'Til honky becomes tonky again.

  I went to the gym yesterday for the first time since the Big Freeze happened. Today I feel like someone beat me, and I really didn't do all that much. That probably says something I am desperately trying to ignore.

 The weather was bright and sunny with temperatures that got close to or passed 70. It's a nice change from last week's gloom. This part of Mississippi has a special charm as the Spring happens, nature-wise, and I'd forgotten how much my soul needed it. Don't get me wrong, every place I've lived is pleasantly remembered but, for good or ill, this is home.

 I haven't been able to shake off the slush from last week, though. For example, it's almost a solid hour since I wrote that last paragraph. Granted, supper was part of the reason for the delay but nothing's beating down the door. For another example, it's been thirty minutes since I wrote that last sentence.

 We've got News tomorrow and while there's plenty going on - Biden's nominations and GOP shenanigans, growing frustration with Biden and Congress dragging their feet on the COVID stimulus, the fork in the road the GOP will have to face over Trump, Mississippi's dumb ass trying to cut tax revenue for no one's benefit - but I'd rather leave that. I've noticed, and I may've said this already, my Twitter time has been cut since the Biden Inauguration, at least. I think it's given me a somewhat clearer perception of the news from a journalistic sense. It's not being cluttered by the rest of the world's smokin' hot takes or petty nonsense.

 I got my iTunes situation all squared away. If nothing else, it got me to streamline things. Again, best money ever spent and I don't mind the monthly fee. I've been looking for something like this all my life. Man, I can still see the first paragraph from when I started. This is like pulling teeth today.

  I just got Outward thanks to this month's Humble Bundle. I've been looking forward to it. Apparently, it's an RPG that tries to keep things as "real" as possible. No save scumming, I guess like Dragon's Dogma, and food and sleep management like Fallout: New Vegas on hardcore mode. It's been compared to Dark Souls, which I don't know quite how to take. I have the second and third, again thanks to Humble Bundle, but I've never been able to get too far in either before giving up in frustration. Yes, I know, "git gud," now fuck off.

 Christ, I need to get this computer looked at. This drag is driving me nuts. Man, I just have no drive or energy whatsoever. I reckon I need to do something about that. I can't think what, though, as I'm already doing everything I want to do apart from the occasional magic carpet ride, of course. At least the weather's getting warmer and I can spend more time outside, I guess.

 As Americans, we all complicit - at least somewhat, even if it's minute - in the evils the country has done and still does in our name. From drone attacks to child separations to sweatshop labor to white supremacy, we all carry a little of the responsibility even if we had nothing to do with it. Especially if we've had nothing to do with it. We all benefit from it, in one way or another, and none of us are willing to go the distance truly needed to effect permanent, lasting, and significant change.

 That we refuse to admit this, even those of us who see clearly the evils done under the aegis of the Stars & Stripes means we'll never move past it, much less stop it. We'll never wash the blood from our hands. That we continue to ignore this or pretend it isn't our responsibility because of who we did or didn't vote for while we argue how it should be different just shows how little we actually care. I don't say this to make anyone feel bad or guilty, I'm just saying this is how it is and why it'll stay like this. We don't care enough to take responsibility for ourselves. It's always someone else's fault.

 Yeah, I just looked at Twitter. The fact that we don't even bother to learn about what we're condemning just makes me tired, man. I am so glad I checked out from honest society. Just need to hang around and keep myself busy for a little while longer and then y'all can have all of it.

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.

Monday, December 9, 2019

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

Saturday, December 7, 2018

 It's been a good day. Had some free time, so I communed with the front yard to come back inside and to write something. About two hours later, I communed with the front yard again to come back inside and write something else. It's been lots of fun. I will put a jump with links to both, however you choose. In any event, this is going to be extremely short and sweet.

 Actually, I think that's it. This is an example of what I'm going to do when I change the new way of doing things. Not sure what to call it yet. Something catchy or something straightforward? For now, let's take a nod from Umberto Eco and call it The Project. Hopefully I won't attract anyone who thinks I should sacrificed or hounded to death or whatever gets done to the protagonists of Foucault's Pendulum.

 Anyhow, I'm crashing and it's early yet. I wonder if I will play something. I was getting back into Neverwinter Nights 2, but I've come upon a part where I keep getting stomped in the dirt. I must be doing something wrong. Maybe I'll get into one of those games I bought on the last Steam sale, Rebel Cops or American Fugitive. I returned Phantom Doctrine since it's in next month's Humble Bundle. I'd bought it on sale, but ten bucks is ten bucks. I've been getting a Pathfinder jones, and I see a big plot point dead ahead. Might as well sack up and see what happens.

 I've been reading Punktown. It's good but a slower lead that I prefer. The plot needs to be thick but it's slowing the story down. A future detective noir space colonies thing with maybe a hint of Lovecraft coming. Finding terrifying things that don't belong because of poking around the universe in a space ship that probably couldn't exist anyway is a concept not played to as much in my liking in modern literature. Still and all, a fun book, but maybe too much a chaw right now.

 I guess I'll take a nap. Click below if you really need to. Otherwise, there ya go.

Friday, November 1, 2019

 A week ends and a month begins, so here we are. I ain't going to lie, this week's been a booger. So we're going to take it easy today and just have a little fun.