Years when decades happen

[sabotabby]

 I dunno, what do you guys want me to rant about? The Freedom Flotilla? LA vs. ICE? The fact that my government is planning more pipelines while sending in the army to deal with out-of-control wildfires? Or, closer to home, Bill 5 or the Toronto bubble zone law, or...?

This is why people curl up and retreat into fiction.

Comments

[used_songs]

I saw some video of the wildfires on tiktok - just terrifying. :(

[sabotabby]

It's one of my worst fears. I'm absolutely terrified of being in a fire.

[gingicat]

LA vs ICE is a serious shock to me. I knew it could happen, and yet.

[dewline]

Trump's been agitating to make it happen for years. Now he's got Mark Milley and company out of the way.

[sabotabby]

I am naive in that I thought it'd be more of a boiling frog type situation.

[dewline]

The slow boil phase started in 2015 - as far as I can tell - with the announcement of the original candidacy. If you really want to go digging in the history books, the case has been made for 1865.

In any case, I think that's about done now.

[gingicat]

Yeah. But also what dewline said.

[conuly]

It has been - it's just that the slow boil has been going on at the very least since Reagan.

[numb3r_5ev3n]

This is still where I am at the moment.

[sabotabby]

Giant mood.

[blogcutter]

Feel free to rant about any or all of the above!

As far as Queen's Park is concerned, I'm just hoping that Ford keeps his campaign promise to upload Ottawa's beleaguered and mismanaged LRT. And more locally, now that Renée Amilcar is leaving (although she inherited a horrible mess to begin with), it would be great to replace her with someone who understands that public transit is supposed to be a service that's freely (or at least affordably) available to all who need it, when and where they need it. A public good that benefits people and the environment, not a profit-oriented venture or a sop to us poor slobs who can't afford a chauffeur and limousine!

[dewline]

I'm not sure that I want the province to upload the LRT components of OC Transpo. At least, this way, any guilty parties will be closer to being within legal reach of consequences.

[sabotabby]

Bold of you to suggest that he would keep a campaign promise!

[springheel_jack]

I don't even know. Does it matter?

[sabotabby]

What I say? No.

[minoanmiss]

ugh so true

[sabotabby]

Crying forever.

[kore]

Hell, at this point I'm half convinced during his birthday tank parade Trump will declare himself Our Dear Leader for life. Did you see that pic of THOUSAND OF TANKS being rolled into DC?

[dewline]

It's a thing he's wanted to put the States through ever since learning about Xi Jinping's little stunt re: removing term limits.

[greylock]

That's a funny way to say Tianamen.
(https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dateline/article/old-trump-interview-with-playboy-resurfaces-discusses-strength-of-chinas-response-in-tiananmen-square/pzt9o5lj5)

I know. It's hard to keep up with the shitfuckery.

I mean the USAID HIV/AID drug issue today alone seems... telling.

[sabotabby]

And the vaccine board yesterday. Dude's trying to cause as much mass death as he can.

[greylock]

I read about that earlier this morning and it was pushed out by even worse news.
I can't keep this much transparent awfulness in my head.

[sabotabby]

I had not. But you know. Maybe rolling into an unfriendly city with tanks might wake some people up.

[conuly]

It's the fucking worst.

[sabotabby]

I can't even brain around it.

[sovay]

This is why people curl up and retreat into fiction.

So what're you reading?

*hugs*

[sabotabby]

Oh hahaha. Well, see the problem is, half the time I read some award-nominated book it turns out to be stealth cozy horror* which makes me feel worse about life. So I reverted to form to read the Adrian Tchaikovsky books nominated for the Hugo, because at least I know he won't do that. I heard Alien Clay was a bit meh so I'm starting with Service Model, which is fun so far.

* Don't get me started re: Someone You Can Build a Nest In winning over fucking RAKESFALL in the Nebulas, people have no goddamn taste at all.

[sovay]

So I reverted to form to read the Adrian Tchaikovsky books nominated for the Hugo, because at least I know he won't do that. I heard Alien Clay was a bit meh so I'm starting with Service Model, which is fun so far.

I hope it treats you right! Agreed that cozy horror does not seem to be at all his thing.

Don't get me started re: Someone You Can Build a Nest In winning over fucking RAKESFALL in the Nebulas, people have no goddamn taste at all.

It does suggest that they are effectively reading a completely different book than you, which is always an incredibly weird experience.

[sabotabby]

It's very strange. I mean, I admittedly get different things out of reading than do a lot of people.

[sovay]

I mean, I admittedly get different things out of reading than do a lot of people.

How so?

[sabotabby]

I tend to react rather badly to, for example, cozy comfort reads and straightforward A to B plotting. It makes me feel worse. Whereas I'll get into really gnarly form or prose. I've bounced off books because of flat prose.

This isn't uncommon in literary circles; it's quite weird in genre circles where story and likable characters are paramount.

[sovay]

I've bounced off books because of flat prose.

Well, same. It'll get me out of a book even before I can find out what I think of its arguments.

This isn't uncommon in literary circles; it's quite weird in genre circles where story and likable characters are paramount.

Check. I have a hard time gauging what is normal even for groups I theoretically belong to. I couldn't tell if you meant that you read for different objectives than most people—like, not for plot or character at all.

[sabotabby]

Oh, yeah, no, plot and character are not unimportant. But I don't, for example, rate character likability very highly as a rule.

[sovay]

Oh, yeah, no, plot and character are not unimportant.

(Useful to know if I am going to try to recommend things to you.)

But I don't, for example, rate character likability very highly as a rule.

Character interestingness has always been more relevant to me. I have many favorite characters of whom it is safest to be fond at a distance. It's never bothered me, but purity culture would make more sense to me if it came from Mars.

[sabotabby]

What baffles me is when an author has designed for maximum likability and purity but the actual implications are toxic af and no one seems to notice (why yes I am still on a tear about cozy horror, three years after the Discourse).

[sovay]

(why yes I am still on a tear about cozy horror, three years after the Discourse).

I'm just entering the acid bath of this discourse, so don't worry, you have an audience.

[sabotabby]

Amazing. B/c I have Strong Feelings about it and am digging up old Discourse to feel like I'm right.

[radiantfracture]

I liked the beginning of Alien Clay, but I've only read the sample so far.

[sabotabby]

I'm blazing through as many of these as possible, since the Auroras are ranked and Rakesfall, which I honestly think should have swept all the awards, isn't nominated for a Hugo.

[greylock]

The Freedom Flotilla

Come on! You mean the Selfie Ship!

LA vs. ICE

Worst marketing stunt since... that Kardashian Pepsi ad.

out-of-control wildfires?

Pipelines don't catch fire!
(This hasn't made the new here yet, but I assume it's Alberta and Ontario.)

Or, closer to home, Bill 5 or the Toronto bubble zone law, or...?

I've got no quips for this.

This is why people curl up and retreat into fiction.

That sounds like a good idea.

[sabotabby]

I'm arguing with bots on the Prime Minister's FB post about the causes of the wildfires because of course I am.

[greylock]

Seems like a bad way to start the day.

Are they at "It was them damn climate greenies!" yet?

[sabotabby]

It's awful. It's like, "you've bought into fearmongering" and "wildfires are caused by lightning strikes and arson"—like...those existed before?????

[greylock]

They are not living in the same reality as any of us.

(That said, I had the news on all day, and I heard zip about wildfires - except Bone Spurs referencing Cali burning down earlier this year. Apparently the ABC ad a story 10 days ago. I can't explain the lack of interest).

[sabotabby]

It's a very manufactured lack of interest imo. It's like, we'd have to change our lives a lot to address the problem.

[greylock]

Change? In this economy?

[xturtle]

wait, there's a freedom flotilla now? I am still in europe and so behind on everything.

[sabotabby]

These folks. Greta Thunberg and a bunch of other people, including a French MEP, tried to break the Gaza blockade to deliver aid. Didn't go well, though at least they're all still alive.