Bookwyrm: The not-so-new "new" kid on the book reading block

 Last year I joined Storygraph. I had been considering it even before Amazon gave me the Mafia horse's head in bed treatment and I eventually deleted my Amazon account, leaving me with nothing but Goodreads, solely owned by Amazon.

I had seen Storygraph mentioned by one of my Goodreads friends shortly before this denouement, which gave me the push to join it.

And now, on his blog, friend Brett Welch mentions he has joined Bookwyrm as well. I asked him at that moment what he liked about it, then when I went to its website I already had the answer.

It's "decentralized," a la Mastodon. In fact, it touts that, and its connection to Mastodon. (And, that's Brett's primary reason for joining, it seems)

Well, with Smelling Musky making Mastodon (and other sites, like Post/News) more interesting (and I may join Post/News), I already know something about Mastodon. Per the late Leo Lincourt, a "node" friend who connected me and Brett, I joined Mastodon when it first launched. I found the decentralization "clunky" then and also, per the different moderation standards of different servers, didn't think to check — and didn't really realize it was something good to check — which server I joined. I posted in depth some Mastodon yea/nay thoughts last month.

Given that my reading, in the nonfiction world, ranges from biblical criticism and occasional pop-ish philosophy, through serious "pop" science (Ed Young, Frans de Waal), through serious history (especially WWI and the US Civil War) to biography, but then on to modern culture and cultural sociology, but then on to a variety of sports books? Stops in Anasazi studies and other things are also in the mix.

I don't want a "federated" books site. Sounds like too much hassle. Besides, I haven't yet fully explored all I can do with Storygraph. And, Storygraph offers enough options itself, as well as not being owned by Yellow Satan, that I really don't have need for a third site. (See my "Storygraph vs Goodreads" post.) Also, since Bookwyrm touts "coding," it's more wonky than I need. (Storygraph has a feedback page that is more friendly than that of Goodreads, and I've used it.)

As for Bookwyrm touting its "integration" with Mastodon? I'd rather post a link to a review than integrate two different social media accounts.

Also, Bookwyrm has one big shortcoming, from what I can tell, and that is Goodreads' biggest shortcoming outside being owned by Amazon. From what I can tell without having joined, it does NOT offer fractional star reviews. A book with 21 reviews and no fractional-star reviews? Yeah, they were all imported, but I see noting, including the screengrab on Bookwyrm's front page, that would indicate those reviews can be tweaked into fractional stars or that fresh reviews can be done with fractional stars. Also, Bookwyrm, per its "about" page and "Mouse" history as admin, is more than 2 years old and is now slipstreaming in the new popularity of Mastodon and other "federated" social media. Storygraph is newer, offers other new things, and while not geeky, part of its pitch is in supporting non-Amazon, preferably non-chain, and especially minority-owned bricks and mortar bookstores.

There would also appear to be some "PR" with Bookwyrm that's an issue. Note its "docs" page and these comments. 

Since the project is still in its early stages, the features are growing every day, and there is plenty of room for suggestions and ideas.

Well, that's undercut you not being in quite such early stages. And, if you're getting a rush of new joiners, aren't they working on tweaks? (To be fair, StoryGraph is a few months to a year older.)

There's also going to be the issue that as more and more people with their own servers create more and more different "instances," will moderation standards differ enough that different instances block each other, as was the case with journalists on Mastodon?

Also, it seems to be "bare bones" on the features. Much as I scoffed at "content warnings" on Storygraph, I almost used them with one recent review. I do use the other "buttons," of, if a book is "informative," or "relaxing" or whatever.

That all said, Brett may have just inspired me enough to make part of my 2023 reading challenge learning more about what I can do on Storygraph.

Update: As I note above, StoryGraph has a pretty responsive Twitter account, plus a "roadmap" page where people can suggest new ideas. And, while it's bare bones, you can buy a subscription model for $4.99 a month I don't know that Bookwyrm even has a Twitter. 

For more? Wiki's page on StoryGraph. Note that there is NOT a  Wiki page for Bookwyrm.

Coronavirus week 132: Yes but on ethnic death differences

It is certainly possible, per the Texas Observer, that minorities have suffered many COVID-related deaths that aren't counted on official statistics. But, when you're extending that to things like suicides or drug and alcohol overdoses, why shouldn't at least some white suicides and fatal overdoses also be counted as COVID deaths?

And, while things like diabetes deaths among American Indians may indeed, at least in part, be a legacy of colonialism, they're not COVID or COVID-related deaths.

What this boils down to, like so-called People's CDC claims about Long COVID, is anecdote being substituted for data. It's happening more and more on both of the "two sides" of what are actually more than two sides, per old friend Idries Shah, in the world of coronavirus.

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While we're talking COVID, a friendly reminder from someone as "hardcore" as Skeptical Raptor that the XBB 1.5 is no more deadly than other recent subvariants and in fact possibly less deadly. The People's CDC and Walker Bragman probably still won't tell you that, though. Nor will they tell you that the rolling average of weekly deaths is under 1,500, well below their 2,000 a week claim. Even if we make "adjustments" as big as the Observer proposes, it's still under 2,000 a week.

Glenn Hegar and the Chapter 313 mess

Pulled from last week's Roundup for more thoughts.

The state Supremes said recently that Comptroller Glenn Hegar can officially say fuck-you to a late rush of Chapter 313 filings. I said a week ago that I thought it was a cheap-ass punt by the justices saying this is for the Lege to decide. That said, the lobbying's going to be hot and heavy!

But, who says it's going to stop there?

Lots of big national and multinational wind farm companies are incorporated outside of Texas. They're looking right now for any possible way to jump this issue to federal court, aren't they? And, if any of those wind farms are in the portion of West Texas that's connected to the western power grid, then you've got interstate commerce in the mix, too.

Texas Progressives talk Trump, 1A, COVID, ERCOT, border

Here from Tex-ass, John Anthony Castro is suing to block Trump from running in 2024, over the Fourteenth Amendment and Trump being an insurrectionist. Two side notes: JAC is running himself in 2024, and he's a Republican.

The entire Fifth Circuit is meeting en banc to review a three-judge panel ruling on a HUGE case that has the First Amendment running head-on into qualified immunity for cops. In a blind hogs and acorns world, Donald C. Ho, a Trump appointee, authored the 2-1 ruling in her favor.

SocraticGadfly takes a skeptical look at the so-called People's CDC and some of the claims — and straight misinformation — about COVID that it's putting out. (NOTE: This is NOT COVID denialist/minimalist misinfo; rather, it's from the "other side.") 

Off the Kuff took another look at how statewide races played out in Harris County.  

Border/Lines takes a deep dive into Immigration Joe's push to EXPAND Title 42. More at Counterpunch.

The state Supremes are hearing arguments about whether or not ERCOT can be sued over Winter Storm Uri.

 Colin Strother offers some unsolicited advice to Kevin McCarthy.  

Texas 2036 previews the legislative session.

The Dallas Observer warns that there's already a "Don't Say Gay" bill in the pipeline.

Texas Monthly commends UT for firing men's basketball coach Chris Beard.

Talking Speakership issues

So, Congress finally voted Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. Here's how much he cut off his balls and fed them to a mix of his own self and the last dissenters from the FreeDumb Caucus to get the job. Yet more here on the blow-by-blow of the last ballot as well as what this may portend for the next two years. And more here on what the Rules Committee changes, specifically, mean for the whole House GOP.

As noted elsewhere, with the one-person motion to vacate, combined with a debt ceiling issue later this year and other things, I don't seek McCarthy surviving the rest of the year.

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Speaking of those dissenters, the Monthly profiles Chip Roy. Biggest takeaway? Despite schtick otherwise, he's a creature of the DC establishment, at least its modern GOP version. And yes, such a critter exists. (Gotta love Justin Amash comparing him to mirror-universe Spock. He is of course also a flip-flopper and hasn't explained why he flopped before the last ballots.

That said, applaud not for Amash putting himself forward for the Speakership. IMO, it, just as much as the other critters on the stage, was an opportunist move with an eye to 2024.

And, getcha pillows and your popcorn! Pillow Guy Mike Lindell is attacking Marjorie Taylor Greene for voting for McCarthy.

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 And, on the Texas Lege side, Dade "Just Call Me Dade" Phelan, was re-elected as Speaker. Tony Tinder(Holt) got just 3 votes, less than he did from the GOP caucus last month. My own Legiscritter, David Spiller, kind of postured on this issue at a recent town hall, but obviously voted for Phelan. And, your friendly reminder that Christian nationalist/alleged Christian Tinder has been married 5 times, including twice to the first/second wife who filed a restraining order against him.

How did Southwest become Southworst?

The Monthly details how Southwest Airlines got to the holidays snafu point. It says that part of the problem is an anti-tech bias within corporate management culture. The piece also explains why Southwest doesn't assign seats — its software is so old that it can't. (That one, I didn't know.) But, Southworst has turned that into a marketing point. Buying AirTran forced some tech upgrades. The piece ends by saying that Congressional hearings may wind up causing fallout for all airlines.

Good! Oh, in part per Carter financial advisor Stu Eizenstat's memo of his White House years, Carter-era deregulation, though it contributed to reduced fares, was by no means the sole factor.

Sidebar: contra neoliberal noobs defending Mayo Pete on this issue, Southworst does NOT run a point-to-point system. It runs a hybrid of that with the hub-and-spoke. You can fly directly, but rarely as a nonstop, and usually with a plane transfer — at a larger airport. At the same time, non-Southworst legacy airlines (you've been around 50 years, you're a legacy) don't run a true hub system, especially after all the mergers. A Delta or United or American have 7 or 8 airports they list as "hubs." Per that link, COVID pushed a resurgence in hub-and-spoke operations, but who knows if it will last?

Are a number of American trees range-limited today by no gomphotheres?

First, what is a gomphothere? Per the link, an extinct, largely Northern Hemisphere family of animals related to elephants.

Second, are they the reason some trees aren't well spread today? Blogging friend Tales of Whoa says yes, but, outside the avocado, whose large seed side says it would have needed a big animal to shit it out, not so fast. (And, he doesn't link to an outside source for these claims.)

Take the Osage orange, aka hedge apple, aka bois d'arc baseball. Wiki explicitly calls it a just so story to claim this is an archaic evolutionary adaptation. It notes that squirrels eat the seeds and deer eat the whole fruit today. Indeed, while out at Hagerman NWR New Year's Eve, I saw several that had been eaten by either deer or wild hogs, as shown at left.

Also, speaking from Tex-ass, the range of the bois d'arc almost exactly maps onto that of the cedar elm and nobody's ever said their range is limited because of an extinct family of elephantine animals.

Or, the honey locust. Like with mesquites, livestock eat the bean pods, which I knew without the Wiki link. Wildlife today eat them too. AFAIK, neither the pod sheaths nor the beans themselves are tougher than common mesquite, and certainly not tougher than screwbean mesquite.

Papaya? Southern end of most gomphotheres' range. May have been dependent on giant sloths spreading them, but, that wasn't Tales' claim.

Pawpaw? Spread by mammoths and mastodons, not gomphotheres, it appears.

Persimmon? Eaten by many small-sized mammals today.

As an avid birder, respectfully, he should also know that thorns and spines that might deter large animals, whether mammals or larger birds, don't deter small ones.

Finally, the relict bigtooth maples in Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains national parks in Tex-ass' trans-Pecos show that species of flora can become geographically confined for reasons that have nothing to do with the extinction of species, genera or families of fauna. (In their case, it's the altitude of sky island mountains mixed with climate change.)

I debated about tagging him, but eventually subtweeted instead.