I pity the mother and father when the kids move away.

  The first weekend of the new year, and we wonder what sort of horrors 2021 has for us. I really don't think anyone had a flat clue that 2020 would be as nerve-wracking as it was. It was weird and odd and continually strange, and I'm almost inclined to believe the idea that this is all a computer situation just because it was what it was. And most of it was centered around the goofy bastard in the White House.

 It started off stupid. Remember Trumpites getting all bent out of shape because they thought NPR's annual Fourth of July reading of the Declaration of Independence as a knock against Trump. Remember that? Wasn't that dumb? Wasn't that embarrassing? And it just got worse.

 And just because it's on my mind and I want to get it down. I've been watching a lot of horror movie reviews by this kid that runs under the handle Decker Shado. He and another guy whose name I can't remember will make a deal about how poorly most horror franchises handle continuity. Like in the first Friday The 13th, the murderer was Mrs. Voorhees and Jason was dead thirty years while in every other movie in the franchise Jason was the killer. And even then, he went from a thin survivalist type with a sack on his head to a hulking brute in a hockey mask to an unstoppable undead killing machine.

 Plus, there's funny business with passages of time between movies and the whole weirdness that was Jason Goes To Hell. Pretty much every horror franchise is like that in some form or fashion, and it drives the horror geeks up the wall. Well, I've found y'all a solution. It's the Many-Worlds Theory at work. The reason, for example, so much changes from Evil Dead to Evil Dead 2 to Army of Darkness to even Ash vs. Evil Dead because every movie there are slight shifts in the story and things that don't mesh with previous films because each one exists in slightly different universes.

 One interpretation of the MWT is that there's a continual shift in reality due to quantum decoherence, and for the most part it's not supposed to be noticeable on a macro level but this is a movie with a guy with a chainsaw hand. Since there's some serious evil magic involved, it makes sense that reality would shift every time big juju goes down. 

 Anyhow, that's been on my mind a lot lately since I've been reading Brian Greene's The Hidden Reality, and if nerds would just accept that instead of getting their drawers twisted over continuity, this would be a much better world. So, hey, I haven't done the News. For the most part, it was an ongoing back and forth concerning the stimulus checks and the Nashville Christmas Bomber. Good week's worth of work. Nothing fancy but good, solid journalism and/or blogging.

 I do put a lot of thought into the Evil Dead franchise, and I really need to finish the last season of Ash vs. Evil Dead. It was surprisingly enjoyable. Ash is supposed to be nothing but a complete screw-up but is destined to be the only one to defend the world against the Deadites and Necronomicon Ex Mortis and he's great at that appeals to me. It goes back to the idea that stories are more entertaining when the protagonist isn't a Chosen One of some sort. For me, anyway, but I'm funny that way.

 I think I'll wrap this up here. I'm not sure if I'm going to read or play a game or take a nap. Either way, it'll be a good idea.

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.

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.