Silicon of the Internet: December 2015

DEAL WITH IT.

So, we meet again.

It's certainly been ages since I've written a post on this meme-obsessed little internet outpost of mine. The Wheel of Time turns, the ages come and go ...

(Sorry.)

I've not become the next Chosen One, nor indoctrinated into a secret assassin cult. My reasons for vanishing are rather less exciting, and can be summed up succinctly in one word:

Applications.

The less said the better.

But the year's end has come and everyone is making grand resolutions for the New Year, so I guess I'll guiltily slide back in so I don't end 2015 too badly over here.

The best thing about 2015. Go NASA!

In 2015 ...

I finally got a Goodreads account.
I joined Twitter and found it to be quite to my liking.
I read books! Maybe not as many as I'd liked, but I READ SOME DAMMIT.
I discovered YA is actually pretty awesome, even though my steadfast love will always be adult fantasy (1000+ pg tomes FTW!).
I wrote some words (~5k for NaNo, so not MANY words), but more importantly I jumped out of my comfort zone and met up with writers IRL! For the first time!
I wrote a decent number of posts on this blog, by which I mean I actually wrote posts on this blog.
Um actually I think I also started this blog in 2015. Yay!
I finally switched to a pure window manager and thus levelled up my Linux geek stat.
I ~~forced~~ helpfully assisted several people to learn coding. Apparently my programming enthusiasm is ~~terrifying~~ inspiring.
I started a real science job.
I met quite a few like-minded people (mostly through Twitter) and had some excellent conversations in this lovely weird messed up Internet 'verse.
I finished watching all 3 seasons of Miss Fisher. *weeps quietly*
I can't even remember what else I did. This year was a blur.

WHAT NOW.

Going forward into 2016 ...

I want to tape a post-it note to my forehead which has the words "BE CONCISE" written in bright red sharpie. Some of my 2k+ BOOK REVIEWS will amply provide the reason.
I would love to write every day, at least 200 words. So yes, I'm signing up for WriYe again. (JOIN ME.)
I want to read way, way more. Somewhere in the last few years I got the nasty idea that reading was Wasting Time stuck in my head, like I should be doing chores or learning statistics instead of just taking a moment to relax. This has always ended in a guilt-stress-INTERNET cycle. Which not only got nothing Productive done, but also wasted time I could have been READING. So in 2016 I want to get more of a handle on this nonsense and kick it out the door.
I want to establish a monthly budget which is a) sensible and b) has a designated % for charity. The world this year has been an awful, awful place, and I'm tired of feeling utterly useless.
I want to finish a damn knitting project. I am SLOW.
I want to be better about joining things and sticking to them. And more organized. Organization would be good.

More specifically for the blog, here are some things to look forward to in 2016!

The Books of Pellinor reread! Pellinor (The Naming, The Riddle, The Crow, The Singing) by Alison Croggon is literally my favorite YA series ever and probably one of the very first fantasy series I read. I'm participating in a great long buddy read with Nafiza of The Book Wars, and a bunch of other readers! It is my intention to post short reviews/in-progress flailings as I make my way back through them. JOIN US.
More science, more tech. Namely, I really want to do a series of science (mainly biology) explanations for fantasy/scifi authors. And I REALLY want to do a post series on the genetics of sex determination, because it is INSANE. Also I'd love to do a beginner's intro to programming series, because MORE CODING.
Shorter reviews. That way I actually write them ...
More in-progress book/opinion posts on whatever comes to my mind. I have THOUGHTS about books, and I want to write them out in a less formal style (aka shorter). Though how anyone could call my posting style "formal" is really beyond me.