Chris McLaren
@chrismclaren.com
I do not care to listen; obloquy injures my self-esteem and I am skeptical of praise.
While we're talking poems that thrash humans for being too concerned with the accumulation of hollow material goods, how about an Wordsworth sonnet that suggests a reconnection to a world filled with spirits and gods and mysteries?
January 16, 2026 at 9:57 PM
While we're talking poems that thrash humans for being too concerned with the accumulation of hollow material goods, how about an Wordsworth sonnet that suggests a reconnection to a world filled with spirits and gods and mysteries?
Every time I see one of those polls that shows Gen X--the supposedly slack, cool generation--being a bunch of reactionary dingnuts I think of two things:
1) @johnacecil.bsky.social talking about all the jerks from high school and that they never went away, and
2) Santayana bitching out his own gen
1) @johnacecil.bsky.social talking about all the jerks from high school and that they never went away, and
2) Santayana bitching out his own gen
January 16, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Every time I see one of those polls that shows Gen X--the supposedly slack, cool generation--being a bunch of reactionary dingnuts I think of two things:
1) @johnacecil.bsky.social talking about all the jerks from high school and that they never went away, and
2) Santayana bitching out his own gen
1) @johnacecil.bsky.social talking about all the jerks from high school and that they never went away, and
2) Santayana bitching out his own gen
Not my house, but I know my way around
January 14, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Not my house, but I know my way around
Stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness.
(The Brett and Burke are the best "make the texts into TV" adaptations. 100%, no doubt. Elementary is an outstanding "use the framework to do something different" adaptation. Ridiculously good TV.)
(The Brett and Burke are the best "make the texts into TV" adaptations. 100%, no doubt. Elementary is an outstanding "use the framework to do something different" adaptation. Ridiculously good TV.)
January 14, 2026 at 7:28 AM
Stop scrolling and post two characters that bring you happiness.
(The Brett and Burke are the best "make the texts into TV" adaptations. 100%, no doubt. Elementary is an outstanding "use the framework to do something different" adaptation. Ridiculously good TV.)
(The Brett and Burke are the best "make the texts into TV" adaptations. 100%, no doubt. Elementary is an outstanding "use the framework to do something different" adaptation. Ridiculously good TV.)
I mentally put this above a lot of posts.
January 13, 2026 at 1:33 AM
I mentally put this above a lot of posts.
Were I then wavering, the list of keywords would definitely have locked it down.
Seems like the ingredients for some good soup, you know?
Seems like the ingredients for some good soup, you know?
January 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
Were I then wavering, the list of keywords would definitely have locked it down.
Seems like the ingredients for some good soup, you know?
Seems like the ingredients for some good soup, you know?
And if that hadn't caught my attention, the short dramatis personae would have done it.
I'm not sure why, but the kimonos thing is compelling.
I'm not sure why, but the kimonos thing is compelling.
January 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
And if that hadn't caught my attention, the short dramatis personae would have done it.
I'm not sure why, but the kimonos thing is compelling.
I'm not sure why, but the kimonos thing is compelling.
I'll generally read any Martin Millar book--he hooked me with Thraxas, and then I went and read his back catalogue which just put the hook in deeper.
Even if I didn't know his stuff, though, I think this might have caught my attention:
Even if I didn't know his stuff, though, I think this might have caught my attention:
January 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
I'll generally read any Martin Millar book--he hooked me with Thraxas, and then I went and read his back catalogue which just put the hook in deeper.
Even if I didn't know his stuff, though, I think this might have caught my attention:
Even if I didn't know his stuff, though, I think this might have caught my attention:
I don't know. If "Family" means someone has to wear a tie, I might be out. And if Freedom means wearing one of those Western fringe shirts, that might also be a problem.
January 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM
I don't know. If "Family" means someone has to wear a tie, I might be out. And if Freedom means wearing one of those Western fringe shirts, that might also be a problem.
First stop of 2026 at my local indie to pickup books I had ordered in.
January 11, 2026 at 8:19 PM
First stop of 2026 at my local indie to pickup books I had ordered in.
I was just thinking that about The Band of Heathens, who I quite like.
January 11, 2026 at 4:31 PM
I was just thinking that about The Band of Heathens, who I quite like.
Life advice from war hero and celebrity Cooper Howard.
January 10, 2026 at 3:18 AM
Life advice from war hero and celebrity Cooper Howard.
And I played that up from my 20s onward--leaning into the jokes about being the one Canadian who didn't like hockey ("and my initials are even CCM"). I exaggerated it for comedy.
January 9, 2026 at 3:43 AM
And I played that up from my 20s onward--leaning into the jokes about being the one Canadian who didn't like hockey ("and my initials are even CCM"). I exaggerated it for comedy.
I've mentioned before that I value Ed's lengthy, well-receipted, analysis. Indeed, I value it enough that I pay for his newsletter. You should take a look, because you might find it's also of value to you.
And surely everyone can get behind the bits like this:
And surely everyone can get behind the bits like this:
January 5, 2026 at 11:14 PM
I've mentioned before that I value Ed's lengthy, well-receipted, analysis. Indeed, I value it enough that I pay for his newsletter. You should take a look, because you might find it's also of value to you.
And surely everyone can get behind the bits like this:
And surely everyone can get behind the bits like this:
Catching up on email this morning my eye wonders over one with the subject line: "Homer's Odyssey (New SCP Edition) Released".
Now, if you associate "SCP" primarily with the Society of Classical Poets, there's nothing weird about this.
However, if your first association with SCP is something else…
Now, if you associate "SCP" primarily with the Society of Classical Poets, there's nothing weird about this.
However, if your first association with SCP is something else…
January 5, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Catching up on email this morning my eye wonders over one with the subject line: "Homer's Odyssey (New SCP Edition) Released".
Now, if you associate "SCP" primarily with the Society of Classical Poets, there's nothing weird about this.
However, if your first association with SCP is something else…
Now, if you associate "SCP" primarily with the Society of Classical Poets, there's nothing weird about this.
However, if your first association with SCP is something else…
For no special reason, i reiterate that my brother regularly pulls dinosaurs out of the lake we grew up swimming in. And then, once they know who's boss, he throws them back in.
January 5, 2026 at 5:09 AM
For no special reason, i reiterate that my brother regularly pulls dinosaurs out of the lake we grew up swimming in. And then, once they know who's boss, he throws them back in.
Always makes me think of Elvis. Costello, I mean.
January 5, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Always makes me think of Elvis. Costello, I mean.
Final round of additions to the library in 2025.
See anything you've liked, or are interested in?
See anything you've liked, or are interested in?
January 4, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Final round of additions to the library in 2025.
See anything you've liked, or are interested in?
See anything you've liked, or are interested in?
Trying to figure out a movie to watch earlier tonight, and Road Guard says "I'm in the mood for western" and suddenly all I can hear in my head is Betsy Stemple talking up SILVERADO.
So I pulled out that one, now 40 years old, and we had a good time re-watching.
The cast is stupid-stacked.
So I pulled out that one, now 40 years old, and we had a good time re-watching.
The cast is stupid-stacked.
January 4, 2026 at 1:52 AM
Trying to figure out a movie to watch earlier tonight, and Road Guard says "I'm in the mood for western" and suddenly all I can hear in my head is Betsy Stemple talking up SILVERADO.
So I pulled out that one, now 40 years old, and we had a good time re-watching.
The cast is stupid-stacked.
So I pulled out that one, now 40 years old, and we had a good time re-watching.
The cast is stupid-stacked.