While away, I got back into proper routines. I wake before my alarm now, run before dawn (even if my runs are still rough - rebuilding), and have energy through the day on one big nourishing meal (OMAD) to put me to bed well, sleeping soundly to do it all again.

The only caveat? I had to go through days of caffeine withdrawal (I'd probably been knocking back too much of the stuff) in which I had a migraine for days and a hugely depressive low.

But! All good now.
Off for another predawn run. 💪🏻

I haven't hate-watched something in a while, but while I went in open-minded, I found myself grumbling at the screen every 5 to 10 minutes while watching the 2022/2024 documentary The Grab.

I'll write on Monday about what a perfect example of journalistic sleight of hand it is, but I'm glad I have a day to shake off how gosh-dang infuriating the whole viewing experience was first.

I used many spicier forms of "fudge" and "fiddlesticks" while arguing aloud with the commentary, I tell you what!

*That's on top of my book review work for Strange Horizons. I'm currently working through the 10-book shortlist for the Ursula K. Le Guin award, for an upcoming massive two-parter.

My latest review went up this past week, on a collection of solar punk stories from Brazilian author Renan Bernardo. Some are stronger than others; all speak to a kind of hopeful, exploratory creativity that might resonate for some readers here.

Happy reading, all!

#SFF #Reviews #CoSoBooks

http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/different-kinds-of-defiance-by-renan-bernardo/

One last note before the workday starts in earnest ("fun" meeting to run this afternoon, but I'm hoping to finish a story after; I'm currently working on four [!!!] to replenish submission queues & return to the short fic world that always served me well).

My BookTube is back, & I have a solid slate of reviews forthcoming, including 2 pieces by writers here (@cmskiera & @joycereynoldsward 🥳).

I hope everyone's creative lives have been serving them well. #WritersOfCoSo
https://youtu.be/N8aGuZEOG90

🤨 Also, I think I've mentioned there's a person with my name in Georgia who often signs the wrong email to key forms, meaning I've gained glimpses into their medical and dating life, along with a few church mailouts...

And now they've put me on a GOP list, so I'm getting *scads* of bonkers campaign emails every day.

I could block the major addresses!

But part of me also finds them fascinating in their derangement. So... for now they stay, so I can study this rare SFF subgenre. 🧐

#ForScience!

I still have the Cold Turkey app on for my computer, but I've been checking my grumpitude on the phone before returning. This space has a lot of lovely people, *and* keels right-of-centre, which is fine, but a problem when there's too much hostility toward dialogue & data sharing. That breaks my democratic heart, but this isn't my sandbox, so it's up to me to temper my expectations and use the tools.

Anyway, hope folks are doing well. 🫂

Here's a wee video from the park:
https://youtube.com/shorts/E_zCTvIYFeA?si=0D3e0Ybna89t1Ghx

NB: All #Zine questions can be sent to [email protected]. The files for the first issue are with @corlin now, and should yield some wonderful mail-outs soon, even if there might be a few tweak requests from the printer along the way.

Cheers, and thanks again to everyone who bravely contributed. It's not easy to put one's work into the world - but it makes *such* a difference to see a whole chorus of voices shine!

I popped onto CoSo and wanted to get into an argument despite having achieved little today, so my "vibes aren't right", as the yutes say, & I'm switching on Cold Turkey for a bit.

Thank you to everyone who has offered kind words during my incompetent spells, humoured my writing & views, helped me help others, & set an example with everything *you* do to help others.

Also, thank you to everyone fighting for pluralist democracy, even when it's hard. Mind your health too--and chin up in the fray.

Whew. This was a deeply affecting read. It was sent to me by someone who thinks I fit the profile, but I'm not financially successful enough to be doing this properly, I've wasted time on frivolous fields, and I waste too much time on self-loathing. I'm probably as *annoying* to deal with (if not more so), but this person got their shaving cream sorted out soon enough not to be a burden first.

Still, we do what we can, from where we can, to improve.

#Activism #Humanism
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/22/extreme-altruism-should-you-care-for-strangers-as-much-as-family

And... because there were *so* many cats in the neighbourhood... and it took *so* long to get out...

#CatsOfCoSo #CatTax

(You've seen an elf on a shelf, but have you seen...?)

#FinallyHeadingHome

(Super relieved to see my friend. She lives in a barrio with lots of family nearby to help, which is wonderful. Have some shots from the neighbourhood. Barrios populares might not have much in the way of cash wealth, but they are filled with riches of another type. #Colombia)

All right. Back offline to get caught up and my head on straight (having a really tough time with executive function right now) - but thanks for all the suggestions for my injured friend!

I was especially struck by how many distinctly first-world assumptions showed up in the responses (i.e., things we take for granted that don't map well to other contexts), so I'll keep that in mind for a future essay.

With any luck, I'll be caught up on recordings, postings, and mail-outs by Monday.

Cheers!

🙃 I went *one day* without Someone-Is-Wrong-on-the-Internet-ing it. FFS.

But I popped on because have a question for you folks. A friend was in a terrible accident. Cane sugar processing machine caught her arm. She didn't lose it, but it's bad, and she's quite poor. She's been recovering at home.

Tomorrow I'm visiting with the biggest bag of rice I can carry, & panela & powdered milk. But for folks who've been laid up, is there a comfort item (medical, cosmetic) that made a difference for you?

Never not relevant.

I promised myself that I'd stop getting into correction-based conversations for at least the next while.

The urge is strong!

(Was about to get into it this morning over a nasty rumour involving immigrants, even though the quickest of searches would have dispelled the myth if the person cared to look.)

But there's ego at the heart of Someone-is-wrong-ism - and ego is my greatest nemesis.

Ducking out for a few days to get my head on straight(ish?).

Be good, be kind, etc.!

I'm a fortunate Canuck indeed, because I've been all over the country. What a heavy loss this fire is for a beautiful locale - but the people there are incredible. I only hope that they can stave off the predatory contractors and investors that will rise up in the wake of this disaster, to try to take advantage of this deep loss to build back something other than what made the dream of Jasper so beautiful to begin with.

#Canada #Fire #News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wildfire-that-roared-into-jasper-was-a-wall-of-fast-moving-flame-says-fire-official-1.7274825

#WritersOfCoSo

I have an hour to send out more agent pitches for the novel, which is what I'm going to do.

How about you folks? What goals do you have on the go to round out the month? How has your creative work been treating you as of late?

(And: @joycereynoldsward, how have your short fiction forays fared this fine month of [f]July?)