My tweets

• Fri, 14:07: "Comprehensive gun safety"--that's a good phrase to start using. #fb
• Fri, 14:11: White House and Nancy Pelosi: Debt ceiling is still GOP's problem. Deal with it. http://t.co/pVwivSci #fb
• Fri, 14:23: It's so good to see women anchoring cable news shows and a panel of women talking about reproductive rights. #aboutdamntime #fb
• Fri, 15:07: "That's not the question I asked. I asked if you would take Social Security when you become eligible or…" — BB-Mystic http://t.co/06BFPEQ8
• Fri, 15:08: A Program for Combating Poverty -- Stop the Cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Expand Medicare to Al http://t.co/f8S1RTRY
• Fri, 16:57: RT @MiltShook: Sometimes, you'll see me respond to trolls. I don't do it for them, I do it for bystanders. Rationality to them is like g ...
• Fri, 18:09: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, go ahead and call Nancy Smash "Speaker." That's what she is, after all. @edshow #fb
• Fri, 18:22: Col. Lawrence Wilkerson on Ed Schultz: "I think [the GOP] is on their way to committing suicide." #fb
• Fri, 18:24: I would love to see Col. Wilkerson go head to head with Bill O'Reilly #fb
• Fri, 18:35: Interesting commentary from Rep. Rick Nolan on Ed Schultz: Congress used to work 48 weeks a year/5 days a week. #fb

( Read more... )

Books Read in 2012--Wrapup

 Here is the complete list of books I read last year. 

 

Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement That Shattered the Party, Max Blumenthal [library book, non-fiction, politics]

 

Undone Deeds, Mark Del Franco [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Shaded Vision, Yasmine Galenorn [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum [library book, non-fiction, music]

 

The Mortal Bone, Marjorie M. Liu [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Selected Poems of William Butler Yeats [purchase, poetry]

 

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, Mark Kelly and Gabrielle Giffords [library book, non-fiction, memoir]

 

Fateful, Claudia Gray [purchase, fiction, young adult, werewolves]

 

River Marked, Patricia Briggs [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Raven Cursed, Faith Hunter [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Soft Apocalypse, Will McIntosh [library book, fiction, science fiction]

 

Life Itself, Roger Ebert [purchase, non-fiction, memoir]

 

The Dead-Tossed Waves, Carrie Ryan [purchase, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

 

Devil's Punch, Ann Aguirre [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

 The Worst of Times, Patricia G. Miller [purchase, non-fiction, reproductive rights]

 

Back Rooms: An Oral History of the Illegal Abortion Era, Ellen Messer and Kathryn E. May [purchase, non-fiction, reproductive rights]

 

Partials, Dan Wells [purchase, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

 

Divergent, Veronica Roth [purchase, fiction, young adult, dystopian]

 

The Immortal Rules, Julie Kagawa [purchase, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

 

Hounded, Hexed and Hammered, Kevin Hearne [purchases, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Robopocalypse, Daniel H. Wilson [library book, fiction, science fiction, post-apocalypse]

 

Tricked, Kevin Hearne [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Blackout, Mira Grant [purchase, fiction, science fiction, zombie apocalypse]

 

The Dark and Hollow Places [library book, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

 

Enclave, Ann Aguirre [library book, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

 

Chime, Franny Billingsley [library book, fiction, young adult]

 

The Fox Effect: How Roger Ailes Turned a Network Into a Propaganda Machine, David Brock et al [library book, non-fiction, politics, media]

 

Deadly Spin, Wendell Potter [purchase, non-fiction, politics, health care]

 

Welcome to Bordertown, Holly Black and Ellen Kushner [library book, fiction, urban fantasy, anthology]

 

Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism's Work is Done, Susan J. Douglas [library book, non-fiction, feminism]

 

Ghost Story, Jim Butcher [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

An Edge In My Voice, Harlan Ellison [library book, non-fiction, essays]

 

Legend, Marie Lu [library book, fiction, young adult, dystopia]

 

The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

 

Endgame, Ann Aguirre [purchase, fiction, science fiction, space opera]

 

Unraveling, Elizabeth Norris [library book, fiction, young adult, science fiction]

 

Crucible of Gold, Naomi Novik [library book, fiction, fantasy]

 

Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity, David Kirby [library book, non-fiction, marine mammals]

 

Cold Fury, T.M. Goeglein [library book, fiction, young adult, thriller]

 

Dust Girl, Sarah Zettel [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

 

Pegasus, Robin McKinley [library book, fiction, young adult, fantasy]

 

Shadow Rising, Yasmine Galenorn [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Hunting the Corrigan's Blood, Holly Lisle [purchase, fiction, science fiction, space opera]

 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan [library book, fiction, young adult, zombie apocalypse]

 

Vessel, Sarah Beth Durst [library book, fiction, young adult, Arabian Nights-style fantasy]

 

Brave New Love: 15 Dystopian Tales of Desire, Paula Guran [library book, fiction, young adult, anthology, dystopian]

 

Trapped, Kevin Hearne [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]

 

Glitch, Heather Anastasiu [library book, fiction, young adult, post-apocalyptic]

 

Total books read this year: 51

 

As you can see, I've read a far more young adult fiction this year than I ever have. But I daresay some of the best books to be found anywhere right now are in the young adult section. Certainly some of the most inventive. The fact that the heroes--or heroines (most of the ones I see are the latter) are only sixteen or seventeen don't interfere with my enjoyment of said books one whit. 

 

Best fiction book of 2012: The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater. (And there's your prime example. I'll say it again: I love love love this book. The pacing, characters, and world are pitch-perfect.)

 

Best non-fiction book of 2012: Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism's Work is Done, Susan J. Douglas. (Just as good a read the second time around. The writer examines popular culture through feminism's lens and comes to the inescapable conclusion that we've taken one step forward and two steps back.)

 

Worst book of 2012: Chime, Franny Billingsley. (This actually only counts as half a book. I couldn't even finish it, and that almost never happens.)

 

Weirdest book of 2012: Cold Fury, T.M Goeglein. (Two genres that don't mesh well. At all.) 

 

For 2013, I'm making some adjustments to my book list. I've joined Goodreads, so I will be posting reviews there and linking to them here. (I've challenged myself to read 50 books this year.) Purchase links will still go to Powell's. I also have a board on Pinterest I will be pinning to, for those who want to see covers. 

 

I know this is a bit late, but the first couple of weeks of the year have been taken up with personal matters, as well as going on vacation. Now, I hope, I can get back into the swing of things.

 

Happy reading! 

 

Books Read in 2013

The Emperor of All Maladies, Siddharta Mukherjee [library book, non-fiction, medicine]. Buy at Powell's Review at Goodreads 

Doubletake, Rob Thurman [purchase, fiction, urban fantasy]. Buy at Powell's Review at Goodreads 

 

Wanker of the Day

The NRA. Of course.

 

This is in reference, of course, to that horrid ad dragging the President's children into the debate. I'm not going to link to it; you can Google it if you haven't already seen it. Suffice to say the NRA were all up in arms (pun intended) over the President's children having armed guards at their school.

 

Except, well, that's not even true.

 

This is based on the fact that the online directory for Sidwell Friends lists 11 people as working in the Security Department. Five are listed as “special police officer,” while two are listed as “on call special police officer,” which presumably means they do not work full-time. The directory also lists two weekend shift supervisors, one security officer and the chief of security.

Under the District of Columbia General Order 308.7, a special police officer is a private commissioned police officer with arrest powers in the area that he or she protects. They may also be authorized to bear firearms — but it is not required. Security officers, by contrast, cannot carry firearms and in effect are watchmen. So five to seven security personnel in theory could be licensed to carry firearms.

But we spoke to parents who said they had never seen a guard on campus with a weapon. And Ellis Turner, associate head of Sidwell Friends, told us emphatically: “Sidwell Friends security officers do not carry guns.” (Note: this includes those listed as special police officers.)

 

Kee-ripes. These clowns can't even get their false accusations right. The article gives the NRA "Four Pinocchios," which is the equivalent to a "liar, liar, pants on fire" rating. 

 

 

The NRA has a serious credibility problem, and stuff like this isn't helping.

 

(By the way, this segment used to be called "Asshat of the Day." I decided to go with "Wanker" because, of, well. Page down a bit to see.)