Librarybarb

Readers & writers can only see thru the prism of the present. Whether it be historic fiction or SciFi, the story originated in a specific time & place. What’s truly fascinating is to see how some classics get picked up again when they speak to the current moment, eg The Prince, 1984, Art of War.

Had an argument with a colleague that I wasn't a "real" sff fan because I hadn't read "the classics". I was like - yes I have: Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula le Guin... He did not agree that they counted.

It's far more important for a reader (and especially writers) to discover their own personal canons than the ones handed down from above. Anybody wanting to get into any genre should start by reading the books that sound cool to them. One weird trick, I know.

Note to Kristi Noem:

It is far better to be mocked in a cartoon for how you look than to be shoved into the back of a U-Haul and kidnapped for how you look.

Underappreciated truth for "pragmatic" armchair strategists to consider: Republicans win despite holding unpopular positions BECAUSE they employ political purity tests.

Coherent ideology wins because people understand it. That's the part to copy, not the fucking bigotry and hate.

As redistricting chaos hits a wave of states, it’s worth asking: What do we wish we’d done years ago? Not unilaterally disarm & ban gerrymandering, yes - but also: Would be nice if we had more state leg seats in red states & had more local talent ready for new surprise districts.

Apple can best be understood as a Private Equity firm eating itself. We hear “Tim's job wasn't to innovate, it was to scale," but don't realize this is a euphemism for moving from "investment" to "extraction.” Your unhappiness is the same as that felt by patients of PE-owned nursing homes. (thread)

Xcel Energy tells residential consumers to conserve energy on hot days, during PEAK solar generation hours when we SHOULD be using that electricity for cooling, but doesn’t say boo to crypto miners or chatbot data centers.

Reductions in individual consumption pale next to corporate waste.

Alabama immigration advocate detained by ICE in traffic stop, family says: ‘Just heartbreaking and discouraging’ "Her detainment is not only legally questionable — it is morally wrong," a petition demanding her release reads.

In Alabama, another horrible ICE detention story— pulled over for going 1 mile over the speed limit and then put into detention, a woman who earned a masters degree and has become a beloved community advocate. Not a criminal. Someone who contributes to America. www.al.com/news/2025/08...

This Is Not a Drill: When the FBI Hunts Lawmakers for Political Resistance...You’re in a Coup The coup isn’t coming. It’s underway. And unless we treat it like a five-alarm fire, we lose everything.

They’re not arresting criminals. They’re arresting resistance. And if that doesn’t shake you, read this twice.👇

www.jackhopkinsnow.com

Why you might not know that 2024 was America's safest year since the 1960s An overwhelming majority of Americans, 64 percent, believe that crime increased across the country in 2024, according to a Gallup survey conducted late last year.

1. This week, the FBI released its comprehensive crime report for 2024, which revealed that both VIOLENT CRIME and PROPERTY CRIME reached their LOWEST LEVELS SINCE THE 1960s

This a massive story. But you might not have heard about it, even if you follow the news closely.

Here's why.

imagine if the democratic leadership had like 5% of the backbone of the good pierogi vendors

Yeah...

Our Social Security system is fully affordable, as long as we make the wealthy pay in at the same rate as the rest of us.

Death Spiral: Republicans' Medicaid cuts threaten the health care of all Americans-even people on private insurance. 1) Medicaid cuts cause millions to lose health care 2) People without coverage can't pay for the care they need 3) Rural hospitals lose significant revenue 4) Health care workers are laid off, rural hospitals close 5) Entire communities lose health care services

Unlike Katrina, the media has memory-holed this tragedy to pivot to coverage of Epstein and the Repub’s jiffy-lube-gerrymander as tho they are not all the same story & originate from the same source - the callous disregard for human life evidenced by our supposedly pro-life, Christian leaders!

We Dems never quite pull it off,

but if there was EVER a time to make absolutely certain that NO race in America goes without a Dem candidate it is now.

We need literally every drop of margin we can possibly get.

I mean it. Expect major shenanigans, and the more candidates we have, the better

80 years ago, the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

We remember the thousands who were killed in a crime against humanity, as well as the survivors who carried the pain of the past.

Today, let us honour them by vowing to rid our world of nuclear weapons once and for all.

Selfie in front of an American flag out in front of the library where I volunteer. As usual I have no idea where the lens on my camera is

Back on my bullshit (volunteering at the library in the hopes of protecting the democratic institution that matters the most to me)

RFK Jr. is targeting mRNA technology, a major scientific advancement that allowed for the rapid development of coronavirus vaccines. wapo.st/4lhtvKe

Meet the Losers Who Still Want to Read and Think With Their Own Brains

Washington Post: “Is fascism bad? The answer may surprise you”

Teen Vogue: “Here are three fun tips you can use this summer to disable an armored personnel carrier”

The rich must be incentivised; the poor must be disciplined.

The political economy of the super-elite in one headline.

News just in about one of my favourite Adelaide places - the State Library of SA has been recognised by the 1000 Libraries Awards as second most beautiful in the world. The Mortlock Wing (currently closed, btw) is a seriously beautiful spot.

RFK Jr. backs down all the time when he gets push back, so if anyone wants to call, here's the HHS number 1-877-696-6775.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.

Hello. The president's continued insistence that the BLS numbers are rigged, political, or otherwise manipulated is a lie. Please stop saying 'baseless claim.' Thank you.

I can’t do my job totally hidden – every vote I make is public.

Most folks can’t do their jobs totally hidden.

So why do we let ICE?

I'm trying to make sure that ICE is held to the exact same standards as you and I – they must be unmasked and identifiable on the job.

More journalists should be asking why they put Steve Volz, the head of NOAA’s Satellite and Information Service (NOAA/NESDIS), on indefinite administrative leave.