The world's been through a lot of horrible moments, and we've lost a lot of people to them. It utterly sucks to witness societies accelerate self-destruction on scales previously unknown to many of us.

But we're still going to lean in and do the best we can from our subject-positions.

I'll screw up.

You'll screw up.

And yet with any luck, we'll still be around after, to learn from our screw-ups and press on.

'Night, CoSo.

Love you weirdos to weirdo bits.

#CoSoMusic
https://youtu.be/ijYSkpDoiFE

The other day I was reminded of this piece I wrote back in January. It pissed off a CoSonaut something fierce, but we've known for some time that our US friends were going to have a hard election year.

As I wrote then, voters were denied a fuller democratic primary. Issues of note to average citizens didn't have a chance to set the candidate agenda.

You folks are doing the best you can with the fallout now.

Give yourselves credit for that, eh?

And hold on. 🫂 #Politics
https://onlysky.media/mclark/the-election-us-voters-wont-get-to-have/

Have I mentioned how much I learn from you folks every day? Sometimes it's how to live with grace and compassion, sometimes it's neat technical know-how, sometimes it's just how someone's pupper or catto is doing, and sometimes it's some weird quirk of a CoSonaut's body or mind that they're kindly sharing for laughs.

S'all good data, baby!

(Thanks for sharing.)

#Zine update:

Despite all you nutters with your chaos of submissions formats (I kid - it's actually very true to the creation process of a classic 'zine!), we're closing in on a final layout.

We're looking at a 24-pager, once @JeniRizio has sent along a follow-up email.

Colour and formatting tweaks next, but I also need the names you want to go by! (Anon's covered.)

@ceorl, @corlin, @AndersonArtwork, @POOetryma, @jenebene, @Boyceaz, @JGSchaeffer, @IrelandTorin, @redenigma, what'll it be?

One thing I find makes all the difference on CoSo is that we do the whole "Morning Sam, Morning Ralph" routine with each other really well.

Over the course of the day we might spit, curse, flail, and wail around each other--while we're on the clock, doomscrolling like our lives depend on it (because it often feels like they do!).

But before all that, we say hello, g'morning, how's everyone doing, who needs a cuppa, wishing you the best!

Then the bloodletting can begin.

But courtesy first! 😉

I always do things the wrong way round. I just finished reading a Goldman Sachs research report for today's newsletter... and *then* made a cup of coffee. 🙃

Now, a little less groggy, I feel like I should definitely have reversed my order here!

I feel like a lot of people here might fit the bill. 😉 'Night, CoSo. #Memes

Today's Rewind Wednesday is somewhat of a prelude for the next piece, in which I'll reflect on the whole muddy "dream of the web". Here, though, we look at Gamergate as a key turning point that illustrated how easily the internet could be weaponized.

Nearly ten years on, what have we learned?

Have we gained the agency needed to make more humane and democratically empowering use of this technology?

(Haha. Of course not.)

#Technology #MediaLiteracy #Humanism #History

https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/the-long-term-impact-of-gamergate

Obligatory final walk-and-think before clicking that "send" button. I ended today's newsletter on a down note; let's see if I still agree with that after a few minutes of fresh air. 🤞

*Amusingly, mind you, some folks also think I already go *way* too hard on some things, and that I'm a shrill radical left nutbag, so YMMV. 😉

To the surprise of absolutely no one, my walk got derailed.

I'll write about it on Patreon, but for now: sitting with 4 migrants telling their story of hoofing it across South America for work was just what I needed for perspective.

Also:

I know it annoys some people that I don't go hard enough against awful things.*

Being a humanist makes me look like a damned fence-sitter.

But there's so much to learn from holding views in tension.

We all deserve to be treated humanely *just as we are*.

I've been putting off a conversation with my dear friend and beta reader about my work, but it's time to go for a walk and try to put feelings about my future into words.

(Thank you, @joycereynoldsward, by the way, for your comments the other day. I have to let go of the idea that I'm ever going to make enough money to fix the biggest problem in my life, and make choices for the work that will let me live as best I can in a life that will always be a little bit broken on the security front. 👍🏻)

#RandomQuestion

Who's your favourite example of a prosocial fella *living today*?

I was just having this chat with someone around how many toxic figures exist in mainstream media, and how much a lot of messaging for young fellows seems to reduce to "don't be like that".

Then folks name examples of wonderful, prosocial fellas from other eras... but who's around *now*, doing the great work of modelling warmth, stability, open-mindedness, and constructive communal action for teens and young men?

Fireworks. 😂 Oh, what a day.

10:07. They're back again. 😂

Ahhh boy. Only once a year.

I spoke too soon.

😂

They're baaaaaack.

It is 9:07 and the highway is quiet.

Kids are out playing soccer.

I can hear the insects humming.

I can hear my own brain again, too.

🙂 This is nice.

Close-up on the truck parade when it came back to my side... I THINK for the last time!

Going for a walk on the OTHER side of the building. 🙃

CW: NOISE. LOTS OF NOISE.