Sarah A. Hoyt's Blog, page 269

Losing Our Roots

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When Robert was one and a half, we asked his pediatrician if his intelligence seemed normal.
Look, I know IQ is mostly inherited, but mom’s family has some startling up and downs (okay, given the times, that might be nutrition) but also everyone and their brothers had warned us that as severe as pre-eclampsia was during that pregnancy he’d probably be mentally retarded.  And Robert was, like every high IQ (and/or Odd) kid ever given to saltational development. What that means for those who h...

Woke-ify Your Fiction – by Frank J Fleming

*Years ago, when I was deeply in the political closet, after days of mouthing pieties or at least not laughing in the faces of editors and agents saying (or posting, or emailing) them, I would hit IMAO.US, Frank’s site, and laugh until I felt human again.  Imagine my shock when I realized he wrote science fiction and fantasy.  His new book, Sidequest, was just released and you might want to check it out.  Meanwhile give a hearty ATH welcome to Frank.  He’s one of the good ones  (And sorry t...

Hoppy Easter from the Wingnuttiest Wingnut of All Vignettes by Luke, Mary Catelli and ‘Nother Mike

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Happy Easter and I hope those of you who celebrate it have a good Passover, and those others who are celebrating also celebrate whatever their religion dictates this time of year.

Rituals are an important thing because they bring order our of chaos and put a spiritual dimension onto the material, and puts flesh on the idea that what we do matters, that there is more to life than meaninglessness.  That some things are important enough to observe for thousands of years.  I think this is why ev...

Eating a Whole Cow

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There is a Portuguese joke that goes like this “Could you eat a whole cow?”  “Only with a lot of bread.”

If you didn’t at least smile, it’s because you’re missing the underpinnings of the culture.  First, everyone is all about the bread.  No matter what you’re eating, there will be rolls on the table.  My grandmother used to say “Even in hell, they don’t serve soup without bread.”  (Which gave me an odd idea of hell as a very infra dig restaurant.)

Second, at least in my early childhood, the...

The Art of Martha

For those of you who heard the New Testament story of Martha and Mary, she who did the housekeeping and served the unexpected guests, and Mary, who chose the sweetest portion of listening about the kingdom of heaven, it won’t surprise you that we all have a bit of both, of course.

Most of the sermons about that portion, at least the ones I’ve been privileged to listen to, emphasize the sweetness of Mary’s calling, the importance of spiritual life, and all that.  Partly, I suspect, due to prof...

BRAWL – Internal Cultural Differences and Historical Realities – Amanda S. Green

*The lateness of this post is not the author’s fault.  I’m exceptionally derpy and couldn’t finish reading it in any sane amount of time.  But here it is, and sorry to be so late Amanda.  On the bad side, she’s going back to reading masochism with the next book, at least from what she told me — SAH*

BRAWL – Internal Cultural Differences and Historical Realities – Amanda S. Green

If you were to ask most anyone how African-Americans first came to the United States, you’d be told they came as sl...

Welcome to the Crab Bucket

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My husband has been in the working world, as a professional, for 30 some years.  I’ve been in this weird ghetto of the working world called publishing for 20 this fall.

And what we’ve found, and which is being brought home rather strongly by some friends’ experiences, is that most workplaces, work fields, work environments, are crab buckets.  Most people don’t get much done, and they don’t want anyone else to.

Husband is in a good place right now, because it’s a small office, with congenial...

This morning went seriously sideways and The Bombs Bursting In Air Blast From the Past from July 4 2015

*It’s been a very weird morning, combined with the fact I’m on “something a little stronger than prednisone” which is giving me one-minute-attention-span.  I’m so sorry, I meant to write  a post, but this will have to do for now. – SAH*

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The Bombs Bursting in Air

Sarah A. Hoyt

The holo board on the side of the road read “Emergency. All Vehicles and persons, please turn on the next right and wait for inspection.”

I had just flown in to Sea York, dropped from long-distance altitude to local al...

Teach a Child

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During the weekend, while doing my normal weekly cleaning (usually a running affair lasting 4 hours and starting at around 9 am, involving dusting, vacuuming and making wet-areas (kitchen and bathrooms) sanitary, yes a little easier now that I’ve been keeping things more … organized) I listened to Tunnel in the Sky.

I learned my Heinlein upside down as most juveniles either weren’t published in Portuguese by the time I got married, or didn’t fall into my hands. So I’d read Podkayne and Space...

Writing Prompt and Book Promo

For some reason today I don’t have a writing prompt word.  This is distressing, of course, but not insurmountable.  I’m posting a picture and letting you guys have fun.

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And now for eine kleines book promo:

JOHN M. JEFFERSON: The Nothing’s Child.

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Zack, Zack Goldman, pleased to meet you. I’m a runner. I know you don’t know what that is. It’s better if I just show you.

See this wire? Yeah, this one here coming out of my arm. This is my connection to the net. You probably don’t know that on...