And yes, inevitably the story will fork as people try to post at the same time. :) That'll be part of the fun, to see how many different tales emerge in the end!

Okay, more data entry.

Shall we start a #ChainStory today? Something with a spooky theme, perhaps?

I'm thinking one line at a time, with each person adding more chaos, intrigue, adventure, and shivers to the last.

This opener is inspired by M.R. James and @JGSchaeffer ❤️:

"After my last visit to the coast, where we cast my grandfather's ashes into the wind atop a cliff he'd walked every day for half a century, the ocean followed me wherever I would roam."

#WritersOfCoSo #WritingCommunity

@NiveusLepus @tyghebright

Yes! I am totally here for waiting on those revisions, to read the work in the form you feel proudest of. 🤗 Don't forget us, now!

@Kinnison

A classic for a reason! So many possibilities!

@tyghebright @NiveusLepus

👀 It is very hard not to ask to read said story! But I don't want to put another creator on the spot. I'm glad for the teaser, if nothing else!

@LSWellesley @Lindy

What a beautiful way of putting it. Thank you for that smile, LSWellesley. ☺️🙏🏻

@stueytheround

Oh, that's fantastic, Stuey.

Even the disappointing days give us good data to go forward.

*Definitely* worth treating yourself. Well done today, no matter what!

@stueytheround

First off, congrats for showing up! Definitely worth rewarding yourself.

I have a friend around your age who's been out of the job market for a while, & he reports similar issues with lean pickings in job fairs these days. It's really rough.

Do you have an employment centre nearby, with listings & people you can talk to, to direct future inquiries & maybe go over your CV?

It's very clear that in-person connection goes a *long* way. 💛 Well done for putting yourself out there!

I love that on CoSo I can start my day with a deep poli-sci discussion AND share some silly and creative moments at the same time. 🤗 Morning, gang!

I have a slew of tasks today, so #Zine stuff will post later this evening.

There will be two open calls, so please post or DM if you're nervous about submitting, yet would like to try to create An Art to share with the class.

I promise that most of us don't bite unless there's enthusiastic consent! 😅

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna
💯

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna

This is why "state-building" has been so hard in many parts of Africa and the Middle East: those regions weren't exactly asking for it! They had other ways of interacting locally, and when they later tried to use some of those ways to overcome strife caused by Western statism (e.g. Pan-African, Pan-Arab associations) they were smacked down again by a Western culture that wanted to deal with private-business-friendly solo states, or not at all.

History is a trip! 🙃

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna

Yes indeedy. I had a wee podcast series on petronationalism, and it was even worse than that: US and UK corporations played a huge role in hurrying many regions into formal territorial boundaries that could be used as the basis for contracts leasing land for extraction. But the reality was that much of the land was populated by Indigenous peoples with loose notions of tribal borders, so "nation-states" were forced artificially on many disparate cultures... for oil!

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna

Next Rewind Wednesday, I'm talking about US support of Pol Pot, because it was deemed more important to stave off the Soviets, so... yes indeed.

It's heartbreaking because most US citizens carry an idea and dream of their country that's far better than its history, especially in the world - but so long as resource wars are a thing, US foreign policy is never going to live up to its citizens' greatest ideals. (Rooting for everyone to keep trying, though!)

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna

This is what drives me nuts in any discussion of "terrorism" - whether talking about state or non-state forms: all those grand ideological mandates are largely secondary to socioeconomic issues.

In South American and African countries dealing with terrorist groups, it is well known that one needs to address the local socioeconomic opportunities to divert youth recruitment. But the West is so caught up in the lie that ideology exists in a vacuum of material causes.

@NiveusLepus @BosmangBeratna

Yes!

And JPost made a really good point this week about how economics factor in. Israel's economy is not doing well--another massive cut to its Moody's rating, local business gutted, huge brain drain as people leave--but it's always been precarious because only around 20% pay taxes in part due to Orthodox exemptions.

This means that military funding *funds the country*. N can't afford peace, because the country can't transition to a peacetime economy fast enough.

@BosmangBeratna

😅 You know those comedy skits where a news anchor team cuts to a weather guy who's almost dying in a weather event, screaming at the top of his lungs, while his coworkers continue their banter?

That's totally what this feels like sometimes. 🙃

Anchor: And now to Sam the Weather Man! How's it going Sam?

Sam: *barely holding on to a tree, screaming* NOT GREAT, CAROL. SHIT'S ALL FUCKED UP.

Anchor: *laughing* Spicy language down in hurricane country! Next up...

*Sam blows away*