Monday, December 9, 2019

 Three days, hand-running, the Dark Cloud has settled on me. It's a weird feeling, I recognize that the wheel has rolled around to emphasize the blues. However, I'm not the complete mess I usually when this comes around. Progress, I guess.



 I'm going to have to plug in the Magic Light, if I can remember to do it in the morning. I figure this is all the Seasonal Affective Disorder cranking up. It's been pretty grey all weekend, and today is no different. Indeed, we've got a warm day today, but it's supposed to get foul cold through the week, starting tonight.

 I've been reading a book called Punktown by Jeffery Thomas and it's not bad. The protagonist is a detective in the Phillip Marlowe fashion, but the trick here is the whole thing takes place in the far, far future and off the planet. Humanity exists, but so does body shaping and cybernetic implants. The main character is a mutant, in that his body and features change to match whoever has his attention.

 Plus, the "First Contact" is less interstellar and more inter-dimensional. Humanity had a war with a race from another dimension and it takes a lot from the Many-Worlds Theory for it's reasoning so I like that. So, not only do we have conquering humans and conquered extra-dimensional whatnots, there are also plenty of "normal" aliens about. Maybe robots, AI, or it seems like it's easing somewhat thataway. Finally, there's apparently some Lovecraftian aspects heading my way. There are some hints at it already, as "Ouija watches"and vat-grown dolls are popular with the young people.

 So far, I'm enjoying it. It's a bit slow - particularly compared to the Deathless series, which clicked along at a nice pace - but going back to the Marlowe connection, it has a slow burn like a Raymond Chandler novel. I'm enjoying it but I'll hold off for the time being.

 Well. I guess I'd better touch on the News. Not really into it today, though Impeachment is rolling along. Today saw legal councils for both Democrats and Republicans, basically bashing out whether or not this Impeachment is legit or legal. As one would imagine, the Democratic lawyers think it's a groovy idea while the Republicans are shocked and dismayed someone would even suggest Hunter Biden hadn't pulled some hinky shit in Ukraine.

 Apparently, the GOP has decided the best defense isn't so much a good offense as it is looking bat-shit crazy. We saw screaming fits from Matt "Toolbox" Gaetz of Florida and Georgia's Doug "Boomhauer" Collins that did little more than repeat their disgust that Daddy Trump is being questioned. Florida Man seems to think trying to paint everyone who doesn't bow a knee to the President is a "Never Trump" and only involved because they want to overturn the 2016. I don't know why they think that's a serious threat, but that's what they're rolling with right now.

 Lot of shouty guys in the GOP today and that makes the Democrats have to get all shouty back. The Media Pros are sadly shaking it's head that the decorum of something is being shredding, but I'm hoping someone starts throwing punches. Wingnuts keep sulkily promise they might have to murder anyone who disagrees with them if they don't wear the proper red hat, and while I don't see that being an issue and certainly hope they keep that within their masturbatory fantasies, I'd love to see Gaetz just take a swing at Nadler, making the entire Fox At Five crew blow a load in their pants.

 Now, if you'll forgive me, an opportunity to commune with the front yard has come. Maybe I can make myself interesting.

 Okay, that was fun, maybe it'll do some good. Wired and inspired, yes indeed. And completely not interested in picking up where I left off. Oh, sure, we could talk about the report checking on political bias in the FBI and how amusing it is to be able to magically guess the headlines from certain sites. By headlines alone, someone's bullshitting us.

 Then there's the Warren thing, which springs out of her little dust up with Mayor Pete in his question to snatch away the centrist middle from Biden. I don't know if he'll pull it off, but it did get the press to tell us all that over the course of 30 years she made close to two million dollars as a big-time fancy lawyer, the type who have enough swing to charge four figures. In any event, we're supposed to be, actually, I don't know, really, offended that Comrade Warren was a dirty bourgeoisie capitalist corporate bureaucrat lawyer. I don't know what the long game here is. This won't move the needle on Warren. As a matter of fact, Twitter spent all day making fun of that stroke. Nor, let's just imagine, will it ease some over to Sanders, like as not. Maybe. Maybe Bloomberg had something to do with it. Politics is weird.

 Bah. I am gloomy tonight, irritated that the infernal machine continues, Donald Trump's probably going to get re-elected, Momma's gloomy because she's been to multiple funerals in the past fortnight, I need to start using that damn lamp, this still isn't making any money, I don't know if it's even getting any attention. I've spent the afternoon watching these, so that's nice. I don't have enough Latin to tell if they're putting the shuck on, but it's done entertainingly and alternative histories are fun. AlternateHistoryHub, check it out, it's fun.

 Couple other thoughts, then. The studio albums The Grateful Dead did in the '70s are almost, if  not quite unlistenable across the board. Is that disco? Really? I hope that's not taken as a knock against disco, but the Dead don't need to do that, even in a cover. Sort of afraid to move on into the '80s.

 I've slowed down on the games lately, though I might kick around Pathfinder or Pillars Of Eternity 2. Maybe one of the new ones I still haven't dug into. I returned Phantom Doctrine because that's coming in the December "Humble Choice. If I understand it, I'll be able to chose nine of the ten games offered, and one of the choices is Phantom Doctrine, a Cold War spy-based XCOM-inspired turn based whatnot. I am a sucker for those and, indeed, I suck at them.

 What else? Is there anything else? Is anybody out there? Is this getting too existential? Does anyone recommend any good books or video games?