REBLOG: Sex positive parenting: the book we are going to burn

On March 14, 2015March 14, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Parenting1 Comment

I endorse this message.

My wife and I are huge book lovers, the word ‘bibliophile’ definitely comes to mind. On top of this, we are also very sex(uality) positive when it comes to parenting, both wanting our four children to grow up with a healthy understanding of sex and sexuality, theirs and in general. Our eldest daughter is 11 now and is going through puberty; she loves reading puberty books, demolishes the damn things, then reads them two, three, four more times… and a month later will get them out from the library again. It got to the point we ended up buying the books for her.

A few months back we were in our regular secondhand bookshop, perusing the shelves full of booky potential. I came across a hardcover book – ‘Questions Kids Ask about Sex: Honest answers for every age’, Melissa R. Cox (ed) – and thought HEY! THAT SOUNDS FUCKING…

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RECAP: The Walking Dead, S05E09, “What Happened and What’s Going On”

On February 14, 2015February 14, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Reviews, TelevisionLeave a comment

This was an outstanding episode, people. Check out my recap, over at Sourcerer.

Sourcerer

the-walking-dead-poster-season-5 I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating, because I don’t imagine y’all actually memorize my posts or anything: part of the reason that these recaps run the day before a new episode airs is that I am a cord-cutter. I get The Walking Dead through iTunes, meaning that I pay $45 or whatever it is at the beginning of the season and then I watch the shows a day later than everyone else. I can’t watch a new episode before Monday night unless my wife and I get up godawful early in the morning (which, I’ll admit, we’ve done a couple of times) and so it’s just not possible to get a post up before Tuesday, at which point we may as well wait until Saturday.

What this means is that I have to be careful to avoid spoilers on Sunday night and through the day Monday, mostly meaning…

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REBLOG: The 4 horrors of book-lending

On February 11, 2015February 10, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn ReadingLeave a comment

No, you cannot borrow my books. Why? They are more important to me than you are.

Taylor Grace

Today, someone at DayJob commented on how much they’d like to try a book by Linda Howard.

Then, they pointedly looked at the book in my hands (by Linda Howard) and asked if I was done with it.

I was done alright. But I wasn’t letting that book out of my hands. Not only is Linda Howard one of my favourite authors, I’ve lent out books in the past and horrible things have happened.

Allow me to explain the insufferable horrors and my reactions.

HORROR #1.

They broke the spine or tore pages.

I read my books and hold them like cherished babies. Nothing gets folded or disrupted. If people break any part of them from the spine to the pages, I cry.

Reaction: I cursed all their ancestors and wished they were geckos.

HORROR #2.

They spilled something on it.

I don’t care if it’s water (and it usually isn’t)…

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REBLOG: RECAP: The Walking Dead, The First 5.5 Seasons

On February 7, 2015February 7, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn TelevisionLeave a comment

This week, over at Sourcerer, I recap the entirety of the first four seasons of THE WALKING DEAD. Check it out!

Sourcerer

THE WALKING DEAD is back tomorrow! THE WALKING DEAD is back tomorrow! THE WALKING DEAD is back tomorrow!

I figure maybe you might have forgotten something that happened in the first five and a half seasons.

SEASON ONE: Rick Grimes is really glad that Robert Kirkman watched 28 Days that one time. Somebody tries to paint a helpful sign on a door, but forgets how English writing works and tells people not to dead because there are open inside, which just doesn’t make any damn sense at all:

The-Walking-Dead-Companion-TV-Show-Series-Announced

Morgan can’t quite bring himself to shoot his wife, but Lori and Shane waited like no time at all after the apocalypse to move on from her husband and his best friend’s death. Carl is annoying and gets the stupid hat. Merle gets chained to a roof and has to saw off his own hand to escape, cauterizing it on a stove…

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REBLOG: Monkey Bread

On January 23, 2015January 23, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Cooking4 Comments

I know I just posted and I DON’T CARE WANT MONKEY BREAD NOW

REBLOG: Sikh Captain America: The Man Behind the Shield

On January 22, 2015January 21, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Geek1 Comment

I love this story, and the more attention it gets the better.

The Nerds of Color

Is America ready for a Sikh Captain America — a superhero fighting hate crimes and intolerance? In the wake of 9/11, the massacre of Sikh Americans in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and America post-Ferguson, my answer is a resounding yes! If superheroes can battle aliens, cyborgs, and fellow villainous superheroes, why can’t there be one that fights for social and racial justice?

In 2013, cartoonist Vishavjit Singh wore a Captain America costume for the first time with a royal blue turban to match his ensemble. The short documentary Red, White, and Beard is a quirky, lighthearted glance into Sikh Captain America and the man behind this growing phenomenon.

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REBLOG: The Ugly Truth About Book Sales

On January 13, 2015January 12, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Writing1 Comment

Yes. This. Remember this.

Leona's Blog of Shadows

Today I am going to share some eye-opening truths, which might shatter the illusions regarding the book publishing business and crush the dreams of some folk out there. I have recently come across a rather interesting blog post link in the comments section under a post at Suffolk Scribblings blog.

It was a rather grim post by author Kameron Hurley. For those who are not familiar with her, she is an established author who has been a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award, the Locus Award and the BSFA Award for Best Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in prestigious SFF magazines such as Lightspeed, EscapePod, and Strange Horizons. Her fiction has been translated into Romanian, Swedish, Spanish, and Russian. She is also a graduate of Clarion West. Impressive credentials many of us dream about accomplishing some day, if ever.

According to her…

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REBLOG: Outer space revisited

On January 12, 2015January 12, 2015 By Luther M. SilerIn Stories1 Comment

Okay, I know I literally JUST SAID I wasn’t posting more than once a day for a while, but there’s absolutely no way I can pass up reblogging this amazing story.

Green Writing Room

I recently read my first Sci Fi book… at least I think it was the first, and yet… in a life of reading I must have read one before and anyway it was listed under adventure, and I am always up for that. I enjoyed Skylights very much and reviewed it on Amazon. I read it because I have become interested in the author Luther M. Siler via his blog and happened to read the opening of this book which gripped me. It is set in the future, but starts in a schoolroom as the assembled children are watching the launch of the Challenger in 1986.

However, I had forgotten, I have been to space before, nearly thirty years ago. Our youngest daughter decided, age four, that she wanted to be an astronaut. So we made her a space ship. Here are the engineers at work.For christmas that year she…