Thursday, December 31, 2020

Lord, if you won't take care of us, won't you please, please let us be?

  Well, it'd be fitting if the year closed out on me missing Deadline. The burger I ate tonight from Peppertown Restaurant was burnt and tiny, and the fries were soggy. It has a sort of poetry.

 I wrote the title around 7 p.m. and then pretty much fell asleep. Today was another one of those Big Sleep days, though I did manage to have a somewhat productive morning. But it's 10:15 Country Standard Time and I'm on it. I figure I can get 500 words in before the clock turns midnight and Enon Holler says goodbye and good riddance to 2020.

 I don't think anyone would disagree on it having been a booger of the year. No matter where you stand on, for example, the COVID-19 plague, I think we can all agree that it's been bungled greatly from the top to the bottom. People are still calling it overblown or, worse, some sort of intentional something designed to do... something.

 Conspiracy theorists are never really clear on that except it's somehow another way "They" can control us and/or track us. We never find out who "They" is and we all carry smartphones that are being tracked constantly and an internet that we've known for at least 20 years is tracked by the NSA. Wave hello!

 As for a method of control, please. Call me cynical but human beings, especially Americans, are incredibly easy to manipulate. Seriously, spend a season watching football fans. Or people who post on websites about television shows. It doesn't take much. For what it's worth, I think people who've lost loved ones to COVID-19 should be allowed to beat these sort of conspiracy theorists about the head and kidneys with a whiffle bat until they spit teeth and piss blood.

 Harsh? Perhaps, but I think it's fair. I've never been one to look back. That's why I write all this down, so I can remember it. But this has been a booger of a year and I am hopeful 2021 isn't quite a drag. As someone who watched a lot of B-grade science fiction and apocalyptic movies, I'm still sort of amazed we're living in this sort of future. I don't think anyone had "badly handled worldwide pandemic" and "millions of Americans cultishly following a complete dope" on their bingo card, as the kids say.

 Just to dip into the news for a bit, we're looking at Congressional Republicans being buttholes about the Electoral Vote count on January 6 when nothing they do will make any difference. There are a few complete lumps like Louie Gohmert who probably believe the latest Trump Conspiracy but most are Josh Hawleys, cynically manipulating the easily manipulated - speaking of the fact that Americans are so easily bamboozled that they'll almost beg for it - to set them up for a 2024 run.

 We really haven't considered the possibility the reason Trump's yowling about the election being stolen - apart from using it as a quick way to grift the griftable - is that he himself cheated. He'd already stated that if he lost it could only be due to chicanery and still maintains Hillary Clinton got three million dead voters in 2016 when that's patently untrue. And let's face it. Donald Trump is a lifelong cheat. He's cheated on his businesses, cheated his employees and contractors, cheated on his creditors, cheated charities, and cheated on his taxes. He's cheated on all three wives, cheated his kids, cheated his siblings, and would've cheated his folks if his dad hadn't been smarter and nastier.

 So fuck him and I'll be glad to see the end of him. I'll be glad to see so many awful people have to live with the realization that despite his high turnout, even more people turned out to see him gone. Hopefully next year we can get on top of COVID, have cops stop killing black people for spurious reasons, release everyone in prison on non-violent marijuana charges, get health care figured out and affordable, and figure out a way we can all exist on this planet, having a good time and being cool with each other, while not having to work ourselves to death just to be able to eat.

 Even if hoping 2021 is better than 2020 is a low bar, I'll still take it.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

How many travelers get weary bearing both their burdens and their scars.

  I've been trying to ignore today. I don't know why, really. I don't feel bad, physically, nor is the black cloud hanging around. I'm a bit on the cranky side, but I'm always a bit cranky. My settings are permanently set on salty, that's just how it is.

 And it was a lovely day outside, too, warm and full of sunshine. It's going to be like that at least through the week, we'll see some rain and colder weather by the weekend. Hell, I've also been digging on some mods for XCOM 2, which make it not quite a whole new game, but definitely expand the play.

 But some days I have to hide, and no one seems to really get that. For much of my life, I'd go to work or some other obligation wanting nothing more than to be allowed to lay down in a cool, dark room. It had nothing to do with the job or whatever it was I was obligated to do. I just like doing that. Just lay there and think, slipping in and out of lucid dreaming.

 Today was a day like that. Woke up, let Otis out, looked at the news (such as it was), and packed it in for a couple hours. Woke up again, let Otis in, read for a while, and then packed it in again. That's how I spent my day. Some people might disapprove but screw 'em and feed 'em cornflakes.

 Anyhow. Anthony Warner. We're learning a bit more about him, namely that he was into conspiracy theories and apparently spent time hunting "lizard people" in and around Nashville. He's also supposed to have told a neighbor that he'd have a fairly interesting Christmas, though not going into detail about the what's.

 I'm not sure how this changes things, exactly. "Terrorism" has been tossed around, but I'm not going there just yet. I remember the Bush Jr. Administration when everything from protesting with the Iraq War to not agreeing with the president's education policy was considered "terrorism," so that word - like patriotism - has been worn pretty thin.

 There is something to the racism aspect, though. It's like whenever some asshole decides to burn down a black church or shoot up a gay nightclub, and we have to hear about what a sweet kid he was. If Warner was black or brown or the wrong religion, we wouldn't be hearing a thing about his concerns of an alien invasion.

 Well, this is interesting. New information from The Tennessean says Warner's girlfriend reported to authorities that he'd been building bombs in his RV but he wasn't considered worthy of being "on the radar." The cops knocked on his doors to investigate, but he never answered and they never followed up. Of course.

 I need to go ahead and wrap this up, I reckon. The only bad thing about days like this is my brain becomes a sponge, in that it absorbs a lot but won't give unless it gets squeezed. That's an unnecessarily tortured metaphor, but it puts it over word count. The year's almost over, so let's see what inane madness tomorrow brings.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Shine on, harvest moon.

  I hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas or if that's not your bag, a nice Friday. For whatever it's worth, mine was pleasant. It's still a bummer we couldn't do the big family gathering thing my family usually does, but that's how it goes. Maybe next year.

 Anyhow, let's do the do. It's been a weird week, to say the least. We started off Monday with the idea that we might see the COVID stimulus bill and possibly a larger check for folks Wednesday. Reality took a hard turn Friday with the explosion in Nashville. Again, luckily, no one was killed although there was quite a bit of property damage.

 The law dogs have been working all day to find out what they can, and they've come up with what they're calling a "person of interest." Sixty-three-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner is apparently the owner of the RV used in the bombing. There were human remains found after the blast and officials are trying to figure out if that's Warner. They've traced the ownership of the RV back to property Warner signed away in the last couple of months. Twitter detectives have come up with that owner, but as they don't seem to be involved, I see no reason to bring them into all this.

 For now, the FBI is dealing with all of this as a "suicide bomber," though they've given no inclination they know why Warner blew up the RV with himself in it if that's indeed what he did. Again, the Tweeter gumshoes have thrown up some ties to white supremacist movements but I haven't seen anything concrete.

 So that's where we are. Unless something's happened in the last hour or so, Trump hasn't said a thing about the blast. He has complained that his wife hasn't been on any glamour magazines and more whining about getting curb stomped last month, but nothing about Tennessee. Actually, apart from those tweets, Trump has spent most of the Christmas weekend golfing. I don't think anyone is really surprised or, for that matter, really cares.

  I really do think most people are tired of his shit, honestly. The Base gets loonier and loonier, making greater stretches and leaps of logic to explain why Trump actually won. And they just don't care. All morning Twitter was ablaze with the news that Adam Schiff had been arrested based on an obviously faked page. This is why you don't put much stock into the efforts of Twitter shamuses. Give everything a little bit of time to marinate and work out the kinks, just like with computer games. Life is full of buggy software, especially these days.

 Beyond that, well, the black mood seems to have blown over. I still have nothing kicking inside my head when I drift away from The News. I've been staring at that last sentence for a good 20 minutes. I've spent a lot of time picking guitar but I really can't do anything besides strumming rhythm. My fingers are simply too short, too fat, and my lack of grace extends to my entire body.

 I really haven't been posting this elsewhere because nothing interesting's being said. The news about Nashville can wait until tomorrow's round-up. Like I said, let it marinate. Scoops are great, sure, but let real professionals take those hits. Most of us can wait.

 I think I'll twist this off here. Something interesting, yadda yadda. I've got my Actual Paying Work done and may fool around with XCOM: Chimera Squad some more or perhaps Tyranny. Or I may read more of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Or go to sleep. Hell, I don't know.

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Yep. It's Thursday.

  It is indeed Thor's Day and, once again, I have some Actual Paying Work to do. It is around 34 degrees outside and the wind's a fierce (for Northeast Mississippi) 11 mph. It is, in a word, cold. So I've hibernated all day today and really haven't paid attention.

 Though I do see Trump's pardoned another round of rotten bastards. It's being pointed out that his numbers aren't anything particularly special but that it is noteworthy that most of his pardons are either people who lied for him at some point or he thinks he can get something out of. He's also pardoned three Republican congressmen who have nothing to do with him, one of whom was convicted of using campaign money to pay for jaunts with his side piece.

 While it is a big deal, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to be outraged at anything this chump does. I have no concern he's trying to pull something shifty to overturn the election results. I wouldn't be surprised but so far the attempt's been so ham-fisted it's almost laughable. The only thing that worries me is the violence his worshippers might pull. Most of 'em, sure, don't have the sand to put their money where their mouth is, but it only takes one.

 Dark thoughts on a gloomy Christmas Eve. Due to the COVID, my extended family's not doing the big get-together we hold at my aunt's every year. There's something like 60 of us, aunts, uncles, cousins of like you ain't never seen, and it's just not safe at the moment. My cousin's wife is getting over a bout of it and another cousin's son's wife has it but is asymptomatic. My brother and his wife are staying in Oregon, so it's just going to be me and Momma.

 And it is a bummer. I'm not going to pretend I'm all that social nor do I go out of my way to see my family when there isn't a raging pandemic. I've long ago accepted that even if they don't understand me - and they don't - they still love me and got my back. I'm incredibly lucky in that respect. And I won't pretend that as soon as the food is eaten, I start eyeing the door. Once the brouhaha that is the young'uns doing the Christmas thing kicks in, it starts making me nervous. It's even worse now that I don't have any weed.

 But it is what it is and there's nothing I can do about it but hope that next year is better. Too much gloom. I don't know where to go from there. Or here. The malaise that's been fogging my brain for the past couple of weeks is intensifying and stretching into a full-blown depressive episode. Lovely.

 Anyhow, that's enough. If I have something come to me, I'll come back, but I'm starting to despair of that ever happening again. In any event, stay warm and enjoy your Thursday.

 Turns out that wasn't enough. This is getting to be a huge drag, man. It's supposed to be fun. It's not necessarily anti-fun but it's getting to be a chore, and that's never a good sign.

 That should be enough. Okay for that.


Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Pretty lady ain't got no friend 'till the Candyman comes 'round again.

  So it's day... whatever into the Big Muddy and there is no change. My brain's still shut down, I'm still tired of the world, and I'd love to just go back to sleep. I'm chalking it up to Season Affective Disorder. I don't feel bad and I'm not especially depressed, per se - no more so than usual, anyway - I'm just lazy as hell. Well, more so than usual, anyway.

 I guess we'll just fill up space until we hit word count. It'd be nice if I could get a little substance, though. I've got Actual Paying Work due Friday and I have been seriously coasting the last couple of weeks. Oh, well. No one's paying me.

 I've been on a heavy Grateful Dead kick lately and going through their albums. Anthem of the Sun is almost unlistenable. The faux-disco of the late '70s on Terrapin Station or Shakedown Street is bad enough, but that noodly bullshit is, quite frankly, a tough nut to crack when you're not stoned out of your gourd. Jamming is way more fun when you're playing rather than listening. I'm quite liking some of the live albums, though, especially the earlier ones. Maybe I'll start digging into the official bootlegs. There's a lot to dig into, and I have no idea where to start.

 A lot of hay is being made about the most recent round of pardons Trump's giving out. He's not only pardoned a mess of crooks whose behavior that got them busted stem directly from them trying to grease the wheels for the President, but also the four Blackwater guys who committed war crimes by firing into an Iraqi marketplace.

 It's disgusting, sure, but end-of-administration presidential pardons rarely come away smelling like roses. It's one of those things I really can't get bent too out of shape over though I know I should. To me, it's just another example of the rot that's eaten the heart out of the American dream, a sign that we've been this awful for much longer than Trump's been in office. I'm glad other people can still get outraged over it, though, and don't consider it a mark in my favor that I can only shrug.

 I guess I have been mulling over the concept of patriotism lately what with all the talk about "traitors" and "sedition" and "real Americans" going on lately. I gave up on the concept of patriotism back during the Bush Jr. administration and what all was done in the name of "loving the country". If that what America is, then I don't want any part of it.

 It's a complicated relationship, though. I've maintained that people who say they "love America" generally show how much they hate actual Americans, and that's what hangs me up. There was a bit in, I believe, a Daredevil comic book where Captain America, that Sentinal of Liberty, says he isn't loyal to the government or the flag or anything like. He's loyal to the dream, and if it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

 The Big Trip changed my thinking on this some. From here to Oregon and back, I saw nothing but lovely country and met nothing but pleasant people. I saw a lot of beaten down and depressed, but I didn't see anything I couldn't call home. Once you cross the Great Divide there are differences, notable differences, but I saw Mississippi wherever I went. Good and bad, so take that how you want. Regardless, this is my home and I aim to see it comfortable and welcoming to everyone.

 I think we'll twist it off there. If something clever pops up, we'll come back. Otherwise, that's the day.

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Some damn fool put a dollar-twenty-nine on a jug of Thunderbird wine.

 Man. I am not at all plugged in today. I couldn't tell you why, but here we are. So let's get the News all linked up and see if I can't come up with something clever before I go back to sleep.

 It was a pretty good week, actually. Monday took a look at the implications behind the Electoral College having the final say on the 2020 Presidential Election. Wednesday and Friday were concerned with the next stimulus package which still hasn't quite been hammered out by Congress. There was also some discussion about AG Bill Barr retiring, the initial rollout of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, and the much-anticipated release of Cyberpunk 2077. The former looks to be going well, with some stumbles, while the latter has been a goddamn mess, apparently.

 We've still not got a stimulus package figured out and time is running out. Trump is still throwing his tantrum and apparently asking seriously if a military coup is possible. He also finally acknowledged the recent hacking of the U.S. government but considers it an example of media hysteria and wonders why they're blaming Russia instead of China. Really. I will be so glad when we won't have to hear about that ding dong anymore.

 I don't know what else. Not being plugged in means my brain isn't firing on all pistons. Whatever's been causing the writer's block for the past couple of weeks is heavy today. Seriously, nothing is coming out. So, let's take a break here and see if maybe a bite of supper does any good.

 Nope. I've been sitting here 20 minutes and still nothing. All I really want to do is go back to sleep. So we'll leave it open as we fool around on the web and see if anything noteworthy pops up.

 I do think it's a bit telling the wingnuts who have given up on overturning the election are getting bent out of shape because they don't think Dr. Jill Biden deserves to use the honorific. This is incredibly small and petty and the fact that it comes from a National Review writer who routinely calls people "cuck" should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. This is going to be the "Michelle's got big shoulders so she shouldn't be wearing a sleeveless dress" for the next four years, isn't it?

 Ugh. This is like pulling teeth, man. My brain feels like a soaked sponge. I need a hundred words to be able to call it a day. I've been playing a lot of guitar lately and I think I'm getting back up to speed. I can't remember any songs or make barre chords work, but I'm having fun.

 I'll say it again if just to finish this mess off and go back to sleep, the only thing that really, truly matters is having a good time. It's a bit weird that, for me, having a good time often includes sleeping all day. I sometimes miss playing in bands and wandering the Quarter, but I really do prefer not being around people anymore. Does that sound weird? I'll take it as a good sign that everyone who has a stake in my mental health thinks the hermit trip is the right idea.

 Five hundred words. Dig it.

Thursday, December 17, 2020

The regular Thursday thing.

  While it's only 8:30 a.m. and my brain hasn't even come close to getting in gear - maybe around five this afternoon - I'm going to go ahead and put something down here. I have some Actual Paying Work to do tonight. Not as much as last week, just one piece, but the ol' creative juices have been a bit on the dry side lately.

 I couldn't tell you why. The News has been fine, there's always some goofy shit there to write about. I'm just a bit drained here and, quite frankly, disinterested in the latest round of delusion by Trump dead-enders. Something about a DNI report on the way is the new hotness. I don't know and I don't care, coach, wake me up if it actually turns out to be something.

 Today is the day James Booker was born and the day Hound Dog Taylor died. I share a birthday with the latter. Different years, obviously, but I was born the day he died. Unfortunately, I'm not quite as subtle and skillful a slide guitarist. Anyhow, I thought that was interesting. I understand if no one else does.

 So much for now. It's time for breakfast.

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Waiting on the tables, waiting for the tables to turn.

  It's Tuesday, the Earth rolls on, and I'm listening to Cajun music by Bonsoir Catin. It features the youngest daughter of Cajun fiddler legend Dewey Balfa, Christine. It's more traditional than anything else and it's pretty good if you like that sort of thing, which I do. I would like to find someone I haven't heard that does Cajun music less traditional style, a la some of Jo-El Sonnier's records. The Lost Bayou Ramblers are pretty good but they're getting a little too artsy for my tastes.

 And so much for all that. In case you missed it, electors from all 50 states and the District of Columbia cast their votes yesterday. Despite talk of some "faithless elector" shenanigans swinging in to save Trump, it went the way the election did. Joe Biden won 306 to 232, an ass kicking by any other consideration.

 Of course, the silly bastard's still crying about fraud and his Faithful are misunderstanding the Twelfth Amendment to the point where now they're hitching their wagon to "alternative electors" putting Trump in for another term. In a word, no. In three words, ain't gonna happen.

 I know I keep saying I'll quit writing about this, but it keeps getting wilder and deeper. I don't know if comparisons to flat Earthers or people who think professional wrestling is real and the moon landing isn't really fully encapsulate the level of reality-denying done by the Base. And for Donald Trump, of all people. That must've been one hell of a TV show.

 It's being said Trump lost due to COVID-19, but I don't think that's so. I think the election would've been tight even without him blundering the pandemic response as bad as he did. People hated this guy, that's what his flock refuses to understand. Early voting would've still happened and I give it even odds Joe Biden would've beaten him either way.

 However, his response to COVID-19 could've won him the election. Had he handled it properly, not just encouraging people to wear masks and social distance or working with Congress to provide some sort of meaningful stimulus packages along with renter's guarantees. That would've been fine, but what's really screwed us all over is how vehemently he argued it wasn't that big a deal or that all the worrying was just another attempt by the Democrats, Deep State, and the rest of the world to make him look bad.

 Seriously, had he taken it seriously and worked as he did, he would've won handily. But if Trump could be something other than a small-minded, petty boob, he wouldn't be where he is today. That's why his flock loves him so. They see in him an excuse to be mean, petty, stupid, and cruel because it means their dicks aren't as small as they fear.

 And so much for all of that. I don't know what else there is to talk about. I stayed up way, way too late last night playing XCOM 2 so I've been dragging all day. I'm thinking I might call it an early night tonight, get some reading in, and shut it down early. Yeah, that sounds good.

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Now I can see I've been away too long.

 Man, Charley Pride died today. He was 86 and died from complications for COVID-19. So that's another one lost to a virus that conservatives are still calling a "hoax" or a "plan." Rotten bastards. Eighty-six is a respectable age, particularly for a country singer, and Charley was one of the best. I would've loved to hear a no-holds-bar interview or read a book about his experiences in country music and Nashville. Being one of the first Black superstars - and the only Black singer of any significance since DeFord Bailey since the '30s - is something else.

 For me, one of country music's biggest shames, maybe the biggest, is the racism inherent in it. The fans would eventually give in like they did with Charley, but they're never cool about it. The business end almost refuses to believe that a black person could even like country music, much less want to sing it. I hope this comes out properly, but I've exposed a lot of black people of all ages to country music and never once have they come away without digging at least one song.

 I didn't care for the tune so much but I'm glad Lil Nas X had such a hit with "Old Town Road." No doubt due to his initial popularity with Hootie & The Blowfish, Darius Rucker's consider a country music mainstay. That's good. It's different now and there are a lot more folks sneaking around the bottom of the mainstream and Americana charts, but I can't think of any. That's on me, though, but that's how it should be. Thanks, Charley. You were the greatest.

 Well. Moving on, let's lay down some links to this week's News. It was a pretty good week overall, but there was a lot of good news going down. Monday we touched on the thuggery Florida governor Ron DeSanti launched against whistleblower Rebekah Jones. Again, for all the hooting and hollering conservatives do about "tyrannical government" and "free speech," they're pretty damn silent on this issue.

 Wednesday we looked at that goofy as affidavit slimeball Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn voting results in four states that weren't Texas. Over two-thirds of House Republicans signed on and 18 attorney generals from Trump-supporting states signed on, even though it was poorly argued and completely nonsensical. Naturally, as we saw Friday, the Court slapped it down, pretty much killing any chance Trump had of peacefully staying in power.

 And that should be that. Of course, the yay-hoos - made up of Alex Jones, the Proud Boys, and other groups of dingbats who're pissed off at reality - are having a "stop the steal" march in Washington, D.C. For the most part, they're being roundly and rightly mocked, but there is an air of unease. Jones, for example, is calling for President-Elect Joe Biden to be removed "one way or another." He's a clown but a lot of deluded assholes take him more seriously than anyone should.

 Still, we live in a world where someone shooting someone else because that person's cell phone went off in a theater is seen as perfectly logical. We live in a culture where people still think a kid who shot up a black church after praying with them is seen as understandable. We live in a culture where folks think a teenager going to another town to "protect" someone else's business and his wind up shooting three people is considered admirable.

 Don't get it twisted, The MAGA faithful are willing to do just about anything for Trump and all the results of the last month haven't made a dent. If someone disagrees with him or doesn't do automatically becomes part of the "Deep State" and in on the worldwide conspiracy to be mean to Trump. Even the three Supreme Court justices that he appointed are the Enemy.

 Will they be violent? I wouldn't be surprised. Highland Park, Kyle Rittenhouse, the Proud Boys, the El Paso shooting, and the pipe-bomb guy show they have plenty of folks who don't have a problem with spilling a little blood in the name of their New Messiah. I'm not saying they will, I'm just saying watch yourself, friends and neighbors.

 They consider you the Enemy. They see themselves as Warriors of God. They see Trump - Donald Trump, of all people - as worth killing you over. Don't trust in them just flapping their gums and swinging their dicks. Some of them are serious and the rest will be fine with it. Believe that.

Thursday, December 10, 2020

Programing Note

  I have some Actual Paying Work to do tonight, so we're going to skip today's sad attempt to come up with something worth reading. In any event, it's the same stupid shit it's been all week. Over 100 House Republicans signed on to the affidavit filed by Texas AG Ken Paxton, even though it misspelled "Louisiana." Seriously, people, check your spelling. It's not that hard.

 Interestingly, twenty-two state attorney generals sign an affidavit opposing the Texas deal, calling it an attempt to overturn a legal election. One of them was North Carolina's Josh Stein. He's a Democrat but Trump won North Carolina fairly handily. There's also a number of opposing affidavits from conservative politicians and legal folk saying that it's not worth trashing the Constitution just to keep Trump from having the sads.

 This, of course, won't make a dent with the Base. And it's really no wonder why so many Republicans in Congress are willing to tie their wagons to something so obviously inept and corrupt. They've seen the writing on the wall. They know what the party is now. They know if they go against Trump, they'll be primaries by someone who thinks the big ol' crybaby actually looks like he does in Ben Garrison cartoons. The Base is probably willing to die for Trump, some anyway, but they're all willing to sink a "RINO's" career if they step out of line.

 Okay. Enough for now. I have work to do and don't feel like staying up all night to get it done. Maybe if something interesting pops up, yadda yadda.

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

You may change you're mind 'cause the weeds are high where corn don't grow.

 Before we get too deep into it, I want to PR something from the WordPress site. If you haven't heard, data scientist Rebekah Jones had her home invaded by agents of Florida's law officials, had her family held at gunpoint, and saw her phone, computer, and data confiscated. Jones won praise for setting up the Sunshine State's COVID-19 database earlier in the year but was fired in May because she wouldn't juke the stats, and this was revenge by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

 Since her firing, she's been maintaining a couple of websites documenting and analyzing the information about the pandemic across the nation and specifically for public schools. The state of Florida claims she hacked their database based on an email sent that told them to "do their jobs before another 17,000 people die." Jones maintains she doesn't even know how to do that.

 This is important stuff, y'all. From what all I can tell, the law dogs executed the warrant properly, though one wonders why they thought a data scientist was that dangerous. But, hey, cops are the craziest peoples. Regardless, if you're the type to rage about censorship and government oversight, here you go. This is the real deal. Getting banned by Twitter or a governor saying you should wear a mask and maybe skip church decidedly ain't.

 Speaking of bullshit people worry about rather than something actually important, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the GOP to overturn the Pennsylvania election results. This was spearheaded by Rep. Mike Kelly of the Keystone state but the Court basically said it ain't happening. They didn't say why, they just refused to hear the case which had already been rejected by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

 Some said it was ill-conceived and many pointed out that Kelly waiting until literally the last minute to file with the U.S. Supreme Court did him no favors. So that joins the plethora of legal attempts by people loyal to Trump to deny the reality of the situation but has failed miserably. The current hotness comes from Texas Attorney General and overall embarrassment Ken Paxton. He's filed a suit saying Wisconsin, Georgia, Pennsylvania, & Michigan all changed their election process illegally and that hurts Texas. Somehow. Throwing more fuel to the whole "Trump was robbed" fire even though everyone involved says there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever of fraud, the general consensus is the rotten scumbag is full of shit as a Christmas goose.

 Of course, none of the officials' claims, court failures, or indeed lack of solid evidence outside their drunken uncle's Facebook page is making a dent in the Faithful. Even sentient spoiled lump of SPAM Ted Cruz is getting kudos for being so brave as to offer his skills as a lawyer to argue the case that won't go before the Supreme Court. And, yes, the Trumpists are already claiming the majority conservative Supreme Court, which has three justices appointed by Trump, is corrupted and in on the Big Steal.

 And that's where the world is today. I should've saved all this for tomorrow's News, but what the hell, eh? Like my therapist said today, between the Jones business, the ongoing meltdown of Conservative America learning they are, in fact, the baddies, and the implications of the House of Representatives passing the MORE Act, I've got plenty to write about for quite a while one way or another.

 I think that's good. As a programming note, I've got some Actual Paying Work to get done Thursday. So unless a wild hair gets me, the Gibberish will be shorter than normal. For all that means, anyway. In the meantime, XCOM beckons.

Saturday, December 5, 2020

Faded love, faded memories, how they linger in my mind.

  It's Saturday and the Alabama-LSU game is in high gear. Right now it's the end of the first quarter and the Crimson Tide is stomping the Tigers from Baton Rouge 21-0. Of course, there are three whole quarters to go. My alma matta Florida took out the loathed Volunteers of Tennessee 31-19. If all goes well, this could set up an Alabama-Florida battle for the SEC title. That would, of course, be a game that would have no losers and no winners, but it'd be a good game nonetheless.

 Okay, then. Enough sports. That's not why you come here. I don't know why you come here, but here we are. I've been getting a good number of hits lately, both here and over at The News, more so than the average one would see from webcrawlers and bots. So that's nice, much obliged. And that's as good as anything for a segue.

 I did a deep dive Friday on the MORE Act, which was passed early yesterday afternoon. The full story is at the link, but in a nutshell, it would remove marijuana from the list of Schedule One drugs and be the first step towards decriminalization and perhaps legalization. If we're lucky, it'll also be the first step towards expunging the records of non-violent drug offenders and operations to communities that have suffered the worst from the ill-conceived Drug War of the last half-century. It's good stuff, read it.

 Monday and Wednesday were fairly coming. More stuff on Trump's ongoing temper tantrum at the curb-stomping he got from the election and the delusions of the cult followers that are accomplishing nothing more than lining his pockets, the poor saps. There's some stuff on just how screwed we are from going into Winter with COVID-19 barely slowed down because we as a culture are too damn selfish and stupid. And finally a little bit on Neena Tearden, cabinet nominations in general, and why most of the garment rendering from the soi-disant left is ill-conceived and just another excuse for them to not actually have to do anything substantial. Also good stuff.

 Oh my. Just a few minutes into the second quarter and LSU has snagged two touchdowns, bringing the score up to 28-14. 'Bama better watch out, as it doesn't pay well to underestimate the Tigers here lately. It'd be a helluva thing if 3-4 LSU handed the Tide their first conference loss in this of all games. And though I spent nearly a decade in New Orleans, I feel no loyalty to LSU like I feel nothing for Georgia. Football is an emotional thing, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

 Okay, so what else? I don't know. I think I'm shaking off the blues I've had all week though I'm still doing more sleeping than is probably healthy. Regardless - or perhaps due to - that disconnect from the rest of the world continues. I couldn't tell you why even if I cared, but I don't so that doesn't really help, does it? Blogger, journalist, and all-around gadfly Glenn Greenwald's getting a lot of flack on Twitter lately, there's something.

 It is understandable, really, as he's gone further and further from the modicum of gravitas he built up from his blogging days and solid investigative journalism work by being Tucker Carlson's most recent "even" leftist and being complicit in the burning of Reality Winner. For what it's worth, I'm rather neutral on him. I read his blog a good bit during the Iraq War after he decided it was "bad," but lost all use for him when he started caping for Ron Paul. I don't give a damn what he says, his actions prove the lie to every line of bullshit the Distinguished Asshole from Texas ever laid out.

 Greenwald approaches journalism like the lawyer he is. He assumes the worst and then looks for evidence to back him up. That in and of itself isn't necessarily bad, but it seems he has a problem letting go when his initial assumptions prove misguided or flat-out wrong. His continued parroting of right-wing talking points about the Mueller Report proves that. In any event, he's a fine example of one of my axiomatic positions on journalists of all stripes: the facts and the story matters, the person who wrote it doesn't.

 Finally, in never-ending election news, Trump held one of his rallies down in Valdosta, GA, ostensively to support the sleazy Kelly Loeffler and the criminal David Perdue. However, to the surprise of absolutely no one, he's made it all about himself and how everyone is mean to him and how all his followers are victims and whah whah whah. There was even a "Fight For Trump" chant that drowned out the two Senators during their speech, which makes the idea that Georgia Republicans will boycott the election to "teach" the GOP a lesson, which would cause the two crooks' loss.

 Wouldn't that be just the perfect capper to the Trump Years?

Thursday, December 3, 2020

I read about it free in a fifty-cent illustrated guide.

 I don't know where or how to start, so I'll just start. It's cold and gloomy here, raining most of the day. We'd gotten extremely cold earlier in the week, I mean high twenties to low thirties. We're in the forties now with the rain but once it moves out tomorrow morning sometime it's going to drop back down to colder than it needs to be.

 Interesting as hell, I know, but the rest of the world is exhausting. COVID-19 continues to gallop. We've had two days in a row with over 2,000 new cases here in Mississippi and over 2,000 deaths across the U.S. California's looking at a necessary lockdown, and Thursday Night Football was canceled because of the teams being too sick.

 I posted a tweet about a Valley boy coming down with the virus and got a very good essay on what folks can do to protect themselves. It's called "What you can do if someone you know gets a COVID-19 infection or exposure," and it was written by a gentleman named Scott Liebrand. He's a "network architect" out in Seattle, but the piece has information from a doctor, one Dr. Howard Liebrand, MD.

 It's all basic, common sense stuff, but that seems to be in short supply these days. Apparently, a couple from New Mexico tested positive but decided a trip to Hawaii was still a killer bee idea. Joe Biden says he'll ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days once his term starts. This will only be a request but I'm sure it's a matter of time before the Wingnut World will decide they're being oppressed.

 Speaking of the Presiden-elect, Trump and his cultist are still fighting against reality but manage to prove they're little more than a sad pack of ignorant bastards. I'm sure everyone interested enough has seen the video of the drunk lady rambling on or Rudy Giuliani cutting a fart, and lucky for them, none of this is happening in a court of law. Meanwhile, Arizona's certified for Biden and Trump's people lost another motion for a hearing to junk nearly 20,000 votes.

 It's fairly ridiculous, especially since the Base cannot accept that so many people across the political spectrum loathed Trump. I mean, people hated his guts. Even Bush Jr. or Reagan haven't garnered this much hatred from so many people, and I know plenty of folks who consider those two absolute monsters. As awful as Trump is, even I don't think he carries the same amount of sin as Bush Jr. and Reagan. Close, but not near.

 But America hates his guts, MAGA folks, and you really need to accept that. You are a minority. Even among the 74 million that voted for him, I'd be willing to bet most people that did held their nose to do so because they were worried about the incoming socialism of "Red" Joe Biden, et al. You're not only a small percentage of the population, you're a joke and people think you're pathetic.

 "How did so many people vote for a guy who hid in his basement and didn't campaign." Simple, for one, they hate Trump, remember? That moved a lot of folks. For two, Biden didn't "hide in his basement" and he actually did a fairly smart campaign. He just didn't have those weird rallies you weirdos treated like Beatles concerts.

 They hate his kids, too, you know. Ivanka's bellyaching because she's having to testify about one of their cheesy motels getting government money and whining about being persecuted. Lady, they hate your guts. They hate your weasel husband, both your brothers, the younger's dullard wife and the older's screwball side piece. They felt sorry for Tiffany until she showed her true colors as a Trump. But they really hate you. The MAGA folks love you but they are a minority.

 And Republicans are starting to devour each other. Dan Crenshaw, the complete jackass Representative from Texas, said Lin Wood shouldn't be telling Georgians not to vote in the January run-off. Michelle Malkin, trying to be relevant again, is leading the MAGA charge in calling him a globalist, a RINO, and the source of all evil. Good. The Republican Party and, indeed, the conservative infrastructure needs to be destroyed, smashed into pieces, burned into ashes, and then buried.

 If they do it to themselves, so much the better.

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

I know that you know that I'm wrong.

  Much like this weekend, I'm writing this around 11 p.m. because I really don't have much going on in my head. I stayed up too late writing and reading last night, so I wound up sleeping most of the day. Maybe I should count what I wrote last night because technically I wrote it today.

 I didn't wind up saving it, though, and it was less coherent than the fiction sketches I've been doing. Granted, I haven't been messing with them much lately. Waiting for another spurt of creativity, I guess. No, last night was basically jumped up Twitter posts but ones not even worth posting so there's that there then.

 But it is writing and it is the mechanical process and I guess that's what is really important, right? Write even though it doesn't make sense or it isn't going anywhere? Of course, now Otis is acting like a little shit and I have to watch he doesn't destroy something having his little fit for whatever the reason he has his those fits. I wonder if he wants treats. Let's try that.

 Well, that seems to have calmed him down some. He's at least stopped trying to climb the bookshelf, though he's still shivering and whining. The down mood I was in this weekend is still around, with a touch of irritation. I wish for the life of me I could figure out what his hang-up is. He doesn't want to play or eat or go outside, the only constant is I have to be around. For the longest time, he was mad at me for leaving him while on the Big Trip, but that seems to be gone. He seems to have adjusted well enough to our new life and, for the most part, it seems he prefers it over life in New Orleans.

 Anyhow. Hey, I finally caught some decent movies on Tubi. One was called Demon Squad. A very low-budget affair with some dodgy action, it was sort of a supernatural noirish take with demons and magic relics. Sort of like Cast A Deadly Spell or a better version of the Alone In The Dark adaptation, perhaps the tv adaptation of the Jim Butcher books. There was some good make-up work and lead Khristin Fulmer did a solid job in the role of swaggering, smart-ass private dick Nick Moon. It was low budget but they made the most of what they had. Recommendation.

 The other was perhaps better with a higher budget. It was called I Had A Bloody Good Time At House Harker. I'm wary of indie-made horror comedies with long titles, but this was pretty good. Long story short, the descendants of Jonathan and Mina Harker deal with scorn, poverty, and the return of vampires. Again, they did pretty good work with their budget and there were parts that were actually funny. There's nothing worse, I mean nothing worse than a comedy that is not funny. This gets a Recommendation, too, so check both out if you have a couple hours to kill.

 Hey, that's word count. Nothing was said, of course, but it's the journey not the arrival, right? I hope so.

Saturday, November 28, 2020

I've got nothing. Just listen to more Cannonball Adderley, is all.

  I've been putting this off all day, but it's 11 p.m. Country Standard Time and I don't want to break my streak. I'm just really not in the mood. Nothing particular is wrong, really. Stress, I guess, but it's not stress affecting me directly. I am stressed out about the fact Trump isn't conceding and more stressed about his cult being less inclined to accept reality. I really don't think he's doing anything but fundraising, but the Base is taking on a more fanatical air.

 I guess it's second-hand stress. My brother's stressed mainly because his wife is stressed. A cousin's stressed. A cousin of Momma's who's always been a favorite is terribly stressed. There's nothing I can do about any of it, and that always drives me up the wall. A friend passed away earlier in the week and I find myself dealing with that weird feeling of not-quite-guilt I sometimes feel about my monk-like lifestyle. Just a weird week.

 Anyhow, that's a good enough segue into links for this week's News. A good week, if everything was a bit short. I just made wordcount Monday and Friday, but Wednesday had a little more meat to it. To be fair, there really wasn't much news this week beyond Trump's ongoing nonsense and his worshiper's increased fervor. Sure, there was an assassination of an Iranian scientist that's worrisome, COVID-19 continues to gallop out of control, and general shit-assery Trump's trying to pull on his way out, but that's still all connected to this total goofiness. It's been a tedious week, man.

 I don't know what else, really. Been sleeping a lot because I'm tired of the world and I don't have access to good weed. I don't see much reason to stay awake. I'm still working on Brain Greene's A Hidden Reality and enjoying it, and I've been playing a good bit of Phantom Reality and Pillars of Eternity II over the week. But I have nothing new to say about any of that.

 I've been watching a number of absolute stinkers on Tubi.com. I'll pick one and just let the algorithm pick whatever comes next. None of them actually stand out for any reason. They're just bad, bad, bad. I really don't care to watch "bad movies" to laugh at them, a la MST3K. It's fun enough with someone else but not really by yourself. I can't even remember any of the titles apart from Evil Bong, and that's just because they nailed some stoner stereotypes. They were very broad stereotypes to be sure, but they were funny enough in a "fart joke" level of humor.

 I've got 10 minutes and a little over 440 words. I don't know if I'm going to make it, but I'm not too bummed about it one way or another. I did take out 10 minutes to fill out a job application for a resume writer. Probably what I'll do is post this and come back to do the minimum amount of editing I do. But, hey, that's 500 so I believe I'll shut it down. Maybe if something comes to me I'll come back, but I think this is the way things are going to be for a couple of days.

 It is what it is, I guess.

Friday, November 27, 2020

We'll hold up our glasses against evil forces.

  Okay. I have some Actual Paying Work to do tonight, plus Momma's got supper almost done. And I think Tuesday's entry was so fine and slick it deserves another read. But this is now and we are here, so let's get something down.

 First off, if Thanksgiving is your bag, happy Thanksgiving. If it's not, happy Thursday. I also think we should take a moment to recognize that this day is not necessarily one of celebration for our Native friends and neighbors. And we must understand that not everyone has a blood family they can spend time with though they might have a group of friends. When I lived in Athens, I'd get together with some of the other musicians, townies, barflies, and the rest of the citizens of that particular island of misfit toys for a Thanksgiving throw-down at one of the clubs. Or it's like that story about the lady and youngster who started a tradition due to a missent text. That's just damn sweet.

 Anyhow, enough of all that. Have a good time whatever you do and try to be good to each other. That's all ye know and all ye need to know. It's really not any more complicated than that. We've just chosen to make life more difficult than it really needs to be all for the benefit of a relative few. "You're just jealous of rich people's wealth, Matt." No, I'm jealous because they can do anything they want and not have to work a soul-destroying job just to eat. The main reason they can do that is because we the people work those jobs and they get the profit. It's a helluva thing.

 Whoops. Getting a little dark there, and no one really wants more melancholy gloom and doom on the holidays. Regardless of the truth therein because the truth is not always pleasant. But that's life and we must muddle through. I'm not particularly interested in the news today, though the antics of Sidney Powell continue to entertain. Apparently, donations to the cause mean writing a check directly to her. Yeah, buddy. Beats working, I suppose.

 I finally got around to watching Oblivion last night. It's cheeseball as hell and goes maybe just a bit too far with it - they made a Man-Thing joke, but I won't lie it made me laugh - it's nevertheless a nice way to blow 90 minutes or so. It's getting basically a five out of ten from most review amalgamations and that's about right. I'd go higher because I dig westerns, sci-fi, and general silliness, but that's just me. One's mileage may vary, naturally. I'll get around to the sequel the next day or so.

 What else is there? I don't know. I've been playing Phantom Doctrine but I've said enough about that already. I doubt have anything interesting to add. Momma's in there talking to my brother and I saw my cousin's oldest boy at the gas station. My big extended country family usually gets a couple times a year, usually Thanksgiving. Of course, we're not this year and that's a drag. In any event, I just heard the dinner bell and this is word count. Be well, friends and neighbors, and take care of each other. It does no good to make life any harder than it needs to be.

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Hold my own on the dark side of this town.

 It's the 21st day of the... you know what? I'm not doing that joke. It's done. It's over. Trump lost. Joe Biden's the 46th President of the United States of America. It's a done deal, all that's left is the details.

 Emily Murphy of the GSA finally signed off and Trump threw her under the bus. Pennsylvania and Michigan are officially in Biden's pocket, which puts him over the 270 electoral vote line and, more importantly, eliminates any other path Trump might have. Even if somehow Georgia flips back red, which is looking doubtful, he's still the loser in this race. Deal with it.

 Indeed. Matter of fact, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, when they're not getting caught with more insider trading, are saying a planned recount might do them more damage than good. Ain't that a helluva note? Trump's shenanigans could actually cost the GOP power when the 2021 session rolls around.

 It's amazing to watch all this. One understands why the Trump people are having such a hard time dealing. For one, Trump "never loses," and up until now, he was in a position to make that as much a reality as it needed to be. When you spend your whole life making sure everyone around is dependent on how well you think they kiss your ass, it skewers your priorities. That's why he does the Twitter tantrum at least once a week. Being president is the first time anyone has told him "no, asshole" and he had to pay attention.

 The other reason is the Trump Administration put so much effort into rigging the game in their favor - even considering the edge the Electoral College gives conservatives - and they can't believe they lost, much less got blown out of the water. From Louis DeJoy's bullshit with the Post Office to shuttering polling stations in predominately minority precincts, making it as hard to vote as possible, Trump spent more energy trying to cheat than he did try to convince folks to vote for him. And he still lost by almost six million votes and what he called in 2016 an electoral landslide.

 And I understand why Congressional Republicans are still fighting fate. They threw their hat in with him and no the Base would skin them alive if they dropped him. A lot of people like bringing up tweets from 2016 by Lindsay Graham or Jenna Ellis trashing Trump, but most Republicans are craven jackanapes who would deep-fry their own grandmas for a few more votes.

 You'll notice how quickly they joined the MAGA faithful once it became apparent he would be the 45th president. You'll see how Trumpism has become de rigueur for the Republican Party, that being a mean, petty son of a bitch is how you win. That weird Nazi fanboy in North Carolina or that unhinged Q lady from Georgia. That's the New Normal for the Grand Ol' Party, folks. When you ride with pigs, don't complain when your shoes get covered in shit.

 Which brings us around to the Point. That is, the heart and soul of the GOP, the Base. Talk all you want about party bosses and backroom dealers, a political party lives and dies by its voters, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the Republican Party. From the Moral Majority to the Freedom & Liberty Warhawks to the Tea Party right down to the MAGA Faithful, the Republican voter has the party leadership by the short and curlies, at least on a national level.

 And y'all, them folks are full-gone looney. I'm not talking mentally ill or even "crazy." That sort of ableist bullshit doesn't fly here. Nor do I think they're "brainwashed" by conservative media. That's one of those words when used by the average slob pretty much tells you that the conversation can be ended there and nothing of value will be lost. That takes away agency, makes them innocent victims in some dark, twisted scheme by shadowy figures.

 No, sir. The world does not work that way. We need to face the fact that's been screaming in our face for the last four years, at least. They choose to think this way. They choose to believe it's impossible Joe Biden got more votes than their new Savior. It must be some chicanery or foul plot to steal away the People's Voice, and anyone who disagrees with them, well... they must be in on it. Even if they're Republican politicians or conservative judges appointed by Republicans, they're all a part of the Deep State.

 These people believe this like some people believe Jesus died for their sins or that the Saints will make it to the Super Bowl this year. And there's nothing wrong with belief. It's a fine thing that gives many people comfort in a cold, cruel, uncaring universe when they don't have the consolation of philosophy. I'm not a man of faith - any kind of faith - but I can't throw stones at people who need it.

 That being said, if you have faith in goofy shit or faith in logical impossibilities or faith in things that are only possible in poorly written spy novels, well sir, I have the right to stay as far from your wacky ass as I feel necessary. I'm serious, go to Twitter, and read what these people are saying.

 They cannot believe Trump lost. They can't believe that many people voted, much less voted against him. They fully believe, however, that he and his crew of thick-skulled, thin-witted dingbats that call themselves lawyers have some super-secret, sure-fire plan they're going to whip on us any day now. Seriously, I've seen people say they're going to name their kid after that Powell woman after she got kicked to the curb.

 But they're not crazy, no. They're not mentally ill, no. They're definitely not brainwashed, put that right out of your mind. Like flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, moon-landing hoaxers, and aliens-built-the-pyramid goobs, this is what they really, truly think. That is what we need to take seriously. The why? Well, that really doesn't matter, does it? They say they're never going to accept Trump lost or that Joe Biden won or - and this is what really hurts - most of the country doesn't want their worldview deciding things. Does that matter?

 No, it really doesn't. If "reasonable conservatives" want to work on the why, they're free to waste their time. The rest of us got shit to do and there's no reason to spend any energy trying to convince someone the Earth isn't flat and there's no conspiracy making people think so.

 Bank on it, bubba.

Saturday, November 21, 2020

I've got nothing here.

  We're on the 18th day of the 2020 Presidential Election and I am tired. Tired of that nonsense, tired of all the pain in the world, tired of the world in general, just basically flat-out tired. I had one of those days where after letting Otis out for his morning ablutions and then both of us called it a day. We really didn't stir until about 3 p.m. and to be quite honest, I may go right back to bed once I hit word count. First, though, the News.

 I'm going to start with Friday. One of the reasons I'm disinclined to deal with the world is I heard yesterday that one of my oldest friends, someone I've known for almost as long as I've been alive, passed away earlier this week due to congestive heart failure. I wrote what I thought and felt about it there and I'm really not inclined to rehash any of it. All I will say, friends and neighbors, tell the people who are important to you they are every chance they get.

 The rest of the week was fairly normal, concentrating on the never-ending stomping of Trump's attempts to use the courts to overturn the election. Over and over again, whether it's Monday's revelation of Lindsay Graham's attempt to influence the Georgia election or Wednesday's revelation that the people trying to get ground in Michigan got it confused with Minnesota, it's been fairly laughable.

 It keeps going, too. The attempt to stir up stuff in Pennsylvania has been dismissed with prejudice, which means in legal turns don't bring this shit up anymore. He's still trying shit in Michigan but he dodged the G-20 teleconference on COVID-19 vaccine preparation to golf and bitch about getting beat. And while this is going on, El Paso has the National Guard coming in to help because their morgues are too full of people who died from the virus.

 But I'm not in the mood to talk about that no more than I'm in the mood to talk about the election. My friend's passing depresses me, sure, but it also reminds me that I haven't made a single attempt to reach out to anyone I knew before I left home for college over 25 years ago. I still don't want to, for whatever that's worth, but I sometimes wonder if I should. I don't really know if I have anything to say to them since our lives have been so different. Most of them got married (a couple of times) and had kids, plus the normal dopey shit adults deal with. I've spent the last 25 years either being suicidally depressed or having a good time blowing my mind however possible.

 It's as likely as not I'm just feeling guilty and sad for my friend's family. He's got a Momma and a brother. They're good people, too. I don't know if he ever married. Anyhow.

 I don't have really anything else, I guess. I dipped back into Pillars of Eternity 2, spending some time on the DLC's. I'm almost to the end of the game. There are three DLC's and three choices to follow at the end, so I think that's what I'll do to finish it.

 And that's word count, buddy. Let's hope we get some good news, in re the election. We could all use a break.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

I was made to play the part.

 We're on the sixteenth (16) day of the 2020 Presidential Election. Though he has yet to accept the reality of the situation, Trump's chances are drifting further away and Joe Biden's victory becomes more solid. They recently finished up a count in Georgia, confirming his victory. After the election commission declined to challenge the Michigan vote based on a pair of GOP members' blatantly racist attempts to toss out votes from the predominately African American Detroit while ignoring more suspicious if predominately White communities, those same weasels said they wanted a do-over. It was past due, so nothing can come of it, but an interesting wrinkle is Trump himself took an active role in getting them to monkey with the count.

 And depending on how it's approached, that might be illegal. Much like how Senator Lindsey Graham's attempts to influence Georgia's count in his master's favor might be illegal, at that level it all depends on how bad they fumbled it and just who they've pissed off along the way. In any event, the Trump gang have withdrawn their lawsuit, saying it's served its purpose of, and I quote, "to stop the election in Wayne County from being prematurely certified before residents can be assured that every legal vote has been counted and every illegal vote has not been counted." In other words, they wanted to slow down the inevitable since the game was over Tuesday night, and that's supposed to be a victory. Otherwise, they're like 2-27 when it comes to lawsuits trying to change what can't be changed.

 So much for all of that. As I've noted a number of times, I am sick to death of writing about the election, just as I'm sick to death of writing about whatever soft-headed bullshit Trump and his goons pull next. Either as president or trying to be president again, I am tired of that fool's very existence. Don't get it twisted, I wish him no special or particular harm. I just long for the day when I don't have to worry about the bastard anymore. He's a cheap punk and we're not only a poorer nation for his presidency and the viler aspects of the American Psyche it encouraged, we're a poorer culture just because a half-wit greedhead like that can become president.

 Donald Trump is an example of the American Dream being a dead and lifeless thing. He didn't kill it, but if there was actually anything to it, he would've never become a celebrity much less President and Most Powerful Man in the World. That's just all there is to it.

 Okay, then, let's move on. I have some Actual Paying Work to do tonight. It's a different beast than the usual post for a law firm to snag Google hits. Not much different, mind you, and it's more a question of for whom it's written rather than the subject matter. Either way, it's not interesting to get too deep into. Which as much as anything brings me to my next stroke.

 I often wonder just how much I should share here. Politics, naturally, and pop culture recommendations/considerations, of course. However, I find myself reticent to get too deep into my own brain here. If we met in public and became friends, you'd shortly know just about everything I tell anyone, from my closest friend to my therapist. I'm that sort of cat, I wear myself completely on my sleeve, and what I wouldn't tell you I don't tell anyone.

 My past because, quite frankly, I don't find it all that interesting. I had a good time as much as possible and when I wasn't was when things got ugly. I don't really like talking about friends and family, past or present. I have nothing but love for everyone who rides the highways with me and I've forgiven everyone I thought wronged me, whether they did or it was just my take on things.

 I really don't care to talk about my romantic history because, not to put too fine a point on it, I really can't figure it out. It's the same stroke; when I had fun it was great, when I didn't it wasn't. I'm not good at relationships or intimacy, stayed faithful if boring. I've had way more "meaningless" sexual encounters than actual relationships and I regret none of them. I don't think many women who were part of the process regretted it much, either. No one holds it against me, at least.

 The only problem, if it is indeed a problem, is it sometimes bothers me at just how inept at it. My brother celebrated his eighth anniversary earlier this week. My cousin recently hit her twenty-fifth. Some of my closest friends have recently clocked ten years together. My parents were together 44 years before my father died.

 I don't understand any of it. My last girlfriend is a wonderful human being and was in love with me. I was not in love with her, or at least I don't think. She's still one of my Better Angels and is better off with her current fella. Most of the ones before her I haven't talked to in at least five years. No real reason, just when it's over I think it's over.

 There's no regret or wistfulness at losing their affection, either. If they never think of me, fine. Indeed, the one woman I actually burned for and wanted body and soul... well, let's just say I could've had a one-night stand if I wanted. She was right there and ready to go, believe you me. But that one time it wasn't enough to have sex and go on with life. She still drifts across my mind, but I'm so glad I'm not the man in her life now, some fifteen years later.

 At the time, passion clouded my thinking and desire destroyed reason. When it fell through because she chose someone else - someone she told me regularly treated her shitty but she "couldn't have two men in her heart" - I was miserable for six weeks or maybe three months. I couldn't understand why she didn't choose me when I told her I would give her anything I could and, at the time, I meant it. I would have given her the whole world. At the time.

 Nowadays, I'm happy she's happy with her life, and she is, just as I'm extremely happy I'm not the father of her children or even who she sees when she first wakes in the morning. Was it love? I still don't know and that bothers me. I know I've never felt like that for anyone since, even for women who wanted that from me and I couldn't give it. That question bothers me, but not because I wish things were different. I just don't like not knowing something and I guess that's something I'll never figure out.

 Well, neighbors, that's enough of that nonsense. Back to politics, country music, and video games, I say. We're having fun and, in any event, it's like that old New Orleans saying.

 It is what it is.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

I can't come up with anything and I haven't figured out how to write out guitar hooks.

  We're on Day 14 of the 2020 United States Presidential Election. The needle really hasn't moved, except the Michigan GOP is actively trying to disenfranchise African American votes in Detroit, and Rudy Giuliani's attempts at arguing Trump's claims in court are, in a word, comical. Someone else compared it to a Lionel Hutz bit from The Simpsons. To me, it looks like just what it is: a not-particularly-good lawyer trying to turn bullshit into buttermilk when he hasn't worked a case in court in almost 40 years.

 Anyhow. It's been twenty minutes since I wrote the above paragraph. I just don't have much going on tonight, I guess. We'll run for word count, but I surely don't know what I'll fill this space with.

 I'm still working on the Brian Greene book. Those things are pretty meaty. Even dumbed down to a layman's level, physics and cosmology books are always heavy, even when the writing is sharp. Greene usually is, but still. It's heavy subjects that require heavy thinking, and I usually wind up reading some Hunter Thompson to calm down.

 Trump fired his cybersecurity guy Chris Krebs because the man debunked one of the Boss' many, many false claims concerning his crushing defeat in the election two weeks ago. But so much for all that. I am still sick to the teeth of writing about the goddamn election and that cheap bastard's refusal to accept reality or, for that matter, the brainless chumps that believe every hint of bullshit like it was Gospel.

 I'm going to indulge in a little loose thinking, so feel free to skip the next couple of paragraphs. A lot is been made of the fecklessness of the Democratic Party the last couple of days. And feckless they are, let's make no bones about it. There's some talk about who Biden will appoint to his cabinet and, as equally galling to some, who he will not appoint. Put it this way, he doesn't need to screw around too much with the makeup of the Senate right now.

 One thing sticking in the leftist/liberal craw is the intimation that the Biden Administration might not pursue legal action against the Trump Administration once the former gets settled in the White House. Now, I admit, I'm not keeping too close attention on this particular stroke, so I'm not sure there actually is anything they can nail him on. The New York attorney general has first dibs on his orange hide and there's nothing the White House can do about that.

 However, while we again do not dispute the basic gormlessness of the Democrats these days, one does wonder if they're not doing the best they can under the circumstances. One thing most people forget is they have to cover a lot of ground, from far-leftist loons like me to Republicans genuinely embarrassed about being lumped in with pea-brained fascists and everything in between, plus the big money men.

 Furthermore, and I know people will dispute this because it's easier than thinking, I think the Trump Years have taught us the Big-Time Media is easier on the Republican Party. How long did it take them to say the president is a liar? How many puff pieces have we seen trying to figure out why Trump supporters worship him when it can be easily explained as "Americans love authoritarian assholes?" They've not changed in five years, what's so hard about this? They abandoned George W. Bush because he refused to be quite that awful and Sarah Palin when she couldn't keep the grift going, is it so surprising they'd go for a celebrity who's pretended to be a business shark?

 It wasn't all that different during the Bush Administration, really. It plays into familiar narratives and that's always easier than thinking. We pretend affordable healthcare and guaranteed wages are some sort of socialist pipe dream while we also pretend "pro-life" actually is or that morality is only white, Christian, and financially successful regardless of how it got there. So, they're up against a lot. That's not suggesting they're above criticism or, indeed, current criticism should let up. One of the reasons the GOP is so successful despite being a black hole of politics is their message of greed and exclusion doesn't require much work.

 I don't know what else. I've been listening to a lot of Taj Mahal lately. For the longest time, I never really ventured outside his earlier records but I've come around. A lot of Cannonball Adderly, too. It's great stuff to fall asleep to, for whatever it's worth. I've been finding really low-quality horror movies on Tubi or ShoutFactoryTV diverting as well. Just awful shit, but hey, they're free. Can't beat that with a stick.

 I guess that's plenty for today. As always, if something comes to mind I'll come back around. Otherwise, catch y'all at the News tomorrow.

Saturday, November 14, 2020

Tell me again, but I don't think you'll convince me.

  Well, hellfire. I laid down for a quick nap after supper and damn near slept the night way. It's almost 10:30 p.m. Hillbilly Standard Time and I haven't written anything. I don't really want to write anything, but c'est la vie. At least we can eat with links to this week's News.

 A good week as it turns out. Monday was a look into all the screwy stuff going on in the Trump Administration, noting, in particular, the firing of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and the shenanigans of GS Emily Murphy. Because the former got more interesting by Wednesday, we explored the wholesale packing of the Pentagon with Trump localists. Friday we came back home and looked at just how badly the Trump Administration and Gov. Tate Reeves have muffed the whole COVID-19 thing for Mississippi. Five days hand-running of more than 1,000 coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period.

 The whole time, Trump's crushing defeat got more and more evident and the record-tying Hurricane Eta kicked the shit out of Central America. Today we find ourselves looking down the barrel of another hurricane, the twentieth this season. And, of course, Trump's victory in this, the eleventh day of the 2020 Presidential Election, becomes more and more a dream as President Pissybritches loses more and more court cases trying to deny reality. He's something 1-20 now, and that one covered less than a thousand votes.

 Today finds the Proud Boys marching on Washington, D.C., in support of the giant whiner they've decided is the New Messiah. There have apparently been a couple of crashes between those dopes and Antifa and/or BLM counterprotesters, but far as I can tell, nothing serious. The D.C. fuzz got involved to protect the MAGAts before things got too serious and the president's egging them on to engage in more violence, because of course.

 That sort of sums up my feelings towards the Proud Boys, for what it's worth. I know I should take them more seriously as a bunch of xenophobic racist, sexist homophobes, but despite being a cis straight white guy, and thus not someone they'd challenge. But they're ridiculous goofballs without the System protecting them. Sure, they're a danger because they tend to be heavily armed and they're the biggest argument for severe gun control, but without the backing of the cops, they'd fold like a cheap suit.

 There's a video of a tussle between the groups going around on Twitter that's been selectively edited so as to stir up the Base and the President is encouraging it. Indeed, he's encouraging actual police violence on people who disagree with him politically. And I've now officially written more about the Proud Boys than I have ever wanted to. They are bad people and wouldn't be shit if they didn't have the cops to protect them.

 Y'all, politically charged scuffles are nothing new and they're not going away, particularly when conservatives' idea of "building bridges" is total capitulation. I've said it before, but this country does not have a problem with thuggish authoritarianism. Indeed, we sort of dig having a group of people to kick the shit out of when they point out the Powers That Be aren't playing by the rules they set out.

 It's kind of why I don't put much truck in this whole "Trump's encouraging creeping fascism" because this country has always been just this side of totalitarianism for anyone who doesn't fit in. The idea, of course, is personal freedom, but the truth is the cops will kick the living shit out of you if the government wants your land. Just for one example. Maybe it's getting worse or maybe middle-class white folks are becoming hipper and/or catching some of the shit rain on themselves.

 Okay, so I've gone around a bit. It's 11:30 p.m. and I have word count. I guess I should go ahead and post this, but I really don't want to end on such a sour, downer note. I'm still not seeing much support for Trump outside his cult. They're furious at Fox News. Normal people are sick of the shit from both Trump and Fox. So that's there then.

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Write your own song.

  I have some Actual Paying Work due tomorrow. As of right now, I'm not particularly inspired to do much writing about anything. I'm reading Brian Greene's Hidden Reality and sort of was to get back to it. I bought it before I quit reading seven or eight years ago and just never got around to it. It's all about the possible implications of the Many-Worlds Theory and that's my current jam.

 Speaking of jam, I'm currently listening to a band from the '90s called The Freewheelers. They were signed to Def American around the same time as The Black Crowes (a favorite) by the same guy, George Drakoulis. They're not bad, but the self-titled first record really isn't all that interesting. I've got the second album, too, which is supposed to be better, but so far... meh.

 On that note, I will say that Apple Music is the best thing invented by man. For around ten bucks a month, I get unlimited access to not quite every piece of music released but pretty damn close. I'm often shocked at what I find, some really obscure shit or long-dead indie band trying to get something out of the whole mess. It gives me a chance to listen to stuff that I previously wouldn't have taken a chance on, as funds are limited.

 It's been fairly successful, as far as that goes. I've reassessed my opinion on '70s California country-rock, discovered some of the neat '60s garage rock bands that fell through the cracks, and reaffirmed my belief that most music released these days, even blues and country, really isn't for me. See? The internet doesn't have to suck and the big corporations don't have to be complete shits.

 Okay, that's it for now. I figure the APW will put me over the word count. If I get inspired, though, I'll come back. Don't hold your breath, though.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

My sins have overtaken me.

  We are in week two of the 2020 Presidential Election. It seems most of the votes have been counted and verified, and Joe Biden leads 290 to Trump's 214. He's also up by four to five million in the popular vote. Trump, most of the GOP, and the Base, however, insist that every weird conspiracy theory and silly misunderstanding of how presidential elections work is so real and Trump totally won, you guys.

 But this was to be expected, really, or should have been. If anyone thought they wouldn't do just this regardless of how the vote turned out has not been paying attention to anything. Trump could've lost the entire country apart from the Deep South, Montana and Idaho with a popular vote lead of a solid million and they'd still cry about voter fraud.

 This is an aspect of the GOP that Trump brought into sharp relief, the idea that whoever whines the loudest is the most right. To date, the only evidence of any sort of chicanery was the revelation that the Erie, PA, mail service worker that told cheap punk James O'Keefe's laughably named "Project Veritas" that his claims of vote tamperings were lies. He admitted that his signed affidavit was nothing but bullshit once federal investigators interviewed him.

 And that's where I stand on all of this, from Hunter Biden's laptop to any claims of voter chicanery. If it's coming from Republicans, it's all bullshit. It's up to them to prove to me otherwise. That's pretty much where I stood beforehand, but this is a fine example of why. Sort of like when I consider white people being racist, they're actually being racist and I'll apologize if I'm wrong. I rarely am, though. I've been taking notes for a long time.

 So much for all of that. I have no doubt Trump will never concede, and I for one hope he doesn't. I want to see him pulled out of the White House, screaming and crying, like William Macy at the end of Fargo. I am rarely this vociferous, much less this vindictive, about politicians, much less presidents. I'll make an exception here, though. Just like I would love to have seen that shoe connect with George W. Bush's head, I will get a massive chubby if Trump is reduced to a blubbering, squealing, snot-nosed mess by people who no longer have to say "yes, sir" to him. Again, though, the Base will see him as the Alpha Male, but what the hell. They're beyond redemption and should be treated as such.

 Now, moving on. I'm almost finished with the fourth book of the "Reality Bleed" series. I made a mistake when I mentioned these books earlier, neglecting co-author Justin M. Woodward along with J.Z. Foster. My mistake. Anyhow, I'm still enjoying it and still interested in seeing where it goes. It moves at a fast clip, though most of the books are less than 200 words. I don't have a problem with this. The plot stays lean and uncluttered without all the unnecessary fluffery that slows down most serial books. There's been a couple of auxiliary short stories to expand the world. It works.

 Unfortunately, I made a mistake and didn't check to see if the other issue with book serials, and that is the revelation that it isn't finished. Dammit. It's just halfway done. The fifth book comes at the end of the month and the series is planned until next August. That's a bone of contention for me. I want to finish the goddamn story once I start. This dates back to Timothy Zahn's first Star Wars books, the Thrawn Trilogy. I knocked out the first two in less than a week and then had to wait almost a year before the third and final book hit paperback. No offence, Mr. Zahn, but there's no reason a Star Wars serial should be a twenty-dollar hardback book.

  Anyhow. That's enough for now. I mentioned in this weekend's News that there might be changes since Trump won't be around to kick around in two months' time. Or it may not, since the GOP doesn't seem to show any signs of not being complete dirt.

Saturday, November 7, 2020

I love being a free man.

 Google Chrome is acting screwy again. It's not wanting to load anything but the home page. Nothing times out, it just doesn't load. Microsoft Edge works as does iTunes so it's not a connectivity issue. Matter of fact, this just happens with my tower. My laptop's Chrome is running fine. It did this the other day and only kicked back into gear after putting to sleep and waking up the computer. Weird. I need to get this thing looked at.

 Anyhow. Pennsylvania got through counting all their votes and the state goes to Joe Biden, which means he is the 46th President of the United States of America. Or is projected to be so, anyway. Like we discussed yesterday, there's something called "faithless electors" to contend with but I doubt they'll matter much. Regardless, it doesn't become official until the electors cast their votes and that doesn't go down until December 15.

 Of course, Trump is still pitching his fits and promising to fight it out on the hill that he was robbed all summer. However, the general consensus apart from the hardcore faithful is "sit down and shut up, you had your shot and muffed it." There's a lot of celebrations going on across the country and a lot of Very Serious People admonishing liberals and leftists. Reach out and try to build bridges, they say. Listen to the Trumpers who's been saying "fuck your feelings, America hater" for the last four years and try to understand where they're coming from. Sure.

 Before we get too much further, let's put out this week's News links. Of course, a lot about Tuesday's election this week. Monday was the lead-in and Wednesday was the fallout. Friday was a look at how interesting and unique this year's race was rolling out. From a purely observer's standpoint, as someone who just gets off on how the Game is played, it was entertaining as hell. As someone who has to live in this country and deal with its fellow citizens, it was nerve wracking as a son of a bitch.

 And to paraphrase a Twitter acquaintance, I'm not going to feel completely at ease until Biden is sworn in and Trump is running from the Southern District of the State Court of New York. Now Chrome is working. Weird. Momma just got back with supper from Peppertown Restaurant and I've completely lost my train of thought on this. To sum up, I reckon, unless something weird happens, Joe Biden is our next President and Trump will spend the next two months being as big a pain in the ass as he can be, partly to stay out of jail, partly out of an attempt to scuttle the Democrats, and partly because he's a dick.

 Moving on, I started and finished a rather neat science fiction book by one J.Z. Foster titled Hell On Mars. In a nutshell, the near-future of an alternate universe where the Cold War took a different turn and hasn't ended sees mankind is exploring the solar system among heating international tensions. On Mars, a former Nazi rocket scientist inadvertently opens a door to another dimension and Lovecraftian nasties come through as they are wont to do. A maintenance crew is sent to figure out why the Martian space station is gone black and shit goes south, as one would expect.

 As I've often stated, I'm a sucker for a good Lovecraftian horror set up especially if ol' Henry Phillip has nothing to do with it. It's not a revelation that his prose is almost unreadable purple, his racism, sexism and xenophobia leeks into his stories far too easily. One gets tired of reading how a bourgeoisie white dude from the early 20th century is scared of white people having sex with black people.

 Mixing Lovecraft and space travel seems like a perfect fit. So much of space is unknown and even if there are no gibbering extra-dimensional horrors from the dawn of time, we're still an insignificant part of a much, much greater whole. Movies like Event Horizon are great but not too give too much away, it's still too centred around human conceptions of reality, especially Western conceptions. One of the great strengths of Lovecraft's universe is that humanity is not important at all in the grand scheme of things if we make any noise at all.

 It's a quick, fun little read and a completely believable representation of a very pedestrian support crew being thrown knee-deep into the heaviest of shit. It is part of a series, though, and one never likes that. This was a quick read and did just what a book serial is supposed to do - that is, leave jonesing for the next book - but there are eight books in the series. The last time I dug into one of those it got so tedious I can't remember anything but the barest details. So, we'll see.

 Speaking of Lovecraftian horrors, thanks to the beautiful people at Humble Bundle, I've been messing around with the most recent Lovecraft-inspired game, Call of Cthulhu by Focus Home Interactive. So far, good enough if nothing particularly interesting or unique. Grizzled private dick with a troubled past gets hired for a mysterious case and has to go to Innsmouth, Lovecraft's Deep One-controlled crumbling fishing town. It looks nice and has some good atmosphere, but it doesn't bring much to the table that Call Of Cthulhu: Dark Corners Of The Earth did in 2006. A little less buggy, a bit sharper designed, but nothing really new so far. Granted, the Innsmouth Deep Ones business is probably my least favorite part of the Cthulhu Mythos and I can't for the life of me understand why it turns so many folks on.

 And that's enough for now. It's been a long week and I, for one, am glad it's over. From what I'm seeing on the internet, a collective sigh of exhausted relief is going on around the country.

Thursday, November 5, 2020

It's not what I did, it's what I didn't do.

  I have some Actual Paying Work to do tonight, so I'm going to blast through this and move on with my evening. We are still, still counting ballots from Tuesday's elections, particularly in four states. Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. Joe Biden has a fairly solid lead in Nevada while Trump is still squeaking it out in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

 Interestingly, Georgia's become the battleground. The last I heard, Trump was up by a slim 3,000 votes, which is pretty startling. Have no illusions about what you think of Atlanta because Georgia is a hard-core conservative state that's sending a Q-dingbat to the House of Representatives unchallenged. That being said, there's a lot of anger in the state about the shaft they got in 2018, particularly among African American voters.

 Either way, so long as Biden nails down Nevada, he's got this in the bag. From all appearances, it looks like he does, even though Trump's gone on TV this evening to complain about it and subtly threaten he'll use the Supreme Court to twist things his way. Apparently, most of the networks have switched away from the temper tantrum, which sort of fits in with my theory that The Powers That Be are sort of tired of Trump's bullshit and aren't giving him the benefit of the doubt. Apparently, even The New York Post is turning on him.

 Trump is trying to blame all this on Democrats, especially in Georgia where all the officials and the governor are Republicans. I'm sure that will play well with his Base who still don't really care to acknowledge reality if it's contra to Father Trump's wishes. I do wonder where this going to go, win or lose, with the Republican Party and how it relates to the base they've developed to act just like this for the past 30 years.

 I could see them quietly pretending the last four years didn't happen. Both Bushes' presidencies have gone down the memory hole and no one really pays any attention to Sarah Palin anymore. It's a question of what the Base will do, though. A plethora of Republicans either dumped Trump or they held their nose for the tax cuts and I figure they'll be fine pretending Trump was just an aberration.

 The Base, though, is another story. The people who have boat parades and block off highways and buy those pictures of Jesus hugging Trump, that kind. Those folks aren't going to be giving up their Second Savior anytime soon. Plus, the popularity and availability of social media have drawn them together in a way that just didn't exist with Bush Jr. or Palin.

 It was a common argument at the end of the Bush Jr. administration that there was a split coming in the Republican Party. It didn't happen, of course, and in fact, it could be argued that movements like the Tea Party made the GOP tighter than it had ever been. That same Tea Party mentality, though, led to an atmosphere that made a cheap authoritarian who banks of his celebrity for gravitas like Trump become inevitable.

 So where do they go from here? Will some full-on fascist loon like Tom Cotton has the charisma to bring in the people who just want tax cuts together with the people who want to see liberals made into soap? I wouldn't be surprised one way or another, but I doubt we'll see a massive split in the party anytime soon. Or at least after Trump's no longer a part of the scene. His weird kids do not have his swing and anyone who says otherwise is high on their own farts.

 Okay. That's word count. Supper's done and I have work to do. Relax, it'll all be over soon.