Today's free-to-read Patreon post reflects on the messiness of life (as read through the messiness of Robbie Burns!) while setting clear intentions for February. There will be a Q&A BookTube on the first book as a sneak-peek for Patrons... soon, I hope! 🤞

https://www.patreon.com/posts/february-and-78011621

Okay, January was rotten.

Had to cancel another podcast recording today - I'm sick. Not surprising: not in my 20s anymore, and I've been pulling all-nighters trying to get caught up on tasks (to little avail).

That's fine.

Going to...

✅ get a Patreon post up,
✅ reset writing & publishing goals for February,
✅ set up Python for self-study,
✅ finish an article pitch, &
✅ restart key wellness routines.

Just keep swimming, eh? 🤞
Here's to a lovelier Feb! ☕

Morning, lovelies. 🕊️

Today's #newsletter is deeply vulnerable. It provides updates on the last week of César's family crisis, framed around... zombie fiction, actually!

But mostly, it's a reflection on the *messiness* of giving aid. The ways in which we're not perfect: not the people giving aid, & not those receiving it.

We'll always do harm to one another along the way - which is why charity will always be an impoverished way of bettering our hurting world.

#Humanism
https://mlclark.substack.com/p/the-zombie-test-and-showing-up-for

Quite enjoyed Fearless last night: early 90s dramas - with lower budgets, & fewer expectations of special effects - still relied heavily on theatre-informed staging, narrative structure, & actor training. When these all came together? What a wallop!

It was also nice to spend time with Isabella Rossellini again. I first encountered her in Merlin, where I identified mightily with world-weary Sam Neill & definitely envied him for getting to retire to an eternity in the woods with her. #CoSoFilms

January was a mess, but I'd still like to pursue some of my tech re-training goals for 2023. What do you think would be a rewarding course of hobby study (aiming for 50 hours a month) that might also improve my insight into key topics for the tech-driven world ahead? (I know the languages might seem simple, but there's a great Python podcast that talks about how the language is used in a range of unexpected fields, so I'd be looking at applications, too. And Ruby's just fun.)

Thanks in advance!

All right. Time to get Weir and Bridges completionist up in here!

#CoSoFilms

Currently writing tomorrow's newsletter and... feeling deeply grateful to have found this community last year.

This space has given me a lot of courage. Every venture I thought might go somewhere last year fell through. I *almost* bought into the possibility that I'd get institutional support at last--but no.

But the sincerity shared here? 1000s of lives filled with stumbles that don't affect our core humanity in any way?

That's given me a lot of solid ground to build upon.

Thank you CoSo. 💙

There is something very moving about the excitement of a person who's lived in precarity for a long time VM-ing to tell you "ya tengo casa!" (now, I have a house!).

I still need to arrange the rest of the 💲, but now his family can't be tossed to the street ever again.

It's funny: I will never own property myself. My life is royally screwed in a few key ways I don't think I can ever fix. But we do our best where we can, how we can, until the brief candle goes out. So, I'm happy for César today!

Morning CoSo!

Hope you're keeping well.

Still recovering from a stressful day, but eh - we're only human, right?

Which brings me to today's piece for #OnlySky, where I again reflect on our responses to AI: this time, to explore the impoverished understanding of evolutionary processes that our knee-jerk reactions to it represent. Luckily, we can reclaim human agency by remembering history's mess. ⬇️

#Humanism

(Come for the AI! Stay for the digs at evo-psychology!)

https://onlysky.media/mclark/reclaiming-human-agency-in-how-we-think-about-ai/

Starting The Last of Us (TV adaptation).

🤞🏻High hopes based on good reviews.

#CoSoTV

Query: Do you see these kinds of promotions for cereal in Canada or the US? I've been away for so long that I can't tell if these are local strategies (this is back-to-school season in Colombia, so equivalent to September promos in the West), or part of cereal's effort to fight loss of market share more widely.

US citizens, HOW has there not been a general strike against this BS on your home front? HOW?!

More on Sunday, but today has been riddled with upsides & downsides.

Upside: I dropped off some toys I had in reserve for the two boys, who live in a home without so much as a refrigerator, in anticipation of the youngest leaving hospital. César is also signing the contract to own his humble apartment tomorrow.

Downside: Although César's contract starts Feb 1, his boys won't be covered until Feb 15. The last treatments will be out of pocket too.

I am tired & angry at non-universal healthcare.

Drafted an article for OnlySky, but it's one of those "thinky" pieces that I need to walk away from first, to make sure I haven't forgotten anything super critical before I publish it. I will say hello to the flowers and the birds and the street preacher and my street vendor friends for you all. ❤️

There are such funny Catch-22s around health. For instance, exercise is great for mood boosts, but one has to be well enough *to* exercise first.

Likewise, the first day I wanted to fast beyond OMAD for improved calm, energy, and clarity, I was far too stressed for it not to be painful - one has to listen to one's body! - so I dropped my cortisol first with a good meal, & *now* I've been reaping the benefits of a water fast.

On Day 3 and feeling good.
Lots to write today! 💪🤞

💫 Big final shout-out for the day to everyone who uses whatever tradition they come from - or whatever better traditions they've gained over the course of their lives - to deepen in kindness with themselves, to seek calm and justice in their respective measures, to nurture curiosity and a growth mentality, and to give those around you the space and safety to pursue all these strengths, too.

Whew. Tall order, am I right? 😅

But you folks are good for it. 💙

Rest up well for the struggles ahead.

From my evening walk before classes.

May there be calm, space, and opportunities to reframe tough perspectives in your lives this week. ❤️

#CoSoNature

2,500 words later, I have a *lot* of confidence that this story marks a shift in style to better convey my thematic priorities. I've been trying for years to express how human self-absorption undermines our awe in the face of new discoveries.

This one might just get it right. 🤞 Lots still to do, but - it's getting there.

Now on to other #writing before evening classes. 🎉

🤞🏻 Three hours for new fiction writing! First time in weeks!

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritersOfCoSo #Writers #SFF