I don’t want every post to be political but at the moment my brain is working on nothing else.
Riots only appear spontaneous, they are the result of long term pressures and the current one are no different.
Not much else to say this morning.
Today May 14 is my birthday and I feel pretty fine about that. I have friends and family for whom these events no longer happen and sop I know the blessing and privilege it is to have another go around our local star.
We’re here in the middle of a global pandemic with tens of thousands dead and more to come, our economy freefalling and our political world in utter chaos but I can also recognize that my life is going pretty damn well at the moment.
Six years ago, I transition from a contract, read ‘Temp’ worker to becoming a full Kaiser employee and this has hand down been the best place I have ever worked. My associated are good people and there aren’t any that I have personality conflicts with, I am well paid, and I have very good benefits.
Later this year will make 13 years married to my sweetie-wife and those have been good happy years.
March saw the publication of my first professional novel and I am working on a proposal for another book for this editor while waiting for a different house to finish evaluating my military SF book so artistically I have little to complain about.
Peak television and the explosion of streaming services along with the wonderful work done by people like Film Geeks San Diego and Horrible Imaginings film festival are doing wonders for broadening my exposure to interesting and challenging cinema expanding my horizon and making me a better artist.
All in all, I have to say that life is good.
This is a serval cat and I’m rather proud of how this shot came out.
There are a lot of skills to master in life some are more important that others but there’s one in my opinion that rises above the rest in significance and sadly it is the one a vast majority of people find difficult to acquire.
At my, what used to be in pre-Covid 19 times, regular writer’s groups meetings we take turns reading aloud 1200-1500 words of our work and then sit silently as everyone present takes turns giving you notes and feedback on the project. On any one piece opinions are bound to vary, sometimes quite a bit, but each and every time there is feedback that is dead on target, some element where intent or choice has gone astray and I’ve fouled up what I was trying to achieve as a writer. The natural and very human tendency is to reject that which is painful to turn defensive against the critique. It’s always possible to justify why the feedback is wrong and not the piece. It’s much harder to admit error, accept that that truth, but without that vital step there can be no improvement.
That’s’ the life skill I am talking about, no specifically learning to take writing critique but learning to admit that you are in error. This is something that transcends political philosophies. Few people are willing to admit error. I see it over and over again. The leaps of logic, the twisted arguments, the reframing’ of facts all to avoid facing that an earlier call, decision, or position was in fact the wrong one. Sadly, until such an acceptance is achieved it is impossible for a person to learn from that error and move on to better and greater things.
I am no more immune to this failing than I am to Covid 19. I try and struggle to keep an open mind about things and accept that I may have held terribly wrong position in the past. I like to think that doing so with my writing has helped me leverage this skill in other areas but I am also painfully aware how easily we deceive ourselves. This is not a skill that is learned and then nothing more is required. It takes constant vigilance because that easy route, that path of least resistance where you justify the error rather than admit is always there and it always looks more inviting than the long hard road of truth.
The novel corona Virus causing a SARS-like illness, COVID-19. has reached the United States and appears to have begun sustained community transmission. At this point the only questions is how deep it will spread not if it will spread. Most people who are infected will have a mild illness, but some, particularly the immune compromised and the elderly are at elevated risk for serious and life-threatening respiratory complications including a viral pneumonia that is difficult to treat. Any potential vaccine is likely more than a year away and many important questions about this pandemic remain unanswered.
Will the spread stop during the hotter months as if often but not always the case with corona viruses?
If it recedes during the summer will it return stronger in the fall and winter as again with many viruses or will it simply fade as some do?
Will this become a regular seasonal event now that the virus is global?
For people who have been exposed to the virus how long with their natural immunity persist? Weeks? Months? Years?
It is best not to panic but there are sensible precautions everyone can take.
Wash your damn hands.
Regularly clean touched surfaces, particularly any that are shared publicly.
If you fall into a population that is at greater risk consider canceling travel and avoiding large crowds.
Now, what does the COVID-19 outbreak have to say about voting for president?
Well, it’s clearly too late to change presidents now, we have to deal with this international crisis with the president we have not one we would prefer but this is instructive in what qualities you should value in a chief executive.
Many people look for similar value or morals as their prime motivator in selection a president while other turn to policy and proposed programs as their method of selection. Both are valid but I think miss a major component of what makes the best choice, judgment.
Every president is going to face unexpected events that require decision from them. When we elect a representative, we are not just selecting a person to advance a particular political philosophy but also a person who will need to make judgements often with incomplete information. When thinking about who you want as a president think about if you trust them to make judgements free of their self-interest, free of political dogma, and free of an ego that would prevent them from reversing course if their initial choice turns out to be in error. Those factors, for me anyway, far outweigh any positions taken on a particular subject or policy. A person who fails those qualification will invite disaster.
So, I missed posting on Monday and Tuesday because over the weekend I came down with some sort of sinus bug. No, it’s not Covid-19, but some rather short duration but fairly intense clogging of my sinuses that left me dizzy, congested, headachy, and generally non-functional.
Saturday I was fine, running my Space Opera RPG game but as the evening ended and I departed for home my head started to hurt. By the time I reached home, just 5 miles away, it was a fairly serious migraine, and Sunday I canceled on going to the zoo with my sweetie-wife leading to a convalesce that lasted through Monday and Tuesday.
So, my weekend and the first part of my week has not been very productive. I did manage to get some more editing completed on a manuscript I am about to send to my editor at Flame Tree and I watched a few films, re-watching 1993’s Searching for Bobby Fischer which I enjoy quite a bit.
This past weekend was a very satisfying one for me. Thursday, I traveled to Disneyland and hung out with a friend I have not seen for a few years. The original plan was to be with two pals but financial issue at the last moment grounded one of my friends. We hung about in Galaxy’s Edge, though we did not get a boarding Pass that would have allowed us onto the newest attracting, explored other areas of the park, and had a smashing good time getting caught up on each other’s lives. After about 7 hours of walking my knees sent their vehement protests and we called it day so I could drive home to San Diego.
Friday through Saturday I spent at the 34th annual Southern California Writers Conference. This is the third time I have attended the particular conference and it is small intimate gathering of writers and agents to share the craft. There were many good seminars and workshops during the daylight hours and in the evening I participated in read and critique sessions giving my meager opinion on some fantastic writing. I got valuable feedback on a work in progress of mine and all in all had a great time with friends and expanded my skill set.
The Conference continued into Sunday, but I skipped out on the last day not because it had suddenly turned dull but because I wanted to spend my Sunday in my traditional manner, with my sweetie-wife. We did not go to the zoo, perhaps just as well as I feel I may have pushed my knees a bit far, had a lovely lunch at one of our favorite spots, and generally enjoyed each other’s company.
Here’s hoping your weekend was similarly enjoyable.
Saturday, I visited with Mysterious Galaxy for their official big opening at their new location in the Sport Arena district of San Diego. The new digs are lovely with about 30% more floorspace than the previous storefront. I chatted with staff and customer and may have gotten a couple of people interested in my upcoming release Vulcan’s Forge.
That evening was more board and card games as it was not a role play gaming weekend. I was not as lucky Saturday night as I was on Friday but did manage one fairly decisive win in Dominion.
Sunday is a day I generally spend with my sweetie-wife. We went to the zoo, I capture a few decent photos, but made a short trip of it as there was a light drizzle falling and I had managed to forget my hat. Lunch was at Kairoa a New Zealand themed bar and restaurant before we returned home for a relaxing afternoon and night.
I have a short work week ahead of me. Wednesday evening, I am driving to Anaheim and staying overnight in a budget hotel before spending the day with a dear friend I have not seen in years as we take in Disneyland. The Friday through Sunday I will be at the San Diego session of the Southern California Writers’ Conference.
All in all, it looks to be a busy week.
I am not saying that you should utterly ignore the news about the emerging coronavirus and its outbreak. New viruses and new pandemics are a certainty but be aware that all too often what sells advertising and pushes ‘clicks’ on the internet is fear and outrage not reason and facts.
Last I saw the death toll from the coronavirus is still under 200 with just north of 7000 cases. Now for each person and their family and loved ones those are terrible but from a ‘should I be scared’ perspective it’s still dwarfed by the currently raging flu season.
The CDC estimates that the USA 2019 thru late January 2020 has seen between 15 and 21 million cases of flu with deaths estimated between 8200 and 20,000 people. And still people put off or ignore the advice to get their damn flu shot.
GET YOUR DAMN FLU SHOT!
Oh, and by the way most of the time when someone think they have the flu they really have a cold. Both are virial infections, but flu is influenza and it will hit you much harder than the common cold.
So, pay attention to the news, coronavirus could be just starting, and we need to be prepared but do not panic.
Yesterday I awoke to a blinding migraine. I hate it when they sneak up on me while I am sleeping. If I am awake I can usually feel the pre-migraine show starting up take my meds and keep them from become more than simply troublesome, but if they strike in the night I wake to find that any amount of light and noise is intolerable and I am forced to use the heavier medication that leaves me groggy, dizzy, and useless for nearly everything for a significant number of hours.
It wasn’t until about 2 pm that I became useful in any capacity and it wasn’t until around 9:30 pm that the migraine itself lifted.
Needless to say I did not go to work and I did not get any writing completed.
It could have been worse. Today looks to be better.