Central Illinoisan here, and I’m pretty sure the half of Illinois south of the Mason-Dixon Line is the South, not the Midwest.
EntropicalVacation
joined 2 years ago
I hadn’t thought about it, but it sounds like a fun idea, so I’ve checked out The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, a horror classic that’s been on my to-read list for a while: “a collection of spine-tingling horror stories that are woven together by a fictional play called The King in Yellow.”
So cute! And done in plenty of time for Halloween!
American here, but I agree with a traditionally Polish or German gift. I’ve always thought Polish pottery is lovely.
My first instinct would be Southwest, like Texas.
Here’s an article with maps that show the Census regions that @[email protected] mentioned puts OK in the South: https://www.businessinsider.com/united-states-regions-new-england-midwest-south-2018-4?op=1
And here’s a map from National Geographic that puts OK in the Southwest: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/united-states-regions/
I’m so happy to see “A Song for Lya” on your list. It’s one of my favorite SF stories!
This is pretty much my process too, except I’m not so organized as to have an expenses spreadsheet.
Most of my savings is in IRAs, which are mostly invested in Vanguard index funds. I try to keep about what I’d need to live on for a year in short-term investments and high-yield savings, any extra in some longer-term investments. I have a couple of CDs, some T bills, an I bond, some stocks. I’ve been shifting money around lately depending on where the best interest rates are.
Bread Savings has a 4.88% rate (5% APY) right now, no fees. The T bills have rates between about 5.3% and 5.5%. Right now, even 4-week T bills have rates over 5%.
Yes, mid-60s, Midwest U.S.
A kidney donated from a living donor often lasts longer and performs better than a kidney from a deceased donor. Donating a kidney to a stranger can begin a paired donation chain that can result in several people getting kidneys. If you are seriously thinking about donating, I strongly encourage you to do some research with reputable sources, talk to some people who’ve donated themselves, talk it over with your loved ones, and maybe talk to some transplant coordinators at the nearest transplant center. It’s not something to be undertaken lightly, but living donors are saints.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan. A little dated, but a classic. Sagan’s enthusiasm for his subject is inspirational.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Part memoir, part reflections on how to repair humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The author is a botanist and a Potawatomi, and brings both perspectives to her work.
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green. Thoughtful, heartfelt observations of humanity and its effects on the planet and the other beings that live on it, from a kind, decent, engaged, and nevertheless hopeful person.
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery. Really more personal reflections on octopuses the author has known and loved than an objective look at consciousness, but the tales are very moving.
—Oh, we use only the finest baby frogs, dew-picked and flown from Iraq, cleansed in the finest quality spring water, lightly killed, and sealed in a succulent, Swiss, quintuple-smooth, treble-milk chocolate envelope, and lovingly frosted with glucose.
—That's as may be, but it's still a frog!
—What else?
—Well, don't you even take the bones out?
—If we took the bones out, it wouldn't be crunchy, would it?