martinimade

• Some stories just need to be read to be believed.
• Who's a good dog?
• The Shakespeare of shipping containers.
• The gerrymander run.
• I'm from the greatest city in the known universe. You?
• I'm reminded of the first line in my favorite Iain Banks novel....
• Thoughts about love.
• And I’m one of ‘em.

"Who is this DIVINE SHRUBBERY of EXISTENTIAL GRIEF?"

- The Fug girls on Grace Jones is what we all need right now.

I've been running around like a woman chased by bees for the last few days and haven't had a lot of computer time. So only two links, plus some shameless promotion.

• Huh.
• This is me.

And for the shameless promotion: Look! A Dry Martini column at AMR! This one is about a PR and a road trip.

"I hear you.
You are shocked.
You have daughters.
You wish to express your outrage and solidarity with women.
You wish to let us know that you would protect us from harm.
You think Harvey Weinstein is a monster.
You proclaim that WE must ALL do BETTER for our WOMEN.

None of this is "incorrect." These are all "right" answers. And I know you genuinely feel upset and angry and staggered at the scope of the crime.

But I'm going to bring you into the inner circle right now, guys:

I DON'T REALLY BELIEVE YOU. NONE OF US DO.

We can't afford to.

I know and like hundreds of nice guys, and I trust 3 men on this entire fucking Earth."

--- KatyKatiKate on Harvey Weinstein

and...

"This has to stop. Instead of saying, “You cannot smoke in here,” we are telling every woman, “there is going to be smoke in the restaurant, so encase yourself entirely in protective sheeting.” Instead of saying, “Do not go around lighting people on fire,” we are telling women, “Don’t be flammable.” But you can’t be human and not be flammable. This is not like walking down a dark alley and getting mugged, because for that to be true you have to have the option of not walking down the dark alley."

-- Alexandra Petri in the Washington Post.

• While I think a bit of what Ada is describing applies more to those who live a different (more urban, more social) life than I do, I can honestly say that I, too, know this rage. And exhaustion. 
• Further proof that a marathon is not just two half-marathons.
• Oh, space.  You are so full of mysteries.
• Speaking of mysteries...(and if memory serves, there was a webcam that documented its decomposition.)
• Career death: a love story.
• Scott Miller: Songwriter and cowman (and friend).
• A fundamental truth of being female.
• One of the reasons why I loved TV's Dirk Gently. No, it wasn't (just) the corgi.
• Wise trees.
• Road trip!

“Own the strangeness of who you are."

Kiese Laymon drops a lot of truth in this short interview about writing and teaching. (ht nerak)

•  Sign. Me. Up. (but the club will need better lighting.)
• The Blague is back!
• Will SCIF be the word of the year?
• Here for it.
• I have had this exact same thought. Happy (within reasonable bounds of happy) to have it echoed.
• Can a person sauna for four years? Asking for a friend.
• This is how reporting works.
• Oooof.

"Our challenge is not to play that game better, or find our own scapegoats, or make people even angrier. That’s easy. The harder part is getting people to see politics not as a small, petty, daily game, but as that big, hopeful, unfinished movement to inch America ever-closer to its founding promise. The harder part is inspiring people to believe again."

-- Jon Favreau, American Awakening.

Related-ish: Five things you can do right now to reduce gun violence in America.

• I've chipped in $20 to read Farah on Heinlein....
• How the tutus are made.
• Ungrateful is the new uppity.
• When to worry.
• “You’ll still be the hero of this story."
• A new focus for the CDC.
• Two things about this piece - 1) I might need to go to WorldCon in 2018 and 2) I really need to re-read the Callahan books. 
• Distillery cat wanted.
• One day, I'd like to be half as badassed as Helen Mirren.