Tag: questions

Writing question for y’all

On By Luther M. SilerIn Writing3 Comments

WordPress should have some sort of built-in poll functionality.

https://twitter.com/nfinitefreetime/status/1132707100390580225

Feel free to reply here or on Twitter and expand on any thoughts you might have.

Quick question for the readers

On By Luther M. SilerIn Reading15 Comments

I have not seen The King and I in many years, and I have fond memories of it– not quite at the point where I really have anything memorized, mind you, but I think about it more often than I think about a lot of things. At any rate, I have a puzzlement for y’all.

Those of you who are readers, and especially those of you who enjoy speculative fiction of some stripe or another: how good are you at ignoring bad and/or problematic aspects of a work and concentrating on the bits that you like? This may sound a bit more serious than I want it to; I’m not necessarily talking about anything like, oh, the racist and sexist elements of The King and I that will likely get on my nerves much more now than they did when I last watched it, probably two decades ago now, but more like a book with propulsive writing, interesting characters, and a plot that makes no Goddamn sense at all. Or, say, a science fiction novel that gets a lot of basic science stuff wrong, but not in a handwaves-it-away sort of sense, just gets it wrong. This is probably going to be something that’s going to be hard to answer in a general sense, but is there something (poor characterization, for example) that you’re generally able to put aside, or is there something that will always throw you out of a book that you’re reading even if you’re otherwise enjoying it without the troublesome part?

I will provide more context if I decide that the book I’m reading right now deserves a full review, but for right now I’m just curious.

(Snow day, again, today. We had an ice storm last night, and I woke up to a two-hour delay that became a full cancel just as I was getting ready to leave to take the boy to school. He had school. I did not. Video games and comic books all day for the win.)

Two very important questions

On By Luther M. SilerIn Parenting, Politics16 Comments

Please, wherever you see this, I’m begging for as many answers as I can get– either here, Facebook, on Twitter, wherever you happen to be able to find me.

  1. Are there any Republicans running for office in your district or your state who are using bipartisanship or “both sides are to blame” type rhetoric and explicitly declining to identify themselves as Republicans?
  2. For parents: did you keep your kids’ baby teeth?  If so, what did you do with them, and do you still have them?

Very different questions, I guess.  I NEED ANSWERS!

In lieu of anything else to say

On By Luther M. SilerIn life4 Comments

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I haven’t been getting a ton of comments lately, so I’m kinda hoping everybody pitches in for this one, since as an atheist I’m not really qualified to comment on it.  Help me out, I’m confused.

A spot of context, in case you don’t recall: the local AAA baseball team is the South Bend Cubs.  I have been to a couple of games but I can’t name a single player.  (Actually, I can’t name a single active baseball player at any level, but that’s not entirely relevant.)

There is a church near my home that I drive by every day on my way to and from work.  Hell, it’s on a main thoroughfare, so I probably drive past it something like 70% of the time I leave my house.  And there’s a big sign out in front of the church– wood, attached to what appear to be 12 x 12 beams, so they intend for it to be at least semi permanent– that declares the place the “church home” of the South Bend Cubs, including using their logo, which something makes me doubt they got permission for.  The sign specifically names two players and their numbers; I don’t know if any more than those two attend that church and I’m not sure that two players really constitute an official team endorsement either.

So here’s the question: there have to be some at least moderately religious people who read this blog.  Assuming you were already Catholic, is there any universe where this sort of “rub elbows with very minor local celebrities” advertisement might entice you to check a church out?  And, as a secondary question, am I right in feeling that calling these two players out and yelling HEY THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THESE GUYS ON SUNDAY MORNING to literally everyone who drives by is kind of rude?

Just checking

On By Luther M. SilerIn idiocy4 Comments

Ever wake up, like, an hour and 40 minutes before you’re actually supposed to wake up, and wake up completely refreshed and ready to start the day, and think to yourself If I go back to bed right now, I’m going to be late to work?

…yeah.

A quick question for everyone (music)

On By Luther M. SilerIn Music17 Comments

kendrick_lamar_grammys_performance_rhceuz.jpgAs I was driving home I was listening to music and reflecting on how I really need to find a way to put a car into my living room somewhere.  Either that or I need to invest in a really high-quality pair of headphones.

Why?  Because more and more lately the car seems to be the best place for me to absorb music.  I still buy at least two or three new albums every single month, and some are heavier than others.  I seem to be rather unique in that among the adults I know; I just asked my wife when the last time she bought new music was and she thought for a long time and said it might have been before our son was born.

He just turned 5, remember.

1383089177_5d7c613188689706de8fdb506ca69d95.pngSo, yeah: I still spend a decent amount of money on music.  In fact, other than books and comics, music is the thing I spend the largest share of my discretionary income on.   And what I’m finding is that until I’ve listened to a new album in my car, it’s as if I haven’t heard it at all.  This was driven home recently by the first time I listened to a recent Hopsin album in the car.  I’d listened to it over and over again at home, and I mean it: it was like I’d never heard it before.  I appreciated that album so much more after keeping it in rotation in the car for a while than I had when had just listened to it on my computer– and my computer has good speakers!

(You might be wondering why there’s a picture of Kendrick Lamar at the top of this post.  Same deal. I never properly appreciated Kendrick until listening to him while I was driving.)

Anyway, here’s the question: Are you, as a presumed adult (and if you’re not an adult, let me know and then answer anyway,) still buying music?  And where’s the best place for you to listen to it?

A FAQ on Hillary Clinton’s Nomination for the Presidency of the United States, for Those Who May Be Confused

On By Luther M. SilerIn Politics1 Comment

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So.  Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

WASN’T THE AP JUMPING THE GUN JUST A BIT?

Well, maybe, if only because I kinda suspect Hillary had a plan for the whole “I’m the nominee” announcement.  But the AP is not required to consult her campaign before repeating the truth.  There are some states today, yeah.  She’ll win a couple and lose a couple; the announcement might have changed some people’s plan– on both sides– to vote today.  But all in all?  Nah.

BUT THE SUPERDELEGATES!

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE VOTING!

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT CLOSED PRIMARIES!

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

THE PRIMARY ISN’T–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT THE CONVENTION–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

THE SUPERDELEGATES HAVEN’T–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT BERNIE MIGHT–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT WHAT IF–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

BUT–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

WHAT ABOUT–

Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee for the office of President of the United States of America.

Hope this helps.

In which somebody knows the answer to this

On By Luther M. SilerIn Geek, idiocy7 Comments

uh-oh-o.gifThis question is a bit too long for Twitter, and I’m not prepared for the torrent of mockery I’ll receive if I put it on Facebook, so quickie blog post it is:

There used to be (it may still be around; I kinda doubt it) a website where you’d be paired up with some random yahoo on their webcam, and you yourself would be some random yahoo on your webcam, and you could chat with that person or click and be sent on to the next random yahoo.  My recollection was that the site was about half thirteen-year-old girls having slumber parties and half masturbating old men who were hoping to con those thirteen-year-olds into taking their shirts off.  There was no chatting; only horror.

This predated both Snapchat and Tinder by a good margin– I want to say I lived in Chicago during its heyday, which would put it in the early-mid 2000s– but you can see how it might have informed both of those services.  In fact I’m pretty sure it was mostly pre-smartphone, since it relied upon having a webcam.

I cannot construct a Google search that helps me, and I can’t remember the name of the site.  Just don’t ask me why I want to know; I just remembered it existed last night and for some reason it still bugs me that I can’t recall the name.