ruddyduck's recent activity
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Comment on What small questions do you have that aren’t worth a full topic on their own? in ~talk
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~life.men
ruddyduck Link ParentAgree. I think his larger body of work (I’ve read that book and he pops up on lots of podcasts I subscribe to) informs this issue better than the article did. There are concrete ways in which...Agree. I think his larger body of work (I’ve read that book and he pops up on lots of podcasts I subscribe to) informs this issue better than the article did. There are concrete ways in which modern boys are being left behind but very few programs or institutions really address that and young men end up feeling unsupported. I think it’s good he’s out there pushing the issue. The data here seems firm enough that I think we will see changes eventually.
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Comment on History book recommendations in ~books
ruddyduck LinkMissed this topic initially. It's a great one. History - I gave all of these top ratings in my personal reading tracker: SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard. Accessible, concise, with...Missed this topic initially. It's a great one.
History - I gave all of these top ratings in my personal reading tracker:
- SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard. Accessible, concise, with lots of anecdotes and context.
- Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World - Roger Crowley. Christians vs Turks in the Mediterranean in the 1600s. This was all pretty new to me. Not something my schools covered.
- 1491 - Charles C. Mann. The Americas, pre-Columbus, were not how people often think.
- Why We Love Baseball OR The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski. These books area celebrations of baseball, so they may not be up your alley, but there are so many interesting facts in them.
- Empire of the Summer Moon - I'll second this rec. It's great.
Historical fiction - As someone who also loves the world building in fantasy and sci-fi, I have come to find that historical fiction scratches the same itch. I also feel like it's easier to find quality than in sci-fi/fantasy. A few suggestions:
- The Warrior of Rome series - Harry Sidebottom. Sidebottom is a historian, so while the plots are fiction, the books are grounded in accurate historical details.
- The Cicero Trilogy - Robert Harris. Another historian. Lots of political intrigue in these.
- Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin novels. These start with Master & Commander, which is also a different but great movie.
- The Killer Angels rec elsewhere on this thread is great.
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Comment on The Chinese sports machine’s single goal: the most golds, at any cost (2021) in ~sports
ruddyduck LinkI read this earlier in the Olympics and it really got me invested in the gold medal race—though I also find the dismissiveness toward silver and bronze sad. It seems like sooner or later China...I read this earlier in the Olympics and it really got me invested in the gold medal race—though I also find the dismissiveness toward silver and bronze sad.
It seems like sooner or later China probably cracks the code and starts winning this contest in most summer games. I hope not since the way they go about it seems kind of cheap (emphasizing low prestige events with lots of medals).
Will also note that the Olympics Reddit seemed heavily frequented by pro China bots. It was weird and added to my concern about the future of online discourse.
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Comment on Science fiction or fantasy recommendations for children in ~books
ruddyduck LinkIt’s sci-fi (and not the space ships and aliens kind), but Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is a great book that I also recommend to adults. A Wrinkle in Time is woven into it so your daughter’s...It’s sci-fi (and not the space ships and aliens kind), but Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me is a great book that I also recommend to adults. A Wrinkle in Time is woven into it so your daughter’s familiarity there would be a plus.
It’s really clever. I do dad/kid book club readings with my 8 year old (a big Harry Potter fan too) and I’m saving it til he’s 9 or 10 because I think he’ll better appreciate it then.
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Comment on How did you become a baseball fan? in ~sports.baseball
ruddyduck LinkApologies if this response is too late! I was out last week. I got into baseball as a kid, stopped following it in the mid-90s and started following again in 2019. The past several years have...Apologies if this response is too late! I was out last week.
I got into baseball as a kid, stopped following it in the mid-90s and started following again in 2019. The past several years have enriched my day-to-day greatly.
When I was a kid in the 1980s three things got me into baseball:
- I played a lot of whiffle ball. Eventually, I played Little League.
- In the mid- to late-80s, my babysitter's husband would bet us nickels (that he provided) on Braves games. This was in 86 or 87 when they were very bad so he usually won his money back. The Braves were on TBS every day, so it was easy to become a Braves (and Dale Murphy fan).
- I had a TV in my room with basic cable, so I watched a lot of Braves (and some Cubs) games.
In the mid-90s, I lost interest. Baseball seemed slow. Over time, the steroid scandals pushed me further from the game.
Cut to 2019. I do a fantasy-type contest with two friends (we are a team) where we end up picking 10 different sports all year long in a big contest (300-500 teams). The top teams can wind up winning thousands of dollars. I was tasked with inputting our baseball picks, and one of the teams we'd selected was the Phillies. Bryce Harper had just gotten there, and they were hyped. However, I bungled it, and picked the Nationals for us. They proceeded to start the season 19-31.
Mistakes happen, but this year, our picks in other sports all did really well. My mistake looked likely to cost my friends hundreds of dollars. I felt horrible and started following each Nats game closely--each win mitigating my mistake slightly. Over a long and fun summer, they turned things around and eventually won the Series. My mistake ended up netting my friends and I about $2000 each.
That year got me really into the Nats. I've stuck with them through the rebuild, listening to games on MLB radio while doing chores around the house and watching games when I can. I'm in Texas and don't know any Nats fans here, but I look forward to listening to games while cooking and doing dishes in the evenings.
As much as anything else: For the benefit of Kid #1. We love him so much. We thought it better for him to grow up with someone (both for fun reasons and to avoid “only child syndrome”). Also (hopefully), to give him family after we are gone. Kid #2 has been pretty great too.