#Israel #Gaza

As I've been noting since early 2023, Israelis have been in one hell of a fight with their gov't for a while. The Times of Israel has been reporting on the protest tonight & the planned labour action tomorrow; the live-blog commentary notes that Israeli press knows it's US Republicans pushing for more war, along with Israel's own far-right, even against warnings from within.

Fighting for global democracy means not giving into the lie that war breeds peace.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-1-2024/

😂 This one is for folks who might not have believed me when I said that #Colombia is switching into Christmas mode tomorrow.

This meme was posted early today on a Colombian forum for locals (not tourists), promising that this'll happen after 11:59 tonight.

Translation:

Homer (with the Colombian flag):

"Wake up, you filthy drunk!"

The creepy leprechaun bursting out of a cat carrier (a Colombian radio station icon on its face):

"From September on, it feels like it's coming... Deeecemberrr!"

Every Saturday, there's a column on traditional Colombian cuisine that I love love love. This week? The article summarizes all the essential ingredients of Antioqueño cuisine. Amusingly, though, the writer and editor never seem to check the brand name of a popular broth cube, so...

Apparently I am a very Antioqueño flavour. 😅 (Pues, ¡obvio!) #Colombia

Baby, wake up, new religion just dropped. 😂

#InArthropodWeTrust

And now home to record.

Some mornings, happiness is as simple as a workout compound all to oneself.

(*So* much muscle rebuilding to do.)

It is now time for me to stare at the ceiling, think of loved ones I worry about, play out imaginary arguments with international douchetrucks, and try to solve global corruption and general callousness toward human suffering in my head until I fall asleep.

(Even the sheep don't get involved. "Buddy," they tell me. "You keep forgetting to count us and ask us existential questions instead. Hate to break it to you, but we have *so* many better offers in other heads." Which is fair.)

Night, CoSo!

Every now and then I feel deeply *seen* by a reader, and that can make all the difference some days. This was a comment on my piece last week about diplomacy games and the media.

I hit a burnout point with the newsletters, so I'm glad I took a week off to catch up on other work, but it's kind, thoughtful readership like this (and from so many generous readers here) that gives me the boost I need to dive back into the humanist fray--soon.

For now?

We all matter, or none of us do. 🕊️

US friends! 🧐 You know what to watch out for today.

(Cute that #StarTrek thought that you'd accept Celsius at long last, in time for the Bell Riots, eh? Or that it would be a breezy 15°C. 😬😅)

Not the greatest staging ground for a photo, but hello beautiful dawn!

Just me and dem birbs, the latter getting all their grievances out before dawn. Do I squawk like that some mornings? 🤔 Yes, yes I do.

#Israel #Gaza

From Oct 7 on, many of us witnessed with pain as victims & families were used as narrative props by warmongers. Lies were told for war purposes about the actual traumas that day. Families were harassed for protesting, & criticized for how they grieved, for months. Families of peace-seeking victims have been in agony to see loved ones' values leveraged for slaughter.

As I wrote last week, kibbutzim & victims are refusing to be part of this.

Good for them.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostage-families-tell-regev-not-to-use-loved-ones-names-or-photos-in-oct-7-ceremony/

😅 Honestly, it takes so little to make me happy. A message from a loved one, a work of art that inspires, a moment in nature, seeing people be excellent to one another, laughter or good food shared...

Y'know, folks, when it comes to sipping on the sweet sweet love of life, I think I might be a pretty cheap drunk. 😬

OH DEAR. THIS POST WAS SET TO SELF-DETONATE 💣 💥 🔥

Ą̷͇̀l̵̩̓̕l̸̩͘ ̸̭̪̈́ť̷̝̍̆h̶̡̛̰̯̏͌a̷͕̞͋̂t̵̩͙͑̈́͝'̵̛̍́ͅͅş̴̬̱͝ ̷̗̊͠l̵͚̕͠ē̸̻͓̐͝f̷̧͙̀̑͝t̶͓̓͊̚ ̶̜̱̓͌́a̴͉͊r̶̡̩͛̀é̵̦̞͕ ̶̮̾ṫ̷̡͈̍ḧ̸̛͍́̊e̴̫̅ş̶̥̰̓e̴̟̪͌͂̇ ̷̞̅͊̚h̷̰͕͈͂e̶̡̹̜̚ŗ̸̗͈̾̇e̴̩̍͐ ̷̪͉̩̀a̵̡̱̐͑͝s̴͎͖̈́h̸͈͌́͜e̴͕̝̐̌ś̶͓̆ͅ.̵̩̉ ̵̱͊͑̀

#Israel #Gaza #democracy

Haaretz is left-of-centre, but far from the only Israeli paper hashing out how to get rid of Netanyahu. This summary presents the problem for the West as one that can be solved by treating him like Putin, for reasons described below. The one thing the columnist missed is that Harris has *already* been given diplomatic roles to signal US keenness to work with someone else.

But locals have to throw off their far-right nightmare first. And soon.

https://archive.ph/IFJJZ

One more book to read and one more submission to send out today, and then I'll be heading across town to watch Alien: Romulus in the "English" theatre.

You know you're ready for some sci-fi when even looking at a flower makes you think of deep-space voids and the quiet horror of the unknown. 👾🌌

Catching the moon on the replacement phone is still going to be tough, but if you zoom in, at least I have more stars! 😍

Good morning, starshines!
The world says hello!

Free-to-read Patreon story!

Today, I just wanted to extend a wee chuckle to my fellow creators, so please enjoy a tiny SF tale that takes a few teasing digs at the whole submission and rejection process - as seen from alien worlds.

This is "Sympathy for the Rejects, Elsewhere in the Milky Way" - and I hope it finds my fellow writers in good cheer.

Keep on keepin' on!

#WritingCommunity #SFF #WritersOfCoSo #ScienceFiction
https://www.patreon.com/posts/wee-sf-story-for-110851819

Also, this is for everyone prepping for or already returning to Fall Term routines.

You know who you are, and what you did.
#CoSoBooks #Reading #Comics

#Politics 😂 I promised updates from the deranged #GOP mailout I got added to through my alt-ego in Georgia (the state).

And if you look at the last line, well, apparently their dream scenario can only happen if I'm on board. 😉 So... you're welcome, estadounidenses!

#IAmAUsefulCanuck