I've seen some folks post fears for Mexico's new president, Claudia Sheinbaum, based on abundant reports of violence against Mexican politicians.

It's absolutely true that many local leaders are murdered by gangs and cartels - but most of those deaths happen in towns deep in gang terrain. The capital is a different story. Here's a nifty map breaking down cartel activity in different zones this year.

Danger always exists, but differently than the news suggests.

#Politics #Violence #Mexico

More flowers. Home time now.

A *lil* bit of park time. No running, but I have three voice messages to send, which I can do while walking. (Newsletter ready, will post on my return. Then finish a public Patreon before starting today's editing.)

For now - flowers after rain. #Nature

I've been thinking about this poem all week.

I think what strikes me about it is how it speaks to the struggle to talk about atrocity with any integrity, and how every form we reach for to do such work--"non"-fiction, "fiction", poetry that reports--is tainted by the audacity of trying to put transgression to words at all.

We're such a strange, fragile species.

*Just* sentient enough to understand how much hurt exists in our world.

Not wise or powerful enough to do enough about it.

#Poetry

🤔 Also, what do you think are my chances of a late afternoon walk today?

I think @cmskiera will appreciate this, if no one else.

I got asked today about my availability for a novel-length editing job in a few weeks. The author was trying to sell it as a simple job, just some clean-up really. But when I looked through a sample... whoo-eee. The developmental issues on this beast! 😬

(With thanks to CM for turning in a piece that was JUST FINE, REGULAR BOAT-SIZED, NO COMPLAINTS! 👌🏻😅)

Forgot to share this beauty of a new #BugFriend on Friday.

"Polilla Cola de Golondrina Verde" (urania swallowtail / green page moth)

#Colombia #Nature

😂 Colombia is very proud and interested in this whole verdict because the judge is a rolo (born in Bogotá). But some here also cynically suggest that because he's Colombian he'll go easy in sentencing. (Psh! That's just local political cynicism talking.)

Okay, sillies out, and coffee in hand. Off now for real.

Watch your hearts, and remember that unless you have the Jedi power of changing thoughts and minds and SCOTUS verdicts from a distance, doomscrolling might not be advantageous to your health today.

See you on the flipside, all you beautiful rotten critters you!

Heading into a class now, and then I can draft the newsletter.

Busy day! Almost no balls dropped, but I don't think I'm going to get a run in tomorrow morning after all.

Friday, though--Friday, we'll end the month pretending we had everything well in hand all along! 🙃

🙃 I am a good educator.

One of my students was excited to show me the English book his cousin gave him.

It turns out his cousin--a gay upper-class Colombian--is a diehard fan of a certain would-be autocrat running for US office.

My *student* isn't, though, so after I set his mind at ease by telling him the production history of this book, we went through sections and came up with reading exercises that would work best with its contents.

Like I said - I am a good educator. 🙃

No matter what.

Just heading into class now, but look what I saw on my way over! 😲 Crunchy peanut butter has arrived in everyday barrios! I haven't seen this "ethnic" cuisine of ours out on Colombian shelves in six years!

#TheLuxury 😅
#TheLittleThings

Just printing off materials for my students tonight, and this one's going to be fun. They're both scientists, so I've been putting them through a unit on terms and syntax of relevance to research (GREAT for passive voice and diversifying verb vocab), but tonight's reading is going to involve more flowery language than one usually sees in science papers.

We'll see how they do, but for now I'm chuckling at the efforts of these paper authors to create moving prose about remote crop monitoring. 😅👌🏻

Just finishing a good stretch and pace between work tasks, but man, when you check in with the news, do you ever get this ache in your chest like your heart wants to grow large enough to reach out and touch the whole world?

That's...

That's not fungal spores talking, is it? 🤨

Does anyone know the signs?!

All right. Out for the night!

After the day we've had, last one out, please don't forget to... 💦

Okay, I'm changing the rules of today's game, in defence of a much maligned and sometimes VERY USEFUL word. #moist

(With thanks to @duglop for catching me up on the Sunday sillies here.)

Lunch break!

Who wants to join me in the ball pit? 👀

Picked up my newspaper, which was pretty relaxed as local news goes. There was a good article covering the state of local paramilitary and cartel violence, as Clan del Golfo, ELN, and EMC are beefing hard with each other more than with the state.

I was having trouble keeping track of their movements and their local leaders' names, but this is a handy little chart!

Canadians never get anything this interesting in their news cycles. Maybe a maple syrup cartel, from time to time? 🤔

#Colombia

Good morning to everyone, but an especially big salute to anyone who has a family member like this: my uncle might be the only person who messages me with any frequency, outside my manic brother's random meme drops, but when he does...

🧐 Is that 57 minutes of VMs about everyday details in his life waiting for me?!

You can bet your bippy I'm only listening at 2x while doing chores. 🙃

May all your relationships be more mutually affirming, and make you feel seen for the persons of worth you are.

All right.

Industry sucks, but this afternoon I have 4 hours blocked to work on a CoSonaut's fantastic dreaming, and that is going to make the world moderately OK again.

I freaking love seeing the dreams you folks are dreaming.

(Yes, even the ones with relentless screams.)

#OffToMyHappyPlace
#AmEditing