More snow fell Thursday and yesterday, still not very much but enough that a transformer blew and the lights went off for every house in my neighborhood. In the black of night, the red-yellow-green traffic light several blocks away was all I could see.

I won't bore you or me with too many particulars, but it does make you ponder how much your life depends on Benjamin Franklin's key and kite.

It was cold in my room with no heat, and no curtains on the windows. The bathroom has no window and I haven't yet unpacked my flashlights, so I peed with the door open. Toast for breakfast became impossible. Oh, the humanities.

Worst of all, the internet was unavailable, so I couldn't write, really, only scribble notes to myself on paper. Actually writing something based on those notes requires electricity and software and a keyboard, all of which demand 120v AC.

The neighborhood was only dark for six hours or so, because City Light is Seattle's municipally-owned power agency, and City Light rocks. That's the pertinent point to remember — ConEd or Pacific Power & Light wouldn't have had the crews on call to respond to a few blocks or darkened residential streets at 1AM on the weekend, and have it repaired before dawn. The difference is, City Light is all about supplying power, not turning a profit.

A few more meaningless stories are in my head and notepad, but right now my own transformer feels exploded, and I lack the energy or desire to say much more.

Before fading away, here's a moment with my always-talkative flatmate Dean. Most people don't mind talking, but I am not 'most people', and neither is Dean, in the opposite way.

He always wants to talk, and his room is directly off the kitchen, so when I'm making a snack or a meal, I try to be quiet like I'm not there. Count on it, if there's a noise revealing my presence, Dean will come out of his room and start talking at me.

All I wanted was three ham sandwiches. In stocking feet, I tread gently on the linoleum, getting the loaf, the meat, the mayo, mustard, and peanut butter. It's not a complex recipe and it came together quickly, quietly.

When I'd finished spreading the peanut butter, I wiped the knife and slipped it back into the drawer. It clanked against the other silver, a little too loudly, and with that noise my odds of escape were at least halved. I rushed to put away the PB and mayo and—

With a creak, Dean's door opened, and he stepped into the kitchen. "Douglas! So good to see you this fine morning!"

And so began two minutes of Dean talking, me nodding and saying "uh-huh" and backing toward my bedroom door, until finally it closed behind me while Dean was still talking.

Here's the news you need,
whether you know it or not

• Closed labs, cancelled classes: inside the largest strike to hit US higher education

• Maryland opened up jobs to people without four-year degrees

Excellent. What's the point in requiring a college degree for many or most jobs, except to ensure that people who've never had the means for college never have a chance at a decent job?

• The IRS routinely lets right-wing churches break tax law & endorse political candidates

• San Francisco'S 4 Star Theater set to reopen

• Major fires an increasing risk as the air gets thirstier, research shows

And it never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, because climate change isn't 'coming', it's underway. It'll kill billions, and we're not doing squat about it.

• Eight aggressive cops raid wrong home in no-knock warrant, terrorizing Black family holding a baby

And it never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, because all cops are bastards, or they know who the bastard cops are and do nothing about it, which is the same thing.

• Kari Lake encourages her voters to get arrested in order to help her become Arizona's governor

And it never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, never stops, because Republicans are the enemy of common sense, common decency, simple truth, and democracy.
Links I liked

• NYC Mayor Eric Adams's new homeless policy is messed up

• Why America's railroads refuse to give their workers paid leave

At the above link, a brief but thorough explanation of the economics of modern-day robber-baronism.

• Who is putting these mysterious medallions around Berkeley?

• Is American politics really just people making statements in reaction to other statements but no one actually does anything for the people?

• Monumental photocopier

• Danish protest pig

Mystery links
Like life itself, there's no
knowing where you're going

• click

• click

• click

♫♬ Mix tape of my mind ♫

• Crimson and Clover — Tommy James & The Shondells

• Gone Daddy Gone — Violent Femmes

• Lucifer — Alan Parsons Project

• Reflections of My Life — Marmalade

• Year of the Cat — Al Stewart

The End

• Cissy Marshall

• Ed Rudy

12/3/2022
Tip 'o the hat to Linden Arden, ye olde AVA, BoingBoing, Breakfast at Ralf's, Captain Hampockets, CaptCreate's Log, John the Basket, LiarTownUSA, Meme City, National Zero, Ran Prieur, Voenix Rising, and anyone else whose work I've stolen without saying thanks.
Extra special thanks to Becky Jo, Name Withheld, Dave S, Wynn Bruce, and always Stephanie...