Hogfather at Amazon
Uramichi Oniisan 01 at Amazon

So, like, a couple of weeks ago there was a news story that like 14 or 17 people–including children–were poisoned by over-chlorinated water in a lazy river. They had to go to the hospital and they all had a really bad time.

Someone suggested that maybe someone had an accident in the water, and the staff poured in a bunch of chlorine to clean things up the lazy way. And they added a bit too much and it poisoned everyone.

My brother showed me what looked like a water park in China and there was a MASSIVE amount of people crammed inner tube to inner tube. And ignoring the possibility that someone might have COVID…

I’m not sure what would be a worse situation. That you’re in a stagnate pool like in China, everyone kicking their feet and splashing around, and someone has an accident. Or if you’re in a lazy river and you’re in the middle between other people so you can’t get to the edge quickly… and you see the disaster headed toward you through the water.

Both seem like hell on Earth to me. Swimming in feces would be horrible. Swimming in someone else’s feces would be 100 times MORE horrible. And to be trapped in a crush of bodies while the water becomes visibly polluted…

Yeah. No thank you.

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Hogfather at Amazon

(I’m testing out Bear’s ability to post to a WordPress.)

There’s been a few newsworthy events in the past week or so. 5 people imploded in a tin can at the bottom of the ocean. The Greek coast guard tried to drown 700+ people. Some kinda awful mercenary group is trying to overthrow the Russian government. Basic stuff.

I’ve been writing on “Burrito at Night.” Since I’ve been writing it “seat of the pants”-style I have to decide how much action I want to take place. What direction I want things to go.

Should there be intrigue? Violence? Action?

Or should it remain a semi-commentary story about a fairly anonymous everyday guy in a dark future work just trying to live his life and be himself?

I think I’m going to ask my Patreons what they want: Introspection and cerebral sci-fi, or someone comes knocking at the door and some kind of future intrigue starts happening.

At this point, the main character is in his living room sweating through his skin, suffering in a world badly effected by climate change and the uncaring cruelty of the ultra-rich.

He is living with a broken air conditioner that he can’t afford to get fixed or replaced because he had to go into debt due to a medical scare. He only has his ration of drinking water and can’t afford to purchase extra.

But no matter how grim the future, he still has a will to live.