Category Archives: Rants and such

Critical evaluation of things that irk me.

Stop destroying books!

Posted on September 19, 2013 by scratchingcat

Yesterday a famous youtuber destroyed a copy of a book and handed out the pieces for a charity event. I found so many things wrong with this event, but I only want to focus on one thing right now. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Rants and such, Writing | Tagged art, authors, book horror, book porn, books, charity, courage, creativity, destruction, dialog, magic, readers, respect, stop it, work, writers | Leave a comment

And now to the bad and the ugly

Posted on August 9, 2013 by scratchingcat

A whole lot of drama happened at and shortly after VidCon that I had the good fortune not be be involved in. Nevertheless, I have opinions about these things. Most of the drama can be placed into two categories. … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Rants and such, Updates | Tagged bad behavior, boundary issues, drama, fanboys, fangirls, misogyny, performers, sexism, stalkers, swearing, VidCon, you tubers | Leave a comment

OMG! Adults are so boring!

Posted on July 24, 2013 by scratchingcat

Recently, John Green of Young Adult author fame and one of the people I greatly admire received this question by anonymous on tumblr: “Would you ever write a YA novel where an adult plays a key role? I know you … Continue reading →

Posted in Current events, Rants and such, Writing | Tagged adults, ageism, boring, challenges, excitement, generalizations, glory days, grown-ups, imagine people complexly, John Green, khakis, kids, milestones, non-normative, normative, privilege, teenagers, YA | 2 Comments

Science Fiction, Steam Punk and the suspension of disbelieve

Posted on June 26, 2013 by scratchingcat

Warning: Pet peeve ahead! I like to read science fiction novels every once in a while and I also like the somewhat newer genre of steam punk. Both have their tropes and both have very talented authors telling engaging stories. … Continue reading →

Posted in Fiction, Rants and such, Writing | Tagged attention to details, dirigibles, future, get the facts right, goggles, knowledge, nostalgia, novels, pet peeve, reading, research, science fiction, space travel, steam engines, steam punk, suspension of disbelieve | 3 Comments

High brow, low brow, no brow – What’s all the fuss about?

Posted on June 19, 2013 by scratchingcat

John Green once said: “…because nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff… Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can’t-control-yourself love it.” I call myself a nerd and I am part of many fandoms. I do … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Current events, Rants and such | Tagged fan, fandom, Gene Roddenberry, harry potter, JJ Abrams, John Green, judgmental, Markus Zusak, nerd, ridiculous, Star Trek, Wil Wheaton | 2 Comments

The importance of nuances

Posted on May 17, 2013 by scratchingcat

I had some interesting discussions on facebook today. People were talking about the whole Abercrombie and Fitch debacle. If you have no idea what I am talking about, let me explain. The story is twofold. First, the CEO of A&F … Continue reading →

Posted in Advice, Current events, Rants and such, Updates | Tagged Abercrombie, arguments, CEO, critic, disappointed, Fitch, hate, helping, homeless, ignorance, imagine people complexly, kill joy, nerdfighter, nuances, the truth resists simplicity, thinking, vlogger | 1 Comment

The esthetics of exercise

Posted on April 26, 2013 by scratchingcat

I run every Thursday morning. It’s a little loop around the neighborhood and it doesn’t take me very long. I huff and puff in my snail tempo jogging speed and afterward at home I have a good long stretch. Usually … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants and such, Updates | Tagged attitude, benefits, body image, exercise, exercise clothing, fat, feeling fantastic, healthy, old, self worth, self-conscious, show off your booty | 1 Comment

I’m missing something

Posted on April 22, 2013 by scratchingcat

My kids are in a school that uses the Character counts values.: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. I think those are great values. However I am missing two. One is critical thinking and the other is a willingness … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants and such, Updates | Tagged character, critical thinking, functioning, individual, inquisitive mind, institution, love of learning, missing, obedience, school, standardized tests, system, values | 1 Comment

Fooled ya!

Posted on April 1, 2013 by scratchingcat

Today is April fool’s day and I find it distinctly not funny. Yes, you can go ahead an imagine me as a grumpy old cat, sitting in front of my computer screen. That should be about right. I just have … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants and such, Updates | Tagged April fools, empathy, hurt, lies, not funny, pranks, right and wrong, shame embarrassment | 4 Comments

Excellence

Posted on March 27, 2013 by scratchingcat

I really respect excellence. Whenever I am in a working environment, I look at the people around me and figure out who is really good at what they are doing. Usually it doesn’t take long for me to find them. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rants and such | Tagged celebrity, courtesy, efficiency, excellence, politeness, reliability, respect, work, workers | 3 Comments