Hey Fam, I've been getting on the BlueSky train in recent days. I love y'all, and I still think it's better here on principle, but BlueSky is more the environment I'm looking for.

I know it has its problems (Twitter always did too, even in the before times), but all I can say is I'm having a pretty good time there.

I don't think I'll be posting much here in the future unless shit hits the fan over there. If you'd like to follow me, I'm
@westmeadow.bsky.social

As corny as it sounds, I'll always fondly remember my time here and the people I interacted with.

I do not make a secret out of the fact that I am very left in most policies (not exactly a brave statement here, I know), but fundamentalism, which was the name of the game for me growing up… it stresses me out, man.

I still use and actually sometimes enjoy Facebook (which takes a little more bravery to say out loud, perhaps). There was a dude who used to comment on all my posts who was about as fundamentalist Christian as you could get. I so hated him commenting. Now the bain of my Facebook existence is a fundamentalist Liberal. She drives me nuts.

It’s the whole “I’ve got it figured out and everyone who disagrees is a fucking idiot” mindset. I can’t stand it.

A bit late, but I beat Mario Kart 8's DLC on 100 and 150cc about two weeks ago. I had already beaten the main tracks on all speeds as well as time trials, but 200cc is so fast it's less fun to me than 150, and I've never enjoyed time trials in racing games, so I'mma just be done. The DLC tracks are almost as good as the main game, which is saying a lot! A couple new ones rank among my all-time favs, and I love some of the remakes!

On to Metroid Dread! Really enjoying it so far. Both Samus and enemies are faster than I expected, so it took me a while to get comfortable with the fast pace. The EMMIs are just the right amount of scary. LOVE the visuals (occasional frameskips aside), as well as the level design.

Still working through Zelda TOTK too. I decided to do all the shrines and most of the side quests, so did lots of backtracking, which I enjoyed. Now in the floating Hyrule Castle gauntlet, so just over 75% through the game, I think. So good.

This is not important, I’m just genuinely curious…

If you had to have one chronically, would you prefer…

Still processing a lot, as so many are. I’m sure there are lots of ways to explain what’s going on, but here’s something I’ve been thinking about.

A big issue is we are disconnected from each other and from the land. We’ve lost connectedness. This is honestly a natural consequence of developing technology, especially industrialism, combined with Capitalism. Life is increasingly about working and soothing ourselves, and we’re able to do both in increasing isolation, from others and from nature.

In this reality, what tangible incentive do we have to want what’s best for our neighbors, for the planet, or for future generations? We feel like we aren’t needed and don’t need others.

Wow, just learned about how in 2020 when Donald Trump met with lobbyists from, Equally Alive, a group advocating for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, he told them “those people with how much they cost the federal government should just die.”

Add that to the list of things I assumed he thought but can't believe a president would ever say out loud.

I have a child with a condition often associated with intellectual disabilities.

Please keep fighting. I have no hope that Trump will try to do what's best for our nation, so instead I hope every minute of his time in office is miserable.