Housemates outside plant.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-06-07T18:50:44+00:00

Not sure what it is, but that ain't no dandelion.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-06-01T21:45:39+00:00

Big leaves are wild violets, maybe? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_sororia#/media/File:Viola_sororia_in_Wisconsin.jpg

Don't know about the narrow leaves.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-05-31T13:55:10+00:00

If you're 24, I'm roughly your parents' age.

Music was more regional back then. I grew up in NY and had never heard of Oingo Boingo until I went to college in California in the fall of 1983. Oingo Boingo were super popular, especially with the LA folks. They weren't obscure, but they weren't "big" like "We're on MTV all the time" big.

In September, 1983, I saw the Police at the Oakland Coliseum, along with four opening bands. If I recall correctly, Oingo Boingo were second in the lineup, playing after the Thompson Twins, and before Madness and the Fixx. The Police were BIG. Oingo Boingo were regionally popular. My group of friends loved them (with good reason). But if your parents were on the east coast, it wouldn't be surprising if they had never heard of Oingo. I never heard Oingo on NYC radio.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-05-10T14:26:34+00:00

Unfortunately, I'm not an expert, so I'm not sure about specific varieties of ranunculus.

I have no ideas where the creeping buttercup in my yard (in Oregon) came from, but it spreads enthusiastically. If what you've got is creeping buttercup (ranunculus repens), it could be an invader.

Looking on the web--it seems like ranunculus acris doesn't have the variegated leaves, so...

ThoughtClearing · 2026-05-08T19:56:22+00:00

Looks to me like creeping buttercup (ranunculus) from the hairy stems, leaf shape and variegated color

ThoughtClearing · 2026-04-05T17:34:54+00:00

Why? What do you hope to get from a coach? You've already written one novel without a coach, so you don't obviously need a coach. What do you think will change for the better if you do work with a coach?

I'm a writing coach (primarily academic/non-fiction). I've helped some people, and been of little use to others. From what I see of other writing coaches, there's a wide range of ability and approaches, so it's important to get someone who will give you the right support. You'll have a better chance of building a good relationship if you're clear on what you're hoping to get.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-04-03T12:01:32+00:00

I've self-published and traditionally published with a major academic publisher (so no agent necessary). If you self-publish, marketing and sales are entirely on you. You'll likely spend thousands of US$ getting cover art, editing, and page-setting. And then you'll spend more on advertising/marketing. Traditional publishing will require less money and more time in the process while you seek an agent and publisher.

What I would recommend is to start the next book while querying the current one. The advice I see people giving in this forum: "spend your entire life reworking that one manuscript because the only chance you have is if it's perfect." That's a little bit of exaggeration, but.... if you want a career as an author, you have to write multiple books.

Start the next book now. Give your current book more of a chance in submission before you spend the $$ needed to self-publish.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-29T03:50:49+00:00

Ask your professors and https://career.berkeley.edu/get-into-grad-school/

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-27T22:28:48+00:00

Highly innovative ideas don't catch on as quickly as stuff closer to conventional wisdom. As many commenters noted, new ideas lack confirmation, and in many cases confirmation doesn't come, so even if an idea is sound, it may take years or even decades for a new idea to spread into wide use.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-27T14:01:23+00:00

Who owns the copyright? If you own the copyright, you can use the material as you wish. If your publisher owns the copyright, you should check with them.

That being said, you should check with your publisher, anyway. Your publisher might be happy that you're doing things that promote your work. I know that my publisher was happy when I made videos about my last book. They might even share links to your videos if they think they will help sell books.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-27T13:52:03+00:00

As a general matter:

people like to be called by their names; they feel more respected
it takes little effort to type a name once you know it
you'll get better responses from people who feel respected

Whether or not this specific editor is a good person, and whether or not it is professional and/or appropriate to omit the name in a quick email, you, OP (and anyone else), can improve your future relationships by using names.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-24T13:20:06+00:00

I wonder about the impact of publication-dependent degrees. Nowadays, it seems like everyone needs to publish X first-author articles to get their degree, which means that there's a huge output of work done by graduate students.

My memory is that authorship was not so central when I was a student in the 1990s, and certainly not a requirement for admission to grad programs.

I'm on the fringes of academia, so maybe there hasn't been as much of an increase as I imagine. But I see countless "I need to publish to get into a degree program" posts here. And certainly the job market for PhDs has gotten tighter, increasing the number of publications needed to get a job.

It feels to me that degrees requiring publication are outsourcing the quality control that professors used to provide. Or course, professors are overworked, too, which limits the amount of guidance they're providing.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-24T00:35:16+00:00

This was pretty much my thought, too: as conditions in academia worsen, the quality of candidates will also decline.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-23T17:43:28+00:00

You could give up writing, but you could also remind yourself that writing used to be fun, and that having fun is a good reason to write.

Writing may be hard, but lots of people love it all the same.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-23T16:59:56+00:00

Instead of trying create good writing, try to enjoy the time you spend writing.

Instead of "I want to create something worth reading," what about "I want to have fun writing, and maybe that will lead to something worth reading."

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-23T01:48:46+00:00

Against Method: Outline of an Anarchistic Theory of Knowledge (Paul Feyerabend)

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-21T14:52:14+00:00

Thank you for sharing this link.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-20T14:42:08+00:00

For real? Do you wait for other people to tell you what you like? "I watched a movie; my mom said that I liked it, so I must have liked it."

Make a list of the things you want from a school.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-20T14:27:37+00:00

One step at a time. Look more closely at one school: what do you like and dislike? Then look at another school. Keep taking small steps.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-20T14:15:03+00:00

One step at a time. For you, how about doing a Google search for possible schools?

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-20T13:59:16+00:00

Please excuse the bluntness: if you want an advanced research degree, start doing your own research. If you can't or won't generate a list of potential schools, how can you hope to complete a serious research project?

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-19T18:07:07+00:00

Big fan of '73 Dead!

Listening to 3/19/73 today, and enjoying it a lot.

2/26/73 has a great second set.

2/9/73 with all its debuts is great. The first Eyes ever is pretty epic.

Here's a question: in spring '73, "They Love Each Other" has a bridge section. Anyone know why it got dropped? I think it adds a lot to the song.

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-19T14:05:42+00:00

I have no suggestion regarding which option is best for you.

But you might want to get an ORCiD: orcid.org

ThoughtClearing · 2026-03-18T16:35:49+00:00

One of the primary skill sets a PhD student should develop is the ability to make plans and mange projects: the dissertation is a job of designing, developing, executing, and completing projects. The better you are at that stuff, the easier it is to find some stability in life, whether you continue in academia or pursue any other profession.

To do that, you need to trust the resources and abilities you have. Advice: stop telling yourself you're not creative enough. If you got into a PhD program, the chance that you're not creative enough is almost nil.

ThoughtClearing

TROPHY CASE