Crumbs from the Tax Scam

As I already noted, my big prize from Trump's yuuuuge tax cut for "middle class families" is just over $30/month, which will be eaten up by the increases in healthcare costs that resulted from his gutting of Obamacare.

What I'm Reading

I had the flu (I'm almost over it), and I always read a lot when I'm sick, since I usually can't do much except that and sleep.

So I've plowed through more than the usual number of books lately. Some are re-reads -- re-reading for comfort when sick is also a habit of mine.

But here are the new books:

Wow! BIG TAX BREAK! Thanks, Donald!

I've seen my first post-tax scam paycheck, and Donald Trump, our benevolent overlord, has saved me just over $30 dollars.

That's over $350/year!

What wealth! What riches! I'm definitely switching my vote to GOP over this!

Links for Your Friday

I'm down with the flu, and have been for about three days now (the past days are a blur). Today I feel a bit better, though I am still swaddled up in blankets and drinking hot tea. At least I'm not coughing non-stop, with bones that feel like hot iron.

Have some links:

Your go-to link when someone repeats the vile lie that "most" or "all" mass shooters are Democrats (I've seen this one several time, over the Right side of the net).

Gun-myths shot down

Rod Dreher is still unhinged

I was dying on President's Day, but this is interesting

I already mentioned this, but in case you missed it

And there's also this!

A wonderful FB thread

My kid introduced me to Pop Culture Detective -- if you don't know this series, and you like pop culture as much as I do, you'll love it too. Here's a sample:

Review Live

My latest review, this one of Meg Elison's two books, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife and The Book of Etta, is now live over at Strange Horizons.

Three of the issues examined in this book—as well as in its sequel, The Book of Etta—are, first, the status of women in the post-apocalyptic world; and second, the question of whether and to what extent women should use violence to defend themselves; and finally, the subject of gender and identity.

Gwyneth Jones Talks about Fault Lines

Gwyneth Jones, one of the advance readers for my novel, Fault Lines, discussed it recently on her blog. I'm still dancing over her comments.

Kelly has been compared with C.J Cherryh, and I think deservedly. Fault Lines isn't burdened with the awful angst of Cherryh's greatest novel, Cyteen, but it has the same intensity and conviction.

More here.

Will Barnet

Our local museum is having a Will Barnet exhibit. We went by this morning.

Barnet is one of my favorite artists, and though this is a small exhibit -- it's a very small museum, sort of a tiny branch of Crystal Bridges -- it has some wonderful pieces.

If you live in the Fort, or nearby, don't miss it!

Tuesday Links

Links for your Tuesday!

Bald eagle cam -- two chicks expected soon UPDATE: They hatched!

The Kid turned me on to Pop Culture Detective. Here, he explains Toxic Masculinity, which is a term a lot of fragile snowflake manboys seem to be confused about. (Sarcastic? Me? Sorry, but when you've spent as much time as I have coddling tender little man fee-fees, you'll snap too.)

The Kid Does Art

Right now in the Kid's Studio Art class they are working on a collage project. I don't think I ever wrote about the Kid's Troubles with Scissors, but when they were in preschool, their scissors skills were so inferior (who knew toddlers got graded on Scissor Skills?) that the teacher wanted us to have them evaluated by a neurologist.

Time-jump to 2018, and the Kid can cut with scissors now, but boy do they hate it.

On the other hand, I present the collages they have (so far) created:

What I'm Reading

The weather continues cold here, and now today it's drizzling and foggy as well. If it were just a bit colder, we'd have snow, which would be lovely. Instead, the temperature hovers around the 35/40 degree mark, so that we're just miserable.

I've been drinking a lot of coffee, writing a little, and reading a lot.

Fault Lines: Cover Reveal!

Here's the cover for my novel, Fault Lines, done by the amazing Ciaran Gaffney.

I could not be more pleased!

LGBTQ, Genderqueer, and the Rest

As long-time readers know, my kid is genderqueer. (They're also an amazing artist*, and if you're not reading their comic you should start now.)

Squee!

Gwyenth Jones, y'all!

Kelly Jennings' "Velocity's Ghost",  in  @AthenaHelivoy @CandlemarkGleam The Other Half Of The Sky, left me sure there must be more. And now there is! Looking forward to seeing #FaultLines as a proper published book! pic.twitter.com/3L5Q3qA40C

— Gwyneth Jones (@annhalam) February 2, 2018

Cover reveal is coming next week -- stay tuned!