Ride ‘Em Cowgirl

cowpony
That’s me, at about age 7, on Dad’s cowpony, Moke.

Ok, so I’m being silly… I was thinking ‘link round-up’ and that title is what came out. However! There’s some really interesting stuff here, and I’m going to try and do this more often, since I frequently come across blogs and articles I’d like to share.

First, a link to a very important science topic.  “Belief and/or denial have no place in science, because science is a process, not a conclusion.  Science is a means of looking at something for which we have no explanation and determining how it works.  Whether we choose to believe or deny the method by which we came to a conclusion does not change the data which was used in the process.  Whether I “believe” in a theory of quantum connectedness that links all sentient minds (h/t Travis S. Taylor, Ph.D.) or not does not change the fact that there are brain processes which can be adequately explained without recourse to quantum physics – and those phenomena which have no other explanation.”

A slightly related – in that it is also science – article on a virus which parasitizes a human gut bacteria. I do look at this, cock my head to one side like a confused puppy and wonder just who picks these names, as I try not to giggle. “The new virus, which the researchers have named crAssphage, is a type of virus known as a bacteriophage, meaning it infects bacteria. It’s likely that crAssphage infects a very common type of gut bacteria called Bacteroidetes, according to the study.”

Speaking of making me giggle, Larry Correia’s hilarious alphabetical ranking of authors came out yesterday. I think I’m somewhere between I and J…

“I List – Doggone It People Like Me =$$$$$
Authors with the first glimmers of real professional success.
Authors who begin contemplating how they’re going to tell their boss to shove it.
Authors who only check their book’s Amazon rank once a day.
Authors who pay their mortgage payments from their royalties.
J List – What the Fuck? I’m a Real Writer? =$$$$
Authors who are still getting used to the idea people want to read their crap.
Authors who have sold a respectable number of books.
Authors who check their book’s Amazon rank every hour.
Authors who start to pay most of their bills with their royalties.”

I wrote a follow-up to my 18 Influential Voices article, and it was published over at PJMedia in the Book Plug Friday column. The follow up article: in which I point out that I didn’t make the list – I just recorded what others told me when I asked “who do you listen to?”