Cat's Musings

I don’t generally like to write about the same topic twice in a row, but 2 days after I posted my gerrymandering post, the Supreme Court completely contradicted something I said. To quote myself: "In essence, [Rucho vs. Common Cause] protects the ability of a state to draw lines how it wishes outside of a few fringe cases" (Emphasis added) That fringe case I was referring to was race due to the Voting Rights Act, which has been weakened by the SCOTUS in the decision Louisiana v. Callais from…

There has been a lot this week or two. I have been baking this one for a few days now, though, so I didn't want to do a NewsThoughts. Gerrymandering has been front and center in the news, with one of the most recent developments being the narrow vote in Virginia to redraw the congressional district lines to more heavily favor Democrats, which was recently approved by the Virginia High Court. This conflict began in earnest in Texas last year when alleged grafter and current United States…

While my main focus is non-fiction reading this year, I still want to indulge myself in fantasy. I have 4 books read this year, all of them non-fiction. But in the background, I have been doing a couple's read of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Ali Chakraborty. About two years ago, I suggested to my wife that we start reading together since we've enjoyed sharing audiobooks on road trips in the car. We are generally pretty consistent - either through audiobooks or actually…

It is Saturday night. Technically, it's Sunday morning. Houston, for once, seems quiet. I was delaying sleep after a night of intoxicating substances when I felt like finding some soundscapes to listen to. I happened to find one I used to enjoy before I realized how many of these videos across YouTube were AI generated. I was pleasantly surprised to find a video of the content creator on camera, showing his work process, including his keyboard and software. I suppose that also could have been…

I have been making steady progress on my novella, but accidentally dug up an old scar about censorship in Texas schools.

How The Word Is Passed is a thought-provoking journey through the history of black Americans through memorials and sites

Banner of the Maid is Fire Emblem meets French Revolution: The Anime

I recount my trip to Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico, in the Spring Break before COVID-19

I ramble on about the sweet spot between high school and college in the mid 2000s

Florida's attack on sociology is just the most recent attack on education and diversity.

I am continuing to write my novel from Writing Month 2025

Khalid from Baldur's Gate was a great character and a good Harper.