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@tiotasram@kolektiva.social
2025-10-27 03:00:46

Day 30: Elizabeth Moon
This last spot (somehow 32 days after my last post, but oh well) was a tough decision, but Moon brings us full circle back to fantasy/sci-fi, and also back to books I enjoyed as a teenager. Her politics don't really match up to Le Guin or Jemisin, but her military experience make for books that are much more interesting than standard fantasy fare in terms of their battles & outcomes (something "A Song of Ice and Fire" achieved by cribbing from history but couldn't extrapolate nearly as well). I liked (and still mostly like) her (unironically) strong female protagonists, even if her (especially more recent) forays into "good king" territory leave something to be desired. Still, in Paksenarion the way we get to see the world from a foot-soldier's perspective before transitioning into something more is pretty special and very rare in fantasy (I love the elven ruins scene as Paks travels over the mountains as an inflection point). Battles are won or lost on tactics, shifting politics, and logistics moreso than some epic magical gimmick, which is a wonderful departure from the fantasy norm.
Her work does come with a content warning for rape, although she addresses it with more nuance and respect than any male SF/F author of her generation. Ex-evangelicals might also find her stuff hard to read, as while she's against conservative Christianity, she's very much still a Christian and that makes its way into her writing. Even if her (not bad but not radical enough) politics lead her writing into less-satisfying places at times, part of my respect for her comes from following her on Twitter for a while, where she was a pretty decent human being...
Overall, Paksenarrion is my favorite of her works, although I've enjoyed some of her sci-fi too and read the follow-up series. While it inherits some of Tolkien's baggage, Moon's ability to deeply humanize her hero and depict a believable balance between magic being real but not the answer to all problems is great.
I've reached 30 at this point, and while I've got more authors on my shortlist, I think I'll end things out tomorrow with a dump of also-rans rather than continuing to write up one per day. I may even include a man or two in that group (probably with at least non-{white cishet} perspective). Honestly, doing this challenge I first thought that sexism might have made it difficult, but here at the end I'm realizing that ironically, the misogyny that holds non-man authors to a higher standard means that (given plenty have still made it through) it's hard to think of male authors who compare with this group.
Looking back on the mostly-male authors of SF/F in my teenage years, for example, I'm now struggling to think of a single one whose work I'd recommend to my kids (having cheated and checked one of my old lists, Pratchett, Jaques, and Asimov qualify but they're outnumbered by those I'm now actively ashamed to admit I enjoyed). If I were given a choice between reading only non-men or non-woman authors for the rest of my life (yes I'm giving myself enby authors as a freebie; they're generally great) I'd very easily choose non-men. I think the only place where (to my knowledge) not enough non-men authors have been allowed through to outshine the fields of male mediocrity yet is in videogames sadly. I have a very long list of beloved games and did include some game designers here, but I'm hard-pressed to think of many other non-man game designers I'd include in the genuinely respect column (I'll include at least two tomorrow but might cheat a bit).
TL;DR: this was fun and you should do it too.
#30AuthorsNoMen

@simon_brooke@mastodon.scot
2025-10-28 08:09:07

"When I hear international leaders speak of “Israel’s right to defend itself,” I wonder: against whom? Against mothers with their babies? Against teachers with their board markers? Against students with their books? The global silence — or worse, complicity — amplifies our grief" -- Dr Hassan El-Nabih

‘I’m happy and sad to see you’: The paradox of surviving the Gaza genocide
A chance encounter with one of my past students at the Islamic University of Gaza highlighted the paradox of surviving the Gaza genocide: feeling joy in surviving the war and sorrow in witnessing what our survival has cost us.

@memeorandum@universeodon.com
2025-12-24 22:05:49

Grand Jury Charges Four Members of Anti-Government Group with Terrorism Felonies Stemming from New Year's Eve Bombing Plot (US Department of Justice)
justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/grand
memeorandum.com/251224/p62#a25

@floheinstein@chaos.social
2025-11-27 18:53:23

OTD 5 years ago, I posted this:
So, in the last 24 hours we had
- Zombie minks in Denmark
- almost 400 km/h wind,
- thunderstorms and lightning in Iceland
Either someone is playing an updated version of Jumanji, or some Nordic director is shooting a video clip for a "Thriller"/"Bohemian Rhapsody" remix.

Three part meme, showing the headline "Dead minks infected with a mutated form of Covid-19 rise from graves after mass culling", a graph showing wind speeds of up to 120 m/s in Iceland and a lightning strike.
@relcfp@mastodon.social
2025-11-27 09:35:16

H-Net Job Guide Weekly Report for H-Buddhism: 16 November - 23 November networks.h-net.org/group/annou

H-Net Job Guide Weekly Report for H-Buddhism: 16 November - 23 November | H-Net
The following jobs were posted to the H-Net Job Guide from 16 November to 23 November. These job postings are included here based on the categories selected by the network editors for H-Announce. See the H-Net job guide web site at https://www.h-net.org/jobs/ for more information. To contact the Job Guide, write to jobguide@mail.h-net.org or call +1-517-432-5134 between 9 AM and 5 PM US Eastern time.

@ErikJonker@mastodon.social
2025-11-25 18:20:03

"On July 23rd, 1984, the song was recorded at the Flying Cloud Drive Warehouse in Eden Prairie with the entire band. The song was played and recorded live. After 21 minutes the tape was full and the band were still playing."
It was never released before, with a reason, 21 minutes is a bit long 😆, still interesting for any Prince fan. And the song has an amazing groove...

America (12" Version) - 2025 Remaster
Prince · Around the World in a Day (Deluxe Edition) [2025 Remaster] · Song · 2025

@NFL@darktundra.xyz
2025-11-25 18:24:39

Source: Saints sign kicker York over vet Tucker espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/470975

Source: Saints release K Grupe, sign York over Tucker after tryout - ESPN
The Saints are releasing kicker Blake Grupe and signing Cade York to their practice squad following a tryout with veteran Justin Tucker on Tuesday, a source told ESPN.

@leftsidestory@mstdn.social
2025-11-25 00:30:00

Moody Urbanity - Stand 🧍‍♂️
情绪化城市 - 立 🧍‍♂️
📷 Nikon FE
🎞️ Ilford HP5 Plus 400, expired 1993
#filmphotography #Photography #blackandwhite

Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (FF) English Alt Text: A grainy black-and-white photograph features a group of leafless trees with intricate branches silhouetted against the sky. Some trees retain foliage. A building is partially visible behind the trees, and a metal fence runs along the bottom. Power lines stretch horizontally across the top. The composition emphasizes contrast and texture, evoking a moody, atmospheric feeling through the interplay of natural forms and urban elements. 中文替代文字： 这是一张颗粒感强烈的…
Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (FF) English Alt Text: A storefront display showcases traditional Chinese cloth shoes arranged neatly behind a glass window. The shoes feature intricate embroidery and colorful patterns, reflecting cultural craftsmanship. To the left, more shoes are stacked in a bin, with hanging items and several bottles on the floor. A potted plant adds greenery near a handwritten sign. The sign and window text read “Old Beijing Cloth Shoes – Seasonal Clearance,” suggesting a local shop o…
Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (FF) English Alt Text: A narrow alleyway paved with rectangular tiles is bathed in sunlight, casting dramatic shadows across the ground. The black-and-white photograph emphasizes the contrast between light and dark. Shadows of railings and foliage create intricate patterns. The alley is flanked by walls and structures, leading the viewer’s eye into the distance. The composition evokes a quiet, contemplative mood, highlighting textures and geometry through light play. 中文替代文…
Ilford HP5 Plus 400 (FF) English Alt Text: A black-and-white street scene shows pedestrians walking under tree shade along a sidewalk. On the left, a storefront features a large decorative duck sculpture placed on a ledge. Above it, a flag with Chinese characters reads “East City Watch Post.” The image captures daily urban life, with people casually strolling and engaging with their surroundings. The duck and flag add cultural and whimsical elements to the otherwise ordinary setting. 中文替代文字： …
@cdarwin@c.im
2025-11-23 19:35:13

The Free Birth Society (FBS) is a business run from North Carolina that promotes the idea of women giving birth without midwives or doctors present.
It is led by Emilee Saldaya and Yolande Norris-Clark,
ex-doulas turned social media influencers who have gained a global following through the FBS podcast, which has been downloaded millions of times.
FBS profits from sales of its instructional video guide to freebirthing, and access to a paid-for membership group for pregnant …

Five key findings from our investigation into the Free Birth Society
Year-long investigation into multimillion-dollar business exposed serious concerns, from dangerous medical claims to FBS-linked stillbirths

@Techmeme@techhub.social
2025-12-17 10:30:43

Ankar, which develops LLM-powered AI tools to streamline the process of drafting patent applications for patent attorneys, raised a $20M Series A led by Atomico (Jeremy Kahn/Fortune)
fortune.com/2025/12/17/exclusi

Exclusive: Palantir alums using AI to streamline patent filing secure $20 million in Series A venture funding
Palantir alumni Tamar Gomez and Wiem Gharbi founded Ankar which counts L'Oreal and Vorys among early customers