April Scribbles

 Happy April! Okay, so we are a week and a half into it, and Easter has just passed. I'm late, but I can't be fired from my own blog. Or so I say.

So, happy belated rabbitses, I hope y'all remembered. (I swiped the above photo from someone over on Mastadon.)

It's looking like spring around here, with all the blossoms and sunshine, and it's so good for the spirits. And another school year comes to a close, and soon, the kids will be hangin' at the nearby park and pool. It'll sound more lively around here. 

April is not a month I've ever had strong associations with, for some reason, but we've watched a couple of Netflix documentaries that make me wonder why. Sadly, we are coming up on the 33rd anniversary of the siege at Waco, Texas, on April 19. That date will also be the 31st anniversary to the Oklahoma City bombing, which Timothy McVeigh carried out in retaliation for Waco. 

The Netflix documentary is called Waco: American Apocalypse, and in my opinion, is very much worth watching. It's scary that a cult, or any charismatic leader, can gather together enough people and weapons to do actual battle with the federal government. This film does show that David Koresh, head of the Branch Davidians, and the FBI both abused their power. It was frustrating to watch the lack of communication and consistency involved in the government's treatment of the situation. 

Needless to say, we are still living in interesting times, which can be stressful when I think too much about it. So, I read novels and play games. I'm still reading some Netgalley books, though I do have quite a long list of books I want to get to. I also can't resist checking out other reading sites that are not Goodreads. 

Don't get me wrong! I don't dislike Goodreads, and I don't dislike Amazon, but when Amazon bought Goodreads, it just seemed unsettling that suddenly, everything we Goodreads members had reviewed and all of our to-read lists, all that information, was available to Amazon. That was ten years ago, and now I take for granted that the platform functions as a store front and data miner. 

There are other intriguing platforms, of course. I was enjoying Readerly for a few months until I received an email informing all the users that the site just wasn't making it and was closing down. I also very much admire The StoryGraph, which is independent and ad-free. I've already imported my Goodreads books and am enjoying the options for book reviewing. If this site is to remain independent, though, there need to be enough subscribers...something Goodreads doesn't have to worry about.  

There is also the fediverse, or a group of interconnected, open source sites like Mastodon, except focusing on books. I've taken a gander at Bookwyrm, another welcoming and pleasing platform. It will be interesting to see if these projects can succeed. It's certainly a revelation to see book reviews with no adverts or shopping buttons. 

There was a time when I thought that GR was the cat's meow, whiskers, AND tail. Since then, especially since Amazon bought it, there haven't been any updates or improvements, and this is discouraging. 

Anyway, that is how I avoid hard news with first world problems.

Whatchaupto?