Allie Kleber > Recent Status Updates

I don't know why I'm surprised anymore, but ... during the Cold War, there was research into "weaponizing birds" by turning them into flying "germ bombs"? EXCUSE ME???

Humans were a mistake.

That was the WORST use of a Dark Knight quote I have ever encountered. Which is saying something.

... of COURSE daffodils aren't native to Massachusetts, Jamie!

Okay, obscure nerd moment over. Carry on.

"The educated Boston patter that everyone learns to affect"? Maybe this is something you encounter in humanities grad programs. I've seen no sign of it working for an engineering department, and I suppose I have a relatively low quotient of academics in my local circle of friends nowadays.

"That's what this company is, and I was part of it. I failed when I tried to change it."

... finally. Good grief. I expected much of the awfulness in this book, but I confess, I did not expect the level of frustration and quite often disgust that I've felt towards the author and her narrative-shaping choices.

In addition to all the building awful which is really quite serious, the contact embarrassment is excruciating.

On the whole I have been enjoying this book thoroughly, but I'm not sure how long I can endure this particular stint of not only miscommunication, but intentional lack of communication. Argh!

And now for something completely different ...

(The version I'm listening to has an afterword by Orson Scott Card, which I can't help raising an eyebrow at. Not sure I want to listen to that.)

There was no concept of invasive species in the Regency ... but I realize that expecting any sort of historical accuracy whatsoever is a fool's errand, so nevermind.

Well, I'm admittedly a little dubious so far, but I'm giving it a chance!

Reading these aloud definitely adds some interesting perspective for me. I appreciate Sophos a bit more than I ever have before, tbh.

Hmm. I do enjoy a good Wodehouse pastiche. Let's see if Aaronovitch is up to it.

I'd like to declare a moratorium on holding up neurodivergence (of whatever type) as somehow morally or philosophically symbolic of "our times," okay? Okay. (Carry on with the turtle talk, pls kthx.)

This is an incredibly stressful read. I want to finish it, but I will be very glad to be done.

I'm one essay in, and this is already probably the most important book I've read in ... well, a long time.

There is so much of value in this book, but boy, I am deeply bothered by this footnote rattling off a list of personality type tests and astrology (which she apparently consulted--it's unclear how seriously--in assessing her compatibility with one of her own partners) without any caveats.

"Astrology is the study of the influence that distant cosmic objects have on human lives." Um.

Blanket legitimacy is implied.

“As new partnerships form with people in pre-existing CNM relationships, or polycules, these new partners too should not be expected to just fit right in to the CNM structure that was there before they arrived. While it’s important that new partners acknowledge and respect the unique configuration of relationships they are connecting up with [...] there also needs to be space for new people to influence the system"

On the one hand, I think it's worth pointing out that invasive species aren't "evil" or "malicious" or any of the other moralized projections humans put on them.

That said, if you're going to talk about how the plants are simply particularly tenacious and successful, it's unhelpful to leave it there. After all, what DOES makes these invasives "unnatural" and beyond the scope of normal environmental change is US.

Delighted by the Tom Stoppard reference every time the police robots are mentioned.

"Fucking abyssal horrors, eager for gossip."

Argh. I was expecting some neutrality on the topic of letting cats outside, because this is an exploration of evidence-based research, but the author lets one of his own cats roam and (so far) barely acknowledges the arguments about it in passing. I wasn't expecting to be quite this pissed off.

This is like reading an AU version of my poor barely-sketched out Goodness Knows that actually gets it right. In broad strokes, this is exactly what I was going for (and more). I'm happy it exists!

Wait. Did he really just present a largely favorable portrayal of unregulated genetic engineering enthusiasts, and heavily imply that he thought they were on to something by claiming that human-designed organisms could be an answer to ecological destruction and loss of biodiversity, and then reference corporate crop engineering without acknowledging how ecologically DESTRUCTIVE that has been?

I still absolutely love this book.

One very small thing, though - from time to time, the character will specifically reference plants present in the Chesapeake Watershed's territory, which gives a nice sense of place ... I recognize them all ... and they're just about ALL INVASIVES. (And it's not flagged in any way.) Which is especially interesting (and surprising) given concerns about (space) alien invasives.

Wow. I waited for most of the book for her to talk about people not having kids because they just ... didn't particularly want to be parents. I was not expecting her to choose to portray such people as a drastic, aberrant minority.

With 8% left to go, I'll stick it out, but wow. I wasn't looking for a MANIFESTO, but even-handed historical and societal survey this is not.

"The welfare of these animals is ALWAYS paramount over people's enjoyment." -dude releasing a couple of beavers into the wild in the intro, as quoted by the author. How I wish I could have this indelibly carved in stone at the entrance to every animal sanctuary ...

Have you ever needed to put a book down for a little bit because it was so relatable that it was stressing you out? (I mean, there's a lot about this character's specific experiences that I don't relate to, but the way she's kind of falling apart struggling to balance her perceptions and all the inputs she's getting from her life/those around her, at this point in the novel is... a little close to home for me today.)