RIP, Amy's Blog: 1997 to 2021
I have two intense books I'm completing, and I've been increasingly unable to put the effort into blogging that I have done for years.
So, yes, it's time to close up shop: last night, December 31, 2021.
I will keep posting columns on my site (in the section for that) as well as other work I do (such as my November 2021 TED talk that will be out in February 2022).
I love you all for your comments and debate here over all these years, and I'm also grateful for the friendship of a number of you.
Thank you for inspiring me to post (and post and post!) here for all these years.
{insert "waaah!" emoji here}
Thanks for the vast effort. Only someone capable of lightspeed could put out this much and still produce books, and you've collected enough wisdom from the regulars to make this an outstanding reference for other online argument.
Please extend a hearty handshake to Gregg for his support, too.
The Skeptics track still needs you!
Radwaste at January 1, 2022 1:20 AM
A good blog needs entries every single day (no misses) - and if the blogger cannot do it, it's best to call a halt. Yours has been one of the very best blogs on the 'net.
I'll keep an eye out for those books!
In the meantime - keep on "living with guts and confidence" :)
All the best.
Hans Tholstrup at January 1, 2022 2:48 AM
This is a harsh reality to wake up to for the New Year, but we wish you all the best. Good luck on your future endeavors.
Fayd at January 1, 2022 5:39 AM
I'm trying to think of the right words, but at this moment, it's a tougher job than I thought it would be.
How about this: Thanks, Amy. Thanks for the blog, the columns, the books, the e-mails, everything. And to echo Raddy, all my best to Gregg (he really is a lucky gent)!
And thanks also to the commenters -- not just the Regulars, but the Occasionals, Seldoms, and Strangers.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at January 1, 2022 6:26 AM
This hit me. Thanks for having been here.
Momof4 at January 1, 2022 7:09 AM
Blog on old soldier, blog on.
Crid at January 1, 2022 7:53 AM
I might have to start my own blog. It would be a shame to never hear from the characters that made this blog what it is again.
Conan the Grammarian at January 1, 2022 7:58 AM
To misquote the dolphins So long and thanks for all the blogs.
Joe j at January 1, 2022 8:09 AM
OMG! NOOOO!
Thank you Amy for all that you have done over the years.
I remember you from the days of giving advice on the streets of Manhattan - and have enjoyed your blog postings here throughout the years.
Oh well, you do have to do what is best for you - and if closing the blog gives you more time to spend on writing then you will be better.
I look forward to your future writings in book form. May you continue to enjoy your writing as we enjoy reading it.
Happy and Healthy New Year to you Amy, and to your commenters as well.
charles at January 1, 2022 8:14 AM
Thanks for so many years of insight here, Amy! Headed over to Facebook to follow you there.
Deb at January 1, 2022 8:45 AM
Definitely not the holiday news I was hoping for. I think we all knew this day was coming some day, but had hoped it would not come so soon.
This has been a most enjoyable blog on which to post, debate, and even argue. Thank you for all of it, Amy. This will be missed. I'd say you will, too, but we'll have your books, columns, tweets, and the advice column part of this site for any needed Amy fixes.
Conan the Grammarian at January 1, 2022 9:05 AM
Many thanks to Amy and all. It will be missed.
wambut at January 1, 2022 9:36 AM
Oh well. All good things must come to an end.
Good luck on your books and may these two become a success.
Happy New Year *hugs*
Sixclaws at January 1, 2022 9:41 AM
Best wishes for the New Year and thanks for such a fun marathon run. We'll miss you.
Baker at January 1, 2022 9:48 AM
Alas! I'll miss your sassy take on current events. Good luck with your books.
Emptybee at January 1, 2022 9:58 AM
Nice sentiment, but this was not posted by me.
Conan the Grammarian at January 1, 2022 10:02 AM
I am so sad! But happy for you and glad your other work is going well!
NicoleK at January 1, 2022 10:09 AM
I am so sad! But happy for you and glad your other work is going well!
... doesn't Radwaste have a blog?
NicoleK at January 1, 2022 10:09 AM
Thanks for all the thought-provoking entries over the years!
I'll look forward to more Amy books.
Kevin at January 1, 2022 10:18 AM
Amy, how about recommending other blogs for us to check out, at least? Blogs you would call libertarian or moderate, I mean.
(After all, moderate writers are not as common - or as predictable - as those who seldom or never go against the left- or right-wing grain. One writer - F.L. - used to be a sharp-tongued moderate, 20 years ago, but now never seems to criticize the left at all. Doesn't she want her readers to THINK?)
I thank the few members here who have often disagreed with me BUT have pretty much always been respectful and polite when they responded to a comment of mine, directly or not. Namely, Patrick, Sixclaws, Conan, and, of course, Crid. Plus all those who clearly agreed with me most of the time anyway. (Most of those members disappeared long ago; I think those were all women. Some names I remember: Gail, Ppen, Pirate Jo, and Allison.)
Oh, and thanks to Amy for actually listening to us and even changing her mind on a few issues - even though you had to have an eagle eye to spot such changes.
lenona at January 1, 2022 10:24 AM
"... doesn't Radwaste have a blog?"
Thank you for remembering. Yes, I do, but it's only to serve as a convenient place to link longer explanations, so I don't have to repeat myself. As you can see, one blog is also not like another. I have nowhere near the content our Miss-Types-Like-Commander-Data generates.
I can only hope that Amy leaves this online for awhile now, so I can c/p the thousands of useful links and comments I now only have bookmarked to the Goddess Blog!
Radwaste at January 1, 2022 11:12 AM
Thanks for creating this stimulating forum.
Much success in your endeavors! I'll be checking your columns.
Ben David at January 1, 2022 11:17 AM
Sad news. I'll second the request that you leave the archives online...I've linked several posts here, and I'm sure many others have as well.
David Foster at January 1, 2022 12:05 PM
Thank you for being a voice of sanity amid the crazies.
Looking forward to your books, whenever they come out.
Rob McMillin at January 1, 2022 12:30 PM
It's been a brilliant run and you've made me laugh, learn, and marvel more times than you will know. Onward and upward to further greatness!
Walter Olson at January 1, 2022 12:31 PM
I've been an admirer for a long time. Best wishes and thanks for all the fish.
Aaron Haspel at January 1, 2022 12:33 PM
The Queen's blog is dead; long live the Queen's books and Twitter!
Travis corcoran / @morlockp at January 1, 2022 12:52 PM
Damn. Your blogging will be much missed. Lots of luck with your new projects
Tim Skellett (@Gurdur) at January 1, 2022 1:17 PM
A great run! & many fine memories :)
Paul Hrissikopoulos at January 1, 2022 2:22 PM
Thank you Amy, for creating and sustaining a blog space that at some times was also a lifeline.
Thanks to the many people who made it so over the years, including (not limited to): Crid, Patrick, Isab, NicoleK, MomOf3/ MomOf4, Pirate Jo, OldRPM Daddy, Conan The Grammarian, Radwaste, and Gregg.
My apologies to the people whose names I'm sure I'll remember as soon as this comment posts.
Here we go, from a time when people would drive to work in cars, to a time when cars drive people, and many people work from home. May we reconvene as pirates.
Michelle at January 1, 2022 2:47 PM
So these two Popes walk in to a bar.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 1, 2022 3:34 PM
I deal with sorrow and loss with jokes, even walking into a bar jokes.
It's been a fun and informative blog (thanks to Amy and all the great contributors). I'll keep reading the columns and buying the books, of course.
Best of luck, Amy, and good work as always.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at January 1, 2022 3:41 PM
I am so sorry to hear this, but I completely understand. I want to thank you for providing this interesting forum for all of these years. You have provided an outlet that has been informative, infuriating and illuminating, sometimes all three at once. It has been part of my day to day life for many years now, and I’ll miss you and all the crazy characters you’ve brought together here. Good luck with your books. You and everyone here will be missed.
BTW, I know Conan didn’t put out that post, but I would read his blog, if ever he had one. ☺️
Thanks again for all the good times and the good arguments.
Sheep Mom at January 1, 2022 4:29 PM
NOOOOOOooooooo!!!!
(Heads off into noösphere sobbing, disconsolate)
Ken McE at January 1, 2022 6:12 PM
Thank you SheepMom. I've enjoyed reading your comments over the years as well.
Conan the Grammarian at January 1, 2022 7:35 PM
Well... That sucks! I mean, I had a multi-year hiatus due to raising tiny humans (who are now bigger than I am) and just got back here. :(
Oh well, it's a lot longer run than most.
Best of luck with the writing endeavors!
Anon at January 1, 2022 8:58 PM
Love to you, Amy. Keep the files on a disk somewhere. I might be in the market.
Crid at January 2, 2022 3:28 AM
Also, that wasn't my comment at January 1, 2022 7:53 AM… Which is a fitting bit of weirdness for the end of this journey.
You've been an enormous, courageous and stalwart blessing, Amy Alkon.
Crid at January 2, 2022 3:40 AM
Fake Crid is obvious. The real Crid wasn’t an idiot.
“You've been an enormous, courageous and stalwart blessing, Amy Alkon.” —Psudo Crid
This is just a string of platitudes that doesn’t mean anything. What exactly is a “Stalward blessing.”
Isab at January 2, 2022 4:10 AM
Fake Crid is obvious. The real Crid wasn’t an idiot.
“You've been an enormous, courageous and stalwart blessing, Amy Alkon.” —Psudo Crid
This is just a string of platitudes that doesn’t mean anything. What exactly is a “Stalward blessing.”
Isab at January 2, 2022 4:10 AM
Yea. Not me, and Amy can see your URL and ISP.
Isab at January 2, 2022 6:53 AM
Kinda figured it was odd for an attorney to misspell both "stalwart" and "pseudo" in the same post.
Conan the Grammarian at January 2, 2022 7:16 AM
I wanna know if it's a regular doing this. And I'm so insulted I haven't been fake quoted yet.
NicoleK at January 2, 2022 7:28 AM
I'm so sad. I will miss you.
Vickie at January 2, 2022 9:40 AM
Thank you for your service. Seriously. I will miss your blog, your thoughtful and sometimes surprising take on a wide variety of topics, your sassy push-back on mendacity.
Via con Dios, or, as we often say in our house, Via con Carne!
RigelDog at January 2, 2022 10:55 AM
Thanks, Amy, for your incredible efforts and for being a rare breath of fresh air and common sense.
Good luck and best wishes for the future.
Jay R at January 2, 2022 12:38 PM
The real Crid wasn’t an idiot
Crid made the blog. As soon as he stopped contributing, the blog was doomed.
wambut at January 2, 2022 7:40 PM
The real Crid wasn’t an idiot
Crid made the blog. As soon as he stopped contributing, the blog was doomed.
wambut at January 2, 2022 7:40 PM
Those are my feelings as well .
Isab at January 3, 2022 7:00 AM
Am torn between, “Noooo!!!” and, “I totally understand.” Thank goodness we can follow you elsewhere.
marion at January 3, 2022 9:40 AM
Amy - thank you for the useful, fun, comical, serious, and timely blog. You will be missed by many; we'll keep up with your column and future projects. You're valued!
the other Patrick at January 3, 2022 10:49 AM
Ah so sad. Thanks for all the great bloggery and such and best of luck with you books.
Shtetl G at January 3, 2022 11:51 AM
Well, bummer. I'll miss coming here and seeing there is still reason in the world. Best of luck to you in your other endeavors.
Matt at January 3, 2022 9:06 PM
I’m sorry to hear it, I will miss this blog, but I understand how busy you are. Thank you for the time you spent with us, your humor and wisdom.
crella at January 4, 2022 4:30 AM
Late to the party. Thank you, Amy for giving us a town forum (and soapbox) all these years. Glad your column lives on and looking forward to those books, for continued access to your superb writing.
May we all drive to work in pirates.
sofar at January 4, 2022 8:49 AM
"Crid made the blog. As soon as he stopped contributing, the blog was doomed."
Wherever you are, Crid, I hope you are writing something for our amusement.
That said... I found Andrew M Garland to be best at content per syllable, Artemis/Orion dead last, tied with Chuck Pelto at making reading painful and boring at the same time. Conan is right there with Crid at Most Quotable ("We demand perfection of those admired by others" - Conan). lujlp gets big credit for sticking it out through a serious case of dyslexia. Don't get where Isab(el) can see you if you're misbehaving; Flynne, the hippie hottie, has her own .30-'06!
I wonder what happened to Lena Cuisina...
It would take me hours to credit everybody with good points to add.
Read back on the blog while it is still here so you can see the gems and collect great stories!
Radwaste at January 4, 2022 9:14 AM
20 years went under the bridge
Like time was standing still
Thank You Amy. Thank You for the blog, thank you for the columns, and on a personal note thank you for answering my request for advice. Though it wasn't column worthy - too tragic and banal - getting replies from someone I have trusted and respected for so long meant more than you know.
I miss the era before the books, when Amy had time to be really engaged in the comments section, but then I REALLY REALLY miss being able to read you in the Alt Weekly back when that was profitable enough. Sunday morning, bagel, turn to the second to last page.
Crid, if you're reading I'll miss your work too. I know it's not what you want to be remembered for but you were ands down the best html tagger here. None of this **emphasis** bullshit or untagged full urls.
I stopped commenting a long time ago but never stopped being engaged, inspired, challenged. I just delete a fuck ton of comments now.
Wow, the last time I will contemplate "or pirates!" This time I'll hit submit
smurfy at January 4, 2022 10:22 AM
Radwaste,
Stop being so low class.
This is supposed to be a time to send Amy off, not take pot shots based on your personal gripes.
Artemis at January 4, 2022 12:49 PM
“Don't get where Isab(el) can see you if you're misbehaving”
I can’t, but Amy can. So can Greg.
Isab at January 4, 2022 2:49 PM
Annnd there's another useless comment, right on schedule. Pure poison.
Radwaste at January 5, 2022 4:14 AM
Radwaste,
Are you mental?
Why can't you just thank Amy for her time like everyone else?
No one really cares about your personal rankings of blog posters from top to bottom.
This isn't about you.
Artemis at January 5, 2022 4:17 AM
Well you obviously care Artemis. It’s not our fault we think your comments are dumb.
Radwaste at January 5, 2022 6:45 AM
Radwaste,
I don't care about your personal rankings... I do care that you decided to shit all over Amy's send off with your perpetual nonsense.
Only a classless buffoon shows up at someone's retirement party and thinks it is appropriate to use that time to air their personal grievances about a coworker they happen not to like.
Artemis at January 5, 2022 11:40 AM
Thanks for a couple great decades of thought and debate, Amy!
Nice knowing all of you! (Well, most of you.)
ahw at January 5, 2022 2:53 PM
If anyone wants to say hello, you can (sometimes) find me at two of the four AbeBooks Community forums.
(I do NOT do Facebook or Twitter. Google Groups have been fun, but I don't know how long they can last - other than maybe the large cooking newsgroup, whose members can be ridiculously rude for no good reason; you can bet I never talk about anything that isn't at least semi-culinary, there. Oh well, at least the sci-fi group is still thriving, and everyone there is pretty civil. Trouble is, I hardly read SF novels anymore.)
lenona at January 5, 2022 7:20 PM
Well, shoot.
Amy, great job. Sorry you've decided to hang it up. But it's not (all that) unexpected.
To all the commentators save Chuck, see ya around.
- UJ
Unix-Jedi at January 5, 2022 8:30 PM
"This isn't about you."
Sigh. It has never been about you, either - even though you have never missed a chance to chide others for commenting the "wrong" way, and/or failing to realize your awesomeness. Now you seek to govern here at last.
By the way, somebody else's yanking your chain. Try to remember it's not what they call you, it's what you answer to, and for all your effort, you've never taken the hint to be brief, on point and done, even from Crid. Now, object, as I know you wish, about so many others commenting on his worth.
Once again, I urge others to look back and find the treasures Amy has enabled here and save them!
Radwaste at January 6, 2022 8:53 AM
Well dang it all anyway, Amy. I realize I'm late to this party, so please accept my apologies for that. I don't read as frequently as I used to...like when I found this blog over 12 years ago, while recovering from back surgery and then a major infection post-op. The post that brought me here, you ask? The story of the Rambler. I can't remember exactly how I stumbled onto it, but I was glad I did. I always drop in now and again, just to see who's here and what topics are being hotly debated.
Thanks Amy for always hosting such an awesome space to connect and disagree, and generally just share discourse with our fellow man. This blog really got me through some stuff, and I am so thankful for that. I have enjoyed following you on Twitter, so hopefully you won't stop tweeting any time soon. Again, so sorry to learn about the demise of yours and Greg's relationship - I thought you two were one for the ages.
Crid, Rad, Momof4, Lenona, Conan, Nicole, and Isab, thanks so much for keeping things lively around here. While I didn't always comment, I enjoyed reading what you all had to say, even if I didn't agree with you. You provoked thought, and sometimes I had to examine my stance on something because of what some of you had to say. If I had a yearbook, I'd ask you all to sign it, and of course, I'd swear that we would all keep in touch.
So...KIT!
Sara
sara at January 6, 2022 10:05 AM
Okay, one last rant.
Are Crid and Gregg the same person?
Because the same time Crid dissapeared from this site was also the same moment Amy was talking on Twitter about going back to the dating game.
Sixclaws at January 6, 2022 3:13 PM
Radwaste,
Just stop already.
You're like some schmuck who decides to give an uninvited toast at a wedding while drunk and decides it a great idea to rank the bridesmaids from prettiest to ugliest.
When someone calls you out for that being a trashy way to operate it doesn't make sense for you to then continue and say the person you said was ugly was making it about them.
"Sigh. It has never been about you, either - even though you have never missed a chance to chide others for commenting the "wrong" way, and/or failing to realize your awesomeness. Now you seek to govern here at last."
Good grief.
You see no difference in telling someone that the risks of Corona virus was real nearly 2 years ago and that they were wrong in their assessment... and you hijacking a goodbye thread to get in some last moment pot shots?
And when called out on it, the real problem is that someone is trying to "govern" you?
Can you act like an adult for once in your life and just do the classy thing?
Artemis at January 6, 2022 4:42 PM
Artemis said:
Can you act like an adult for once in your life and just do the classy thing?
I can't figure out if Artemis is real, or a caricature. Just me?
Artemis, you're the only one I've seen getting their knickers in a twist over anything Rad posted. Clearly you have an axe to grind, but all of your grinding (hehe) is making you look petty.
sara at January 6, 2022 5:02 PM
Artemis said:
Can you act like an adult for once in your life and just do the classy thing?
I can't figure out if Artemis is real, or a caricature. Just me?
Artemis, you're the only one I've seen getting their knickers in a twist over anything Rad posted. Clearly you have an axe to grind, but all of your grinding (hehe) is making you look petty.
sara at January 6, 2022 5:02 PM
Sara,
If I had an axe to grind I could have just popped in to pick a fight.
That isn't what happened though.
The entire point is that this thread is supposed to be about providing a positive send off.
That is usually how classy people operate in situations such as this.
The only one with their knickers in a twist was Radwaste... and always Radwaste... no one else in this entire thread saw it as necessary to go negative.
Artemis at January 6, 2022 5:06 PM
Artie, the only person commenting here who has not said they'll miss the forum, Amy, or the other posters is you. You're the only one who has not expressed regret that the forum is ending, said good bye to Amy, or had anything to say about your experiences here.
And, Artie, before you say your experiences were all bad, you spent a great deal of time here, so you must have enjoyed posting on the forum and arguing with the folks here, even if they were not always receptive to your arguments.
You've shown up at the funeral drunk and angry, airing your grievances without ever saying good bye to the deceased or offering condolences to the other mourners.
Conan the Grammarian (greeninkbrigade@outlook.com) at January 6, 2022 6:39 PM
Conan Says:
"Artie, the only person commenting here who has not said they'll miss the forum, Amy, or the other posters is you."
Why is it that you always try to put words in other peoples mouths on the basis of what that haven't said?
I've simply made no comment on the matter at all.
However, since you seem curious about my opinion about what I will miss about this forum... I miss once it once was a very long time ago.
You've expressed before that you have experience with loss of someone suffering from dementia. By analogy, you've already lost them by the time they breath their last breath.
I mourned the loss of this forum a long time ago. It's just been on life support for several years as far as I am concerned.
As a result, in some sense this decision is a mercy because it's never going to be the vibrant forum it once was.
Artemis at January 6, 2022 7:33 PM
I put no words in your mouth, Artie. I simply pointed out that you never expressed any feelings, pro or con, about the end of this blog. Your first comment here was to express indignation that Raddie chose point out that he did not consider your blog comments worth the effort it took to read them. You never, before or after that, pointed out any feelings of loss, joy, or indifference at the ending of this blog. To point that out is not to put words in your mouth.
Conan the Grammarian at January 6, 2022 8:17 PM
Conan Says:
"I put no words in your mouth, Artie."
Sure you did... you did it here:
"And, Artie, before you say your experiences were all bad, you spent a great deal of time here, so you must have enjoyed posting on the forum and arguing with the folks here, even if they were not always receptive to your arguments."
You were preemptively saying what my experience must have been.
As I've told you several times before, if you want to know what someone thinks the best thing to do is ask... not mention that they haven't said anything and then assert what their thoughts must be.
"Your first comment here was to express indignation that Raddie chose point out that he did not consider your blog comments worth the effort it took to read them."
No Conan.
Radwaste has expressed this opinion before and that is fine.
My only point has been that this particular thread is an inappropriate time to rehash his personal gripes. That isn't a classy way to operate.
I happen to like your funeral analogy.
Imagine if you will that you are attending the funeral of your grandmother and folks are going up and giving impromptu eulogies and sharing stories.
Your sitting in the funeral hall minding your own business when your cousin Radwaste who you don't get along with goes up to make a speech and in the middle of it he goes "I'm sure going to miss grandma, but at least I don't have to endure thanksgiving with cousin Conan anymore, he's such a bore and I hate every moment with him."
You would be justified to point out that this isn't exactly the right time for your cousin Radwaste to be airing his dirty laundry.
It's a funeral after all, the focus should be on the positive memories of grandma.
Such eulogies are about as trashy as it gets, and you would be justified to point out that Radwaste should be focusing his attention where it belongs.
Artemis at January 6, 2022 9:47 PM
Conan,
And before you cream your knickers... I am aware it should be "You're sitting..."
It's just a typo.
Artemis at January 6, 2022 9:52 PM
You know what, Artie? Sometimes throwing the angry drunk out of the funeral disrupts the proceedings more than simply letting him rant. So, rant away, Artie. You be you.
In the meantime, I'll offer an apology to the rest of the blog denizens for the disruption.
Conan the Grammarian at January 7, 2022 7:20 AM
Conan:
Amy's last post, and you arguing with Artemis just about filled the comment section up.
C'mon, you gotta find something about that that just, just, just... DEFINES what this comment section has been ABOUT!
:)
UJ
Unix-Jedi at January 7, 2022 9:31 PM
And, while I sit here listening to Cab Calloway...
A thank you to Gog, Kevin, and NicoleK, for being the voices of moderation.
And a thank you to Bob in Texas, for a very nice compliment he made back in January of 2017 (when I posted the obituary of the 111-year-old Zhou Youguang, the "father of pinyin").
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2017/01/linkzag.html#comments
And it's worth noting that, already, googling on key phrases Does Not Work - I first had to find out when the OBIT was written and then look in Amy's archives for the right month before I could find the thread. (Searching the blog for keywords still doesn't work, sad to say - or not very well, at least.)
lenona at January 9, 2022 10:22 AM
Type this into teh Google:
Quotation marks for phrases; year is optional but helpful; For Amy's, Goog is better than Duck or Bing.Crid at January 9, 2022 1:46 PM
Well, that worked - for that 2012 thread.
I tried that just now, changing 2012 to 2017, and I used a key phrase from the thread - with quotation marks. Still didn't work.
But thanks.
lenona at January 9, 2022 2:10 PM
That is SO weird. Been using that macro for years.
Coney broke it.
Crid at January 9, 2022 4:21 PM
Crid...is that really you?
I probably should keep this to myself, but I want you to know I've always been a fan. I may have even gotten a little "fan girl" seeing your name on this thread.
:)
sara at January 10, 2022 11:47 AM
Best wishes. Missing this place already.
Crid at January 10, 2022 8:54 PM
I want to thank all of you for taking me out of my bubble and exposing me to points of view I wouldn't have otherwise been exposed to.
I was 28 when I started reading this blog and I'm 44 now, and I do believe that reading other perspectives has changed me, in good ways.
Amy especially, thanks for all your fact-checking and links to studies.
NicoleK at January 11, 2022 2:00 AM
... is it bad that I think it is hilarious that the final comments section is Artemis and Conan arguing?
NicoleK at January 11, 2022 2:02 AM
"... is it bad that I think it is hilarious that the final comments section is Artemis and Conan arguing?"
Not at all. There's something sitcommy about it, in a way, isn't there?
Best wishes, everybody. You know where to find me. And Amy? Here's a big cyber-hug!
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at January 11, 2022 5:44 PM
And this surprised me a bit, but I think American schools should do the same.
https://www.lifehack.org/453196/in-japan-school-janitors-simply-dont-exist-heres-why
Excerpt:
...It is not the action itself but the meaning behind the act. The same principle would apply if the children were told to paint the classroom, or to keep the grass pruned. The fact is that they are taught to work as a team in caring for their environment. When they grow older, these children will continue to respect and take care of the space around them. They’ll never forget this good habit. The cleaning task is just a tool to teach them a habit.
As Michael Auslin, a former English teacher in Japan, said in a quote for NPR, “School is not just for learning from a book, It’s about learning how to become a member of society and taking responsibility for oneself”. The purpose of public school is to educate in all aspects, not just book-learning. They train them to live. In their future, no one is going to clean up after them, so they better learn to do it now....
lenona at January 13, 2022 9:18 AM
“Excerpt:
...It is not the action itself but the meaning behind the act. The same principle would apply if the children were told to paint the classroom, or to keep the grass pruned. The fact is that they are taught to work as a team in caring for their environment. When they grow older, these children will continue to respect and take care of the space around them. They’ll never forget this good habit. The cleaning task is just a tool to teach them a habit.”
Guarantee you. Union rules will not allow teachers to spend time supervising class clean up.
Japan is different in so many ways. Very few of their educational practices translate well to America.
Isab at January 13, 2022 10:24 AM
@Lenona,
That will never, EVER going to happen in America.
I can just imagine every single parent going REEEEEEEEEE if their precious princess -at this point this is a gender-neutral term- is "forced" to clean anything.
The Hispanic ones are going to complain about the "Consuela" stereoype.
The black ones are just going bitch about it, shake their head sideways and then go "If you're not black you don't have the right to criticize me" or if you are will bitch that her skin is darker than yours, hence he point is moar valid just because. It turns into a shouting fist fight if you have a darker skin.
And the Asians be like "I'm Chinese/Filipino/Korean/Vietnamese why are you forcing Japanese culture onto me?" And the Japanese kids are going to claim that they're not Japanese, that they're just American.
And the Jewish parents -I'm sparing no one- are going to complaint that they're not rasing their kids to be "The service," or pop out of nowhere a note from their doctors stating that their kids have a gazillion life-threatening allergies and must be spared from doing chores.
The white kids are going to do it because they're weebs and with the "heuristic" HR hires people is probably janitor is the only job in the urban areas available to them.
Sixclaws at January 13, 2022 4:10 PM
Lenona, US schools used to do that. Both of my parents had to sweep up and otherwise clean the school. Big government and union groups put a stop to the practice.
Ben at January 14, 2022 6:49 AM
@Ben,
That also happened in wealthy schools back then.
I was in Catholic school and everyone did chores; except, of course, the very wealthy kids.
Then someone addressed that in a PTA meeting and the only solution they had to come up with was hiring a cleaning to do all that work.
Sixclaws at January 14, 2022 11:02 AM
Sixclaws, in a way, that last remark reminds me of when, 50 years ago, 18-year-old men argued "if we're old enough to fight, we're old enough to vote."
...So, they won the right to vote.
But, as at least one syndicated columnist - Ellen Goodman - pointed out: “In retrospect, it seems odd that we simply accepted the draft as the baseline, the duly designated point of adulthood. Instead of raising the military age, we lowered everything else to match it. We were embarrassed about the wrong thing.”
She finished by saying (it was a 1984 column):
"What then of the voter who says that anyone old enough to die for his country is old enough to drink in it? Tell him 18 is much, much too young to die for his country."
Anyway, to get back to the elementary students, I just wish, at least, that parents would start grasping that yes, it IS better for kids to revolve around adults and THEIR rules, not the other way around. Otherwise, the parents seem too much like hysterical children themselves. "Raising" children should not mean "catering."
lenona at January 14, 2022 7:00 PM
CridComment@gmail.com
Crid at January 15, 2022 4:18 AM
Heh. See?
Radwaste at January 15, 2022 7:19 AM
Yet more bad results from California district attorneys deciding that theft doesn't matter:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/looters-raid-union-pacific-trains-los-angeles-searching-amazon-and-ups-packages
Amy may not want to write about these things anymore, but maybe we can do some of it for her.
jdgalt1 at January 15, 2022 9:39 AM
From that I take it you are completely ignorant why we don't raise the age for the military from 18, Lenona. And the better solution has already been implemented. We just don't draft people anymore. Though formalizing that into law would be better. Especially given the current day habit of our politicians ignoring tradition to satisfy momentary desires.
Ben at January 15, 2022 12:38 PM
Is it because 21 year olds are more settled in their lives and less likely to be interested in signing up?
NicoleK at January 17, 2022 4:26 AM
I love how being 18yo means you can join the Army and it's perfectly fine if you pop enemy combatants like zits.
But a drinking a beer if you're 18yo? "OMG TEH HORROR!!11!1!!1!!!"
Sixclaws at January 17, 2022 6:38 PM
Ben, Ellen Goodman, as a syndicated columnist, is hardly ignorant or clueless - and neither am I. Aside from what NicoleK pointed out, anyone knows that it's difficult as hell to get the military - or the government - to give up any control they already have over the young. So of course they decided to lower the voting age.
Read what she wrote again. I don't get why you love to jump to negative conclusions.
Her column, that day, was primarily about teenage drinking. Her point was simply that by acting as though we couldn't POSSIBLY have raised the draft age higher than 18 (as opposed to admitting those who WANT to enlist at that age), we ended up giving 18-year-olds a sacred status they really didn't deserve. (Among other things, almost no one thinks it's really OK for an 18-year-old to marry - or that such a marriage should be expected to last.)
As Fran Lebowitz wrote, in the 1970s:
"If you reside in a state where you attain your legal majority while still in your teens, pretend that you don't. There isn't an adult alive who would want to be contractually bound by a decision he came to at the age of nineteen."
(Sounds to me as though she would have been glad to restrict enlistment, voting, drinking and marriage to those over 21 as well.)
lenona at January 17, 2022 10:39 PM
Fran, the Nanny, Fran?
NicoleK at January 18, 2022 2:43 AM
Um, no. Have you not heard of her? Aside from her books (not to mention the fact that she owns 11,000 books), you can see her in Martin Scorsese's documentaries and on YouTube - especially with Bill Maher.
Another of her well-known quotations:
"If people don't want to hear from you, what makes you think they want to hear from your sweater?"
And here are many more:
https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/fran-lebowitz-quotes
lenona at January 18, 2022 7:02 AM
I didn't jump to conclusions Lenona.
“In retrospect, it seems odd that we simply accepted the draft as the baseline, the duly designated point of adulthood. Instead of raising the military age, we lowered everything else to match it. We were embarrassed about the wrong thing.”
That is an idiotic statement that demonstrates the person saying it has no idea what is going on. Being a syndicated columnist doesn't change that.
"Is it because 21 year olds are more settled in their lives and less likely to be interested in signing up?" ~NicoleK
Actually no. This is in the event of a draft. Signing up isn't involved. You are being conscripted.
But to widen things outside of a draft, the older men get from puberty the more stable their hormones and the better they've adapted to them. This mean they are much less likely to take risks and much less likely feel they are invulnerable. Unfortunately it is unavoidable in war to not take life and death risks. Your army needs a significant number of people who are 'young, dumb, and full of xxx' to function. It can't be only populated by the young invincible so there is significant room for older people as well, but it flat can't function without the young hotheads.
As for further confirmation of the biology behind this look at the insurance industry. Traditionally a man's insurance bill drops with age and marriage. Get that guy laid regularly and his hormones aren't such an issue.
This isn't something that affects women. But in the US women weren't subject to the draft and also aren't a huge part of the military. They are under 25%. Which is a huge increase from next to nothing but still a significant minority.
For more information you can look at the current US military demographics here.
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/demographics-us-military
Note that even in our all volunteer military roughly 50% of enlisted are under 25. Officers are a different story. There the under 25 make up only 10%-15%. Which shows the different roles. You need stable thoughtful people in leadership rolls. I.e. older more stable people. But most people can't be leaders. The military needs those young guys to function. Raising the age to 21 would be a huge cost. You are talking about eliminating 20% of our current soldiers. In the event of a draft the cost would be even higher.
Ben at January 18, 2022 8:49 AM
@Ben,
I for one wouldn't be surprised is the Draft instead becomes moar inclusive and young women get shafted into it too.
All I know is that if that ever happens, there's gonna be a second baby boom.
And for the unlucky ones who couldn't get knocked up fast? Boot Camp is gonna be a baby-making sweatshop.
Sixclaws at January 20, 2022 12:22 PM
It depends on how dumb the politicians are and how dumb that crop of generals are. Just look at Biden's 'success' in Afghanistan. Or general Mark Milley. Unfortunately being unable to predict the blindingly obvious isn't rare.
The pregnancy issue is already a problem even without a draft. I expect you are right, Sixclaws. If there is a draft of women then there will be a baby boom with a lot of honorable discharges.
And to be clear, nothing I've said is in support of a draft. Trained volunteer soldiers perform and survive much better than unwilling untrained ones, for obvious reasons. It is better to never have a draft period. But life isn't always what we want. A draft may be necessary as a choice of last resort.
Ben at January 20, 2022 2:18 PM
Ah, well. It was fun while it lasted. (Turning out the lights as I leave.)
Patrick at January 20, 2022 9:27 PM
Damn.
This is some surprising news.
Thank you for your many years of keeping this place going. Many years ago this place was a place that I daily frequented and even participated in.
This blog will be missed. Please do keep the archives up as long as possible. I have some epic responses I would like to save.
Once again thanks.
John Paulson at January 23, 2022 2:42 AM
500 times I have wanted to post here, but no.
Crid at February 2, 2022 9:44 AM
The ADL did an oopsie thanks to Whoopi Goldberg.
https://twitter.com/PSA_Sitch/status/1488943930662076422
Sixclaws at February 3, 2022 7:41 AM
Uff da! Big gut punch. Last couple years I mostly came to read comments once a month. Never learned so much from so many anonymous people. Always loved when I was turned on to a book or author.
Thanks Crid, Conan and Isab, you’ve broadened my perception of the world immensely. I cover each of your writing skills. Learned much from Radwaste and Lenona too.
Amy, I’ll keep buying your books and follow you on Twitter.
Was always a pleasure visiting this blog.
Abersouth at February 5, 2022 7:17 AM
I haven't been here for awhile as I was creating a life, thanks to some very old advice you gave me. I came back to tell you I finally made it to France, which always makes me think of you. I'm happy for your success, sorry to see you won't be blogging. Even when we disagreed, you were a model of how discussions should be had. Thank you!
Kristen at February 25, 2022 10:16 PM
Good going, K. The anti-woke truth is that often, the best thing you can say to someone is 'Be strong.'
Crid at February 27, 2022 9:57 AM
A month and a half after the draft discussion on here and now Russia is finding out the biggest issue with drafting people to run a conscript army.
When you draft someone you are enslaving them. They aren't there because they want to. And that is a slave you just gave a gun . . .
Ben at March 3, 2022 7:32 AM
Now, that's a dang shame. I haven't been here often, lately, but I really did enjoy your blog on the occasions that I visited the site. Best of luck to you.
I moved to Florida in November 2021 from the People's Republic of Maryland, and so far, I'm doing well. You would likely be welcome here, even though your non-woke libertarianism differs somewhat from southern conservatism. So come on down when California finally becomes too oppressive for ya!
mpetrie98 at March 5, 2022 7:01 PM
Geez. So many keen things happening this month...
Fun surfing the old stuff to see what came true (most, didn't)
Radwaste at March 9, 2022 9:17 AM
Please note...
Now's the time!
Radwaste at March 28, 2022 9:47 AM
Patrick: The repeats are in pi as well… It's infinite.
Crid at April 3, 2022 5:26 PM
I miss this blog. Reddit just isn't as good.
NicoleK at April 12, 2022 4:09 AM
> Reddit just isn't as good
tru 😬
Crid at April 12, 2022 9:28 AM
It has been announced that the US Postal Service will not deliver to some addresses on 14th Street in Santa Monica, CA due to criminal assault on a postal worker.
Congratulations, CA on meeting yet another milestone in its race to become a Third World country - or worse - and Amy? Please consider leaving before this gets to you, and state policies finally injure or kill you personally.
Radwaste at April 14, 2022 5:40 PM
After reviewing 2007, I've determined that 2007 was the Best Year. Only 30% of my comments were derailed by typos, only another 30% were corrupted by (abject) obnoxiousness or confusion (alcoholic or organic), and only ±15% were lost to rank incomprehension of the issues under discussion.
That leaves about 25% to be proud of! …Or at least, not be ashamed of! And 25% = one quarter!
Those are good numbers! It's a blog, and those were comments!
Haven't checked 2008 or any of the other years yet.
Crid at April 23, 2022 9:44 AM
Why yes, actually, 23:20 EDT on 2 May 22 is exactly the sort of time where you miss this blog the most.
Crid at May 2, 2022 8:25 PM
The blog rejects FF v.100, possibly because its version has 3 digits, but Safari still works.
Best wishes to our lovely Goddess!
Radwaste at May 8, 2022 4:35 PM
Wow, what a wonderful day it is to rant about guns and abortion!
Missing you madly,
John
Radwaste at June 24, 2022 7:26 PM
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