Month: February 2020

Media Diary (February 2020)

Some things I’ve experienced lately (not including some light Sanditon dabbling with my wife), in no particular order, and not necessarily only recent stuff:

Hunters (TV): Exactly what I wanted it to be, and man, that shower scene in the pilot 😬

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet (TV): Super fun, and the standalone episode was tremendous

Dying For Sex (Podcast): Amazing and hilarious stories of sexual adventures from a woman with Stage IV breast cancer

Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (Movie): Very entertaining, bummed it didn’t do better at the box office

Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (TV): This straight-up blew my face off

Dead Eyes (Podcast): An actor sets out to find out why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series Band Of Brothers

Amazon Empire: The Rise and Reign of Jeff Bezos (Movie): Some fascinating stuff in here

McMillions (TV): A delight

The Pharmacist (TV): A sad and fascinating two-part story

American Factory (Movie): The corporate musical performance alone makes this worth watching

Better Call Saul (TV): So glad it’s back

Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer (TV): Chilling

Glow in The Dark

Well, as expected, the GOP-controlled Senate officially just told America that the best way to handle a guy caught trying to interfere with the next election is to do nothing, and settle things with…the next election.

💀💀💀

There’s no sugarcoating it, we’re in dark, dark territory, but in times like these it’s more important than ever not to lose faith in the idea that actions have consequences, truth will out and that underneath their ghastly exterior shells (thickened through decades of careful, cynical conditioning), there are still caring human beings living somewhere inside many Trump-supporting Republicans.

In that spirit, I offer a few (hopefully) useful tips to help you maintain a modest grip on your sanity for the next nine months or so:

  • Stay vigilant: I came across this Twitter thread the other day, which absolutely nailed it re: what will happen next on the misinformation front. Brace for it.
  • Stay informed: Now is not the time to throw up your hands and tune out. Read, read, read, ensuring that you’re well-equipped for the many, many tense conversations you’ll have this year.
  • Leave the GOP: The modern Republican party has permanently bent the knee, and its members are nothing more than glorified Trump Organization employees at this point. If you happen to think this is a bad thing, switch parties, become an independent or investigate options like The Lincoln Project. Send a signal.
  • Don’t suffer fools: If your “both sides!” friends keep spouting ignorant nonsense and clutching their pearls about decorum, language or sexuality while ignoring staggering injustice and endless grifting, don’t let it slide. Be loving, but call them out. Relentlessly.

It’s bleak, and it’ll get a whole lot bleaker, but do your best to keep your personal light shining. A small spark is all it takes to eventually burn this whole thing down.

Announcing ‘Junk Drawer’

Since I post in a great many places, I’ve decided to start a free weekly email newsletter featuring a highlighted roundup of personal posts, generally-chilling news links and a healthy dash of the absurd.

It’ll slide into your inbox piping hot each Sunday morning, and I’d love to have you along for the ride. The first issue hits tomorrow, so please sign up now!