good guides

Great guide today, telling about the history of the Nazis and Jews, showing us the stumbling blocks, and using that to really bring home the danger of a dictator, bigotry and fascism.

Something the Americans with us desperately needed to hear, and you could tell it made them uncomfortable.

That’s what good education does – it tells you more about your world in real life; taking the lessons of the past to teach us how to be better in the present, and for the future.

So, kudos, tour guide. Well fucking done.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 1384 words, novella: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Road Through The Wall, Shirley Jackson
Comics: Cyber Force 10-11, Cyber Force: Artifacts 0, Cyber Force v5 1
Music: Is This Desire?, PJ Harvey (for me, fuck yes.  I adore PJ Harvey)

getting out

Of town, tomorrow.

Today, that means the litany of last minute things we need to do for the friend sitting our house and dogs, for ourselves, for the things we need to be ready or to come with us, for our animals, who we will miss terrible and want to have a few precious moments with each (and when you have four cats and two dogs, that can be time-consuming) before we leave, in case the worst happens.

The worst never quite seems to happen, except in America.

Where exist authoritarians, the worst is always yet to come.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 2399 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Adam Bede, George Eliot
Comics: Cyber Force/Hunter Killer 3-5, Velocity v3 1
Music: Irish Punk Drinking Songs Compilation, Various

on status

I guess it’s something I really don’t give a shit about, and I can’t help but wonder what’s wrong with people who do care so deeply. Are they so insecure in themselves that they can only feel important by dropping the names of people they know or have tangential relationships which, most of which consisted of being in the same room and uttering a polite hello, if that?

Sometimes, it’s just in the same room and knowing the person’s name.

But, I mean, there’s a limit. When you’re throwing around local names like they’re big celebs, maybe you ought to consider that other people know these people. It ain’t that big of a town.

That one’s white trash. This one was a bully in high school. I applaud the work that one’s doing, but my experience *of years* with them is that they are a consummate complainer, more interested in tearing down than building up, and definitely overestimating their relative skillset.

I’ve never even heard of that one, so why do you think it’s important that I know it and conflate this complete unknown’s relative “importance” with you?

Anyway, status, status, status… what’s the point? Spending so much time on it only makes you look desperate and kind of pathetic, and lowers any status or reputation you might have.

I’m certainly no paragon, and I have many, many (oh my god, so many) faults, but one thing I will give myself is that I have no interest in status. When I was younger, sure, I inflated my ego with bullshit stories to feel better about my importance in the world, but now that I’m older, have been through shit, and thoroughly tore myself down, man, who has time for that shit?

And at our age?

Life’s too short for the front.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 2124 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs
Comics: Cyber Force v2 26-29
Music: Interpol, Interpol

karma

I realized this morning that though I knew the idea of karma as justice was incorrect, I realized just to the full extent how much I was this morning.

It has nothing to do with what is just and right, and everything to do with what is, and the entirely predictable flow of cause and effect, given knowledge of all contributing factors.

Start someone in life as a rich, spoiled, over-entitled brat and the arc of their life is karmic; they may be miserable and unsatisfied, because they never learned how to relate to the world and themselves in non-transactional terms, but that doesn’t mean the hammer of justice is going to come down on them.

It might, but who knows?

Karma is far more about the natural effects of understandable causes, and the sooner we realize that karma (effects) can be created by our actions (causes). Justice is served when we take the actions that lead to it.

Left to some mystical karmic “justice”, what will happen will only be the result of whatever random causes create whatever effects.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 294 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Enchiridion, Epictetus
Comics: Velocity 3, Ripclaw v2 2, Cyber Force True Stories - Heatwave 1, Devil's Reign 1
Music: Instruments Of Action, Forget Cassettes

weaksauce

What a pathetic display last night by the Democrats in the U.S.

That piece of garbage spews lie after lie, bullshit after bullshit, and only Al Green shows any guts.

Even AOC, who one would think could actually put up a fight, didn’t even bother to show up, or post anything particularly useful, or whatever.

No wonder the States is falling ass backwards into fascism.

Their primary defenders can’t be bothered to show up.

Pathetic.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 1628 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Trust Me, I'm Lying, Ryan Holiday (such a goddamned gruel to get through - don't get me wrong, it's an important and enlightening book, but life has been so insane, it feels like I can barely get through ten pages before I'm done for the day.  Normally, it would never take me anywhere near this long to read a 250-page book)
Comics: Cyber Force v2 11-12, Codename Strykeforce 11, Cyber Force Annual 1
Music: Inedits, Foo Fighters

tariffs

We’ll see if he actually goes through with it, or if this is still one of those fifth grade bluffs.

I think the most confusing thing about Donald Trump is how he managed to get this far in life. He’s not a smart man. It seems pretty clear that he was not a billionaire (although his looting from the top might have made him one now). He has the mentality of a spoiled narcissist, and seems to understand the world at a level where even frat boy bullies would go, damn, son. You need to step up your atrocious game.

Seriously. It’s elementary school bully bullshit.

And there are people in government and business that are way, way smarter than that, who understand negotiation and how to deal with people like that and turn them right around.

Yet, they don’t do it.

What do you do with a bully? You punch back. Hurt him. Make him realize you aren’t an easy target, which is what a grade school bully wants.

Bust him up.

Use his narcissism against him; it’s what Putin did. Turned his greed and ego in on him to make him feel like he’s got to live up to him, like an overbearing father figure who never gives any attention or validation, thereby making someone so sadly broken do anything to please.

Because that’s what happened here: Putin made himself into Daddy Fred, and Donald desperately seeks Daddy’s approval. Add a layer of extreme greed, drastic insecurity overcompensated by insane bluster and ego, and boom.

Easily. Fucking. Manipulated.

So let’s do it, Canada, Mexico, Ukraine, EU, Britain… whoever.

Punch that bully. Make him seek your validation.

You’ll have the entire U.S. under your thumb.

Just. Like. Putin.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 848 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Trust Me, I'm Lying, Ryan Holiday
Comics: Cyber Force Origins 1-2, Cyblade & Shi 1, Cyber Force v2 10
Music: Indie Cindy, Pixies

voting

I mean, I guess it’s worthwhile to go. I always make a point of it, but when literally no one you know or have heard of can defend or wants Doug Ford (and you know there must be people out there), you have to wonder how legit these wins are.

Low voter turnout, the surprise, unnecessary election to ensure he can “deal” with Trump.

I mean, bullshit. This guy is a bird of a feather with those assholes.

He’ll sell us out in a heartbeat if it means more slush money for him and his developer cronies.

Man, am I ever tired of corruption and stupidity. Am I ever tired of lies and flagrant disregard for the responsibility of being of service.

Because that’s what you’re supposed to be – a servant.

You’re in government because you want to help. You want to be of service.

You want to make the world a better place.

But these fucking Cons, man. They are a con.

All they give a shit about is lining their own pockets at our expense, and/or getting as much power as they possibly can.

What pieces of fucking shit.

Here’s to revolution, sooner rather than later.

Fuck ’em.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 3185 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: Trust Me, I'm Lying, Ryan Holiday
Comics: Codename Strykeforce 2-3, Cyber Force 4-5
Music: In Your Honor, Foo Fighters

well, that was a wash

I tried to get my blood pressure stuff updated, but man, those online doctors are useless.

They’re nice enough, but they can do nothing for you.

So, I spent the day getting my van maintenanced instead. I tried the “walk-in” heart health clinic, but that appears to be a wash as well.

Fuck me.

I do not want to sit at the clinic for twelve hours.

Fucking Doug Ford.

Fucking Conservatives.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 148 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Lost City Of Z, David Grann
Comics: Cyber Force v2 2-3, Codename Strykeforce 1, Cyber Force & WildC.A.T.S. - Killer Instinct 3
Music: In Violet Light, The Tragically Hip

thoughts on four nations

Looks good on you, you Trump lovin’ motherfucker.

Bill Guerin can suck it.

Wayne Gretzky… what the fuck, man? A whole country looks up to you and you ditched us for a fucking American fascist?

Fuck you.

Also, we are the champions. Eat a dick, Tkachukers.

Also… this is very rude.

Sorry.

How fucking Canadian of me.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 61 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Comics: Shadowhawk: One Shot 1, Shadowhawk v5 14-15, Shadowhawk v6 1
Music: In The Jungle Groove, James Brown (misogynistic, for sure, but damn, it still makes you want to move)

fantasies

We all have them, whether it’s a kiss with that cute boy, climbing Everest, kicking the shit out of a political figure who badly needs it, or just a quiet Sunday morning with a cup of tea and a danish.

There’s nothing wrong with them.

It’s nice to have the simulation; it just shouldn’t stop us from making it a reality.

Go ahead. Enjoy your lurid fantasies; just don’t harm anyone in their pursuit (except maybe that particular political figure, and maybe you ought to run out all of your peaceful resistance options first).

Violence is never cool.

Target: 1100 words
Written: 103 words, novel: Bad Neighbours

Read: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
Comics: Shadowhawk v5 10-13
Music: In The City, The Jam