MY Guys are Awesome! YOUR Guys Suck!

The term "partisan" is one with a long history. It refers to fighters whose allegiance to their side is total, and who are not willing to stop the fighting until ALL those who are on other sides are completely defeated, or dead. Think the movie "Braveheart".

The Partisans are not willing to compromise or share control of government with anyone not on their side. The willingness of Europe's various dissenting ethnicities to join Partisan forces is likely to be related to their experience in being ousted from any participation by a triumphant Nazi Party.

In WWII, the term was widely used for those opposed to Germany's 3rd Reich. A list of many partisan groups from that time is here. Many of the Partisans were defeated Socialists and Communists. Many ignored the reality that, had they been in power, their use of repressive techniques against their ideological enemies would have been virtually identical (and, in a Soviet-controlled Eastern Europe, was).

But, the Left uses that term admiringly, as long as those so identified are on THEIR side.

That demonization of your political opponents is common in many parts of the world. Only in America, and a few other places, is there an expectation that the party in power will cooperate with the party out of power to provide some input and influence on the direction of government.

From the Merriam-Webster definition:

a firm adherent to a party, faction, cause, or personespecially : one exhibiting blind, prejudiced, and unreasoning allegiancepolitical partisans who see only one side of the problem

The modern Democratic Party can easily be described - at least the leadership - as a rabidly partisan faction. The Leftists are firmly committed to the idea that anyone who is not fully on board with EVERY aspect of the Leftist Line:

1. Pro-Abortion, with NO limits on when it can be performed, NO limits on harvesting the 'waste products', and NO need to show or demonstrate medical need. Anyone not 100% on board with that is cast out.
2. All Blacks are oppressed (systemically), All whites are privileged, and All not-Black people who will not parrot that position are Officially 'white'.
3. Corporations are the enemy, unless they contribute to Leftist organizations when demanded. Non-profits are bad, if not explicitly Leftist. Politics should be forbidden to non-Leftist non-profits; even explicitly partisan acts are NOT political, if done by a Leftist non-profits.
4. Money is Evil, in the hands of the Left's enemies. It is made 'Pure', when given to Leftists.
5. Any accusation by a Leftist is 'evidence' of their opponent's culpability. Cooperation by the GOP with other countries is evidence that the GOP has been bribed. and constitutes treason. Suspicion of financial irregularities is evidence that the GOP politician has committed Massive Crimes. What else does a court need to convict? 
6. For a Leftist to travel to another country and financially benefit from interactions with politicians is evidence of their shrewdness in business matters. Absolutely NOTHING to do with illegal bribes to family members.

Perhaps the most Un-American and abusive Leftist practice is the use of Social Credit. People are being cut out of participation in financial activities (banks, businesses, use of credit, lockdown of their own money in banks). forbidden entry on school property, kept from claiming degrees because of unapproved opinions, locked out of professions for failure to agree to politically partisan goals and ideals.

Use of Social Media is being denied to people who have committed no actual infractions of the TOS - Terms of Service. Nonetheless, their opinions have gotten many NLDs to be put into "Facebook Jail", or kicked off the site for good.

The problems are escalating for the Dissidents:

Kicking people off social media deprives them of the right to speak in our increasingly online world. Locking them out of the financial economy is worse: It deprives them of the right to make a living. We have seen how cancel culture can obliterate one’s ability to earn an income, but now the cancelled may find themselves without a way to pay for goods and services. Previously, cancelled employees who would never again have the opportunity to work for a Fortune 500 company at least had the option to go into business for themselves. But if they cannot purchase equipment, pay employees, or receive payment from clients and customers, that door closes on them, too.

 On a different note, the always amazing Gerard Vanderleun has a post you'll want to read.

I'm not in favor of continuing to bail out Europe with NATO. Ya' wanna make deals with your enemies to get fuel supplies? Put yourself in thrall (Viking slavery form)to the Russians for SEVENTY % of what you use in energy?

No long my problem. We can bring the men AND the equipment/munitions home. Use them to reduce the Defense budget.

On the 'nomination' in process - &^%$#@#$%^& it!

Make the Justice actually LEAVE his seat, before letting the process even start. Otherwise, Breyer can Take it Back, should a GOP seat open up, and it would slide through before the midterms, having already been in process.

Stall.

Wait for the next election.

Inconvenient Facts That the Left Would Like to be Forgotten

There's a lot of them, most of them known for some time, but - SOMEHOW - left out of the history books.

They include:

• The fact that the Democrat "Progressive" Woodrow Wilson was a rabid racist, a fervent supporter of authoritarian clamp-down on his political opponents, and an ideological nut who BOTH got us into a war that we needn't have become involved with, and bungled the peace due to his fruitless pursuit of the League of Nations. Which failure, and the blatantly unfair treaty that ended WWI, was perhaps directly responsible for the economic chaos in Germany that led to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party. Heck of a job, Woody!
• DEMOCRATS - mainstream DEMOCRATS - were the bulwark of racist oppression in this country, post-Civil War. Sometimes, that oppression was open and brutal. At other times, it was more subtle and hidden.
• The fact that FDR is believed to have prolonged The Depression for quite a while, thanks to ineffective programs, massive overspending, and the active efforts of the Soviet-affiliated Left. And, thanks to the rapid growth of government, and the fight that Democrats put up when any portion of it is selected for reduction, we have an incredibly bloated Federal system that sucks up most of the money in this country, and parcels it out to favored supporters, both directly in the form of paychecks and grants, and indirectly, by funneling it to corporations controlled by donors.
• That FDR's reliance on Harry Hopkins (whose pro-Soviet actions have been described by some as those of a Soviet agent) caused the triumph of the USSR post-WWII.
• FDR's choice of Truman for Vice President at a critical time, who opposed the unveiling of Communist agents in the US government, and kept the State Dept. (a festering hole of Leftist-affiliated Ivy League ID10Ts) incapable of acting in AMERICAN interests. If you've not done it yet, you really need to read the many books that detail the contents of the Venona Papers.
• The choice of JFK for Dem presidential candidate left the US government open to blackmail, put a barely competent Son of a Rich Man in charge of out defense (at a time when we needed competency), and ultimately led to LBJ and the "Not-So-Great Society". Kudos, Harvard Boy!
• Do I sense a trend here? The Incompetent Dems/RINOs of Harvard, Princeton, and Yale seem to be the norm.
• Onward (and Downward) to Carter - the less said of him, the better. Although the ONE time he seems to have acted without panic and the wrong decisions was after 3 Mile Island. He had enough training in nuclear tech to not over-react. That doesn't make up for the over-the-top inflation and MEOW, not to mention the Iran hostage crisis, however.
• And, speaking of Harvard failures (he didn't graduate, due to cheating on a test, but he attended), Teddy (The Alcohol-Soaked Blimp) Kennedy had written to the Soviets asking for their assistance in securing the job of President for him. Because they had so much to offer each other. I have NO idea how his clear case of treason wasn't in the history books - oh, wait, I do. The fix is IN on those texts. Fortunately, Carter beat him for the nomination, only to go down to defeat by Reagan. The press didn't like Carter enough to give him the support they might have given Teddy.
• GHW Bush - also known by his family and friends as 41. Where do we start? The invasion of Iraq, that was supposedly about protesting the invasion of Kuwait, while gaining us nothing but hostility and a lot of lives lost in the aftermath? The War on drugs (ineffective and expensive)? The Iran-Contra Affair and Dubya's part in it? Too much of his presidency is STILL off-limits; It's past time to start opening up the three-letter agency vaults of secrets.
• Non-Presidential - that the various organizations involved in Civil Rights were infested with Leftists in influential positions, and frankly didn't give a damn that the Black family was fracturing, as long as they could milk its destruction for media talking points.
• Reagan has to take the blame for Fauci. He was appointed in 1984 to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and has been screwing up ever since. He screwed up the US response to AIDS, so badly that at least one book was written dedicated to those failures.

The fight to end smallpox through vaccination is NOT what we've been told. Smallpox cases were down - WAY down - when the push for compulsory vaccination started. Other diseases were of FAR greater concern. But, the Entitled Elite had decided on draconian measures to force the vaccine on the public, and it continued for decades after.

If you're not checking out Substack, you're missing a bet. Many very good writers and essayists are using the system, which makes monetization easier than ever. As little as a few bucks a month can allow you access to many writer's work - some, like myself, are free, for now.

Monday Miscellany - 2/21/2022

 Just a quick reminder - tomorrow is 2/2/22 - and, yes, it happens on a TWO-sday! Plan on a Taco Twosday - with a friend, so, TWO of you celebrating, and enjoy the silliness!

Is this REALLY important?

No. But, life is also to be enjoyed!

Speaking of enjoyment, I'm really getting my jollies seeing the news coming out about Durham's investigation, and where it is leading. I'm tamping down my excitement - I've seen the scurvy villains (the Clintons and all their ilk) escape many times before, but - hell, ya' gotta have HOPE!

The Canadians aren't backing down - and, in this video, it's the female cop that is getting infuriated by the refusal to comply.

One tactic from the Powerline post, that is being used against protesters, is to physically remove them, put them in police transport, and dump them far from the protest, in the cold, and no easy way to return. Well, that's not new. Cops have done that before, with hobos and other disruptive people. This is, rightly, called kidnapping, and it will be instructive to see whether the courts roll over and play dead about it.

For all the Left is parading their Liberal Tropes, such as glorifying Banned Books Week, they seem to have no trouble attacking one of the biggest-selling authors of all time - and a WOMAN.

Some would feel compelled to add "Cis-Woman". I don't. Actual women are the NORM. Trans "women" are the oddity. As, BTW, are foot fetishists, BDSM practitioners, and adults who engage in baby-talk and spanking.

Eh.

As long as I am not being forced to watch, and no children or other defenseless people/animals are involved, I don't care.

Via Wilder, Wealthy, Wise blog (don't miss them - new posts come out on M-W-F), is a link to an article by The Brownstone Institute. They're a new voice on the Net, first publishing after its May, 2021 conception. They purport to be a Classical Liberal institute, and the linked piece is about the World Economic Forum, and the Covid-connected people/organizations that are part of it.

I've been slowly working my way through the articles on the site - there are MANY, and I think it's worth checking out.

Listen, Listen, Listen...There Should be a Shot Fired Soon, That Will Be Heard Round the World

It's coming - Jack Wylder, on Monster Hunter Nation was writing about it today.  He calls it "Peak Woke".

Whatever. It's becoming clear that people are paying attention to the signs - you know, those signs that the Entitled Elite just don't seem to see?

Funny how the Privileged never seem to see those shelves. I guess when you order from GrubHub, or dine in the pricier joints, you just don't gain an awareness that the kind of places the Regular People shop at - the affordable places, like Aldi's and Costco and Walmart, have gaping holes in their inventory.

Now, that IS partly the shipping mess that Lil Joey allowed to happen, when he entrusted that ID10T Pete Buttigieg with his job as Secretary of Transportation (and that he took a "necessary" vacay from when he and his "husband" adopted their child - excuse me - CHILDREN).

But, it's mostly the on-going nervousness of a country filled with edgy CITIZENS, who can see the way the wind is blowing (hint: the CITIZENS are preparing to hunker down and live off their stores of food and other provisions). That prep is a REALLY GOOD INDICATION that they don't trust the A$$HOLES allegedly running this country to keep money and food flowing in a regular manner.

Told'ja that the average person is a smart cookie.

Don't forget that there is a downside to electronic banking. I'm not sayin' that I'm smarter - a good sized portion of my wealth (such as it is) is in e-format - retirement checks, retirement savings, Social Security deposits, savings. If the banks aren't making my money available, I'm toast.

Actual CA$H is rare - dollar bills, and, even better, COINS (which we were TOLD are in shortage because of Perfectly Normal Happenings).

What's REALLY happening with the coins?

People - mostly average CITIZENS, like you and me, are keeping them. They're hanging onto the coins, because they can imagine a time, in the not-distant future, when cash will NOT be there for regular people like them. They want to have some access to their money, when that day comes.

Which it will, sweetie. It WILL.

And, likely, sooner than you expect.

As for Canada, rumors are flying faster than Elites escaping the mob. Unfortunately, most of the people will be unwilling to accept any alternative to the wildest rumors, as their trust is just about completely broken.

A major consequence of the disinformation campaigns is the pretty much everyone is distrustful of official reports. They assume that the government, and the news, is lying their a$$e$ off.

Which, to be fair, in some/most cases, they are. But, that means that no amount of "talking points" or "Fact-checking" will breach the mistrust of the populace.

That's bad news - VERY bad news - for the Entitled Elite.

A Choice That Will Show Just How Dangerous Terrorists Are

Imagine this scenario:

You are awakened by some noise. You open your front door, and notice the sound is coming from protesters nearby - perhaps a few blocks away, near an intersection.

You go outside, and your neighbors tell you that they saw the demonstration when they were walking their dog. Another neighbor says that the government has called them Dangerous Terrorists and Nazis.

You need to go out today, and will be traveling very near the protest.

The question is:

How concerned will you be about potential violence from the protesters?

Will it matter whether the protesters are:

• BLM activists
• Anti-Fa protesters
• Anti-Trump protesters
• Pro-Trump marchers
• Truckers protesting the vaccine mandates

Well, if you're like most of us, the first three possibilities might lead you to cancel or postpone your trip. Why? History, and a shrewd calculation that past performance is a pretty good predictor of future events. Vandalism, arson, and attacks on pedestrians, workers, and those passing through are quite possible, even likely.

The last two might cause you some concern - not of the protesters, but of the real  likelihood that counter-protesters or police action would make proximity dangerous. In other words, you don't fear the last two groups, you fear those who would act violently to shut them up.

Citizens vs. Subjects

We are citizens of the United States (as well as citizens of our individual states or commonwealths).

What does that mean?

I checked out some of the current definitions, and they are mixed.

Surprisingly, the first definition that pops up in Bing is below:

I'd actually never heard a citizen described as a 'subject' before. The distinction between them had been a feature of my high school Civics class.

Even more surprising to me was the Cambridge dictionary entry, that was closer to what my understanding had been - but also identified British subjects as citizens.

Mr. Miller has the classic definition on his site.

"The difference is immense. Subject is derived from the Latin words, sub and jacio, and means one who is under the power of another; but a citizen is an unit of a mass of free people, who, collectively, possess sovereignty.

Subjects look up to a master, but citizens are so far equal, that none have hereditary rights superior to others. Each citizen of a free state contains, within himself, by nature and the constitution, as much of the common sovereignty as another. In the eye of reason and philosophy, the political condition of citizens is more exalted than that of noblemen. Dukes and earls are the creatures of kings, and may be made by them at pleasure: but citizens possess in their own right original sovereignty.”

This expresses the thought of many:

Americans traditionally DONT ask permission. We run our OWN lives as WE see fit.

Naturally, that infuriates those that believe THEY have the right to tell the rest of us how to live, because - well, BECAUSE!

Right now, there are many people who see themselves as the natural rulers of the majority of the United States. They've been indoctrinated to think of themselves as superior, because of their education (not WHAT they learned, but WHERE they learned it), their appreciation of the 'finer' things in life (hey, EVERYONE they know agrees with them, so it must be true), and their connections (or, rather, their parents' connections), political and economic.

Wanna see an Entitled Person turn purple? Tell him/her/xir "You're not the Boss of me".

The reaction will be similar to this:

It's LONG past time to put these would-be 'nobles' and quasi-royals in their place. Don't expect this to be easy. A lot of good people will die, become impoverished, or will be subjected to unspeakable tortures in the process. It's already started.

LGB and FJB

Apparently, to use those terms is to be an ENEMY of the nation. I mean, only the Hate-filled Right would EVER criticize the government.

You need to read this, and watch the whole video in the post.

The Answer is - No, Of Course, She Does NOT

And, the question is:

Does Hillary Clinton have ANY sense of shame for her MANY crimes?

So far, the Official Media have ZERO interest in any of this. Never have, never will.

Someone needs to make up a high school curriculum - with required reading from NLD texts - that fills in the blank spots that will surely show up in the Official History Curriculums of The No-Of-COURSE-We're-Not-Leftists Academic Left.

That sounds like something that should be tackled by Ashland University's Ashbrook Center programs in Government and History. Some of the programs are for undergraduates, others at the graduate-level, as well as some online seminars.

Sarah Palin's case against the NYT has gone to the jury. Amazingly, today's NYT didn't see fit to make much mention of the fact.

It would be NICE if she could score a win against them, but the odds are heavily against that. If she does win, expect an appeal.

When protecting yourself or your organization against litigation, TRUTH may not be a defense. The triple-threat lodged against you by a partisan states includes:

• Misinformation - that which is false, but not intended to cause harm to anyone
• Disinformation - that which is false, AND intended to harm opponents (Hillary Clinton is quite experienced at this), and
• Malinformation - that which is TRUE, but, according to the government, intended to harm opponents. Like saying that Hillary committed a crime when she destroyed documents as Secretary of State.

The Washington Times has a very nice report about whether to release the findings of an investigation of the GA voting machines. I noticed a name, and checked it out. 

Nina Totenberg is the GA judge making decisions about whether to release the investigation report. The report is highly critical of the GA machines from Dominion. Naturally, the Connected Elites (I think I'll shorten that to ConEls for future reference) are horrified to think that the "Little People" will have access to that information. So, they are working - double-time - to keep the information out of sight.

That's cute.

Apparently, in the Age of Internet, the ConEls really do believe that they can work their "magic", simply by putting pressure on a few selected points. It gives me some hope for an end to our Current State of Oppression, that the Ruling Oligarchy is so clueless and incompetent.

Listen, the "Little People" are Awake, Aware, and increasingly Locked and Loaded. Their communications include all of the latest tools - SnapChat, Instagram, Rumble, and the rest, as well as sophisticated use of Zoom and other video conferencing tools, and, yes, even the old-school FTF message, voice calls, flyers - the list goes on.

One of the BIGGEST growth areas for Amateur Radio is Preppers - and, not all of them are bothering with the FCC license.

Amazingly, some of the newbs don't trust government! 

/sarc

Oh, did I mention that Judge Amy Totenberg just HAPPENS to be the sister of the NPR biggie, Nina Totenberg?

Nina Totenberg is the legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) focusing primarily on the activities and politics of the Supreme Court of the United States

How bad is Nina? From her Wikipedia entry:

The Wall Street Journal editorialist Paul Gigot wrote in 1991 that Totenberg exhibits partisanship in her reporting.^[38] Washington Post reporter Thomas Edsall said in 1995 that she was cited as an example of liberal bias in public broadcasting due to her reporting on two controversial Supreme Court nominations.

Well, then, no need for Judge Amy to recuse herself from the case.

The Canadian Trucker Protest, despite not getting much coverage (The Super Bowl was SO much more important!), continues. And, the Legacy Media continues to carry water for the Rich and Powerful.

Dang! I'm OLD! I remember when protests were labeled as "Fiery, but Peaceful".

The Internet is forever, Baby!

And speaking of the Internet, here is an example of good reporting by PJ Media. They investigated a claim (that the congressman's door had be left open, which makes this simple trespassing, rather than break and enter), and found it false.

Our 'Legacy Media' - PJ Media - is apparently better at their job than the Old Legacy Media.

In other instances of the New Media outperforming the Old Media, The Silicon Graybeard is reporting that SpaceX is NOT responsible for the space debris hitting the moon.

I've been catching up on some reading today. This post is on The Conservative Treehouse. I highly suggest you read it, as it focuses on Things You Probably Didn't Know About the Intelligence Mess We Are In.

Something NOT directly allied to Intelligence, but more to the growth of agencies and bureaucracies in general, is the idea of Baseline Budgeting. That's the idea that the previous year's budget is the STARTING POINT for next year's. The only question is, how much MORE could they get?

I'd suggest a NEW plan of attack.

In any year that doesn't have an actual budget passed, ALL parts of the Federal government are CUT 10%. NO exceptions.

ALL.

Then, it's up to the agencies, departments, CONGRESS and the WHITE HOUSE, and - yes, EVEN THE ENTITLEMENTS - to cut their budget to fit their new amount.

Starting with MANDATORY reduction of 5% in EVERY employee's pay.

That should give them some incentive to stop loading up the budget with pork.

But, generally, I'm with Conservative Treehouse's idea to focus FIRST on local, then state, and only federal after they have been taken care of.

Coming Up on 20 Years

I was reading another blogger, who was somewhat surprised to see that he'd been doing this for 15 years.

I just checked - as of Dec. 3, 2021, it's been 18 years of blogging independently.

I periodically affiliate with other bloggers. One such relation is at Liberty's Torch, where I join Fran Porretto in jousting with the Enemies of the Republic - The Left.

And a whole lot of other AF people - Anti-Freedom, that is.

But, also, I blog about books I've read, local happenings, culture, family history, and an occasional random rant.

Like this one.

I'm generally anti-noise. I like a quiet environment. My absolutely favorite place to spend time is a library; second choice is an uncrowded coffee shop, patrons engaged with a screen or book.

I don't rise to THIS level. But I can appreciate his concern.

I actually have a high tolerance for the appropriate noise of children at play - at play in the proper places - parks, amusement centers, rec rooms, outside, letting off steam. That is play, and it's appropriate.

I have less tolerance for adolescents on the streets, cussing and boasting in loud voices. As long as they keep moving, I don't get all that concerned. It's when they sit in place, and make it impossible for anyone else to enjoy themselves, that I object.

Still worse is the music - loud, hard to make sense of, filled with expletives and abuse of women. If they want to kill off their hearing, fine. Just don't play it so loud it ruins mine.

I mention all this, as I had one of those epiphanies today. My husband had left for work (he is subbing at local schools), and I closed and locked the door, then searched for the remote. I clicked, then heard it.

Silence. Blessed silence.

DAYS, even WEEKS can go by without my having artificial noise in my home. He once left for a 2 week workshop, and, before leaving, unplugged the TV for something he was doing.

When he returned, his first act was to turn on the TV. When he finally found the cause of the TV being off, he asked me, "Why did you unplug the TV?"

He couldn't believe that I hadn't bothered watching for 2 weeks. He seldom goes a day without turning it on.

He'd grown up in a house like that, with the TV always on (there were 8-9 people present when he was living there, so someone was always watching something). One time, when I was visiting with his parents, his mother walked into the room, and noticed that I'd turned the TV off. She asked me why I'd done that.

"The show I was watching was over." That was the standard when I was young. My mother was perfectly happy to have it off, as were the rest of my family.

Her reply, that I should NEVER turn it off during the day, dumbfounded me. It still strikes me as strange.

I don't normally listen to music, not during the day as a background sound, nor at night, as an aid to sleep. I've tried the 'white noise' options (suggested to dim the constant tinnitus I experience), but I prefer no outside noise. I've gotten in the habit of using a sleep mask, no matter what the time of year or how much light there is at bedtime. I like the Dark, Quiet feeling of being cocooned in my bed.

Sleeping with another is hard, but worth it for the relationship. It does ground and connect me to my husband. I'll be getting a dog soon (inherited from my daughter, who is transferring to an order that makes ownership of a pet difficult - she will be highly mobile for the next few years). I don't mind. Chino (short for Cappuchino) is an older dog, placid of temperament, housebroken, and trained in basic commands. He loves my house, and has claimed my bed, with its fuzzy white blanket as His Place.

I plan to use his presence as a goad to taking regular walks. It should make it easier to up my fitness.

On another note, I've always considered my ability to focus intensely on tasks as a sign that I do not have attention deficits. I may be wrong about that. I do see myself in this description of someone who loses time online, and finds it hard to change my focus. On the positive side, some of the suggestions for re-directing my attention to more necessary tasks are things I already do.

Childhood Memories of a Reader

This post was prompted by an According to Hoyt post.

I was an early reader. Comic books and The Little Golden Books (cheap picture books) were the mainstay of my childhood. I was around 4-ish (maybe a little earlier) when I was reading aloud to my mother, who was listening while ironing (remember ironing?). She realized that I wasn't making up the words or just repeating what I'd memorized when I stumbled over a word, spelling it out.

"Sound it out," she said, echoing generations of parents and other teachers.

After several tries, I managed, and continued reading.

At that point, she started setting aside money from her household budget to feed my new addiction. She picked up the illustrated encyclopedia from the grocery store - 1 new volume a week, and found other inexpensive sources of reading material.

By the time I was 7, we had moved to another house, and this one was only about 5-6 blocks from the library. Practically next door. She marched me in, signed me up for a card, and turned me loose. I was in at least every Saturday during the school year, and several times a week during the summer.

I'd wake up, read while I ate my breakfast, then meander over to a couch or chair for a lazy morning. Sometimes, I'd put on skates for a break, before heading inside for lunch and another book.

In the afternoon, I'd grab my towel and swimsuit, and head outside for a swim at the local pool. That was my favorite summer day.

Once back home, we'd eat, and I'd pick up a book. Sometimes, part of the family would watch TV. I was very good about ignoring the noise, which made the addition of another couple of kids (born when I was 10 and when I was 12) barely a distraction. Mom always said I could sit in the middle of an artillery battle and not notice a thing.

I was a careless child, reading in odd places, and occasionally mislaying a book or two. As a result, a sizable part of my allowance went to paying off overdue book fines.

The librarians were kind. They gently told me I could renew a book, if I needed more time. I didn't know quite how to tell them I'd always manage to knock off at least one book on the trip home. I didn't need more time, I needed more organization.

Somewhere around 5th grade, I had reached the end of the alphabet, and had read just about every book in the children's section (this was a big library, in Lakewood, OH). I glanced through the door, and saw that there were a lot more books on the other side. I wandered over, and managed to find the fiction section.

I'd skipped right over to the adult section. As it was closest, I started with the W section, and methodically plowed through to the A's. I actually don't remember whether I ever went back to the end of the alphabet.

As a result, I never read YA lit. Not unless it was assigned at school.

Around 6th grade, both my mother and I got addicted to Agatha Christie. Cheap paperbacks were widely available, and we shared our stash. Mom and I both read through the most popular mystery writers.

My father shared his love of "The Saint" stories. Also, Scientific American, Science Digest, and science fiction. I learned to solve logic puzzles, gained a decent science vocabulary, and, with the help of my father, who dabbled in electronics, prepared myself for much of my work in computers and science.

My brother loved fantasy; I never got into it much. With my younger brother and sister, I read the Dr. Seuss books I never had before.

As an adult, I was always reading. One boyfriend introduced me to Solzhenitsyn, and kept me from falling into the pro-Leftist track. To be fair, my social studies teachers were largely Korean vets, and NOT overly impressed by the Left.

Kindle, and e-readers, changed my life. At my fingertips, and with a paltry weight for the device, I had access to EVERYTHING ever written. Much of it free or very low-cost.

Thank you, Project Gutenberg!

Amazingly, I know some very nice people who have almost NO reading material in their house. I cannot imagine what that would be like. Almost always, I have a Kindle, tablet, or phone with me, and always have books loaded and ready.

Today's science writers are amazing - it's a gift, the ability of being able to explain complex concepts in terms that the newb can understand. Andy Weir's The Martian was an amazing book that didn't avoid the actual science needed to understand the predicament, but put it in everyday terms. In Physics, try reading The Physics of Superheroes - it's an overview of the basics, explained in terms of the DC universe and Marvel stories.

This book is on my wish list.

And, for those who are timid about the math involved in exploring the Quantum World.

Airport Hell

I had a 6 am flight today, that required me to plan for a 4 am pickup, which meant that I had to get up around 3:30 am.

I'm still at the original airport, it's 11:00 am, and I'm seriously considering a credit for the flight. The BEST case scenario would have me leaving at 12 noon.

I have 3 choices:

• Stay here and wait
• Take a flight credit to be used later
• See if they can book a flight on another airline

Not sure what I'll be doing yet.