The Consuming Fire
Book Notes Yeah, kitt finished writing this at 20:22 on 15 May 2019When the world is breaking down, scientists might be the scapegoats.
Location: 2,691
Hooboy, and tragically yes.
Book two of Scalzi's Interdependency series, this book continues Cardenia Wu-Patrick's reign as Emperox, along with the scheming Houses and the deteriorating Flow. We have political intrigues, sure. We have stunningly intelligent and rational characters, sure. We have a complicated sociopolitical galactic infrastructure collapsing as the edges are cut off from the center, and the network disintegrates. And we have a love story of sorts.
Whoo.
I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first book. I love Scalzi's writing, and will continue to read near everything he publishes. I'll read the next (last?) book in the series. Strongly recommended if you're a Scalzi fan, worth reading if you're a sci-fi fan.
The early bishops were well aware that charismatic religions have a tendency to breed schisms and divisions, which is against the fundamental concept of interdependency.”
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Lenson read all he could stand and found his interest draining away, slowly at first and more rapidly as time went on.
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Lenson was also aware that the cynical could afford the luxury of their cynicism because of the stability of the system they mocked.
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Nor were observers of the time blind to the machinations of the Wu family as it made its play for imperial power. It was the focus of many handwringing editorials, news shows and occasionally attempted legislative action. What the Wu family had over them was organization, and money, and allies in the form of the other now-noble families.
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When a lie has negative consequences, people dislike it. But otherwise? They move on, and eventually the lie as a lie is forgotten,
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Assan’s current outburst was, alas, standard operating procedure for him. He was one of those people who believed social graces were for the weak.
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“And you’ve seen this in your visions,” Assan said, pushing. Grayland smiled at this. “One does not need visions when one has data. In both cases, however, one does need to be willing to see.
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“You do understand that ‘no doctrinal way to argue’ does not mean ‘no argument,’” Attavio VI said. “A church is an institution separate from the religion it serves. It’s filled with people. And you know how people are.”
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Right, but the problem with that was, for a rich person, Kiva was spectacularly unmotivated by money. She liked money, and she liked that she had money, and she was aware that a life lived without money would well and truly suck. But having had enough money all her life for literally anything she ever wanted to do—being the daughter of the head of a noble merchant family had its perks—she never thought about money, and her own material needs were fulfilled with a small percentage of the money she had available to her.
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You should know we intend to ask for your removal anyway.” “Good luck with that.” “We don’t need luck, Lady Kiva. We have your incompetence.”
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There were more than a few scientists who knew one little thing, and then thought that knowledge was universally applicable to every other problem, to the point of excluding or discounting information from people whose specialty was that other problem.
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“I haven’t given it any thought,” Korbijn said. “I haven’t given it any thought because this is literally the first I’ve heard of such a thing. I’m not inclined to give snap judgments on hypotheticals.
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But this latest bit makes me concerned that there is something else going on.” “It’s conspiracy mongering.” “I agree. But not all conspiracies crop up because someone forgot to adjust their tinfoil hat, ma’am. Sometimes they’re part of a disinformation campaign.
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"I don’t know what else can be said about it.”
“That’s the point of rumors. They’re not based on anything, so nothing is very effective against them. Truth is no defense, and the people fielding these rumors know it.”
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The one advantage we had, which is a thing I brought to the enterprise, was the understanding that the plan was not the goal. The goal was the goal, and we were going to get to it however we could. And if it meant changing our plans, sometimes in the middle of executing them, then we would.”
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“That loose alliance of systems had fallen apart centuries earlier.” “And why was that?” “For the same reason many alliances fall apart—competing interests, lack of economic enthusiasm, stupid or venal rulers, and simple neglect, or some combination of each.”
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Death Count: 2
Blog Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 11:50 on 5 May 2019I mowed my lawn today.
This is not an action I do regularly. We have long standing stories in my family about Dad and his lawn and how long the grass grows before he mows. Extended family really, the stories are that grand and that amazing and that tall (the grass, not the tales). Let's just say that my penchant for not mowing the lawn is deeply, deeply rooted in my genetics.
The last time I mowed a lawn was for Mom and Eric. Their yard was really small, it was an easy mow. Nothing like the acre and a half of Dad's lawn.
Anyway, in an attempt not to piss off the neighbors (too much, and not past good-neighbor recovery), I borrowed Eric's lawnmower and mowed the part of my lawn that the sheep cannot reach, which is to say, my whole front yard.
The grass was high enough that, well, items can hide in the grass. Things. Nouns.
Which is to say, dead animals.
I found a small black bird early in the mowing. I'm not quite immune to death, so struggled to pick the thing up and toss it, bury it, something out of the yard. I managed to move that one.
Not the next one, though.
Can't say I'm delighted about running a lawnmower over a dead bird.
I will say that I probably need to become used to the minor deaths around here, it is a farm.
Adulting 202
Blog kitt decided around 11:55 on 23 April 2019 to publish this:"By the way, I have designated to you Power of Attorney for my health care."
"Then we should have a discussion about what your wishes are."
The Messy Middle
Book Notes Written with a loving hand by kitt some time around 15:28 on 22 April 2019I did not like this book.
This book is a series of 2-3 page essays on, "Oh, you should do this in your company, it'll totally make you better and successful!" without actually providing how to do the things, or where to go get more information, or why said thing would be better.
"Stop and think, you'll need to understand this fully." "Run with the decision you need to move fast!" Argh, fuck off. This book is FULL of hindsight bias and survivor bias, blech.
This book was a slog to get through, taking me three months to actually finish it (and I've been concentrating on non-fiction books!) I put it down a half dozen times, and kept picking it back up because both I hoped something could would come of it and it was recommended by Marty of a sense, and I thought it would be worth reading.
It isn't.
You'll do better reading just about any Brené Brown book on leadership than reading this book. I strongly recommend Dare to Lead if you're looking for a business book to read.
Skip this one, save your money. Blech.