A grey, opaque endless skyline seems about right.
Like most, these past days have been a mixture of anxiety, stress, anger, and shame (and some more words; please insert your favorites). Besides our electoral PTSD we’re all dealing with from the past year and a half, the onslaught of the rapid and flawed news cycle can make anyone’s heart explode.
Hyperbole aside, it’s been rough days. For the time being, I’m generally staying away from the news, letting my eyes scroll over my newsfeed. Somehow I’ve become more tolerant of inane articles about technology (read: Wired). These briefly distracted me from the racists and bigots who are being given powerful positions and platforms.
For a while, consuming books and television felt hollow and frustrating, writing useless. I have no doubt that others feel or have felt this way recently. So, I leave you with internet potpourri for a momentary mental health break.
- Bronx Zoo Breaks World Record For Largest Display Of Origami Elephants, “People from all 50 states and 40 other countries responded to the zoo’s call to send in origami elephants…”
- The Gothic Life and Times of Horace Walpole, “Two-hundred and fifty years ago, Horace Walpole published ‘The Castle of Otranto,’ a strange, campy book that’s widely considered to be the first Gothic novel. In real life, Walpole’s family was beset by tragedy and his life’s obsession was a Gothic castle called Strawberry Hill…”
- Magical Realism Bot, Pure fun and hilarity. Scroll through the feed for a quick pick-me-up.
- Jeff Koons Is Giving Sculpture to Paris to Remember Terror Victims, If you would like something else to be annoyed about, turn your attention to this hideous statue. Even though I think it’s an excellent idea to give art to Paris to honor and remember, we don’t need to send Jeff Koons’ kitsch. Let’s workshop this one, US Ambassador to France.
Like Paris hasn’t suffered enough! I am with you — let’s workshop this gift idea and find something that doesn’t suck.
I’ve been in the same cycle of anxiety and rage and sadness ever since the election, and I don’t foresee anything changing. I am legitimately afraid for the endurance of our democratic institutions, and I have to say that we’ve been far too casual about eroding freedoms and transparency in the post-9/11 era (across the Bush *and* Obama presidencies), and that it’s going to come back and bite us in the ass (like, more? more than it already was?) under Trump. 😦
You definitely put into words exactly how I feel (and I heard the Jennys’ exasperation on your recent podcast). I know that I should be really paying attention, but I do think that the public needs a moment or two to grieve and take a step back, and then go full force (if only for everyone’s mental health–I mean this completely unironically). I’ve been trying to stay away from the news, but of course, I see the headlines. I am happy that the NY Times has been keeping tabs on all of Trump’s clear conflict of interest business meetings (attended by his children, too) that he’s conducted in the past days.
I felt shallow when I saw the Jeff Koons article, but I stand by my initial reaction. This is really a horrendous gift to give an ally and nation that is also grieving.