Prezzies

The 2020 election seemed to galvanize people into voting in a way I really haven’t seen before. I still remember the excitement of 2008 when everyone flocked out to vote for Obama, but many of them weren’t really excited about voting in a general way. They were excited to vote for Obama. It’s almost like that silly complaint people used to make about Harry Potter books: they weren’t getting kids to read anything that wasn’t Harry Potter. There were probably cases like that, but I really doubt there were enough to warrant that petty quibble.

Anyway.

But now people have seen what happens when they don’t vote. Trump didn’t win in 2016 because the country loved him. He voted because his opponents weren’t inspired. Now they recognize why they still have to vote even in the absence of positive inspiration. Maybe that lesson will last longer than anything a transcendent but transient cynosure like Obama could do.

Bonus Question!

Favourite president?

Mourn Porn

This is one thing I won’t fault him for. Maybe the only thing. But for real. Grieving should be allowed but not enforced. No use for mourn porn. When my father’s father died, he flew to England for a fortnight to see if his mother was alright, but apart from that, he was his usual jaunty self. And when he died? I basically did the same thing without the intercontinental flight because I was already living with my mother. And I’d just been to England over the summer. And no one who’d been within a mile of either my father or me would include heartlessness on a list of our faults.

Quietest Riot

Man, my city had its second consecutive weekend of protests in a row. But this one was believed to have been organized with violence in mind that far exceeded last weekend’s notably polite demonstrations. In response, many of the big businesses in my area, which have been performing excellently amidst their very recent reopening, decided to close and literally board up for the entire weekend from fear of riot damage.

But nothing happened. Once again, the government commended the protesters for their respectful approach. 

I feel as though these shops wouldn’t have reacted so fearfully if this had happened a year ago. There’s a risk with any protest, but it’s low in my city. The most damaging public gathering in recent memory was last spring when our NBA team got into the finals, and that wasn’t too bad. Not even any looting. Just some incidental breakage. I was actually walking through its midst since it was my favourite kind of misty spring night and I wanted to enjoy the air after the show I’d just played. Walking home through metropolitan party time was just a bonus.

But yeah. I think 2020’s just gotten people to a place where they think they can’t be too careful because anything’s possible. Who really did anything about any of the other pandemic risks of the last 15 years? Swine, bird, and whatever? Well, COVID blindsided them, and  now even the smallest risk is blown up in the public mind like a photograph on a police procedural show after someone says “zoom and enhance”. 

Anyway, I’m not complaining about the lack of looting. It was just bizarre to see all those stores board up right after they’d been so excited to open up  for the first time in months.

Bonus Question!

Worst board?

 Bristol. It’s not actually intrinsically bad, but it tended to entail a larger amount of homework.