So, the cat’s outta the bag….first year eligible, first Hugo nom, and I’m proud of my willpower that kept me quiet for the past week and a half…XD
Much 💖 to my fellow Editor, Long Form nominees Sheila E. Gilbert, Joe Monti, Devi Pillai, Miriam Weinberg and Navah Wolfe!!! Plus, squee & congrats to all the noms (plus, the John Campbell noms, and WSFS for Best YA!)
I wrote the novella Party Disciplinewhile I was on my grueling US/Canada/UK tour for my novel Walkaway, last spring. Today, Tor.com publishes the tale, in which two seniors at Burbank High confront their uncertain future by planning a “Communist party” in which they take over a defunct factory and start it up again, a tangible, dangerous, playful reminder that material abundance is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.
The piece is accompanied by a gorgeous original illustration by Goñi Montes. It’s been long enough since I wrote this that I was able to re-read it with fresh eyes and found that I enjoyed it immensely, and I hope you agree.
Antoine met us at a froyo place off San Fernando, the sketchy part near the dead Ikea that had been all cut up for little market stalls that were mostly empty. I hadn’t seen him since we’d been freshmen and he’d been a senior, and in the years since he’d got strangely greyish, his skin sagging off his face and his hair shot with white, like he was an old man. He looked like he hadn’t been sleeping much, either.
He made a sign at us, a thing with his hands like the kids had done to pass messages around the classroom back when we’d been kids. It took me a second to remember what this one meant: phones down, school cop’s coming. I couldn’t figure out what that was supposed to mean, but Shirelle got it and reached into her purse and shut her phone down. Now I got it, I did the same. We’d both been infected before, of course, drive-by badware that let some creepy rando spy on us through our phones, but then we got more careful. But he wasn’t worried about randos spying through our phone: he was worried about cops.
You think Burbank PD is going to bother with you? I wanted to ask, but fact was, maybe they would. Why not. Once they bought that kind of thing, why wouldn’t they want to use it every chance they got? I probably would.
“Damn.” He looked us up and down, not like a perv, but like a grownup judging a little kid. “You two are so young. I don’t know if this was such a good idea.”
Shirelle gave him an up-and-down of her own. “Antoine, we’re only five years younger than you, fool. Smart, too. Besides, it was Lenae’s idea, not yours.”
That was news to me. Far as I knew, he’d had the idea, told Shirelle, and she’d said, Oh, Lenae said the same thing. But the way he shook his head, I knew it was true – he’d got the idea from me. That made me feel pretty badass, tell the truth.
USPS is largest employer of veterans. Figures Republicans are attacking the vets.
The US Postal Service’s forced financial crisis
In 2006 – Republicans in Congress passed a poison pill piece of legislation forcing the Post Office to pre-fund retiree health benefits 75 years out into the future – basically funding benefits for future employees who aren’t even born yet. The Postal Service has to do this by giving the Treasury $5.5 billion every single year. That’s a requirement that no business, or any government agency has ever had to comply with. And it’s the reason why the Post Office is going bankrupt today and looking into closing down post offices, laying off workers, and cutting down delivery service.
So why is all this happening? Because the Postal Service employs hundreds of thousands of unionized workers – where as private mail carriers like UPS and Fed Ex do not. Republicans – in their non-stop war on labor – realized that they could hurt unions by bankrupting the Postal Service. That’s what they did in 2006, and their plan is working today.
Just an FYI, this is how much more expensive shopping online will be if USPS goes away. For small and lightweight packages like t-shirts, USPS wins hands down.
This is a screen shot of me buying a shipping label for an 8oz package from WA to NJ via USPS.
This is a screen shot of me buying a shipping label for an 8oz package to the same address via FedEx.
Don’t forget, sellers need to charge a little extra to cover their packing materials and such.
So do you want to pay $4-$5 shipping, or do you want to pay $13 - $14 shipping?
Oh, and notice that USPS has an estimated arrival date of September 2nd vs FedEx September 6th.
America’s small businesses rely on USPS.
The cost difference between them is no joke- and we’ve had a lot of increases to USPS’s shipping in the last few years as well, so even with those increases it’s less than half the cost of what FedEx would charge you to send the same object the same distance. Now imagine if private shipping was the only option; how much would it cost then?
Right now it costs me about $3 (before envelopes, etc) to ship the average order in the US. If I use UPS or FedEx? That number literally triples. Some orders can be shipped for under a dollar with USPS. Not so with private shippers.
“This is Marcus Martin. You may have seen him in another picture- being hurtled in the air as a terrorist’s car plunged through the crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville. Marcus had pushed his fiancée, seen here hugging him, from the path of the vehicle before it slammed into him. After Marcus was hurtled over the car, the terrorist backed up over him. Miraculously he lived, a broken leg his only injury. This picture was taken at the vigil for Heather Heyer who was a friend of Marcus. Marcus was wounded standing up for what is right.”
The next time someone tells you to “Take a joke” or that “it’s just a joke” or that “Comedy is supposed to be offensive”, show them this. If they can’t distinguish between punching up and punching down, they’re not tolerable.
“If someone hates you, they will come up with a reason after the fact.”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Piotr Rasputin speaks at length to Christina and Cameron Pryde, his children with Kitty Pryde in X-Men: Years of Future Past.]
“It always begins as a joke. Listen to me, both of you.
“One sees a father or mother of whom they do not approve – and their brats won’t shut up, and the parents are so exhausted that they just let their children scream, all sticky and crying and hitting and wild.
“And you say to your friends, ‘You should have to pass a test to breed.’ Do you understand? ‘You should have to get licensed to have kids.’
“It starts as a joke.
“Then perhaps there is a tragedy. A postpartum who should’ve gotten help, but her insurance did not cover the therapy. A father who erred, because he was raised believing men are pathetic if they are caregivers.
“The first tests are drafted. And you think, ‘Good.’ You think, ‘Those children will be safe now.’
“The test comes out, and yes, there’re some problems, but nothing that cannot be ironed out, yes?
“But now anyone with a mental illness, with a criminal record, is barred from becoming a parent, and you think, ‘Well, that is sensible, yes?’ Because you’ve never known anyone like that, so who is to tell you they are not like they are portrayed in stories?
“Sick, dangerous, criminal – these words expand.
“Suddenly it is anyone with diabetes, anyone with cancer, because they could die and leave their children orphaned, so how dare they ever try to have children?
“It is deaf couples, disabled couples, interracial couples, gay couples – because don’t they know how hard they’re making it for their children?
“Then it is whoever they want.
“You think you are working for the greater good. You can’t even fathom the life of someone who isn’t exactly like you.
“Then one day – it is you. Some gene, some history, some past behavior – and suddenly, you are too sick, dangerous, criminal.
“Because the truth is this: human hate can adapt to anything.
“You think you are safe. But if someone hates you, they will come up with the reason after the fact.
“Only then do you realize what you put in power. Only then do you realize what you stripped away.
“There is terrible power in a joke, in a story, in taking the truth and making it ugly.
Not all toxic people are cruel and uncaring. Some of them love us dearly. Many of them have good intentions. Most are toxic to our being simply because their needs and way of existing in the world force us to compromise ourselves and our happiness. They aren’t inherently bad people, but they aren’t the right people for us. And as hard as it is, we have to let them go. Life is hard enough without being around people who bring you down, and as much as you care, you can’t destroy yourself for the sake of someone else. You have to make your wellbeing a priority. Whether that means breaking up with someone you care about, loving a family member from a distance, letting go of a friend, or removing yourself from a situation that feels painful — you have every right to leave and create a safer space for yourself.
“i’ve never seen these words displayed with brightness and color before. they’re typically found on black, gray, or white blackdrops. so, i’m purposely putting them in unexpected, vibrant places. because these words belong there, too. they belong everywhere. take what you need.”
I don’t really know how to start this kind of a post.
But I’m asking you all for help, again.
I am a mixed race Canadian First Nations person, (i am Secwepemc, and Hungarian Roma!) and my cousin, a half Cherokee, half Secwepemc man was murdered.
He went hiking with two of his “friends” in a Forrest in British Columbia. And that is where his two friends pulled a gun out, and point blank shot him in the back of the head killing him.
That was 6 years ago. For 6 years my cousin was “missing” And the RCMP never bothered to look for him, because they figured since he was First Nations, he was an addict, and willingly left.
This past January (January 2017) the two men came forward, and confessed to the RCMP about shooting and killing my cousin. And they lead the RCMP to where my cousins body was dumped.
From there they did a DNA test on my cousins bones, and it was a match to my uncle, his father.
finally my cousin Josh was brought home. Where we cremated him, and we split up his ashes between his loved ones.
This is where I need help.
February 2018, is when the trial is set to start. And the only person who will be at the trial, Will be Josh and I’s grandmother. But she’s 76, and sick.
As of November 2017 I will have $600 in savings, to put towards flying out to British Columbia to represent my family at the trial. But I need more money.
I need money for flight, a place to stay, and for public transit.
“Why don’t you just work?” You may ask. We’ll my dear friend. I was diagnosed with a severe, aggressive tumor this past year. I had it surgically removed from my jaw January 2017. And iv been recovering from the major surgery I underwent. I’m just starting to work again now, in July 2017.
TLDR: Please help a first nations family get justice for their murdered family member. I need help, and funds to go stare the men who murdered my cousin in the eye and watch them get put away in jail.
don’t just pay it. do not automatically pay the hospital bill when you receive it. call your health insurance provider and POLITELY say, “excuse me, i just received a bill for $1200 for my hospital visit/ER visit/etc., is that the correct amount i’m supposed to pay?” because hospitals bill you before your health insurance and they will take your money no matter how the amount due may change based on your health insurance looking at it. 90% of the time, if your health insurance is in any way involved in the payment of that bill, you do not have to pay as much as the hospital is billing you for. call your health insurance provider first, and POLITELY request clarification, always remember that the person you are talking to is human and this is just their job, and then you will very likely find out you actually only owe $500.
don’t shout at anyone about it, don’t get mad, just understand that this is The Way Things Are right now and call your health insurance provider before paying the bill your hospital just sent you. there’s a chance the hospital bill might be correct, true, but call your health insurance provider.
THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT. after my car accident last year the hospital billed me ~$8000. They sent me letters asking me to pay, and I called them back saying my insurance was processing the claim. This is also what I told the collection agency when they kept calling me about the $1000 emergency room fee (billed separately from the hospital fee, mind you). Once everything got straightened out, all I was actually liable for was my $200 emergency copay.
!!!!!!! things my ass didn’t know !!!!!!!!
Yes this is a life lesson my adulting ass didn’t know I needed and I’m out 80 bucks for an anti-nausea pill. 😒😒😒😒😒
Reblogging for American friends.
Also, it is important [for people receiving medical care in the USA] to carefully read all of the items on the medical bill and look for errors and overcharges. I know that the normal feelings of avoidance and dread can make it hard to look at scary hospital bills, and that’s okay! But as the OP mentions, private orgs like hospitals don’t monitor overpayment of bills - they are motivated to charge you extra - and it is basically impossible to get your money back. Read the bill carefully and make sure that the charges are correct, using the links below for help if you need. If they haven’t sent you an itemized list, you can ask for one. Sometimes you will be charged extra for items or treatment you didn’t receive. Most people don’t know that you can dispute medical bills! But in 2009, Consumer Reports stated that 8 out of 10 medical bills scrutinized by a watchdog had errors, and generally you are not obligated to pay for someone else’s error.
You may be charged for using medication that you actually brought into the hospital with you - that’s easy to dispute! You may be charged for the consumables used during your stay such as sheets, gloves, gowns, etc - the hospital should actually cover that under its running budget. You may be charged for a brand name drug if the generic was available for cheaper - the links below explain how and when you can dispute this. You may be charged a surprisingly expensive “oral administration fee” (where a nurse puts pills for you to take in a little clean paper cup and then hands it to you) but that’s worth disputing if you were actually able to take the pill out of a bottle and put it in your own mouth. And so on.
I got a $900 charge for an anesthesiologist with my first child. I had a natural birth with no epi. Why that charge was there was never explained, but basically he showed up as I was delivering & stood around so I guess he thought he could bill me for being in the same room.
Well… thats about it! Of course there’s a whole bunch of useful resources which I just couldn’t include in this post because it was getting too long.
Even if you yourself aren’t trans and wouldn’t find this content useful, please reblog because it may be of great help to some of your followers.
And if you ever have any trans-related questions or need some advice or support, feel free to message me at my main blog here or at my personal/transition blog here.
This is a brave and wonderful book, tackling race and class in the context of political intrigue and a murder mystery through the eyes of a 17-year-old steeplejack. If you like historical fiction coupled with suspense and thriller elements, this story is for you.
The world building for Bar-Selehm (a fantasy version of South Africa) is deep and fascinating, and deftly interwoven into the story so naturally and organically that you don’t notice it as you read, but find yourself immersed. This post colonial historical fantasy never becomes pedantic or lingers too long in exposition, but still really paints a fascinating world.
The three main kinds of people we encounter are the white colonial Feldish people, Lani immigrants descended from indentured servants (like the main character), and indigenous black Mahweni people, both city-dwelling and unassimilated. We see a variety of characters of all three groups and get a good cross section of the city.
Anglet or Ang, the main character, is pretty amazing. Not only is she physically adept enough to make her living as a steeplejack, which involves climbing to dizzying heights and repairing masonry, she’s also smart, independent but still connected to others, and insightful. She’s physically strong, and making it as a young woman in what is essentially a job for boys (not even men, because most don’t live that long).
I quickly found myself on her side and cheering for her, which is a good thing, since the novel is entirely in her perspective. If I have one complaint about her, it’s that she’s a little too perfect, stopping just this side of being more properly named Mary Sue. But there were enough times that she needed to rely on others, that I was able to forgive the slightly implausible range of her skill set.
For most of the book, the pacing is beautiful, giving us hints of what to come at the right time, but not giving things away too soon or manipulating too broadly with red herrings.
Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed, to the point that several lingering plot points were resolved by looking into a single carriage at the end of the climactic scene and finding that not only were situations we worried about resolved, but the people involved were all in the carriage. My suspension of disbelief was also stretched thin by the number of things one of Ang’s friends was able to resolve for her so quickly, the one time that the difficulties a person of his race might have in being heard by the right people was ignored. I was glad he succeeded, but part of me doubted he could have.
If not for these few flaws, which are small in the scheme of things, and didn’t really interfere much with my enjoyment as I read, I would be able to call this a perfect book. The language is beautiful and I marked several passages for their poetic nature or spot-on insights into larger philosophies. Bravo!
“Readers who come for the tightly plotted mystery will stay for the heroine who does all she can to resist.“ Check out HuffPo’s review of Firebrand by A. J. Hartley!
