Okay, #Trekkies. As I warned you, I was not happy with the latest #SNW #StarTrek outing. 🖖

On the plus side? Even episodes that massively mess up their representation of human fluidity, as this one did by creating a too-rigid hierarchy between friends and lovers when it comes to whose care matters, can make for excellent conversations.

How do we build cultures where a wider range of human expression and bonding matters, the way Trek at its best always did?

#Humanism
https://onlysky.media/mclark/the-charade-of-showing-care-in-culturally-sanctioned-ways/

This drabble business is a good distraction - and not just because of the ongoing noise outside, but because I'm also not happy with the latest SNW, and trying not to get too grouchy in my review while talking about the state of Western restriction on acceptable forms of care, as advanced through an alien species here, and going against a well-known Trekkie status quo, just to serve a specific character arc.

(Also: we're DEFINITELY talking about age casting for Spock's mom. 🙃 More tomorrow!)

I'm trying to finish three half-drafted pieces (consequence of a scattered workflow amid the local celebrations).

Brain's all over the place, though, so here's a wee activity I sometimes do to sharpen my mind again: drabble challenges!

I need four things:
1) an unusual word (but not too long, for character count reasons);
2) a location (anywhere in time & space);
3) a tone for the story; &
4) a missing item (literal or figurative).

If you'd be so kind, I'll write you a wee toot of a tale. :)

Military, firefighters, ambulance workers, long haul truckers, humanitarian aid delivery workers... everyone counts today. Anyone whose work puts them on the road is under the Catholic notion of patronage covered by celebrations today, at the close of a weekend of similar. Don't forget your everyday and emergency workers! 👌🏻💪🏻

Today is the *actual* Día de los choferes y transportadores, connected with their patron Saint in the Virgin of Carmen. 🙃 Why I thought I'd get anything done this very noisy weekend (daytime fireworks plus routine highway noise) is anyone's guess. I've been here too long for ignorance to be an excuse. (And we still have #Colombia's national holiday this week!)

There were fireworks and party music all night. Ah well. Some days it's just like that.

Will record tonight if I can. Hoping to finish a few articles without as many disruptions as yesterday. Happy Sunday, CoSo - whatever's going on in your necks of the woods.

Yet another reason I'm not getting much writing done this evening: a truckers' convoy promoting local labour and celebrating the industry this weekend. It's fascinating to see the US lately develop more class consciousness via recent strike/union actions, while living in a world region with a *very* different history of the same.

We have so much to learn from each other internationally.

#Humanism #Class #GlobalHumanism #Labour #WorkersRights #Politics #International

This Is Just to Say

I have eaten
the cookies
that were on
the tray

and which
were probably
a poor fit
for the tin

Why forgive me?
they were delicious
so oaty
and so fresh

🍪

Haven't baked in months. Is it silly to bake in the middle of the day in an equatorial city? Maybe a little. Is it also silly for the internet to go out while I'm writing online? Also yes.

We'll see how these suckers taste. I decided for some reason to go by instinct, eyeballing everything from memory and adjusting the dough to taste.

Madness, as #CoSoBakes will tell you, but oatmeal raisin cookies are forgiving.

(No choco-chips on hand, I know, I know.)

Woo! Hello Saturday. Looks a little different when you greet it from working into the early morning hours first, but it's still good!

I have a packed working weekend to make space next week for novel-writing. I also can't wait to share a BookTube tomorrow.

Take care of yourselves!
Don't Do What ML Does! 🤗

#WritingLife
https://youtube.com/shorts/YRL1sIH1yAk?feature=share8

Up working late, & I just had one of those epiphanies that merits the use of this word:

Schnapsidee
[from the German Schnaps "booze" and Idee "idea"]

"An idea that seems clever/brilliant at first but turns out to be stupid on second thought."

I mean, I haven't quite reached "second thought" yet, but something big just fell into place for me that *might* make for a brilliant essay pitch or turn out to be, well... you read the definition.

Only one way to tell. 🙃

#AmWriting
#Schnapsideeily

Marching band is practising, so I can't focus on writing or reading for a bit.

Mindless TV time? Maybe I should try this series From I've heard good things about? 👀 #CoSoTV

Cyclical reminder that I love the whole beautiful mess of all you fellow wounded, wondering, erratic, and ever-growing human beings.

What a good and bracing thing it is to contain *such* multitudes together. 💛

Renan is now an accomplished SF writer himself. Here's his top-finishing piece for Grist's Imagine: 2200 contest two years ago. He writes mostly solarpunk prose and poetry, and he's definitely solicited by publications for more work. 👌🏻 #SFF

https://grist.org/fix/arts-culture/imagine-2200-climate-fiction-when-its-time-to-harvest/