Glad Dracula now comes with trigger warnings. I fear a great opportunity was missed to label the book as an early advocate of how to combat climate change, given that Renfield gets his protein by eating insects.
TY as always, Ma'am. Yours is about the only Substack I read anymore. You're pretty early again. Curlews?
What can one say about the SNP? Except it's scandal prone lately.
I enjoyed the op-ed. "Personality cult without the personality." (Har. ;-) If I read that right, MSP were told they can be *punished* for what they say in Parliament?!? At least we're not *that* bad over here. As You would suspect, I'm hoping for Kate Forbes.
I'm glad to "hear" Your Equality Act is being revisited. I hope it eventually becomes clear that men, in actual fact, cannot become pregnant, no matter how they choose to identify themselves.
Also found that study interesting. Curious phrase: 'biological sex/sex characteristics and/or birth-assigned gender.' I don't much cotton to that idea of "birth-assigned gender." Gender is never "assigned." It's determined. And it's determined at *conception,* not birth, right? And this?
'Indeed, cultural and familial pressures to conform to cisgender identities, gender roles, and expression are thought to cause considerable harm as they require a gender variant child to suppress their authentic self and emulate socially expected gender roles (the “false gendered self”).'
I'm OFFENDED! I say OFFENDED by being called cisgender! I'm being LABELED, and DEHUMANIZED. Or is a double-standard de rigueur these days. Yes, of course it is. But here's the thing: This idea that people should conform go "socially expected gender roles?" I thought that was killed by Second-wave Feminism. Am I wrong? At *some* point, it was recognized that expected gender roles never summed up how a person was capable of being, right? WHen and why did it ever raise it's ugly head again. I think if people were just allowed to act according to their own ideas of what role they wanna play, I think this idea that gender stereotypes should define a person would be killed, right? Die a second and, presumably, final death. That's just me.
Lol.. I hadn't heard this one: "the packet of peanuts may contain nuts territory."
Interesting that those ancient people used hallucinogens. Like they said, may have been shamanic rituals. And also interesting about rare breeds and salmon.
Just my $.02 worth.
Just wanna add that You save the BEST part for last. Be-You-Tee-Full cover, Michelle. Congrats! And TY again, for all.
I am so pleased you like my cover. I thought they captured the little girl's sense of fun very well.
Yesterday was Curlews -- searching for fox poo on a set route to help the scientists to determine the density of predators. We had to bag the poo up as then it won't be counted again when we repeat the exercise.
The study used all the latest buzz words. Yes I am offended at being called cis-anything. I am a person and I do what I do because that is me. I do think the whole ideology is v regressive as people are being forced back into stereotypes. For example -- teenaged girls having long hair unless they want to say they are NB. Short hair is great -- wash and go.
I am so pleaed the EQ Act is being revisited. It needs to happen.
Currently working on my Janet Murrow one as I await my agent's thoughts. I decided the JM one had to include the McCarthy era. I went back and re-read some of what was going on. It really does rhyme with what is happening today.
I agree 110%. I'm boycotting Nike. Granted, I've never bought any=a their products because-a the cost, so there is that.
I BEG Your pardon, Micheele. But I don't recall. Is the JM gonna be a book then? I sincerely hope so. I found out I was EXTREMELY distantly related to her. And I can't wait to "hear" more about the McCarthy era. I only know the bare bones of it.
TY again. And I thank You for the curlews. Sounds like a lotta hard work.
It is going to be a speculative manuscript that I hope my agent can sell. I think JM is absolutely fascinating and does not get enough credit. Originally I was just goign to focus on WW2 but I am now going to include the McCarthy era.
I decided that I really wanted to write even though my agent has yet to sell the Natalie Latham one. I am just going to back myself on this as they are all stand alone and if one gets sold, the others may follow sort of thing. There are also several other nearly erased women that I would love to write about, women who have profoundly affected the world in which we live in today but who are overlooked.
ANd lol on Nike boycott -- it is no great hardship for me either!
I'm wishing You BEST o' luck on Your efforts to highlight these women. I never heard-a Natalie Latham. The only thing I found when I searched about a woman Lady Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton, who had previously been married to Edward Latham. Is that her?
In any event, sounds interesting. Hope they both sell and, mainly, that You enjoy doing it. Sounds like You do, Michelle.
I can't recall if I mentioned that I was on a WWII kick. Starting with Herman Wouk and branching out from there. I'm gonna spend the rest-a the day reading "A Town Like Alice" by Nevill Shute. I dunno if You know that one.
I suspect Younger-Sister recommended it, but aren't certain. It features an incredibly strong woman who survived being a prisoner of Japan in Malaya. Based on true story, so sort-a like fictionalized biography. I like those kind.
Long story a little shorter: Have a great weekend, Michelle. :-)
Thinkin on it some more, tho, I'm dense: I guess I don't understand why the accounting firm resigned. Because they didn't know what was (presumably) going on under-the-table? Or because they did?
Yeah, I imagine biography is a fair bit different than historical romance. Now I'm in a quandry. SHould I admire YOu more for the romance or the biography? This isn't the only factor I would consider, but which is harder? If You have the time to reply, which I can't imagine when YOu would.
It seems the world over it is all about getting into power and then staying in power. To hell with what the voters ‘should’ know before casting their votes.
And great news about the Atlantic Salmon and I the Cumbrian River. I assume that by adding back the wiggle the sediment is lessened and the female salmon are satisfied to lay their eggs.
Adding the wiggle back meant the small deposits of gravel were not washed away and there were places for the salmon to lay their eggs. It is really good news. I have read Lee Scholfield's book Wild Fell which includes a bit about the re-wiggling and I thought it absolutely fascinating -- this was before the news about the salmon. It is an outcome everyone had hoped for and it happened much quicker than they thought it would.
The SNP in Scotland is amazing. It truly has been all about the power and the appearance of power. This story is going to run...
Congratulations! The cover is beautiful!
Glad Dracula now comes with trigger warnings. I fear a great opportunity was missed to label the book as an early advocate of how to combat climate change, given that Renfield gets his protein by eating insects.
You could be right about Dracula!
I am so pleased you like the cover. Until it arrives, you never know what the Art Dept are going to do... I do like this cover though.
Lol!
TY as always, Ma'am. Yours is about the only Substack I read anymore. You're pretty early again. Curlews?
What can one say about the SNP? Except it's scandal prone lately.
I enjoyed the op-ed. "Personality cult without the personality." (Har. ;-) If I read that right, MSP were told they can be *punished* for what they say in Parliament?!? At least we're not *that* bad over here. As You would suspect, I'm hoping for Kate Forbes.
I'm glad to "hear" Your Equality Act is being revisited. I hope it eventually becomes clear that men, in actual fact, cannot become pregnant, no matter how they choose to identify themselves.
Also found that study interesting. Curious phrase: 'biological sex/sex characteristics and/or birth-assigned gender.' I don't much cotton to that idea of "birth-assigned gender." Gender is never "assigned." It's determined. And it's determined at *conception,* not birth, right? And this?
'Indeed, cultural and familial pressures to conform to cisgender identities, gender roles, and expression are thought to cause considerable harm as they require a gender variant child to suppress their authentic self and emulate socially expected gender roles (the “false gendered self”).'
I'm OFFENDED! I say OFFENDED by being called cisgender! I'm being LABELED, and DEHUMANIZED. Or is a double-standard de rigueur these days. Yes, of course it is. But here's the thing: This idea that people should conform go "socially expected gender roles?" I thought that was killed by Second-wave Feminism. Am I wrong? At *some* point, it was recognized that expected gender roles never summed up how a person was capable of being, right? WHen and why did it ever raise it's ugly head again. I think if people were just allowed to act according to their own ideas of what role they wanna play, I think this idea that gender stereotypes should define a person would be killed, right? Die a second and, presumably, final death. That's just me.
Lol.. I hadn't heard this one: "the packet of peanuts may contain nuts territory."
Interesting that those ancient people used hallucinogens. Like they said, may have been shamanic rituals. And also interesting about rare breeds and salmon.
Just my $.02 worth.
Just wanna add that You save the BEST part for last. Be-You-Tee-Full cover, Michelle. Congrats! And TY again, for all.
Thank you for your 2 cents worth.
I am so pleased you like my cover. I thought they captured the little girl's sense of fun very well.
Yesterday was Curlews -- searching for fox poo on a set route to help the scientists to determine the density of predators. We had to bag the poo up as then it won't be counted again when we repeat the exercise.
The study used all the latest buzz words. Yes I am offended at being called cis-anything. I am a person and I do what I do because that is me. I do think the whole ideology is v regressive as people are being forced back into stereotypes. For example -- teenaged girls having long hair unless they want to say they are NB. Short hair is great -- wash and go.
I am so pleaed the EQ Act is being revisited. It needs to happen.
And because I just saw this -- Sharron Davies who has really led the fight against transwomen in sports is leading the boycott of Nike because of their use of a cross-dressing man to sell women's sports bras. I must say the ad does not make me want to buy Nike anything. She makes the point about Nike reducing Allyson Felix's sponsorship by 70% when Allyson got pregnant. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11948623/Sharron-Davies-leads-boycott-Nike-deal-trans-influencer-Dylan-Mulvaney-promote-bras.html
Currently working on my Janet Murrow one as I await my agent's thoughts. I decided the JM one had to include the McCarthy era. I went back and re-read some of what was going on. It really does rhyme with what is happening today.
Thank You for Your TY, Ma'am.
I agree 110%. I'm boycotting Nike. Granted, I've never bought any=a their products because-a the cost, so there is that.
I BEG Your pardon, Micheele. But I don't recall. Is the JM gonna be a book then? I sincerely hope so. I found out I was EXTREMELY distantly related to her. And I can't wait to "hear" more about the McCarthy era. I only know the bare bones of it.
TY again. And I thank You for the curlews. Sounds like a lotta hard work.
It is going to be a speculative manuscript that I hope my agent can sell. I think JM is absolutely fascinating and does not get enough credit. Originally I was just goign to focus on WW2 but I am now going to include the McCarthy era.
I decided that I really wanted to write even though my agent has yet to sell the Natalie Latham one. I am just going to back myself on this as they are all stand alone and if one gets sold, the others may follow sort of thing. There are also several other nearly erased women that I would love to write about, women who have profoundly affected the world in which we live in today but who are overlooked.
ANd lol on Nike boycott -- it is no great hardship for me either!
<chuckle>
I'm wishing You BEST o' luck on Your efforts to highlight these women. I never heard-a Natalie Latham. The only thing I found when I searched about a woman Lady Malcolm Douglas-Hamilton, who had previously been married to Edward Latham. Is that her?
In any event, sounds interesting. Hope they both sell and, mainly, that You enjoy doing it. Sounds like You do, Michelle.
Yes, Natalie Wales Latham. She founded Bundles for Britain and then later as Natalie Payne founded Common Cause (1947).
I do enjoy doing it. Makes a change from historical romance.
OH you might find this amusing -- the SNP's auditors have resigned. It is really send lawyers, guns, and money time. https://archive.is/9Z0kB
I can't recall if I mentioned that I was on a WWII kick. Starting with Herman Wouk and branching out from there. I'm gonna spend the rest-a the day reading "A Town Like Alice" by Nevill Shute. I dunno if You know that one.
I suspect Younger-Sister recommended it, but aren't certain. It features an incredibly strong woman who survived being a prisoner of Japan in Malaya. Based on true story, so sort-a like fictionalized biography. I like those kind.
Long story a little shorter: Have a great weekend, Michelle. :-)
Hmmph. SNP.
Thinkin on it some more, tho, I'm dense: I guess I don't understand why the accounting firm resigned. Because they didn't know what was (presumably) going on under-the-table? Or because they did?
Yeah, I imagine biography is a fair bit different than historical romance. Now I'm in a quandry. SHould I admire YOu more for the romance or the biography? This isn't the only factor I would consider, but which is harder? If You have the time to reply, which I can't imagine when YOu would.
It seems the world over it is all about getting into power and then staying in power. To hell with what the voters ‘should’ know before casting their votes.
And great news about the Atlantic Salmon and I the Cumbrian River. I assume that by adding back the wiggle the sediment is lessened and the female salmon are satisfied to lay their eggs.
Adding the wiggle back meant the small deposits of gravel were not washed away and there were places for the salmon to lay their eggs. It is really good news. I have read Lee Scholfield's book Wild Fell which includes a bit about the re-wiggling and I thought it absolutely fascinating -- this was before the news about the salmon. It is an outcome everyone had hoped for and it happened much quicker than they thought it would.
The SNP in Scotland is amazing. It truly has been all about the power and the appearance of power. This story is going to run...