The fog of #war is wild, so as much as I dread repeating myself: remember that *all info is a weapon in war*. News cycles don't give a hoot about empowering you. They feed on your shock and outrage.

Right now, there's a "gotcha" being spun around ID & non-ID'd deaths, which is being presented as new because it serves the cycle for everyone to be in a state of shock and distrust. But we've known for weeks now that one or more of five data points aren't available for many bodies.

#MediaLiteracy

Okay. Patrons now have access to a snippet of my work in progress for the Imagine 2200 contest, and a sneak peek at this week's newsletter posts.

Now to bed so that I can record a BookTube early tomorrow. Hoping to have a lot more energy this week, to get all caught up, and to *stay* that way. 🙃

But hey! You know what they say about how to make the universe laugh...

Night all. Be well. Do good crimes. https://www.patreon.com/posts/writing-present-104133540

Inspired by @corlin's latest post on the return of #Print...

We're all old enough to have been in the trenches with 'zine culture, right? 👀 Hand-printed, cut, collaged, block-painted, haphazardly aligned, chaotically edited ziiiiines! (You know what I mean. 🤟)

So! Question for you louts:

If you were to start a 'zine today, in the style of one of those grand old pubs, what would you call it and what would it be about?

Flowers from the walk for anyone who didn't get any today, and who'd like some.

(Camera didn't quite capture how felty-softy the petals looked, so you'll have to trust me on that part.)

Lots of catch-up today.

Had a bit of paralysis while looking at the to-do list, but we'll get this done bird by bird, as Anne Lamott says.

Have a good one, all. Hold firmly to your consciences, but tread as gently as this rotten old world ever allows.

I have the deepest gratitude to everyone who makes the world a safer place for children, especially after knowing unsafe places themselves as a child, and for everyone who strives to that better end only to have Life get in the way.

Thank you for doing the best you can. 🌺 Happiest of necessarily messy days.

Okay, it *possibly* wasn't the best idea to traipse about in the rain after being sick in bed all day yesterday (yes, apparently I *am* still in touch with my inner six-year-old, why do you ask?).

Hot shower, broth, and more meds just in case I overestimated my recovery, based on the sudden nausea and headache coming on.

But it was a GLORIOUS downpour, so if I die from this, I regret nothing.* 🌈

---

*Maybe should've touched more knockers. But that's a perpetual condition!

In the rain, two families living rough set their dirty strollers together at an underpass. The mums conversed, & a boy about 8 didn't need any prompting as he took his baby sister to meet the toddler of the other mum. Then he showed them flowers on a nearby tree while keeping them in the dry zone. This is a child who most likely is not in school, but the things he's learned on the street still haven't made him cruel.

Would that we could build a world where more such kindness could be preserved.

It is now raining out but I don't want to go home yet.

I just wish I had proper puddle-jumping gear for the occasion. 🙃

@cmskiera! I haven't forgotten you. Expect an email ping on my return to see how things are faring on your end!

I have the post-sitting-too-long sillies and am going for a walk.

How are you touching grass today?

Have you talked to a bug, a flower, or a tree?

Hugged/high-fived a loved one?

Put your phone on airplane mode for an hour or three, so that you can pace yourself when absorbing all the crushing failures of the world about which you can do nothing, nothing at all?

...Hydrated?

(3/4 ain't bad!)

😂 I just came out of a volunteer meeting for a group I co-ordinate, in which we were given the highest praise for being an exemplar by which staff in the organization measure other committees.

I'm laughing, though, because from my side, it feels like I'm sitting in a house on fire whenever it comes to task management for this group. I ALWAYS feel behind on my work for this team.

But hey! Apparently we clean up well enough that the singe marks on our product output aren't noticeable to all. 👌🎉

We atheists hold a funny POV, because if/when we're "proven" correct, we won't be around to go "Ha! You see?!" to all the rest.

Properly processed, though, this should make us realize that we won't get the last word in most situations. I'll have my truth, you'll have yours, and we'll either live together as best we can with our convictions... or rush each other even faster to dust.

Proving that we were "right" isn't how we live well.

It's how we show up for each other in the fray that counts.

Didn't even get off my floor without making a new #BugFriend.

Aw yes. :) Gonna be a good day.

Yesterday was a full-on sick day, but hopefully I got whatever I had in my system out completely.

Time for a... walk? run? We shall see. It's freshly post-rain-y outside, at least, so the air will be a nice change of pace.

Happy Saturday, all. 💛

OK, this piece is NOT getting finished before midnight - burning overnight oil on it instead - but I'm checking in to give a quick salute to @th3j35t3r, for creating a space that can endure all the nonsense that passes for conflict online.

Power lies in more than its use; it also lies in knowing when to use restraint. That's a talent not always shown in the analog world, let alone online--where a sense of entitlement abounds.

Cheers J! Hope you're keeping sane(ish). 👌

Thanks for all you do.

Okay. Time to shake off the sillies and finish this newsletter.

You all are DELIGHTFUL ROTTERS, but quit tempting me with a good time here, eh?

OH DEAR. THIS POST WAS SET TO SELF-DETONATE 💣 💥 🔥

Ą̷͇̀l̵̩̓̕l̸̩͘ ̸̭̪̈́ť̷̝̍̆h̶̡̛̰̯̏͌a̷͕̞͋̂t̵̩͙͑̈́͝'̵̛̍́ͅͅş̴̬̱͝ ̷̗̊͠l̵͚̕͠ē̸̻͓̐͝f̷̧͙̀̑͝t̶͓̓͊̚ ̶̜̱̓͌́a̴͉͊r̶̡̩͛̀é̵̦̞͕ ̶̮̾ṫ̷̡͈̍ḧ̸̛͍́̊e̴̫̅ş̶̥̰̓e̴̟̪͌͂̇ ̷̞̅͊̚h̷̰͕͈͂e̶̡̹̜̚ŗ̸̗͈̾̇e̴̩̍͐ ̷̪͉̩̀a̵̡̱̐͑͝s̴͎͖̈́h̸͈͌́͜e̴͕̝̐̌ś̶͓̆ͅ.̵̩̉ ̵̱͊͑̀

Ugh. I have been in video meetings all day. Our species didn't develop for this!

One English class now, then back to today's newsletter draft.

(And maybe a walk because I can't feel my legs. 🙃)