I was happy to hear that JD Vance had a very successful debate against Tim Walz. That is all to the good since Vance will be on the short list of real leaders for conservatives going forward. And by that term “conservative” I mean anyone who is against the Leftist project. I know that conservative has become a dirty word for the new right but honestly, I can’t keep up with the nomenclature so I’ll just use the old-fashioned meanings of words. So, for me a conservative is someone who believes in the things that have been true about human nature for untold thousands of years.
But regardless of what JD Vance did or didn’t accomplish last night, life goes on here in Dunwich. I have photos and quotes to select. I have posts to write. I have work of all sorts that must be done, both at home and at the office and I have Camera Girl, the dogs and all the other life forms that she keeps to deal with. I have now lugged several hundred pounds of potted plants up two stories to her plant windows. And this is a very important task because of the threat of frost. One year I played fast and loose with the early frost date and an eight-foot-tall ponytail palm bit the dust. I was greatly reviled for that faux pas.
We turned on the heat last week but for the last three or four days we’ve set the thermostats below the point where it will demand heat. It’s just too warm out to need it on. It was just one of those little cold snaps a week ago that demanded a shot of heat to rally us through. But soon enough we’ll need it. My guess is October 21st.
I enjoyed that fresh-eyes approach to viewing Dracula. These classic movies have become the equivalent of museum pieces and it makes sense to try and strip them of the baggage they’ve accumulated through overexposure in the popular culture. They deserve to be looked at from the perspective of art that was a product of its time. It’s like reading Shakespeare. You have to hear the famous monologues with fresh ears. You have to meet them halfway. I think I’ll do something heretical and instead of watching Frankenstein next, I’ll skip to the Mummy.
I’ve begun the re-framing of my American Archipelago “world.” I realized that I had not done enough outlining of the larger story ahead of time. I was in danger of painting myself into a corner and cutting off a lot of other stories that I will want to write later. After all I’m not the Marvel Comic Universe. I can’t invoke the multiverse to bring back the characters that I stupidly kill off. And I need a road map ahead of time so I don’t wander too far off into left field. I think what I’ll do is have my heroes threaten Washington into allowing a “free zone” to exist in a large chunk of the middle of the country where a border won’t be enforced but federal rule will not exist. My plan is to allow a gradual expansion of this zone until it becomes the majority of the land mass. I assume I’ll have the requisite number of crises and resolutions before the new state swallows the United States (and maybe Canada). Making this sound reasonable and figuring out how to make my Connors character a worthy prince (or CEO) is the trick. Of course I could just model him on me. Then he would be a veritable Pericles in all respects.
On the political front, if Harris is installed, the quadrillion dollar question is just how bad will the economy get? Will they keep printing money until hyperinflation kicks in? Will they let Americans starve to death because a loaf of bread costs a thousand dollars? Well, I guess we’ll find out. Barack Obama à Joe Biden à Kamala Harris à ? How much stupider can presidents get? Will Harris be followed by a potted plant? We’re going to learn so much. And I assume it will be incredibly painful. But that is truly the only way that stupid people learn anything. And apparently this country has a very large number of stupid people.
I’m trying to figure out if we can have Americans without an America. Can we celebrate things like the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving if we no longer have the America that birthed those holidays. After all, how can we have an Independence Day when we’re no longer a free people? And if we’re no longer free then what are we giving thanks for? That we’re still breathing? Well, I still like a July barbecue and I still like a turkey dinner so maybe I can keep the celebrations but change their significance. They can become the Summer and Winter Solstice celebrations (with a little fudging of the dates). Oh well.
So regardless of the Apocalypse I’m busy, busy, busy. But once the election is over, I intend to re-order my priorities to use my time more appropriately. Under a Harris administration I don’t see the need to provide daily updates on the disintegration of the American republic. I will probably concentrate on entertainment and public service messages about useful things for folks on our side of the political spectrum. So, send in the clowns.