I'm Not Gonna, But I Don't Know, And I Will But Not Now
So I’m a little exhausted right now. I could write a hundred more entries on cancer, but it wouldn’t actually help; there comes a point in every therapy where saying the same thing over and over digs deeper into the wound instead of cleaning it out.
And what I want to do right now is pick several overdue fights with the Men’s Rights Advocates, who descended on a couple of entries of mine, and pretty much confirmed what I thought about them. Not all of them, of course. There were a couple of lovely, thoughtful people who spoke up, making me realize that some of them are actually concerned with Men’s Rights without blaming women, and God bless them… but the rest of them? Hoo. But while I have the energy to dismantle some ludicrously brain-dead arguments these idiots proposed, I don’t have the energy to deal with the comments – a vital part of any functioning blog ecosystem.
Plus, I’m mad right now. I don’t trust my instincts when I’m mad. Picking a fight out of anger is usually not a good instinct. And, as noted, there were a couple of gems hidden in the MRA discussions, and do I want to shit all over them right now because, quite frankly, the real bulk of my fury is at something I cannot touch?
No. I do not.
That’s not the way I work.
Yet I don’t know what else to write about, as everything else feels dross. I got copyedits on Flex. That will be interesting. I got some nice blurbs. Also interesting. But it’s hard to find anything interesting right now.
So hey. You tell me something that’s interesting. Give me something you just learned that fascinates you, for whatever reason. I don’t know if I’ll have the energy to respond, but trust me: I’ll read it, and I’ll see it, and I’ll probably smile.
And thanks for supporting me in a dark time. I saw how many of you went purple the other day, for Rebecca. I tried to like and comment where I could, but then my phone ran out of energy, and then so did I. I crashed so hard people wondered if I was having another heart attack. (I wasn’t.)
But refill my energy, if you would, by sharing newness. There is still growth in this world. So tell me something new you learned, and I thank you.
Ketamine may be extremely useful as a short-term antidepressant for treatment-resistant major depression, to get suicidal patients out of the ditch in a hurry while trying other drugs for the long term.
There are rare pools of surface water in the Eastern Sahara, from tiny oases called guelta to the Lakes of Ounianga, which were recently designated as a World Heritage Site. Some of the water is saline, as you’d expect in the desert; some of it is fresh, fed by underground reservoirs whose stores fell as rain thousands of years ago.
I’ve learned that go-carts are still fun, even at 37 years old.
That Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a completely different book when you read it aloud. Note, not hear it read, read it. As a skimmer, the book changed for the even better when I was forced to read each word. The downside is finding a way to make somewhat unique voices for All. The. Characters. (The counter to that is discovering that Pansy Parkington of Slytherin sounds just like Jackie Tyler from Dr. Who! Ok, cribbing Dr. Who voices for Harry Potter is a joy in general. 🙂
I’ve been reading your blog for so long that when I mention your entries out loud, I actually begin my sentences with, “My friend, Ferrett…” Despite this, I’ve never had a conversation with you. Technology is amazing, I’ve learned.
I recently learned that it is really easy, and oh so delicious, to make your own elderberry flower syrup. And today I learned that the Greek national anthem has 158 verses (thank goodness they only sing two of them), and that the Spanish soccer team is not unbeatable anymore.
Today I learned that there’s more than one way to ride an escalator: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZZRGv4aCYqQbjqFKm15Whw
(And Maria, I’ve done the same thing with bloggers I’ve followed for a long time. Too funny. 🙂 )
This morning I learned that goats get as excited about potato chips as people do. Also, goats eating potato chips? Adorable!
The City of London is a fascinating place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1ROpIKZe-c
I can’t say that I have anything too earth shattering or exciting to share, but I have learned something in the past week. Robins (and some other breeds of birds) are very territorial! Some robins built a nest in a tree in your yard, and the male has been attacking his reflection in our window every since!! I went and bought the special UV reflective tape that you are supposed to put on the outside of the windows to prevent birds from flying into in by accident. Well, he is not doing this by accident!! At this point our window is almost covered in the tape, and he will fight with the couple small clear areas!! I would not mind so much except his internal alarm clock has him starting this at 5:30 am, and most days I am not quite ready to get up at that time! Can’t wait till nesting season is over!
I have learned that cutting out processed carbs isn’t nearly as difficult as I expected, but it IS more work. So far I don’t feel magically healthier, but I am finally starting to lose a leetle bit of weight. I also learned that I can run 25 minutes without stopping (at the pace of a sloth, but STILL, running!) and that I can be a healthier human being without it taking away from my gamer-girl lifestyle.
Diamonds burn!
I learned that there’s a firm who sell induction furnaces with a cow-pattern design. They also advised me on how to built my own induction furnace – I was doing research for a roleplaying game and mentioned that the character hadn’t that much money to spare.
Also, when land hermit crabs find a shell, they often form a circle and as soon as the biggest has moved into the empty shell, they all move into the empty shell their neighbor has just left.
I recently learned that meerkats climb people to get a better view.