😅 So far I can't help most of you.

The flavours that *do* exist here (from the ones you mentioned) include chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, rum raisin, and coconut.

But I nabbed a bocadillo con queso ice cream bar, myself. 😋

Going for ice cream. What flavour should I bring back for you, CoSo? 👀

Sometimes, when I go to a site and it asks if I'm an adult before letting me in, I take *way* too long to answer. 🙃

Can we come up with some new categories? How's this for an age range:

I am...

🔲 Still prone to public melt-downs because existence is hard.
🔲 Keeping my screams inside more days than not.
🔲 Shocked that I'm still here.
🔲 Shocked that any of us are still here.
🔲 One with the infinite; only using this keyboard because my spirit-form slipped while singularity surfing. Send tits.

🤷

I love the way my brain snaps, crackles, and pops after it comes out of a meeting that went an hour over its expected timeframe. 🙃

GUYS!

GUYS GUYS GUYS!

😀

THE NEIGHBOURS MOVED OUT!

AND THEIR LITTLE DOGS, TOO!

Back in 2022 was the last time I was truly afraid for my own life.

But when we watched millions of Ukrainians flee--& millions of other displaced people learn in shock that the rules *could* change, for some--fear switched off in me.

It's all so arbitrary: who gets to live a good life, who gets to *live*.

This morning's news comes to me like a lot of reports over the last 2 years:

As a reminder.

The world is not fair.

Whatever kindness we show in an unfair world, though? Now that's a gift.

(It"s a tough hustle for all my sibs right now - none of them are doing okay - but it's still kind of hilarious when my experience doesn't count for beans. Everyone needs to go through nonsense themself before they'll believe someone else's experience of similar, I guess!)

Every now and then someone will leap into immigration, thinking it's going to be soooo easy, and ignore my hardwon caution.

My brother is the latest; after months of telling me about all the promises given to him, and how he was going to be rich and successful any day now, he's finally hit the wall that often comes with migration: when you learn that everyone's full of hot air & will exploit you, & that there are no easy fixes to most bureacratic messes.

Now the kid's real education begins. 👍🏻

(Gosh, I love you stinkers. Never change. 🌜)

CoSo isn't working for me well on PC or Android right now, so I'm calling it quits for the night. (Marching band is also back to practising across the street, so that's the end of concentration for the next while. 🙃)

Glad to see more interested parties for the #Zine! Looking forward to placing the rest of your submissions after this weekend.

TTFN, you inglorious buttercups! 😘

#Zine asks:

I'm also looking for some random content to fill margins (because zines are supposed to be full of wacky asides).

Things that would help:

1) serious pro-tips for defending against cyber attacks and other scams

2) dad jokes and weird fortunes & cool facts.

3) a few different "prayers" (in quotations only because they don't need to be from folks with a sincere faith in a higher power--just utterances calling for the world be to a little better than it currently is!).

Any takers?

Eff it. I'm catching up on correspondence and the Zine this evening instead. I have two very long emails to reply to from friends who only write once in a blue moon, 30 minutes of VM from a friend with COVID, 44 min from my uncle (all VMs at 2x speed), and assorted lovely notes from good people I've been hoping to answer in the beauty of nature as time allows. Then I'm putting myself to bed and trying for that glorious 4:20am start tomorrow.

#Running
#SwoleGoals
#Writing (Later)

#Zine

Almost ready to share blocking for pages so far, but if @redenigma (garden jam recipe?) @BosmangBeratna (self-help essay?) @DavidSalo (thoughts on Life & The Universe?) & @JGSchaeffer (respite?) are still interested in contributing, please do!

And... @stueytheround? Do you have a quick recipe, song, or anything else you'd be interested in contributing? I see you "liking" some of these posts; you're more than welcome to share whatever your heart desires, too!

Thanks for all work to date!

In this slice of Colombia, at least, it's customary to greet people as you get into lines with your neighbours, and to say "Hasta luego" (until later) or similar when someone's leaving the elevator.

But sometimes I forget and do the same thing in a public elevator, with strangers, and then the LOOKS I get, after essentially vowing that this weirdo of a Canadian vampire is going to see them later. 😅

Etiquette is funny.

Back to #Writing now. Later, 'gators!

My eyes are tired and I miss having more stamina. Too much time at my computer, not enough exercise. Horribly out of practice with a) getting up at 4:20am, and b) getting to the park by 4:45am at the latest, to run at least 5k most every day.

But! A last-minute (paid) book review is now off, so I can turn to the novelette next, for a Sunday deadline to be considered for paid publication.

Next week, no more random projects: only Z̶u̶u̶l̶ running and more time offline.

Speaking of:

#TimeForAWalk 🍃

Today's post takes a humanist beat.

For all readers, I consider how this media moment is driving people to extremes.

Then, for paid subscribers, I give an example of a local street person who reflects a more overt sign of society's breaking points--but only to highlight that it would be a mistake to presume breaking points don't exist all around us.

Our ongoing sanity amid relentless threats to our democracies is always an open question.

Tread lightly where you can.
https://open.substack.com/pub/mlclark/p/holding-on-to-stories-of-ourselves

I sat down today with a very tired person, with deep leg pain because he can't usually rest while out begging.

Gently, we went over the logic of a resume and I asked about life details so that we could come up with the best way to craft his.

At first it was hard, because he'd lost the habit of telling the story of his life more than a day at a time.

But that *light* when he read the polished words back, and marvelled at his life on the page!

10/10, would recommend this experience to anyone.

Off to help that digitally weak fellow with his replacement ID & resume.

(Actually, his resume *and* his girlfriend's, so fingers crossed! 😅 I would never trust my Spanish over a native's for syntax and expressions, but my spelling *is* better than many here, so there's that. Plus, it's other, stylistic and structural CV elements that I'm really helping them with, for two people who've struggled on the streets for years.)

Then I have a book review to finish before classes. TTFN. Be good, CoSo!

#Humanism #MediaLiteracy

I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but fear for the US isn't abstract for many marginalized groups who won't only suffer after November, but who are suffering *now*. Migrant policies, trans & queer laws, rights for anyone with a uterus... all *already* attacked, with November their only chance at getting any of them back.

This is July.

And people's nerves are already beyond frayed.

Do what you must to cope. Have grace with others for what they do as well. 🫂