don't have common sense so I have to use brute intelligence to figure things out.

And for this issue, I've realized that I am willing to do the following two-pronged approach to aligning my actions with my values:

1) Keep my values in mind - Stay on the lookout for ideas on how to more closely align my actions with my values. Going to church weekly is a great example of how some people do this--you get reminded every week about very different things than what ads are keeping in the forefront of your mind.

I mostly have my social media keeping me updated with new ideas.

2) Try new things - As I get more ideas, I will actually try some of them.

And living your values isn't just about you, it's also about the system. Systems can make some things very easy and some things very hard. So, it's easy for me to recycle because my city has provided a can to everyone living in a house (which includes me) and they come by and pick it up every other week. My city also allows us to choose to get our energy from wind (of course I still get it from the grid, but my money supports wind energy), so that's easy.

On the other hand, it's hard for me to avoid single-use plastic and to know what's going on behind the scenes for most of the goods and services I buy (a big exception being ingredients lists and nutrition information).

So I should also try to keep up to date on system changes.

And I should remember that of course I will be better at doing the easier things than the hard things, and that's okay.

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Living my values

2025-07-24T20:11:59Z

I recently read a passage in a book encouraging me to align my actions with my values. I am absolutely not going to be doing that.

If I did, I'd have to eat only foods that have been grown or caught sustainably, probably mostly plant-based and local, and I should probably grow some of it myself.

I'd have to stop using fossil fuels. Supposedly my home electricity is from wind, but I could no longer go anywhere except on foot or bicycle.

I'd have to look up the median income of humans on earth and start living on that, contributing the excess to those less fortunate than me, just to be fair. Since I have pretty good free health insurance, that wouldn't leave much spending money. I'd have to be homeless or at least have way more roommates than I currently have.

And I'd have to look for a job in an ICE prison and magically get the skills to secretly smuggle in some things like clean water, good food, medicine, and mail; smuggle out things like mail and people; and regularly use de-escalation skills I don't have.

I don't think the book was trying to horrify me.

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Fighting the man to take back your physical and mental health

2025-07-22T22:25:47Z

I just watched the video "You're Not Addicted to Content, You're Starving for Information" by the vlogbrothers (specifically, Hank Green). It's much longer than the usual vlogbrothers video, so I'll summarize.

1) For almost all of human history, a scarcity of food has been a big problem. 'The first American generation that for the most part did not have to worry about getting enough food is still alive.'

2) But now many of us actually eat too much, though it's still healthier than malnutrition. 'And now we're in a society where companies compete to create the most delightful and engaging and inexpensive food possible. ... If the calories are cheap and they're designed to hack your brain into not realizing you've consumed them, you will eat more food, and it makes sense that companies would optimize for that.' The term companies use for this extra tasty food is 'hyperpalatable.'

3) So this over-eating is not healthy, but informing people about the nutritional problems with their favorite food is not enough to fix the problem. 'It turns out that the solution is mostly avoiding food that has been designed to be extremely tasty.' Ow!! Part of why it's hard is that 'having too much food is a very new problem' and we don't have the cultural structures to deal with it, plus 'we don't have as much agency as we would like to think.'

(He likes 'the elephant metaphor' where 'our bodies are the elephant and our consciousness is the person driving the elephant. We all have many situations where we've realized we would like to go somewhere, but the elephant doesn't want to go that way, and it simply will not. We just can't, in that moment, stop ourselves from saying the mean thing, from making the bad decision, from finishing the burrito even though you are stuffed full of burrito.')

But then he says, 'But luckily, we're cultural, and we build cultural tools when we have to. It just takes a long time.' It's hard to adapt to change. 'The way we get better at things when things change isn't entirely clear, but it does seem to happen with food.' We now might have a cultural 'vibe' that some of these addictive foods are gross or cringe and we turn away from them to prevent them from having that kind of power over us.

4) Similarly we've also long lived in a world with information scarcity, and now there's a similar overabundance. 'And definitely the people who package up information to sell it to you are competing with each other to make that information more hyperpalatable. And in many cases, the process that makes the information hyperpalatable also makes it worse for you. It makes it easy to only consume information that you like. Information that hacks your brain into consuming more of it. Information that doesn't contain the vitamins and the fiber and the protein that your brain needs to have a functional, useful model of the world that helps you thrive in your environment.' Some information is just like empty calories, but some is much worse, like 'the outrage bait, the conspiracy theories that alienate you from your communities. And just like with the nutrition labels,' mere education is not enough.

He says, 'giving away your agency a little bit can be fun and rewarding, but giving it away completely isn't just damaging to you and your ability to flourish, it's kind of cringe. Like nobody brags about the start of their second hour on TikTok.

'What worked with cigarettes and I think what is working some with food is shining a light on the people who want to manipulate us. ... We need to understand that the people and the platforms and the foods ... are very good at hacking your brain and taking away your agency, and the creators and leaders ...alienate you from reality so that they can keep control over you, ... keep you scared of everything, angry at everything, feeling superior to everyone. ... And I do think that eventually we will see that stuff ... as so manipulative and cringe and [its creators as] imagining us as tools to be used.'

He thinks the solution is not teaching people how to do fact checking and have good informational literacy, but telling stories 'of people trying to manipulate us into being their tools despite the fact that it's going to make our lives worse.' His example from smoking was a commercial showing a guy dying in a hospital and a bunch of businessman standing around him mourning that he was their greatest and most loyal customer and talking about how to replace him, 'and then the camera pans to a young person in the hallway of the hospital.'

One great thing about vlogbrothers videos is the commenters.

One commenter summarizes, 'Basically reframing addiction from something you can't stop consuming to having a strong need to consume and the addiction is fake satisfying that hunger.'

Another commenter: 'I think this is a problem in general with junk foods and part of why turning away from the hyper palatable foods is so hard; a lot of people, myself included, turn to that easy to achieve (although hollow) stimulation that junk food offers because it takes too much out of us to find or achieve the things that would be truly fulfilling. The idea of only sticking to boring foods is almost distressing because of this.

'And yeah, the same can be said for social media, phone games, etc. it's easy shots of dopamine at a time when people don't have the time or energy to get the real deal.'

Another commenter: 'I am a bit sad you missed the chance to point out that most of the tobacco CEOs went on to own food companies after cigarettes really lost the war.'

Another commenter brings up another similar situation: "this makes me think of road design, 'info about calories will make people healthier' sounds like 'a lot of traffic signs will make people drive better', but people won't drive better with more traffic signs, they will drive better with infrastructure that guides them into driving well, so what 'food infrastructure' do we need?"

And a comment on that was 'I used to be a big part of laser safety for companies I worked at, and the biggest piece of info of safety was signs don't work, they're a temporary last defense. Having labels on every piece of food doesn't mean they're any safer, nor does it mean the user will ever even take the time to read them. All the true safety valves are upstream before labeling even comes into play. I never made this connection to food labels before as Hank did in the video, nor road signs, for telling people about this problem, kudos.'

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Peaceful Protest

2025-06-15T17:47:48Z

I'm happy to report that the No Kings protest seemed just like all the other protests I've been to. But with a bigger crowd.

I noticed the uniformed folks this time, though, because of the news. They were just standing around talking to each other while staying alert. Someone posted video of them noticing being filmed and then smiling and waving. So, as usual, my life is nothing like the news, for which I'm very grateful.

Also as usual, the best parts were the signs and costumes. I saw two protesters dressed as the president. One was held captive in the golden lasso of a gal dressed as Wonder Woman (thus forced to tell the truth), holding a sign showing truths he was saying. One was in a fancy airplane, decorated with golden balloons saying "ME."

Favorite signs:
* Pawns can never be king
* Bring back empathy and competence
* Fight ignorance, not immigrants
* Our monarchs are butterflies
* No Faux-King Way!
* Who Would Jesus Deport?
* If I wanted a king, I'd buy a mattress
* Veto the Cheeto
* You know it's bad when the introverts are out here
* Trump for Mayor - Alcatraz 2027
* If it was Kamala, we'd be at brunch right now

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Blank Yard Sign

2025-06-08T17:37:52Z

I got a blank yard sign at my local hardware store for reasons that I won't make to clear to search bots. But in these days, it's nice to have a re-usable sign. So I got one of those corregated plastic yard signs. I chose a small one, with the longer sides about two feet long.

I have some so-called dry-erase markers that work on it, but they work as wet-erase markers. So I won't be updating the sign during any events. Still, it should be easy to change it between events. These days I feel like I should carry it everywhere I go, updating it every hour. (My horror journal regularly has more than ten entries per day!) But that's the kind of weirdo I'm not quite up to being at this time.

I've gotten one of these signs before, but used a Sharpie on it, which I'd heard could be cleaned off with alcohol. Not so much. Then I used multiple pieces of paper taped to each other and to the sign, but my new system is much quicker and easier.

The yard sign comes with a double post for displaying in your yard, but I have found that this is awkward for event use. Instead, I bring a fork whose tines fit in the little holes at the edge of the sign. Then it's pretty easy to hold the sign up in the air. I keep the fork stashed during my bus rides.

(Maybe I will find a neighbor with a yard sign whose posts are messed up, and I could leave mine with them.) (Well, I suppose I could use it for a yard sign, too, but my yard is so terrible that it gives a negative impression of the residents.)

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What Can We Do?

2025-05-21T20:33:12Z

A friend recently recommended What Can We Do? A Hierarchy of 20 Things to Resist Fascism (Part 1 of 3). The author comes from a very left-wing perspective, but what he says applies to everyone who is pro-democracy. And he writes for an audience that is already convinced that we are headed for autocracy--even if you don't agree with that part, there are still be some good ideas for you. It's like what if I go to extra efforts to take care of myself, and then it turns out we have a real election in 4 years after all? Win-win! You just have to be ready to deal with his anxiety and even anger before reading and be ready to translate what he's saying into language that makes sense to you.

The best thing is that besides having a *lot* of ideas, he has them organized in a hierarchy, starting from the most important and safest and then working up to the toughest, most dangerous ideas. This hierarchy isn't exactly in the order I would choose and it gets a little less organized at the top, but it's still fantastic.

I like the end points. First: take care of yourself, just like on an airplane. (Except on an airplane, the [non-high-jacking] pilot isn't actually trying to kill anyone.) And last: civil disobedience, which he calls passive resistance. He emphasizes that it's not yet time for "direct action," no matter how tempting. That would just give them another excuse to escalate. And I will add that it's never time for violence (except in self-defense). One thing I've seen way too many times in my reading about other countries is that the new regimes that come into power on a tide of violence tend to end up just as bad or worse than the one they overthrew. Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is not your friend, but another enemy trying to use you for their own ends.

Here are some more ideas that spoke to me (organized by which section he discusses them in).

1. Survive. Prepare and Plan.

'At what point will you leave? What is the trigger? Is it the first demonstration where the National Guard opens fire on U.S. citizens? Is it the quiet acceptance of Republicans trafficking U.S. citizens into El Salvadorian concentration camps? Is it when every blogger and activist writer starts getting arrested? Is it when trans people have to wear identifying markings? Is it when political dissidents go missing by the dozens? When will you pack up the car and drive?

'Where will you go? Canada? Mexico? What city exactly? Have a "go bag" ready. Get your paperwork in order. Do not let your car get below a half a tank of gas.'

Yeah, my current "not yet" answer might really not been good enough. I don't want to leave. I'm not one of the main targets and can pass for not being a target. But I've been reading that part of the fascist playbook is to demonize some set of people and then expand that demonization to all those who support those people or protest the demonization.

2. Thrive

If you're a target, 'every act of pleasure and joy is a subversive slap in their face.' Even if you're not, 'it's difficult to emphasize enough just how much the cruelty and malice and horrors can GET to you. It's a struggle just to keep from sinking into The Swamps of Sadness.' And that makes everything else harder, too.

6. Document the truth

He thinks that even just keeping a private off-line journal of what's going on is a form of resistance.

"There’s going to be a lot of fascist attempts to rewrite the story. Not just the overarching narrative—sometimes the very facts themselves. ... So keeping a record can help you stay grounded. It can remind you that you’re NOT crazy when you feel like the goalposts are shifting. It can help you remember exactly what you felt, when you go back to see what happened on a day. It may remind you that a month ago, you found today’s everyday behavior absolutely unconscionable, and how far normalization has brought us all. It may even possibly be of use to historians."

My new horror journal fits into this.

7. Give support/Deny support

'If you are surviving, thriving with radical self-care, know what's going on, think about it and document what is true, but are not quite ready to step into the light of direct attention, you can support those who are doing what you want and deny support to those who aren't.'

You can both help out people who are in the trenches the same ways you might help a new parent or a mourner or someone dealing with cancer (casseroles, help with chores, etc.). You can vote with your dollars - 'The nice thing about economic activism is that they're so focused on their profit margins, they’ll feel the pinch almost immediately, even from small changes.

'Also, maybe you just take the time to find a board gaming group that doesn't "hear everyone out." Or find a church service that isn’t shaming queer people for being fed up with MAGA.' (Obviously I do want to hear everyone out; he means accepting the opposite of reality as one of the "both sides" that people should hear.)

I think this is where I am in the pyramid right now, figuring out more ways to do this. 'Megacorporations aren’t always easy to work around, and doing so is almost always some form of privilege. So just do the best you can.'

9. Support Democrat politicians

If you're a conservative, you will definitely have to reframe some of this author's arguments who finds most Democrats to be too centrist.

Or not. 'It's vote blue, and then hold them accountable. It's "This might not make things better, but there is a surefire way that they'll get worse…"

'...There is nothing the left [or anyone pro-democracy] wants that isn’t a hundred times harder to achieve when authoritarian forces have us scrambling.

'...Fascism exists in the U.S.—even under Democrats. (Even though Democrats don’t like to think about that very much.) But it is SO much easier to fight. It is so much more violent and developed and articulated under Republicans.'

10. Do not obey in advance

This is a fairly new idea to me, though I've heard it before. 'Most power is yielded to authoritarian regimes freely. Of course, some people agree with what’s going on. But even among those who don't, there isn't really any appreciable foot dragging. People consider what the authoritarian government wants and then do it without even being asked. They think if they're super extra sugar-on-top cooperative, the eye of persecution will never fall on them—even though there was LITERALLY no time in history when that was ever true. And if the authoritarian can move six steps without even having to ask, then they’re that much less tapped out when it's time to take steps seven, eight, and nine.

'They are watching us closely to see what they can easily get away with, and what will cost them political capital and a hard fight. At least, make them pass a law before you obey. Or expend resources to force your contrition. Or demand it. Something.

'At some point, they will ask. Then they will tell you that you should. Then they will get in your face. Then there will be threats. Then they will come after you. Whether any of this is legal when they do it is highly questionable. It’s up to you how long you hold out, but do NOT comply in advance.'

He actually doesn't go into specifics on this one.

11. What CAN you do?

'Remember in The Three Amigos (which… is one of those eighties movies that hasn’t aged super well, but it’s better than One of the Guys) when the Amigos ask what the people of Santa Poco are good at, and someone says, “We can sew!”

'So Martin Short is like, “Sew like the wind!” And then the bad guys come and think the Three Amigos are fucking everywhere because the townspeople are all wearing Three Amigos costumes that they sewed.'

That reminds me of the session I went to on the StrengthsFinder, where instead of emphasizing improving your weaknesses, they emphasized finding more ways to use your strengths. My favorite example was the person bad at math but with good people skills, learning to watch for the hints their math instructor was giving on what was most important and focusing study time on those things.

'This movement needs everything. It’s going to need artists. It's going to need idealists. It's going to need ambassadors. It's going to need politicians. It's definitely going to need lawyers. It's going to need keyboard warriors. I have some old comrades who opened a free clinic in the inner city. I have a friend who knits Afghans. You might think that's sort of boring, phone-it-in activism. But he has, over time, been responsible for giving upwards of a thousand cold people a blanket. I promise you that’s a positive impact.

'Some folks will be better at opening their wallets and supporting the cause financially. (And boy, do we need financial support.) Some will be better at organizing. Some will be so good at doing their "five calls" that they can do other people’s five calls—maybe even fifty or a hundred calls a day. [See 5 Calls.] Some will be better at creating TikTok videos. Figure out what your skill sets are, and then make a plan for how you can use that to support. Lean into what you're good at.'

12. Choose an institution or ideal to defend

I have heard many times that we can't respond to everything, and that this makes us want to give up, but that instead we should just focus on one or two things. But he makes it sound like this isn't as useless as it feels. 'Pull one thread and help to unravel the whole thing.

'...So pick an institution—maybe a media outlet, a particular law, a court, or even an ideal like voting rights—and defend it. Use a search engine to find out about its struggles, and show up. Give time, energy, maybe money if you have it. Make five calls to your representatives, and keep the pressure on to protect this institution.'

15. Educate

I feel like most of my friends and readers are already educated.

'The job of an educator in activism is to combat false narratives, check bunk facts, frame arguments, point out choices in language. ... Most people have a motive to pretend to be reasonable, and then reject ideas that cause cognitive dissonance.' Some can't be reached. Some 'will need your gentle patience. Many folks just woke up. They need some time to become James Connolly. Teach them the truth of what is going on. Teach them their rights. Teach them how to build a response team. Teach them how to give mutual aid. Teach them how to do phone trees. Teach them how to build parallel infrastructure. Teach them how to resist.'

Well, okay, I don't even know how to do all that stuff.

17. Protect the vulnerable

He gives a lot of examples, from some that seem less scary, like speaking up for people, to some that seem very scary, like blocking an attacker or preparing an Anne-Frank-style hidie hole.

18. Resist

I started hating this word when Obama was president and a majority of Republicans decided their job was to resist rather than to create counter-proposals and negotiate. They just blocked everything that came from Democrats, even things that you would normally expect them to like.

And that's what he means here. But this part isn't aimed at legislators. In this section he talks about doing everything you can to slow them down. 'At this point, you are causing trouble for trouble's sake. Yes, you've got everything lower on the pyramid going on, but you're also just getting in the way. Waste fascists' time with lengthy, wandering, pointless explanations. Be hostile (without getting yourself into trouble for being violent). Talk at length. Bring up irrelevant issues. Go on tangents. Spend several minutes looking for your ID (even though you have it with you).

'Keep yourself safe from injury, repercussions, and always make sure you have plausible deniability, but start to be absolutely EGREGIOUS every time you deal with a fascist—be it a law enforcement officer, a soldier, or just a die-hard MAGA. Make vague patriotic statements so they feel embarrassed to cut you off. ("I know someone doing their best to uphold this great country we both love, like you and I do, understands the need for tightly laced shoes—so I'm just going to do that right now, shaky fingers be damned. This won't take TOO long, my loyal friend. I hope you're not in a hurry. What am I saying, of course you are—you have so many important things to do since you are such an important person—a cog in the greatest machine in the world, am I right? Now… what was the question? Oh right, right, right…my ID. My ID. Let’s see. It's here somewhere…") Misunderstand everything and try to clarify endlessly. Ask for instructions to be repeated. Quibble over wording. Reopen previous discussions.

'Act stupid.'

Post of the Day

Speaking of acting stupid, I found Jay Kuo's Clueless, Chaotic and Contemptuous: A crash course in how the Trump administration avoids answers and accountability to be interesting and horrifying. 'The ability to recognize these tricks provides critical context for the listener to not succumb to the gaslighting.'

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Silly Restaurant Idea

2025-05-14T02:43:13Z

I thought of a theme for a restaurant - for when you're tired of thinking of your own clear liquids the day before your colonoscopy.

There would be chefs, so instead of your ramen packet broth without the noodles, you could have fancy bone broth. You could have clear broth aspics and popsicles.

Only the finest coffees, teas, and flavored waters. Fresh squeezed apple juice and white grape juice and white cranberry juice. And sure, non-red/purple Kool-Aid and soda and sports drinks. In the summer, these could be made into slushies. Or concentrated and poured over snow cones or ices. In winter, (non alcoholic, strained) apple cider could be heated.

You could have fancy, layered popsicles and jellos in your choice of combo: fruit-juices, Kool-aids, sports drinks.

To be very silly, have white tablecloths and candles. The jellos are in parfait glasses. The teas are done in the fancy tea ways.

The menus would have to have some kind of disclaimers at the top probably. The ask-your-doctor-first kind and the don't-eat-this-for-all-your-meals kind.

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Advanced Journalling, Part V

2025-05-12T23:35:28Z

I've figured out my last journal type I'm going to do. I never would have guessed, but it's closest to the worry journal I talked about in my first post. In that post I wondered, "Wouldn't it make you feel worse? According to Restoration Counseling of Atlanta, writing down your worries and then literally closing the book on them can help you stop ruminating. Interestingly, they say to "List bothersome issues on the left side of the page." But also, "Think about what you can do to help resolve these issues and write your plans on the right side of the page." (I hate when people just say to try to ignore things or take deep breaths rather than actually trying to change things.) They do admit that sometimes we do have to learn acceptance."

I've decided to write what I'm calling a horror journal. When I read about something horrifying in the news, I'm writing a brief description (with a link to the source) and, just like they said, setting it aside and moving on. I'm not going to be including ideas for resolving every one of these issues because that can get very dark. (So, like a normal worry journalist might say--I'll never finish this assignment in time, and then write down that they could work on it a little each day, ask the professor for advice, etc.) The problem is that the issues I'm listing are things I have very little control over. And having to come up with some sort of solution for all of these impossible, devastating horrors is too much for any one person. I'm already always on the lookout for ways to fight these problems and write to my representatives rather frequently. Mostly I look for ways to join what others are doing and thus amplify their voices, so I sign petitions, join e-mailing campaigns, show up at the occasional rally, and try to vote with my dollars (and of course with my actual votes).

I think most people doing worry journals are fighting more personal worries of some kind. They are especially good for people with crippling anxiety or depression. I keep reading about mindfulness and acknowledging thoughts and feelings without judgement. I don't have crippling anxiety and I'm not judging myself. Instead it feels more like I'm acknowledging the horrors that others are facing, and I am giving them a place of honor. Kind of like a veteran's memorial, but for things like democracy, decency, public health, and the environment. I don't have to try to remember them all--they are all going to be in one place if I need to refer to them.

I wish I'd been doing this the first 100 days. It feels good to have the response, "Okay, this is something I'm adding to my list" instead of just, "Aaaah! Swear swearing swear-face!" I get my frustrations out safely, semi-calmly.

Skip the rest of this post if you need a break from the news. Because today I've noted:
* Although T has supposedly stopped all immigration, he's sent a private aircraft to accept South African Afrikaners.
* "DHS is terminating Temporary Protected Status for people from Afghanistan — meaning they will start deporting those who helped the U.S. and cooperated with our forces, sending them back to Afghanistan and to the Taliban where they will be targeted, jailed or killed."
* House Republicans' proposed Medicaid cuts would mean 13.7 million people will be knocked off the health insurance rolls by 2034 according to the CBO. [I've learned earlier that some people on Medicare don't even know it; they only know the name of their intermediary insurance company.]
* At least one Canadian company is being hit with fees beyond the tariffs just in case their stuff is really made in China.
* The new head of the Library of Congress is a loser lawyer.
* The IRS is losing 11% of their workforce, including 31% of auditors, meaning they will lose much more money from cheaters in the future.

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Advanced Journalling, Part IV

2025-05-05T23:08:14Z

I'm almost finished with David Sedaris's Theft by Finding. Here's another journaling-related quote from there: "A woman on All Things Considered wrote a book of advice called If You Want to Write and mentioned the importance of keeping a diary. It was valuable, she said, because after a while you'd stop being forced and pretentious and become honest and unafraid of your thoughts." And I read a Facebook comment from fellow Rebel Jo Readman who said "My teenage diaries are pretty good- they tell my life and about the world around me. But trying to write like that these days hasn’t been helpful, and I realised I needed to stop writing it for a third party 🤣" I haven't had these troubles. I come to this blog to write for third parties!

One Line a Day

I've tried writing one line a day. Usually I'm so verbose! And some days it's been more like three lines, but I think I like it. Even though the news creeps in too much. Example: 4/21 - "Mourning Pope Francis. I wonder if he made much of a difference. Did he change many hearts and minds?"

Prompted Journal

I'm still enjoying this one, though now some of the prompts are getting tough. For example, "The craziest thing I have ever done in my life." I try not to do crazy things and feel like I have succeeded. I was telling some friends about this and one said that I have done some things that other people might see as crazy. So true! I thought of these:
* Went to an expensive college. (One grandma definitely thought this was crazy.)
* Converted to Judaism.
* Bought a house as a single woman.
* Retired at age 52.
* Moved to Texas. Twice.

And then on the same page, "5 things I am glad I tried but will never do again." Mostly I'm only glad to have tried things that I've turned out to like! I guess sushi? And then I realized most of the people I've dated fall into this category. I'm definitely glad I dated them, but since they've made it clear they're not interested in me like that long-term, then of course I will never date them again!

A surprisingly fun one (the last person on the list): "People I miss" - Mom. Dad. Kristen. Patricia. Bill. McKath. Obama.

Health Journal

I still need one more kind of journal. And I think I'm just going to count the health pages in my bullet journal. I just need to get back in the habit of actually writing in it. Here's what I have space to record:
* Produce eaten
* Steps walked
* Other exercise done (such as strength training, Walkabout minigolf, English Country dancing, juggling)

Update: I got a wrist brace to treat my possible carpal tunnel syndrome and also used my nondominant hand for more things for a while, and this worked! Or something did--the symptoms are now gone.

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March Challenge: World Book Day

2025-03-30T22:51:22Z

The Rebel Badge Club has monthly challenges, which are fun because everyone's working on them at the same time and so you can get plenty of ideas. The challenges don't all interest me, but March's Challenge for World Book Day sounded fun. It's not all about reading but touches on all kinds of aspects of books, which is fun.

There are 28 requirements of which at least six must be completed.

The first thing I learned is that I tend to lose motivation between when I learn about a new challenge and when I'm officially allowed to start it. I appreciate the lead time for planning, but in reality, instead of waiting a few days, I wait a couple of weeks, and then it feels like stress. In the future I'll start whenever I feel like, though I won't post anything until the first day.

Even with only 6 things required, I didn't finish by the end of the month, having done only 5. That's okay; the mantra around there is how badges are self-assessed, so you can do them however you like. And it's all about fun and personal growth, and there's more of that to be squeezed out of this challenge, so I'll keep going. But I'm posting now so I can link from the group's page during the proper month.

I'd already done many of the requirements in the past. Those aren't supposed to count. But there are also plenty of requirements for things I've never done. And there's room to do old things in new ways. And of course any excuse for more charity, even if it's just repeating something that's been done in the past, is good. It's the last day today, so I'll post now, but I plan to do a few extra things as well.

Here are my notes (crazy long, so behind a cut).

1. Dress up as your favorite character and pose with the book they are from. Who is my favorite character? Is it the guy from Blind Waves? I think I'd need a suit? And handcuffs? And to get a burn scar for one side of my face. Or Robin's favorite from that book is the gal--I'd just need a tank top, shorts, and a ponytail.

Better, I think, would be to dress as "a" favorite character, one who would be fun to dress up as. I have enjoyed dressing up as Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at work and passing out candy to people I see.

I've also dressed as Greta Thunberg from No One is Too Small Too Make a Difference (nonfiction, but still a book) for Halloween. It was a couple costume--my partner was my protest sign. I'd memorized a lot of quotes to say seriously to people, but that's not ideal party behavior!

And just now I realized it might also be fun to dress as Mrs. Pollifax, from, say The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. I'm old enough now! I'd need a big hat with lots of flowers all over it and some kind of pre-polyester-age old-lady dress and probably high heels, but I'd have to check. Maybe for Halloween this year.

2. Host a party where the food and entertainment are based on a book. A roommate and I once threw a party based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We made golden tickets to mail out in envelopes decorated like Wonka bars. We made a floor-to-ceiling chocolate pipe (okay, just a tube) from brown construction paper. We labeled our closed bedroom doors as rooms from the factory. And when people arrived, invariably it wasn't exactly at the start time. So one of us would open the door and say how the invitation clearly said a certain time and it was now another time. "Good day!" and close the door. Then the other one of us would open the side door, "Psst! Come on in!" And when they did, the first person would say, "Ah there you are, glad you could make it!"

We learned there is such a thing as too much chocolate. And also, watch the movie before eating so that the candy scenes are mouth-watering instead of groan-inducing!

Right now my house is not good for parties. I have not even tried to think of a book I like that could inspire a party in a public place.

3. Write a review of a book you love and post it somewhere publicly. I've posted many reviews on this blog, but not this month. Ideally I would post somewhere much more public, such as Amazon, to provide more support to the author. And that has a learning curve, and I didn't do it.

4. Wrap up a 'blind date with a book' and give it to a friend. - I'd never heard of this. You wrap up a book and write a little something about it, like "It has a nice personality" (just kidding). Like the genre and the mood. And then give it to someone. I asked a person what kind of books she liked, and based on that, I got an idea of a book to give her, but then she confirmed a suspicion that makes me think she wouldn't love that book (I think she likes nonfiction focusing on fascinating details more than big-picture nonfiction). So now I don't have the perfect book in mind and will have to do more thinking.

5. Become a book fairy--Learn about the scheme and hide a book for a stranger. This is hosted by an organization from which you buy stickers, or at least bookmarks for a book, and then you set the book out in public where someone will find it. The organization wants the finder to continue the tradition so lots of people get to read the book. I never got around to this either.

6. Done! Follow a recipe which appears in a non-cookery book. - I once read a very complainy memoir on moving to France which I did not enjoy, but the author included a lot of recipes, including one that her daughter insisted on. This plain, boring old recipe was for traditional French (lemon) yogurt cake, and it was awesome. I'm surprised I haven't posted it here, but there are recipes for it online if you're interested.

Another idea would be to get something from an old Girl Scout book. One could argue that it's partly meant to be a cookery book.

I ended up trying the recipe for Welsh Rarebit (fancy cheese toast) from Liz Sonneborn's Wales (Enchantment of the World series). The picture doesn't match the recipe: the recipe says to mix cheddar cheese, flour, Dijon mustard, and butter and heat until it makes a thick sauce and then use it to top toast, but in the picture it looks like it has been broiled after having the sauce added. So I looked up other recipes. Okay, virtually all of them have beer in them instead of milk and also Worcestershire sauce, but yes, you do broil it afterwards. So I did that. The sauce was pretty good and might make a good macaroni and cheese. It was a little too thin to work perfectly like the pictures, but then I just eyeballed the measurements because I didn't have enough stuff for the full recipe.

7. Take part in an in-person book club. I've participated in book club meetings at both my local library and with the No Kidder's club. I do like hearing people's opinions about interesting books, but I usually read the reviews at goodreads. I never even looked up what books they're doing now.

8. Take part in a silent book club. - I'd never heard of these before. Everyone comes to a cafe or something with their own book and reads. Silently. I can do that more comfortably and cheaply at home. But apparently many times people will talk about the book their reading just before or just after the official time for the silent book club. I actually found one of this in my city, but did not try it out.

9. Make a book nook. Yes, I want to do this. I didn't get one yet, though. Some creative Rebels made theirs from scratch rather than from a kit, which was pretty cool.

10. Done! Read a book you haven't read since childhood. This was hard. All the books I remember liking from my childhood I have re-read multiple times throughout my adulthood. The one exception is The Furious Flycycle, only because I haven't been able to find a copy, and I still can't find a copy. I remember once when my brother and I were babysitting each other, we watched "The Twilight Zone" and then were too scared to sleep. So we used The Furious Flycycle as an antidote of silly fun and it totally worked!

Finally I remembered how I once had a teacher who'd read Pippi Longstocking to us, one chapter a day (or was it one chapter a week?). I have not read it since, so I got it from the library and read it.

I remembered that I'd always looked forward to hearing the next chapter and that Pippi cleaned the floor by strapping scrub brushes on her feet and skating through the soapy water, which was cool. I think Pippi was a little too wild for me. I mean I'm someone who preferred "Mr. Rogers" over "The Electric Company" and even "Sesame Street."

Well, unlike so many old books, the suck fairy did not visit (it was not full of racism, sexism, etc.). Indeed, Pippi was a bit wild for my tastes, but often our normal ways of doing things would perplex her in ways that were perfectly easy to understand. So the book can make you take a second look at cultural norms, which is fun. I also liked that she never tried to lure people into doing crazy stuff with her. She had a very strong policy that people should only do what they want to do. She would invite her friends over to watch her adventures and they were allowed to join her or just enjoy them vicariously, which was pretty cool. I didn't enjoy her whopper lies about how people live in different countries though. And overall, her ideas were too messy for my tastes. But this book had been on my list to re-read as a classic from Sweden, so I got to check that off my list, too.

11. Read a book which was made into a film; then watch the film and compare. I've done this many times; the book is almost always better the movie. (Exception: "The Firm" movie captured the book plus had a better ending.) I've also discovered that I'd generally rather watch the movie first. I enjoy the movie, and then I enjoy the book more. If I read the book first, then the movie is at least partly a disappointment. Though I can also understand wanting to read the book first unbiased by what the filmmakers have done.

Sometimes the book and movie are so different that they can each just be enjoyed on their own terms if you can just convince yourself that it's parallel universes. Like "Ready Player One" had all different puzzles than Ready Player One.

I did find a few pairs of books and movies where I hadn't already read the book or seen the movie (Hidden Figures, The Devil Wears Prada), but never got around to checking them out.

12. Paint or draw your favorite book cover. I have no idea what my favorite book cover is. Nor am I good at painting or drawing. I'd thought of looking for books with very plain covers I could try to copy.

13. Design a new cover for a book you love. My first idea was for books where the artist clearly hadn't read the book, and I'd want a cover truer to the book. My partner's idea is for books that have spoilers in the cover!

Again, I can't draw.

But I just now got the idea that I could find some of the drawings done by the author of Paige's Story and use them to make another kind of cover.

14. Write a letter to your favorite author. Why? Who? I think my favorite author is Stephen Bury because I like both their books, but that's really two authors and one of them is famous.

Apparently less famous authors still like to get letters from fans talking about what they liked or how the book affected them.

15. Read a book to a child who is not related to you. I have not done this since I worked in a day care center. That was my second favorite thing to do at that job, the first being playing soccer in the sandbox. Six of them against one of me was pretty evenly matched and therefore fun!

With my nieces, it is traditional for us to take turns reading pages (or pairs of pages). That's cool!

I do not currently have easy, non-creepy access to kids. Although I'm just now realizing I have a neighbor who has a kid in the hospital right now who just might enjoy being read to, but gah! Social skills! Commitment!

16. Done! Read a book from a genre you wouldn't normally choose. There are reasons why I stay away from certain genres. But I realized that book genres are like movie genres which I think of as having three categories:
a) The kind I like so much that I even like mediocre movies or books from that genre.
b) The kind I like only when the movie or book is really good.
c) The kind I want to avoid.

So the second category would be ideal for this requirement. And for books, the obvious choice is fantasy. And I've been wanting to read some more books by the author of the Murderbot series, but her other books are fantasy rather than sci-fi. So I'm reading Wheel of the Infinite, though I'm not quite finished yet.

As expected, I don't love it like Murderbot. (But it's just not fair to compare other books to Murderbot.) Interestingly, the fantasy world is based on a far eastern medieval society rather than the usual English medieval society, so that was mildly interesting. But the descriptions of everything, though long and detailed, don't paint a very good picture in my head. I'm always getting surprised--wait, we haven't gotten there? I guess we saw it from afar and now we're closer. The magic of course doesn't make sense to me. Fortunately, they have an equally ignorant character who gets explanations, but the whole book is about the main character not understanding some magic-based thing that's happening and so they are wandering around trying to figure that out. I do like the characters, but it's not enough to make me want to read the book again. I'd still try another of her fantasies, though.

17. Make a set of bookends - In school I made a plaster-of-paris sculpture (from one of those tiny milk cartons) that I use as a bookend right now. Mostly I use the uprights of shelves as bookends.

But doing some research I learned that putting craft foam under something heavy helps keep it from slipping and thus makes it a better bookend. I also found Jack Heath's invisible bookends made from paper that I want to try.

18. Read a book with a mushroom on the cover. I've been wanting to read this one highly-reviewed book on the life of mushrooms but I can't remember which one it is. (I think it's Entangled Life, or is it Mycelium Running or something else?) The two I mentioned are at my library but checked out with holds. I never even put my own hold on one of these books.

19. Read a book which features a dragon. I have already read several books featuring dragons and got some more recommendations from fellow Rebels, but never found them, let alone read them.

20. Big bookmark exchange - Design and make a bookmark and swap it with another Rebel. Talking? To strangers? Not my favorite. Plus the best bookmarks I make are out of either old greeting cards or magazines, like from the wildflower center. Not fancy cross-stitch or whatever.

Looking to see if there were bookmarks that didn't slip out so easily, I found these origami bookmarks that you slide over the corner of the book. Maybe I should try one of those. But it does look like it would take both hands to put on, and would I end up just slipping them between the pages like regular bookmarks?

21. Help with a literacy program, either online or locally. The closest I've come is mailing books to a friend in prison. He could already read, though. I have another friend who's helped with the Inside Books Project sending books to prisoners--and last I heard, what they most want are dictionaries and Spanish/English dictionaries, which are definitely related to literacy. I've also worked for one of those tutoring companies teaching reading to school kids. But I didn't do anything new for this badge.

22. Read a book with the word "duck" in the title. A fellow Rebel recommended Mark Atkinson's Run Like Duck: A Guide for the Unathletic which sounds fun but my library doesn't have it. Another Rebel recommended Tarquin Hall's Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck, which is still on order at my library. They also have electronic copies but they are all checked out.

23. Done! Read a banned book and unpick why it was banned. I've already read a lot of banned books. But a fellow Rebel recommended Jeannette Winterson's Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, which I'd never even heard of, and my library had it so, victory! Except this was not my thing. I guess this could have counted as a book in a genre I don't normally read (literary). A gal was adopted specifically to be groomed into becoming a missionary, which sounds horrifying but it actually worked out great. The gal loved the work and was good at it. Unfortunately, she was attracted to women.

The book was banned by people who oppose promoting homosexuality, and having a likeable person who is also gay is seen as promoting it. Even though it turned her life upside down and is more of a warning than a promotion. The book was also banned by religious people who don't like they way it portrays Christianity. Even though the most extreme character, the mother, was described as crazy, not a typical Christian. And our main character did have allies in the church, though, admittedly, most of them ended up leaving town, as did she.

The book was pretty interesting, being set in a world pretty alien to me. And the writing was thoughtful with interesting things to say. But the plot! I found no resolution. For example, the mother stopped saying "Oranges are the only fruit" and started saying they weren't. Why? What changed for her? I have no clue. I don't know why the protagonist went home after being disowned. I don't know why the mother then accepted her as if she's just been gone for a day.

24. Done! Read a choose-your-own-adventure style book. A fellow rebel recommended My Lady's Choosing, set in the Regency period. It started off great! "You are you, the plucky, penniless, Regency-era [female, hetero] version." But apparently you're also sex-crazed, which is not what I'm looking for in a Regency romance. (Or any book.) Also, characters come out of nowhere. She has a brother? Her dead lover never died? Ugh, I have no interest in re-reading this to see the other possible adventures.

On bodice-rippers, a fellow Rebel said she can't stand to read them because the sex scenes feel like a radio announcer narrating and she can't help hearing Howard Cosell's voice. Hilarious. In my case, that might help!

25. Donate some books to a free library. I've done this fairly recently. Two months later the books were still there, so I moved them to another little free library (farther from me), where they may still be there to this day. I wonder if, as people have moved to digital reading, little free libraries have changed from places where the problem is people stealing all the books to sell them into places where people dump their unwanted print books.

I wouldn't mind donating some kids' books to the free library by my local elementary school, but I have not acquired any.

26. Turn a quote from a book into art. Hmm, what quote? All my favorite quotes that come to mind mean nothing out of context. For example, "No, they wouldn't." (A guy in handcuffs tripped while climbing up the stairs. The immigration officer caught him so he wouldn't fall. The guy thanked him. The officer said anyone would have done the same." But no, no they wouldn't!)

Maybe I could draw a space ship hanging in the air, "much like a brick doesn't" (from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Or the deliverator from Snow Crash with "esprit up to here."

27. Do some 'extreme reading.' Read a book in weird and wonderful places all month and share the pictures in the group. I am already known throughout the neighborhood as that weirdo who reads while walking. I have pretty good peripheral vision and do stop at intersections and other obviously risky spots. But I have walked into a tree branch and I have failed to see someone approaching me on foot at a comfortable distance. I should not be encouraged in this behavior. It would be better to learn how to get electronic books on my phone and listen while I walk.

It has been fun seeing pictures of fellow Rebels reading on mountain trails, on roller coasters, and other silly places, though I can't help thinking that mostly they were just posing rather than reading.

28. Create a travelling book club with 3 or 4 other Rebels. You each start with a different book, read it, and add annotations. Then you all send your books on to another member and continue. Once you've all read and annotated all the books, have a Zoom call to discuss. Use the Rebel Readers group to organize this. This sounds super fun with the right books, and I even had someone offer to include me, but I lost that offer.

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Advanced Journalling, Part III

2025-02-28T03:46:05Z

Prompted journal

I have enjoyed responding to journal prompts and will continue to do that.

Strength-training diary

That's on hold. I think I have incipient carpal tunnel, and that's my excuse for not doing much strength training, which, in turn, is my excuse for not doing much on my strength-training journal. But hey, I did my taxes, so that's a relief. Which is good for one's health.

/Excuses.

More ideas

I could make a list of all the issues I'm writing to my reps about. I could finish my holiday newsletter for 2024. And I could still do brief entries in Spanish.

There's a new monthly badge I'm liking (details later). One of the possible requirements is to do "extreme reading," where you read in different locations and take a selfie. If I found a related location for each book and took a picture, that would be an interesting kind of reading journal.

Nothing's grabbing me at the moment. I'll have an update next month.

Reading a diary

I have checked out David Sedaris's huge Theft by Finding: Diaries 1977-2002 from the library. To help me decide whether to check it out, I read the Introduction, and it was fascinating. He described how he edited down his journals for this book, and how someone else could have made him sound like a whole different person by editing out different things.

But my favorite part is, "If nothing else, a diary teaches you what you're interested in. Perhaps at the beginning you restrict yourself to issues of social injustice or all the unfortunate people trapped beneath the rubble in Turkey... You keep the diary you feel you should be keeping, the one that, if discovered by your mother or college roommate, would leave them thinking, If only I was as civic-minded/bighearted/philosophical as Edward!

"After a year, you realize it takes time to rail against injustice, time you might better spend questioning fondue or describing those ferrets you couldn't afford... The point is to find out who you are and to be true to that person. Because so often you can't....

"What I prefer recording at the end--or, more recently, at the start--of my day are remarkable events I have observed (fistfights, accidents, a shopper arriving with a full cart of groceries in the express lane), bits of overheard conversation, and startling things people have told me. These people could be friends but just as easily barbers, strangers on a plane or cashiers." (He's tried to edit out the ones that turned out to be urban legends!)

And he also talks about the format he likes to use, summarizing, "This is what cavemen did before paragraphs were invented."

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