Once we separate gender from sex (and they are two separate things), so much becomes clear. Also, I identify as non-binary — more specifically, agender. Read on for the long version.

Year after year, scientists keep seeing the superlative ‘warmest month on record’ and there’s no signs of a slow-down. The latest is July 2021, which was the warmest month in human history.

In a rambling sort of entry with little point other than to express some opinions, I talk about my thoughts on world building in SFF, including how I try to write and why.

No matter what progress is about to be made, someone always argues against it by saying: “things didn’t use to be this way” (true) and “therefore we shouldn’t change them” (false). Here, I attempt to examine the mindset.

(Updated to reflect the Jan. 6 insurrection, which required a partial rewrite.) I’m happy to reach out to anyone truly ready for reconciliation after this election, but there are steps required for reconciliation — including ceasing to actively support harm, recognizing the wrong, and apologizing. Whether we reconcile or not, every policy position I favor, if enacted, would help conservatives as much as they’ll help me. And that’s by design.

Though I allowed myself moments of mental relaxation and relief, and though this election result means the worst is over (for now), we’re still not in a good place as a country. We have a lot of work to do. (Updated 2020.11.08 to include a quote from John Scalzi and link to his blog entry.)

With the most important election of my lifetime just around the corner, it was time to finish this longsuffering draft of mine. It’s a list of election reform proposals, none original to me, and what I think about them. (UPDATED to include a section on gerrymandering.)

1. Kamala Harris is probably the best VP candidate we could have expected. 2. I’m not worried about Democrat factions in-fighting because we’re all going to vote this fall. 3. No matter what, I expect the worst — because that way there’s a possibility I might be pleasantly surprised.

(UPDATED 2020.11.02 to correct some errors and add a new section.)

I continue to hear easily debunked claims and poorly conceived talking points from Confederate sympathizers. Here, I debunk some of the most common.

Given the very real need to reform policing in the United States, I wanted a list of actual proposals, and this entry is that list — along with (as expected) my commentary on each one. (Updated to add a section on not calling the cops.)