As I write this, the world is dealing with the expanding threat of Covid-19. The novel virus spread quickly around the globe, and nations who didn’t take it seriously are in deep trouble right now. I know, because I live in one of those nations. Our leadership downplayed the potential threat and did nothing until it was almost too late. Even now, action is happening mostly at a state level while the federal government – led by a raging narcissist who thinks the economic stats under his administration are more important than LITERALLY hundreds of thousands of American lives – dithers, dawdles, pirates supplies, and abdicates any sign of responsibility. Worse, our leader is blaming everyone else, even the experts who tried to get him to do the things needed to stem the tide of this pandemic.
We are paying for forty years of economic right-wing theory that puts profits over the good of our country. The bloviating bullshitters in charge don’t care about you or I. They’re safe in their multi-million dollar homes, with their ability to buy the best healthcare, while you and I beg for scraps from them. And while things weren’t rosy pre-1980, at least it felt like the nation was moving in the right direction back then. That hasn’t been the case since Reagan. Even worse, those in power are now free to get away with any crime they want. Oversight is dead, and our political system is in free fall. It’s not a good time to love America.
It’s almost like watching a live action version of the trolley problem playing out. I say that and have to also admit I HATE the trolley problem. It’s not an examination of morality, it’s a stupid ass question that posits that life is all about killing someone, so pick and choose your poison. Fuck that noise. It’s literally the foundation of our entire dystopia now, as we plunge headlong into “opening up” America as the pandemic continues to rage. Because profits are more important than lives. And that trickles right down, too, because too many folks won’t even wear a fucking mask because somehow that hurts their feelings too much. A simple thing that could alleviate some of the problems, and it’s a bridge too far for the American public.
We are truly a selfish, delusional nation these days. But that’s what you get when conservatives spend forty years undermining trust in government, experts, journalism, and anything else that MIGHT help us get through this time of crisis. They’ve taken the fact that there are legitimate grievances against institutions that should be corrected, and then turned them on their heads and made them about fictional “deep states” and other whack-a-doodle nonsense that too many morons with guns stroke themselves over at night beneath their white sheets and confederate flag quilts.
But I digress. It’s easy to fall into a long, tiring rant about the state of society today. Conservatives have always had the better propaganda machine, and its why they cling to power now, because let’s face it… they ain’t doing shit for America. It’s a big foundation of hate, with a shit pile of racism and a heaping dose of guns and religions. That’s it. That’s their entire existence now. They want to piss on the American public, and a third of our population opens their mouths wide for the golden gift.
This, too, shall pass. One day. Probably not in my lifetime now, I have to admit.
It’s been too long since I’ve blogged. I tend to get this way towards the end of every winter, but with covid crashing down on us, it’s been more pronounced this year. I’ve decided to mitigate that with more reviews. Starting this month, I’ll be reviewing issues of the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as they are released (within a few days of receiving it in the mail, to be clear). I will also review such anthologies as I receive, and I may toss in another smaller trade pub or two as time goes on.
There will also be more reviews of media like television and movies (older ones, not new ones since no one is going to the movies anymore). I may even do series re-watch blog posts, though I haven’t decided about that yet.
For me, the writing goes well. Despite a heart breaking short story rejection last week, I finally found my groove and am churning away at a complete nuts to bolts re-write of The Immutable Law of Magic novel I did the first draft of back in late 2018. It’s been sitting and stewing, and I felt the time was finally right. Characters are changing, the setting is changing, but much of the plot dressing remains relatively similar. Still, it’s going to be an 80% re-write effort. Should be fun!
Onward through May, to June. Fingers crossed we’ll still be able to have some sort of summer vacation. Right now we hope to go to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, but we’ll see how things play out with Covid. I’m nervous about such a trip, even if there won’t be as many people at those places. Maybe we’ll just stay home and do hikes in the woods.