I'm expecting people to go back to their usual state of denial about everything. I've already heard about airlines having to have people charged with fines for refusing to wear masks on the plane. While I can understand that based on something a doctor said, her point was that the times to be wary are boarding the plane and getting off of the plane when the air is not circulating, people are just going to be jerks... Congress is still "negotiating" police reform and trying to weasel out of a 1/6 commission since they're worried about pissing people off before mid-terms (the scary part being that their replacements would be even more out there), SCOTUS has the power to completely gut Roe v. Wade, and every day is a report of a neighborhood theft or property destruction or reports of Asian folks being assaulted. So yes, enjoy life and have some fun but remember it's not all rainbows and kittens.
Right. One year after George Floyd's death, the whole issue of an overhaul of the way we do policing in America has gradually slipped. Even as more Black people are killed by police and Asian-Americans are brutalized by radicalized morons. And i'm sick unto DEATH of men pompously spouting lies about abortion and "pro life." And people pretending that the insurrection on January 6 wasn't all that bad at all. Why, people were just visiting the Capitol and having a good time!
Another superb Twirl, T and Lo. Thank you. i look forward to the Twirls very much indeed.
Ooh, this post generates loads of complicated feelings. Most of my jobs involved handling biohazards materials (drawing blood during the rise of HIV, handling infectious agents and biohazards) so shifting to masks and social distancing quickly became second nature. I didn't do all of that crazy stuff like making sourdough or adopting strange hobbies so that seemed like the usual stupid stuff like following the antics of the Kardassians. Ironically, I was thinking of Central Park Karen because of the Floyd anniversary; I also was thinking about my great grandmother who was a slave, my great grandfather who was a Welsh father, and my great grand uncle who was a freed slave and a Union soldier. I think I am still a bit peeved that the bird watcher didn't aid the prosecution more so I don't think I am ready to let go of Amy Cooper's racist actions as I view her as having a little sisterhood with Susan Smith's race baiting. I'm not sure racial justice is progressing at any pace (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/opinion/blm-movement-protests-support.html) and I fear that people are ready to do a hard embrace of triviality rather than face some hard issues.
"... I fear that people are ready to do a hard embrace of triviality rather than face some hard issues."
THIS.
Everyone has been so tightly wound for so long that an unbridled release seems unavoidable. I'm just afraid that the impulse toward distraction and escape will eclipse everything else.
First, let me shower you with love for the song reference. "Here's Where the Story Ends" by the Sundays is one of my most favorite things. Bless.
Second, awesome piece and really great observations. I truly hope this isn't going to be a summer of people going back to ignoring things that aren't right in front of their faces, and critical issues coming up that affect too many lives (looking at you, SCOTUS...). The ability for the culture to get mass amnesia is pretty impressive.
But I was promised cat pictures! I'm sure some Cuteness must have happened this week.
I have to admit, I'm here for a summer of trashy gossip. My attention span only allowed for pretty lightweight reading this past year, and I think that this is a natural follow-on to that. Someday we'll all go high-brow again, but I think not just yet.
I've already started reminiscing about some of the craziness from the early days of All This. It... was pretty wild, truly.
The grocery store yesterday had a *NEW ITEM* sticker marking the Bounty (NON Select a Size) Full Sheets Rolls. To me, that marked the “end” of the pandemic. Look, I know I need to kick my paper towel habits, working on it, but Select a Size rolls are the devil.
I'm expecting people to go back to their usual state of denial about everything. I've already heard about airlines having to have people charged with fines for refusing to wear masks on the plane. While I can understand that based on something a doctor said, her point was that the times to be wary are boarding the plane and getting off of the plane when the air is not circulating, people are just going to be jerks... Congress is still "negotiating" police reform and trying to weasel out of a 1/6 commission since they're worried about pissing people off before mid-terms (the scary part being that their replacements would be even more out there), SCOTUS has the power to completely gut Roe v. Wade, and every day is a report of a neighborhood theft or property destruction or reports of Asian folks being assaulted. So yes, enjoy life and have some fun but remember it's not all rainbows and kittens.
Right. One year after George Floyd's death, the whole issue of an overhaul of the way we do policing in America has gradually slipped. Even as more Black people are killed by police and Asian-Americans are brutalized by radicalized morons. And i'm sick unto DEATH of men pompously spouting lies about abortion and "pro life." And people pretending that the insurrection on January 6 wasn't all that bad at all. Why, people were just visiting the Capitol and having a good time!
Another superb Twirl, T and Lo. Thank you. i look forward to the Twirls very much indeed.
This. All of this. Every single word of this.
The human tendency to rush headlong into forgetfulness to escape pain is highly developed, and the past year-plus has pushed it into overdrive.
Was it, did we run out of cats?! The world is weird, I’m sick and I was expecting a cute cat picture! 😿
Ooh, this post generates loads of complicated feelings. Most of my jobs involved handling biohazards materials (drawing blood during the rise of HIV, handling infectious agents and biohazards) so shifting to masks and social distancing quickly became second nature. I didn't do all of that crazy stuff like making sourdough or adopting strange hobbies so that seemed like the usual stupid stuff like following the antics of the Kardassians. Ironically, I was thinking of Central Park Karen because of the Floyd anniversary; I also was thinking about my great grandmother who was a slave, my great grandfather who was a Welsh father, and my great grand uncle who was a freed slave and a Union soldier. I think I am still a bit peeved that the bird watcher didn't aid the prosecution more so I don't think I am ready to let go of Amy Cooper's racist actions as I view her as having a little sisterhood with Susan Smith's race baiting. I'm not sure racial justice is progressing at any pace (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/22/opinion/blm-movement-protests-support.html) and I fear that people are ready to do a hard embrace of triviality rather than face some hard issues.
"... I fear that people are ready to do a hard embrace of triviality rather than face some hard issues."
THIS.
Everyone has been so tightly wound for so long that an unbridled release seems unavoidable. I'm just afraid that the impulse toward distraction and escape will eclipse everything else.
First, let me shower you with love for the song reference. "Here's Where the Story Ends" by the Sundays is one of my most favorite things. Bless.
Second, awesome piece and really great observations. I truly hope this isn't going to be a summer of people going back to ignoring things that aren't right in front of their faces, and critical issues coming up that affect too many lives (looking at you, SCOTUS...). The ability for the culture to get mass amnesia is pretty impressive.
But I was promised cat pictures! I'm sure some Cuteness must have happened this week.
I have to admit, I'm here for a summer of trashy gossip. My attention span only allowed for pretty lightweight reading this past year, and I think that this is a natural follow-on to that. Someday we'll all go high-brow again, but I think not just yet.
I've already started reminiscing about some of the craziness from the early days of All This. It... was pretty wild, truly.
The grocery store yesterday had a *NEW ITEM* sticker marking the Bounty (NON Select a Size) Full Sheets Rolls. To me, that marked the “end” of the pandemic. Look, I know I need to kick my paper towel habits, working on it, but Select a Size rolls are the devil.
Thank you for your newsletter! I find the post intelligent, logical, thoughtful and kind.💕