Since I stumble across a number of interesting links and articles, I figure I’ll keep sharing them in little round-up posts like this.

Controversial Star Wars opinion: Jar Jar Binks is good

I realize if I’m going to keep doing links posts, I may have to just admit many (most? all?) of them are going to feature some discussion of Star Wars. Here’s an article by Bryan Young, who’s had some very smart things to say about the movies on Twitter, about why Jar Jar Binks is not only important, but a crucial character. Not just to The Phantom Menace (and I’ll admit, my dislike for Jar Jar is why I rarely re-watch that movie), but to the entire original trilogy as well. Yes, it’s a stretch. And I’m not entirely convinced by his argument! But it does show that Lucas may have been going for more than a mere gimmick with Jar Jar. Read why Jar Jar Binks is secretly one of Star Wars’ most important characters.

And, because Generation X thinks Star Wars is all about them, here’s an interesting take on why Luke and Leia actually embody the development of Baby Boomers. Zaren Burnett III’s “A New, New Hope: Luke Skywalker and the Soul of Baby Boomer Men” is an in-depth consideration of what Star Wars: The Last Jedi does with this pair of Skywalker siblings.

Stephen King tells you how to become a successful writer

Stephen King wrote this piece on success in writing a long time ago. I first read it in one of those publishing market guides that used to be published every year and were out of date as soon as they hit print. I hung on to the one this was in for years, just to re-read Stephen King’s “Everything you need to know about writing successfully — in ten minutes.”

Let’s hope to God the Arctic doesn’t warm up (more)

Then there’s also this fascinating report from National Public Radio about our recent climate, the evidence of a past world frozen in Arctic permafrost, and how as that soil warms with climate change, there may be a ticking time bomb under the Arctic. A fascinating, and frightening, read.

That’s all for this outing, folks.  Thanks for clicking on by.