NaNoWhatsIt
November is that time of year when people, still recovering from their sugar comas, undertake a thing known as National Novel Writing Month. I did this once, in 2008, and got a good head start on a novel that I’m still toying with.
But it was only because at the time, November 1st coincided with a lapse in my writing. Generally, I write every day of the fucking year, so NaNo means nothing to me. But, to those of you about to write, I salute you.
November for me is all about FaerieCon and three-day weekends and waiting for my birthday and Giftmas. It’s about cursing the fact that I live in a temperate zone and the weather turns cold, while loving the colours of the leaves and the break from the heat of summer.
And this year, like in 2008, it’s an election year.
Four years ago, we were almost done suffering through eight years of G Dubya. We had a choice of John McCain, who was frightening but still not Dubya, and virtually-unknown Barack Obama. At least, I’d never heard of him until the primaries. Not even sure I remember how he won that one. I remember being slightly disappointed it wasn’t Hilary Clinton. Now, after four years, I have complaints about Obama, but I have far more praise for him. Nobody’s perfect, and here’s the thing, you can’t expect the president to fix up all your shit. Yes, there is a lot a president can do, and a lot President Obama has done. But there is a lot more you have to do for y0urself. And a lot more we have to do for each other.
I’m a believer in community. That’s why Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan scare the shit out of me. Their Ayn Rand wanking is everything that’s wrong with this world. Every man for himself gets nobody anywhere. It turns human existence into a meaningless struggle. Either humanity deserves to remain in this universe, or it doesn’t, and Mitt Romney’s version of how humanity should behave is a blight on the solar system.
But this isn’t a political post, at least, that’s not my intention. Election jitters just colour everything right now. I can’t help but have vicious thoughts sometimes, when I just can’t understand why anybody would vote Republican nowadays with how anti-everything they’ve become. I think ‘I hope Mitt Romney wins, brings about all this apocalyptic shit down on us, and then all those idiots who voted for him will be sorry!’
But of course I don’t really want that.
On the other hand, we have become so fucking complacent that I think it will take something hideously bad happening before we wake the fuck up. But if reactions to Hurricane Sandy are any indication, all hope is lost. No, our relationship with our environment has nothing to do with the crazy weather, it’s THE GAYS!!!!
Anyway, go vote on Tuesday. At this point, I don’t care who you vote for, just fucking vote. And when the zombies come, we’ll sort that shit out.
No matter what happens, next weekend comes FaerieCon! And not a moment too soon. I look forward to that like Christmas. It’s one of the few times when I can stop pretending to be normal and just be my crazy elvish self. Rest assured there will be pictures.
And speaking of elves. I’ve come to the conclusion that Elijah Wood is an elf. Not only are his eyes freakishly blue and freakishly large, he hasn’t aged a bit in forever. He’s 31! Does he look 31? No. I rest my case.