1. I'm in Maine right now visiting the kids, and I mean that in both sense of the word. I'm both visiting my niece and nephew, and one of my sister's goats just recently gave birth, resulting in frolicky, happy twins who are indescribably cute. 2. Most people like animals, which is to say they … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Abbreviated Vacation Version
Friday Flotsam
Saturday Flotsam: Heroic and Pseudo-Heroic
1. Somehow, I forgot all about the Flotsam yesterday until late, so we're doing it today instead. Albeit still kinda late. 2. An idea that came to me that I haven't quite fleshed out. There is today what might be called 'pseudo-heroic' fiction. This is framed as a heroic tale, but has this crucial difference. … Continue reading Saturday Flotsam: Heroic and Pseudo-Heroic
Friday Flotsam: Grammar, Super-Heroes, and Socio-Political Stuff
1. I'm learning grammar at the moment. I figured after five books, a few short stories, and dozens of articles published, it was probably time. Don't want to rush into these things. Obviously, I already knew a fair bit of grammar, but I knew it either instinctively, simply out of use, or from distant recollections … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Grammar, Super-Heroes, and Socio-Political Stuff
Friday Flotsam: Self-Examination
1. Maybe it's from what I've been reading, or maybe it's born of melancholy, but today I feel like being honest and 'real' as the saying goes and just sharing a bit about myself and my perspective in general. Though I suppose how real I am is something of an open question. But never mind. … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Self-Examination
Friday Flotsam: Traveling, Pollution, and ‘My Hero Academia’
1. I'm currently on the road visiting my sister and brother-in-law in Alabama. 2. On the way we've been listening to A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, about the author's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, which alternates between oft-hilarious anecdotes of him and his degenerate, but strangely lovable friend struggling along the … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Traveling, Pollution, and ‘My Hero Academia’
Friday Flotsam: Post Lent Crash, John Wick, and More
1. This week has been largely consumed by the post-Lent crash; where you've spent weeks holding off from various temptations, denying yourself certain pleasures, then have a few days of intense emotional energy and effort in reaching the pinnacle of the liturgical year...and all at once, you're done, and you can do all the things … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Post Lent Crash, John Wick, and More
Friday Flotsam: Done With the Job, Men’s Conference, and Louis L’Amour
1. Today was my last day at the Job. Mostly a matter of putting things in order. It's such a relief to be done at last. 2. What happens next is, of course, the big follow-up question, but I have time to worry about that. There are a few avenues I might pursue, but mostly … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Done With the Job, Men’s Conference, and Louis L’Amour
Friday Flotsam: Mental Health and Recent Reading
1. It’s been a rough week; at work we had one support person out on vacation and another got fired. Which meant it was just me and one other person on the phones. Working the phones is not at all my skill set. The long and the short is that I ended up with a … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mental Health and Recent Reading
Friday Flotsam: AI and Sentience, Goldfish, and More
1. I've never read Song of Ice and Fire or seen Game of Thrones, but I have to pay congratulations to George R.R. Martin: Well done, sir; you have become the new Duke Nukem: Forever. 2. Do people actually take what AI bots say seriously? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but still; you do … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: AI and Sentience, Goldfish, and More
Friday Flotsam: Cut Short
1. Had an unexpectedly bad day yesterday; nothing really happened, but I found myself strangely lethargic and unhappy. I experience this kind of dreariness every now and again, and it never results in anything good. I need to find a way to snap out when that happens. 2. I'm realizing that part of the effect … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Cut Short
Serpent's Den 