Sunday, August 30, 2015

Bin Lazy

...sort of.  That is, I've not been blogging much for several reasons:

  • School started 2 weeks ago (not counting the "teacher's week" mandatory time).  I'm finding it easier, as I've taught the same subject for 4 years now, but it is time-consuming.  Also, my principal put me in charge of the administration of a website that our students and faculty are to use for test prep.
  • My husband and I are working to clear out the detritus of our lives - financial, housework, old paperwork - and we spent most of Saturday just doing a bang-up job on ONE room.  I've been doing kitchen clean-up this morning.  I spend 1-2 hours a day on clearing up the avalanche of paper that is teetering on my desk.
  • Our washer is down - we're trying to decide whether it's worth getting a handyman in to fix the part, or just throw in the towel, and get a newer, more energy-efficient one.  Meanwhile, we're schlepping the dirty stuff to a laundromat.
  • I'm still working on the How to Teach Chemistry Without Blowing Up the Lab e-book.  I've reached, and passed, the halfway point, so want to make sure that it gets done sometime this semester.  If you might be interested in it (or know someone who might), send me your contact information, and I'll let you know when it's ready.  I'm planning on making it available on either Amazon or Teachers Pay Teachers.
  • I'm feeling the hurricane season - no, we haven't had one hit landfall yet, but the constant fluctuations in the air pressure is causing my joints to be stiff and achy.  In 2005, when all Hades broke loose, I would wake at night in agonizing pain - being the slow creature I am, it took me a few months to make the connection to the weather.  Still, it beats Lake Effect Snow.
I've been following the Sad Puppies saga.  Basically, the controlling powers in Fan Science Fiction (funnily enough, NOT the actual fans) had been nominating their deconstructin', gender-bendin', transgressive faves for many years, and ignoring the books that actual fans thought were worthy of a Hugo.  Over the years, it got harder and harder for non-gay, male, Conservative writers to even be considered for the prizes.

Enter the Sad Puppies, who put up slates that were NOT chosen for their demographics or politics, but because the writers/editors were considered worthy of the honor.

Boy, oh, boy!  Did the SJW (Social Justice Warriors) get their fangs out!  They just KNEW that the ONLY reason for the SP action was because the awful Racist, Sexist, Homophobic, anti-whatever EVIL men (the SJWs kind of ignored the women involved, because, ya' know, if a woman disagrees with the SJW, they aren't REALLY women) wanted to CRUSH all that was good in this world.

Read more at Monster Hunter Nation, Cedar Writes, et al.  Our own Francis Porretto has commented on it, too.  Lots of drama, fun, vicious invective - and nobody died.

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