Getting my newspaper today was a bit of a trip, but what a bounty of items!

1) For the word nerds, a column on correct usage of the comma around porque and pero (syntax differs between tongues!);

2) #OnlyInColombia: Colombia sits down with one of the dominant guerrilla groups here, ELN, to talk economics and peace (because the two are always related);

3) Mpox in Colombia: only two active cases! Stayin' sharp!

And...

4) Book fair a-coming! September 6-15! 🥳 Who's comin' with? 👀

#Colombia

@Minholkin!

The rain cleared, so I could "pick" these flowers for you.

Birthdays are such a lovely excuse to tell people how much we care for them and see how much they do for so many others - but you show that same generosity of presence and grace all the year round, with people in all states of need.

💛 Thank you for being you.

I hope that on this day of days you feel as seen by community as you make everyone else feel all the year through. (And may there be rest and good memories, too!)

Morning CoSo!

Still working on rebuilding cardio with the stop-start method - take the breaks I need, but get to the overall distance-run goal no matter what. It's frustrating when you recall how strong you once were (top form when I climbed back in Canada), and how far you have to go to recover stamina and strength.

But! One sunrise at a time. Hoping to cut weight and reform muscle significantly before Navidad, when I'll be dodging natilla and buñuelos to keep it off for a month. 😅

One of my milder vices is reading advice forums for a lil' boost. It usually helps me keep my own problems in perspective, and reminds me that humans will excuse a lot from those they love/live with: sometimes for lack of financial/mobility options, but often also because people are more afraid of being alone than in toxic scenarios.

Our desperate need to belong does pretty bonkers things to our brain chem, eh?

Here's tonight's reminder. The solution to her problem is a real mystery, I know!

Also, I can't remember with whom I was chatting about different Spanish terms for popcorn a few weeks back. @wolfwoman, maybe?

But here's an hilarious reminder of just how regional language is. Crispetas is the most popular here by a wide margin.

What would you say is a common item in English with a ridiculous amount of regional variance?

I'm drawing a blank beyond the usual: soda/pop, couch/sofa, universal-healthcare/socialist-plot-to-kill-granny.

What comes to mind for you?

#LanguageIsFun

#Soon

45 minutes more for processing locally, then another hour or so for upload to YouTube. Time for a walk before I sit down to some work emails and... *maybe* get a story into a mag queue by day's end? 🤞🏻

I popped onto CoSo and wanted to get into an argument despite having achieved little today, so my "vibes aren't right", as the yutes say, & I'm switching on Cold Turkey for a bit.

Thank you to everyone who has offered kind words during my incompetent spells, humoured my writing & views, helped me help others, & set an example with everything *you* do to help others.

Also, thank you to everyone fighting for pluralist democracy, even when it's hard. Mind your health too--and chin up in the fray.

And... because there were *so* many cats in the neighbourhood... and it took *so* long to get out...

#CatsOfCoSo #CatTax

(You've seen an elf on a shelf, but have you seen...?)

#FinallyHeadingHome

(Super relieved to see my friend. She lives in a barrio with lots of family nearby to help, which is wonderful. Have some shots from the neighbourhood. Barrios populares might not have much in the way of cash wealth, but they are filled with riches of another type. #Colombia)

Never not relevant.

I promised myself that I'd stop getting into correction-based conversations for at least the next while.

The urge is strong!

(Was about to get into it this morning over a nasty rumour involving immigrants, even though the quickest of searches would have dispelled the myth if the person cared to look.)

But there's ego at the heart of Someone-is-wrong-ism - and ego is my greatest nemesis.

Ducking out for a few days to get my head on straight(ish?).

Be good, be kind, etc.!

One thing I love about stepping out for a tinto is that the people in transit by my vendor friend are from all walks of life, so rare is the day when I don't learn something new from passersby.

Today I had a great chat with a curtidor (tanner) who walked me through the different processes used to treat leather for different industrial products, and we discussed the challenges in transitioning older companies to new production techniques. New Spanish vocab *and* technical know-how in one go! 🥳

*takes a long sip of tea*

Another day, another reminder (this one from Substack, screencapped from WSJ) that legacy media is not your friend.

Travel safely out there.

And turn the darned feeds off sometimes, if ever they "start" to drive you mad.

#Politics #MediaLiteracy

The Passion of the Fruit!

#MaricuHELLya
#CoSoFood

🤨

I need to talk with my manager* about some of my newsletter topics. Humanity really, really, really sucks sometimes.

(You'll see soon enough, but whew.)

The manager:

#Zine

Are you looking for abZurd, CoSo's homegrown, 99 ⁴⁴⁄₁₀₀% pure, pro-nature, craft-positive, and community-lovin' Zine?

In my profile and this pinned post, I have a Linktree that will be populated by links to the digital editions of each issue.

When we have more ducks in a row for future issues, you'll see a handy link for printing and payment details here, too.

For future issues, mail submissions to:

abZurd_Zine @ proton.me

Thanks for your interest in the mag!
https://linktr.ee/abzurdmagazine

#Politics

I'm also feeling *so* excited for our US friends today.

This could be it! The long-awaited turn back to healing a deeply wounded republic!

Months to go and lots of dangers among extremists yet to be thwarted (especially at the polls, where most every vote in some regions will be contested by all the GOP watchers this year).

But what a long-overdue change could come out of this. We might finally start to wean ourselves from our 8-year nightmare of busted US and global civic norms. 🤞🏻

All right, #Zine Team, the moment of truth:

Here's the mock-up of our digital version of abZurd - Volume 1, Issue 1. If folks want name changes, do let me know. Thoughts on colour, etc, very welcome.

The next step will be to prep this for printing, in a program that'll let me separate colour from b&w.

Congrats, team!
We have lift-off!

@JGSchaeffer @ceorl @corlin @IrelandTorin @Boyceaz @BosmangBeratna @JeniRizio @POOetryma @jenebene @AndersonArtwork @redenigma @phase2

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGLUlpKcFI/-mdprVInuOWGsRnf0pWtSQ/view

US friends (and allies!), there's a virtual event on August 1 that might be of use to an activist near you.

"Love Is Not Enough: How We Can Strengthen & Expand Public Libraries" looks to offer "specific actions, toolkits, and resources you can use right away to make a difference in the face of book bans, censorship, privatization, and loss of funding." Pass it on!

#Democracy #Activism #MutualAid https://mobilize.us/s/M43fWc

I thought I asked for a *calmer* week. 🤨

My discount store is expanding its fruit options. Who's coming over for papaya? 👀