John C. Bunnell
@lonepenman.bsky.social
[he/him] Lifelong genre geek, Oregonian & lifestyle non-driver. Longtime writer/reviewer/fan in the SF/F world. Interests? History, folklore, folk music, theater & musicals, reading, stage magic, mysteries, Sherlock Holmes, baking, etc.
For the love of Bast, Montresor!
May 13, 2025 at 12:33 AM
For the love of Bast, Montresor!
If I recall the line correctly, Spider Robinson's formulation was "A critic tells you whether it's Art. A reviewer tells you whether it's any damn good to read."
April 21, 2025 at 3:11 PM
If I recall the line correctly, Spider Robinson's formulation was "A critic tells you whether it's Art. A reviewer tells you whether it's any damn good to read."
Thanks to improbably perfect timing, I happened onto this post at the exact perfect moment to mention the paper to my favorite local pharmacist. Laughter was achieved.
April 16, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Thanks to improbably perfect timing, I happened onto this post at the exact perfect moment to mention the paper to my favorite local pharmacist. Laughter was achieved.
Heh. A few years ago, we had folks floating an anti-GMO ballot measure via petition. I told them I'd sign only if they promised to remove dihydrogen monoxide from the warer supply. (Their legal definition of GMOs was...flawed.)
April 14, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Heh. A few years ago, we had folks floating an anti-GMO ballot measure via petition. I told them I'd sign only if they promised to remove dihydrogen monoxide from the warer supply. (Their legal definition of GMOs was...flawed.)
Amen. Today's AI is very good at dealing with patterns...but real life is defined mostly by what happens outside the boundaries of patterns.
April 13, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Amen. Today's AI is very good at dealing with patterns...but real life is defined mostly by what happens outside the boundaries of patterns.
I've become much less conservative over the years. My parents were a mixed pair; Mother eventually switched, but they were always essentially centrist.
April 13, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I've become much less conservative over the years. My parents were a mixed pair; Mother eventually switched, but they were always essentially centrist.
Technically speaking, you actually *can't* see the everything in this picture, because the bagel is entirely concealed by the cheese & pepperoni. (Signed, in on the joke.)
April 8, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Technically speaking, you actually *can't* see the everything in this picture, because the bagel is entirely concealed by the cheese & pepperoni. (Signed, in on the joke.)
Ingenious. Now I want to see what our intrepid investigator can uncover about the Cinnamon Toast Crunch conspiracy (esp. how they got the Kelces to promote a product consisting almost entirely of cannibals).
March 24, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Ingenious. Now I want to see what our intrepid investigator can uncover about the Cinnamon Toast Crunch conspiracy (esp. how they got the Kelces to promote a product consisting almost entirely of cannibals).
Star Trek, however, gives us what may be a more accurate description, courtesy of TOS-era Klingons:
"...swaggering, overbearing tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood..."
[Korax, "The Trouble with Tribbles]
Now if Scotty would just beam a roomful of tribbles into the Oval Office...
2/end
"...swaggering, overbearing tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood..."
[Korax, "The Trouble with Tribbles]
Now if Scotty would just beam a roomful of tribbles into the Oval Office...
2/end
February 12, 2025 at 11:51 PM
Star Trek, however, gives us what may be a more accurate description, courtesy of TOS-era Klingons:
"...swaggering, overbearing tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood..."
[Korax, "The Trouble with Tribbles]
Now if Scotty would just beam a roomful of tribbles into the Oval Office...
2/end
"...swaggering, overbearing tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood..."
[Korax, "The Trouble with Tribbles]
Now if Scotty would just beam a roomful of tribbles into the Oval Office...
2/end
And should certainly go on Scalzi's "Name of My Next Band" list.
February 12, 2025 at 11:27 PM
And should certainly go on Scalzi's "Name of My Next Band" list.
(Thus also why I specify "coalition" - it might need to be framed as a "party" to take actual control of Congress, but the players could then at least pretend the existing structure had been working.)
February 12, 2025 at 8:38 PM
(Thus also why I specify "coalition" - it might need to be framed as a "party" to take actual control of Congress, but the players could then at least pretend the existing structure had been working.)
The issue of local-up momentum is well-taken. OTOH, Congress today is straight-up broken (how many consecutive govt. shutdown deadlines have we punted now?). Even if it doesn't stick long-term, we need a coalition *now* that can actually get the work done.
February 12, 2025 at 8:24 PM
The issue of local-up momentum is well-taken. OTOH, Congress today is straight-up broken (how many consecutive govt. shutdown deadlines have we punted now?). Even if it doesn't stick long-term, we need a coalition *now* that can actually get the work done.
Sincere question here - could the votes be found if enough Rs and Ds defected and formed a narrow-band resistance coalition? (In the current sitch, the existing R/D numbers obviously only allow running in circles. But if we/they could knock over the board and realign...?)
February 12, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Sincere question here - could the votes be found if enough Rs and Ds defected and formed a narrow-band resistance coalition? (In the current sitch, the existing R/D numbers obviously only allow running in circles. But if we/they could knock over the board and realign...?)
Heh. Two thoughts, though. 1) You've done this before (annotating the sonnet book, right?). 2) OTOH, where emotions are fully engaged, sometimes you really *can't* explain how you got from A to B to anyone who wasn't there...and it's OK to say so.
February 7, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Heh. Two thoughts, though. 1) You've done this before (annotating the sonnet book, right?). 2) OTOH, where emotions are fully engaged, sometimes you really *can't* explain how you got from A to B to anyone who wasn't there...and it's OK to say so.
A note: the status pages confirming that you're down still point users to X/Twitter, rather than this BlueSky account. You may want to update those as resources permit.
February 7, 2025 at 5:36 PM
A note: the status pages confirming that you're down still point users to X/Twitter, rather than this BlueSky account. You may want to update those as resources permit.
We are at a historical crisis point, and we *must* hope that enough of our elected leaders can look past current party lines to find the will needed to come together and stand against the incipient attempt at empire. End/
February 6, 2025 at 12:52 PM
We are at a historical crisis point, and we *must* hope that enough of our elected leaders can look past current party lines to find the will needed to come together and stand against the incipient attempt at empire. End/
Which is to say: do not think of your own current Senators & Reps as Ds or Rs at present. Think of them as individuals with agency, and appeal to them that way. 5/
February 6, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Which is to say: do not think of your own current Senators & Reps as Ds or Rs at present. Think of them as individuals with agency, and appeal to them that way. 5/
Thus, what we-the-people might best attempt as we contact our Congressfolk (& otherwise resist) is to get them to wake up and build that coalition. 3/
February 6, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Thus, what we-the-people might best attempt as we contact our Congressfolk (& otherwise resist) is to get them to wake up and build that coalition. 3/
What *may* exist, however, are enough sufficiently principled Sens./Reps. in both camps to form a coalition that can snatch control from both parties and focus Congress on preserving the present order, such as it is. 3/
February 6, 2025 at 12:39 PM
What *may* exist, however, are enough sufficiently principled Sens./Reps. in both camps to form a coalition that can snatch control from both parties and focus Congress on preserving the present order, such as it is. 3/
For various reasons, neither the Ds nor Rs control enough members to push through the needed measures. 2/
February 6, 2025 at 12:33 PM
For various reasons, neither the Ds nor Rs control enough members to push through the needed measures. 2/
Just be sure not to name any of them Rufus, lest Kim Possible come after you for kidnapping her partner's sidekick.
February 4, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Just be sure not to name any of them Rufus, lest Kim Possible come after you for kidnapping her partner's sidekick.
And that's assuming no one involved in the declassification process attempts to tweak said records and/or slip something into (or out of) the files in order to promote one or another of the conspiracy theories....
January 23, 2025 at 10:02 PM
And that's assuming no one involved in the declassification process attempts to tweak said records and/or slip something into (or out of) the files in order to promote one or another of the conspiracy theories....