Life – Page 8 – Ecce Signum

Weekly Round-up, March 16, 2024

2024-03-162024-03-21 John Winkelman

Looking East across the Grand River at the Sixth Street Bridge Dam, at sunrise.

[The photo this week was taken from the fish ladder on the west side of the Sixth Street Bridge dam, facing east into the sunrise.]

This past Sunday, feeling exhausted and also nostalgic, I dusted off an old Lenovo ThinkPad 11e, fixed some issues it had with continually dropping its internet connection, and turned it into my retro gaming machine. I have scores of games purchased over the years from GOG.com, so I installed a few of them – Hammerwatch, Ultima IV, and others.

One of my favorite games from back in the 1980s was Telengard, a sort of graphic roguelike which I played A LOT on my Commodore 64. There are a few ports and remakes available now, but while I found a few that could be played online, I didn’t find any which I could successfully install on the ThinkPad. No big deal; there are ways to get around this, including porting the Commodore BASIC source code to Javascript and having it run in the browser. It wouldn’t take long; anything that could run on a C64 is miniscule compared to even the most rudimentary of games available now.

But my research turned up one interesting bit of trivia: Back in 2005 someone released an updated version of Telengard, which I had downloaded and played once upon a time. That person was Travis Baldree, who wrote the absolutely wonderful book Legends and Lattes. Baldree is one of the developers of Torchlight, also one of my favorite games, and one which I played A LOT back around 2012 – 2015.

Reading

Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment, by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. I picked this up in June 2018 at City Lights Bookstore, when my partner and I spent several days in San Francisco at the end of a two-week vacation that started with stops in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Writing

Another week with little writing, though I do have a plan to start some deep worldbuilding for the rewrite of my 2022 NaNoWriMo project Cacophonous. Just too much noise in the world right now.

This Week’s Writing Prompt

Subject: Reincarnation, Fae
Setting: Frontier
Genre: Literary Fiction

Listening

John Zorn, Baphomet.

I’ve been a fan of John Zorn since I first heard his album The Gift while sitting in Common Ground Coffee House in the early 2000s. “Baphomet” is a single track and also an album, prog rock by way of avant-garde jazz, and a fantastic listen. I think the theme music for writing Cacophonous, when I finally get around to it, will be Zorn’s oeuvre, mixed and randomized and on heavy rotation.

Interesting Links

“Are We Watching the Internet Die?” (Edward Zitron)
“School Hate Crimes Quadruple in GOP States Attacking LGBTQ+ Rights” (Julia Conley, Common Dreams)
“Your car spies on you and rats you out to insurance companies” (Cory Doctorow, Pluralistic)
“Jerome Powell just revealed a hidden reason why inflation is staying high: The economy is increasingly uninsurable” (Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Yahoo! Finance)

Weekly Round-up, March 9, 2024

2024-03-092024-03-10 John Winkelman

Revolving door into the Keeler building in downtown Grand Rapids

Another super-busy week. The only time I had to myself was on the walk to and from work on Monday and Wednesday. That’s when I took this photo of the entrance to the Keeler building on Fountain Street.

Reading

I am close to done with Babel by R.F. Kuang, and loving every page of it.

Writing

Not much writing to speak of this week, other than the March 2024 Insecure Writer’s Support Group post, which discusses generative AI and its effect on creative types.

This Week’s Writing Prompt

Subject: Aliens, Super Powers
Setting: Bar
Genre: Noir

Listening

John Zorn and the New Masada Quartet

Interesting Links

“Liberty University Hit With Record Fines for Failing to Handle Complaints of Sexual Assault, Other Crimes” (Eric Umansky, Propublica) – Not at all surprising that Liberty University takes the side of the rapists over their victims – it’s an evangelical christian organization, founded by and run by the Falwell clan. Also this is a good time to point out that, during her time as Secretary of Education under the rapist Donald Trump, Betsy DeVos made it easier to be a rapist on college campuses. Given the business practices of her family, this is not really a surprise.

Weekly Round-up, March 2, 2024

2024-03-022024-03-01 John Winkelman

Maple Tree Budding, February 27, 2024

Life is still busy, leaving little time for relaxing and sinking into the state of mind where reading and writing is frictionless. Since the previous update we had a record-breaking warm day, then a sudden drop in temperature which broke the record for the largest 24-hour drop in temperature (50+ degrees F). The maple trees started budding a week ago, and spring peepers are making their little noises in the swamps, and mosquitoes are beginning to swarm around porch lights. And all this in February.

This reminds me somewhat of the previous Year of the Dragon in 2012, when the outside temperature reached almost 80° on St Patrick’s Day. That’s only a couple of weeks from now, and the odds of something like that are looking better every day.

Reading

Currently reading Babel, by R.F. Kuang.

Writing

I am attempting to re-start a writing exercise I practices before the COVID lockdowns – on those days I walk to work, pay attention to the small details of the world, and when I get to work, jot down five things which captured my attention. So far I have managed to do that exactly once. It’s been a busy year. But I am adjusting.

This Week’s Writing Prompt

Subject: Fae, Artificial Intelligence
Setting: Ship
Genre: War

Listening

“Eyeball Kid” is on Tom Waits‘ 1999 album Mule Variations. I listened to this a lot when I worked at Cybernet Engineering, my first “real” web development job, and the second of several terrible web developments jobs. It’s a fantastic album and well worth a listen, particularly when laboring under a bout of existential angst.

I know you can’t speak,
I know you can’t sign;
So cry right here on the dotted line.

Interesting Links

“Mounting Research Shows That COVID-19 Leaves Its Mark on the Brain, Including Significant Drops in IQ Score” (Ziyad Al-Aly, Naked Capitalism)
“PFLAG National Asks Court to Block the Texas Attorney General’s Latest Targeting of Texan Families with Transgender Youth” (ACLU of Texas)

Weekly Round-up, February 24, 2024

2024-02-242024-02-26 John Winkelman

Grand Rapids, Facing East from the corner of Monroe Ave and Louis Street.

This was another extremely busy week, so not many updates to report, unless ServiceNow debugging is interesting. Managed to read quite a bit in the spare moments in the mornings, and worked out a lot, so as I finish this post I am tired and sore.

Reading

Currently reading The Curious Case of Dassoukine’s Trousers, a collection of short stories by Moroccan writer Fouad Laroui.

Writing

A little creative work this week. A poem and some world-building for the story I wrote most of during NaNoWriMo 2022. So that idea, at least, still has legs.

This Week’s Writing Prompt

Subject: Dragons, Mutants
Setting: Ocean
Genre: Adventure

Interesting Links

“The Growing Environmental Footprint Of Generative AI” (David Berreby, Naked Capitalism) – Generative AI, like cryptocurrency, has externalities which are much more costly than any actual benefit they bring to the world.

Weekly Round-up, February 17, 2024

2024-02-172024-02-17 John Winkelman

Ice sculpture of a castle at the Elliptic at Rosa Parks Circle, Grand Rapids, Michigan

The warm weather comes and goes, and it seems that all of winter was packed into a couple of weeks in late January. I have a friend, Mark, who I get together with weekly to practice martial arts. This is much easier outside, because we don’t need to worry about walls, ceilings, and cats. Of course practicing outside in the winter is difficult, except for this winter. Our last outdoor practice session for 2023 was the week before Christmas, and our first of 2024 was the second weekend of February.

Reading

Still working my way through short books. Currently reading Not One Day by French writer and Oulipo member Anne Garréta.

Writing

Not a lot to report, though I did come up with a couple of ideas for last week’s writing prompt (Genius Loci, Reincarnation, Lost City, War). There is something interesting to be mined from that particular random assemblage of words.

This Week’s Writing Prompt

Subject: Colonization, Kaiju
Setting: Ship
Genre: Literary Fiction

Interesting Links

“Michigan becomes 1st state in decades to repeal ‘right-to-work’ law” (PBS.org) – Workers claw back some rights from the Capitalist death machine
“Several new laws take effect today in Michigan” (Cassidy Johncox, Click on Detroit) – Michigan gradually becoming a bulwark against the onrushing tide of Trump-led fascism.
“34 Transformative Prompts to Unlock Your Writing, Courtesy Kelly Link“, (Kelly Link, LitHub) –

Weekly Round-up, February 10, 2024

2024-02-102024-02-10 John Winkelman

Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the Year of the Wood Dragon. As I am an Earth Rooster, this is potentially an auspicious year for me.

Reading

I’m still feeling some post-Dostoevsky reading stress, so I have been hitting the big stack of short fiction. A couple of issues of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, some Patreon short stories, and the like. I also have a great many short novels and novellas which have been gathering dust on my shelves for some years now. So I am working my way through them, and enjoying the process. It’s nice to be able to both start and finish reading a work in the same month.

At the moment the book in front of me is Wakulla Springs by Andy Duncan and Ellen Klages. I picked this up at ConFusion in maybe 2016, and am finally reading it.

Writing

Not much to speak of. This year has been busy to the point of distraction.

Writing Prompt

Subject: Genius Loci, Reincarnation
Setting: Lost City
Genre: War

Interesting Links

Oxford Bibliographies – A huge collection of bibliographies on a wide variety of topics, sub-topics, and sub-sub-topics. Something in here for almost everyone. Free basic tier and more advanced access for a fee.
“The Concept of Just War and Outlines of the Just War Theory in International Relations“, Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic, Naked Capitalism
“Very Ordinary Men: Elon Musk and the court biographer“, Sam Kriss, The Point – a deliciously pointed takedown of Walter Isaacson, who writes fawning biographies of people like Elon Musk.

Weekly Round-up, February 3, 2024

2024-02-032024-02-04 John Winkelman

A view of the Grand River, facing north from the pedestrian bridge.

After several months of January, February is finally here and with it temperatures in the 40s. Normally this would be worrisome, and it is in the larger sense, but for now, after the arctic blast which dumped almost two feet of snow on us and caused some moderate damage to our property, I’ll take it. Then again I remember Februaries at Grand Valley State University, around 1990, when the air warmed and people were outside in shorts and swimsuits, sunbathing on picnic tables amidst piles of snow. So it goes in West Michigan.

Reading

Duanwad Pimwana‘s Bright, translated from Thai by Mui Poopoksakul.

Writing

Nothing to speak of.

Writing Prompt

Subject: Addiction, Economics
Setting: Border Town
Genre: Magic Realism

Interesting Links

“‘The Algorithm’ is the only critique of ‘The Algorithm’ that ‘The Algorithm’ can produce” (Kevin Munger, Crooked Timber)
“‘Manuscripts Don’t Burn’: Film Adaptation Of Soviet Classic Faces Possible Ban For Director’s Anti-War Stance ” (Jimsher Rekhviashvili, Radio Free Europe)

Weekly Round-up, January 27, 2024

2024-01-272024-01-27 John Winkelman

After the chaotic beginning to 2024, this past week felt like the real start to the new year.

Reading

I finally, after 57 days, finished Dostoevsky’s Demons. It was a bit of a slog for the first half but I powered through. For reference, I read The Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment each in less than 30 days, and they are both longer than Demons. I think Dostoevsky’s craft was more polished with the latter two, and the stories more focused.

Also, Demons leaned more into the lives of the Russian gentry and social climbers, whose lives revolve around giving the best impressions at social gatherings. In other words, wankers. And wankers, in any culture, in any time period, don’t always make for the most entertaining subjects.

With Demons complete I am looking for a “cool down” novel. Something more current, faster paced, and, well shorter. At the moment I am reading one of my old issues of Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, published by Small Beer Press. It’s good to read something which can be completed in a couple of hours, rather than a couple of months.

Writing

Not a lot, though I am in the process of indexing (and re-indexing) my unpublished short stories, so I can set up a schedule of editing to try to knock some of them in shape for submission by the end of the year. To that end, I have signed up for the Critique Circle, on the advice of my friend the author Jean Davis.

Writing Prompt

Subject: Revenge, Reincarnation
Setting: Boardroom
Genre: Dystopian

Interesting Links

Weekly Round-up, January 20, 2024

2024-01-202024-01-19 John Winkelman

As this post goes live I am in the middle of ConFusion 2024, where I am the Head of Operations for the convention weekend. You can assume that my life at this moment is quite interesting, almost certainly fun, and perhaps even exciting.

Reading

Still reading Dostoevsky’s Demons. I am past page 500, so the end is in sight.

Writing

Nuthin’.

Interesting Links

The Poetry Center Digital Archive – extensive archive of audio and video of poets and poetry, offered by the Poetry Center at San Francisco State University

Weekly Round-up, January 13, 2024

2024-01-132024-01-13 John Winkelman

Constant pain is a great tool for focusing one’s attention. If only that attention could be focused anywhere other than the constant pain.

I spent most of the past two weeks in thrall to a tooth which first appeared to be tender, then cracked, then infected, and finally diagnosed as both split in half and infected. My dentist removed the tooth three days ago, and my life was thereby much improved.

The pain was more manageable than the previous impacted molar back in 2008, but there was nothing about the experience which was at all pleasant.

So 2024 is starting out kind of…unpredictably.

In order to distract myself from the chronic pain of life, I have several things in the works for 2024:

First, Master Lee’s School of Tai Chi Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Tai Chi Jeung.

Second, after several years of volunteering, I am now part of the Convention Committee for the ConFusion Science Fiction Convention. For the 2024 iteration, “Labyrinth of ConFusion”, I will be the Head of Operations, assisted by past Ops people as I settle into the role.

Third, I am part of the newly-formed Grand River Poetry Collective, which is dedicated to publishing Grand Rapids poets. As we get up and running I will be posting many and frequent updates.

Reading

Still working my way through Dostoevsky’s Demons.

Writing

I got nuthin’.

The writing prompt for the next week is:

Subject: Empire, Economics
Setting: Labyrinth
Genre: Procedural

Interesting Links

Author Chuck Tingle was invited, then dis-invited, and then re-invited, to attend the Texas Library Association annual conference. At the moment it is not certain if Dr. Tingle will be attending the event.
A fun, link-filled thread over at Metafilter, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dungeons and Dragons.