In which we explain a few things, and promise to get back on track

Part of the problem in keeping up with writing lately has been the DJ, as I’ve noted, but I’m working on getting that under control with a bit of process reengineering. The other part of the problem is the existential nausea over the overall state of affairs in the US. It’s not so much Trump and company per se as much as the lack of disgust in the country overall over Trump and company. Yeah, sure, he’s a minority president with a low approval rating, but that anyone with a pulse who isn’t as reprehensible could approve of him either means that a lot of people are similarly reprehensible (active support) or don’t really have the capacity to feel reprehension (passive support). Either conclusion is mind-numbing. I start each day catching up on the news, meaning that around a quarter to eight I’m ready to go back to bed and bury myself under the covers until it all blows over. But it doesn’t blow over. It’s not going to. I find the stress of living in America in 2017 to be difficult to stomach. I am not alone. Pretending it isn’t there isn’t an option. So I rant like a lot of other people on Twitter, which is futile but does at least leave no doubt on what side I fall on things. I avoid Trump news on Facebook because I would prefer just to find out who’s whining about the judge prefs and who’s eating out at a nice restaurant and whose baby is better than everyone else’s baby. But you can’t avoid him completely, or isolate him completely. He is in the very air that we breathe, and he and his legacy of hatred will be in that air for decades after he is gone.

Still, life does go on. I’m going to try to get back on track with my normal business, and do my best to compartmentalize the fiend in the White House as much as possible. I mean, I have a busy and complex life aside from all that. I run or help run tournaments pretty much every week, affecting hundreds of people every time. I read the topics and have curious opinions. I follow all the trends in debate and, while not in rounds anymore, have curious opinions about them too. And I like photography and nice wine and long walks in the rain (!) and whatnot. There is other stuff to talk about and think about. In fact, talking about those other things might be therapeutic.

So let’s give it a try.  

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