{"id":20132,"date":"2016-05-21T10:07:01","date_gmt":"2016-05-21T15:07:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shuffly.net\/zoop\/?p=20132"},"modified":"2016-05-21T11:16:37","modified_gmt":"2016-05-21T16:16:37","slug":"its-a-silly-silly-silly-silly-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shuffly.net\/zoop\/its-a-silly-silly-silly-silly-world\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s a silly, silly, silly, silly world"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A<\/a>
A not-quite-random screencap from Bakuon.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Video Meliora<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Upon Hearing Leaf Blower on a Fine Spring Eve<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s the Divine Right of Neighbors
\nTo run their motors loud
\nAt the sitting hour, proud
\nI’m like Sitting Bull, Red Cloud
\nAghast what Pale Face has allowed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

*****<\/p>\n

I am so much more enlightened than you<\/a>.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Curious statistics<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Consider the winners of the four categories [best novel, novella, novelette and short story] over the last five years:
\n\u2022 2015: 4\/4 women
\n\u2022 2014: 3\/4 women
\n\u2022 2013: 4\/4 women
\n\u2022 2012: 2\/4 women
\n\u2022 2011: 2\/4 women<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Fifteen stories written by women have won the main prizes in the Nebula awards in the past five years, and five by men.<\/p>\n

I never cared much about the Hugo awards. They have never been anything more than popularity contests, and that they have been demonstrated to be meaningless is mildly amusing and nothing more. The Nebulas, on the other hand, are determined by a vote of the SFWA membership, i.e., actual writers, and reading the annual volume of Nebula winners was one of the ways I found writers worth following many years ago. But I find it difficult to believe that nowadays women write three times as many of the best stories as men. So, the hell with the Nebulas. I think I’ll read Tim Powers<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Every few years I clear my evenings for a week and re-read The Lord of the Rings<\/b><\/i> \u2014 I’ll probably do so again sometime this summer. I also enjoy most of his other fantasy-oriented works published during his lifetime. However, I’ve never gotten beyond page 20 in The Silmarillion<\/b><\/i>. It turns out that I’m not alone, and The Silmarillion<\/b><\/i> is the worst book with Tolkien’s name on it<\/a>. It may be worthwhile to check out his other posthumous books, after all.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Shirtstorm? What shirtstorm?<\/a><\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Does the term “vibrancy” actually mean anything?<\/a> (Note that the word “diversity” has become its own antonym.)<\/p>\n

(Via Isegoria<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Every man his own rhinoceros: at last, a political party I can join<\/a>. Unfortunately, it’s Canadian.<\/p>\n

(Via Francis W. Porretto<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Update: This sums up Everything.<\/p>\n