Bill Williamson

Read. Do it for you. Do it for the world. Encourage the same in others.

In any given day, I read articles, books, social media posts, blog entries, poems, lyrics, comics, and countless other things. Sure, some of it is brain candy, garbage. But something I encounter every day makes me thingk, makes me feel, makes me connect with the world.

And don’t get caught up in or discouraged by what other people read, or what they value as reading or readable. Some of my most meaningful encounters with ideas have come from sources others wouldn’t value.

Read. Read every day. Read something that challenges you, something that pleases you, something that makes you feel connected, something that brings you peace. Read each of these every day, and you will be a better person for it. Read each of these every day, and you will have a better life.

A manufactured threat to invoke wartime powers.

This is impulse-driven, narcissistic decision making. No plan. No awareness of consequences. Lawless.

No empathy, humanity, or responsibility. Republikans make sure there is ZERO accountability for any action, no matter how heinous or damaging.

I read Hyperion right when it came out. I was already a Simmons fan, but Hyperion was a new level of experience. I make it a point to re-read it every few years. I always find something new to appreciate.

You are absolutely right on with that observation, Jason. Community & connection are the center of our programmatic universe at SVSU.

@scalzi.com I went to tag you and realized I wasn’t actually following you yet. You just show up in my feed so often I thought I already had. Fixed that now. I look forward to the rest of Starter Villain and to discovering more from you down the road.

Started Scalzi’s Starter Villain last night. It was a “You might also like this” purchase based on my eclectic and meandering habits of entertainment consumption. If scifi, sarcasm, cats, and laughter are among your go-to distractions, this is a must read. If you don’t like it, we can’t be friends.

Anyone with masculinity so fragile that it can be easily threatened should not be celebrating their masculinity. How emotionally immature do you have to be to look around and think that everything from emotion to colors to physical intimacy and all words referring to these things are out to get you?

I see April fools in the photo. Or maybe just everyday fools. No need to give them a special day.

That is not leadership. That is self-serving, self-aggrandizing oppression. It is not civil. It is not humane. It does not serve the greater good. It is not worthy of celebration, respect, or praise. Nothing more than petty acts by petty men in service to pathetic dreams of conquest.

When rules of law and systems of governance such the Constitution get in the way, they ignore them, or say that all of that legal history & systemic maturation is wrong. They are not resourceful enough or respectful enough to work within the system, so they tear it down.

All of DDT’s orders are destructive. He tears down what others have built. He can’t claim that any of it is his vision for change. It is all borrowed. In that regard, his executioner is a likely accomplice. The billionaire who buys other people’s accomplishments and then claims them as his own.

It is said as if it took work to draft and sign an executive order, an act that requires no building of consensus, no campaigning or concessions, no creation of energy or excitement or sense of accomplishment. It is a pen stroke.

“A lot of people have wanted this for a long time,” he says. Always a lie. “A lot of people said it couldn’t be done.” Code for millions of people saying it shouldn’t be done. Not the same thing. “But we got it done.”

I have been thinking about all of the press conferences that DJT (an acronym that appropriately reminds me of DDT) holds to pat himself on the back. The formula is pretty consistent.

Seeking A Scientist Podcast · KCUR Studios · The future is scary, but it doesn’t have to be! Host Dr. Kate Biberdorf (aka Kate the Chemist) is seeking scientists to guide us into the great unknown. From fungus zombies to...

I am also a podcast fan. Give Kate Bieberdorf a listen. You may have seen her on tv. You may have heard her on other ‘casts such as StarTalk. She’s done two full seasons of Seeking a Scientist as well. I have enjoyed every episode.

open.spotify.com/show/407RBpA...

Episode 30 - Captive Audience (Ann Warren Griffith) TBD - To Be Determined · Episode

In case you missed it, TBD released Episode 30 a few weeks back. Dan and I celebrate Ann Warren Griffith’s “Captive Audience.” Why would grandma think its better to go BACK to prison than live in the world? Listen in and find out.

open.spotify.com/episode/6PsZ...

Episode 31 - The Forest of Zyl (Chis Neville) TBD - To Be Determined · Episode

Need a podcast episode to distract you from the mayhem? Try TBD’s latest discussion of Chris Neville’s classic sci fi short story, “The Forest of Zyl.”

If you like the premise behind stories or films where nature strikes back, then this one is for you.

open.spotify.com/episode/4rmV...

You, sir, are a good human. Many thanks for being exactly that.

Although you posted this a while back, I wonder how things worked out or if you are still making choices.

Donald Norman’s Design for a Better World.

YouTube video by PBS NewsHour WATCH: Amanda Gorman reads inauguration poem, 'The Hill We Climb'

youtu.be/LZ055ilIiN4?...

I wholeheartedly agree. The most meaningful and durable learning experiences always seem to be shared. I learn from & with my students every day. I learn from & with friends & family as well. A friend/colleague once called it mutual mentorship. Yes. I wish everyone understood that.

TBD - To Be Determined Classic scifi short stories ... some you know, some you don't. But all of them are worthy of another look.

Who's your fav classic scifi author? Asimov? Clarke? Ballard? Heinlein? Tiptree? Gibson? Bradbury? Grab an episode of TBD, the 'cast about the writers & stories that defined scifi. We've dropped 28 eps so far & will post new ones about every 2 weeks in 2025. #TBD #scifi

tobedetermined.transistor.fm

TBD - To Be Determined | Episode 28 - Chicago (Thomas F. Monteleone) Theme: If I had a million robots ...Episode ConnectionsAuthors, stories. Dean Koontz. Monteleone, The Time Swept City. Fritz Lieber, “A Pail of Air.” Roger Zelazny, “For a Breath I Tarry.” Tom Godw...

Looking for a podcast about classic scifi short stories? (Who isn't?). Check out episode 28 of TBD, where we chat about T. Monteleone's "Chicago" from 1973. "Chicago" ponders a future where fully automated cities outlast human society. #TBD #scifi

tobedetermined.transistor.fm/28

What are you doing on here? Write! Write, damn you! 🤣