Porthole

August 14 - 15

125 AQI ... can't go out. 64 degrees sounds great but it's supposed to reach mid-90s today.

134 AQI and 73 degrees at 11:20. Wrong direction!

I made a pot of mashed potatoes (out of a bag) adding basil, sazon Goya, chicken. I'll eat that today. I try not to do much cooking on hot days.

138 AQI and 78 degrees at 12:12. Heating up and getting smokier.

I wrote a blog entry in response to Neva's post. Used to do that all the time!

Now... to respond to Robert... my friends bought out all the bug-zappers. None for you. Oh to write my fine whine.

To Elisa: "It actually goes with my blog entry I just posted as I saw yours! "Fluidity: the fickleness of weather, the embrace of gender. " 

Anyhoo... why worry about plots and subplots? Or one narrowly focused genre? So many stories happen behind the scenes.

In "He's coming to me" the genre is BL (boy-love = Asian rom-com). But... is it? It's also a detective story, a mystery, a family drama, and is soundly grounded in time and place (modern Bangkok, Chinese cemetery) and culture (attitude towards monks, ghosts, food, music) in two decades (1997, 2017) delivered with silly humor, suspense, longing and angst. It all makes perfect sense in the end... but has it ended?

So... why would poly-anything have to be resolved? Not all relationship are tidy. They arrive upon the scene like a squalling baby and continue long after the lights are turned off.

There is a western (American) cultural notion that everything must be resolved. Bullcrap. Life seldom works like that. Akira Kurasawa's "Rashomon" (1950) is a must see if you haven't watched it recently."

To 4provinces: "I would've liked to have seen Afghanistan carved up. Certain, more progressive areas, would've welcomed our support. Works elsewhere. Taiwan (more open), Brunei (mostly closed), Saudi Arabia (absolutely closed), Hungary (closing up), Kentucky? not sure... a real mix.

Biden reminds me of a deep glacial loch. Don't be fooled; beware of Nessie.

But the messaging out of DC, on covid in particular, has been drowned out by the states.

You are free to read and disagree: "Koming out of Kovid and Kovid Konsernz" 

Viet Nam was concerned about China long before we were! I'd go but I'm studying Thai at the moment and the region is huge and will warrant 2-3 trips at the minimum.

It's just my opinion but trade and tourism can open an area up in ways that punishing and isolating cannot. I wish Iran were open to American travelers, same with Cuba and Korea.

Nigeria and Russia are two countries that do not want American tourists and China limits access.

The US also limits access and the insular American attitudes reflect that."

153 AQI = no. 91 degree temp = no. It's 22 minutes past the vesper hour.

The hour that whispers 'day is done' ...

To Whata @ 19:30: "90 degrees. AQI 150-180. 150 is hazardous. Rain possible on Tuesday followed by cooling temps. It's the combo of heat, smoke and covid. It's not healthy inside. It's worse outside.

Greener pastures? Not around here. I understand that you're ill; but, most of the folks here, especially those in theri 20s and 30s don't have that excuse.

I might post "Let Them Die" ... the battlelines have been drawn. I don't have much of a choice because of where I live so I resent those who come and go without any thought or concern about those of us stuck here. I'm feeling trapped again. A tourist town is a curse when the tourists show no respect."

163 AQI and still 81 degrees at 9:09.
166 AQI @ 10:20.

AUGUST 15

"Ryme screamed. His lime-green sheen was turning olive."

68 degrees at midnight = nice. 168 AQI = choke.

66 degrees at 9:50. 167 AQI. Still cool but smoke gets in my eyes.

To LA Grawitch: "I would agree [about a different approach from the beginning vis a vis masks and vaccins] but I think we've passed that point. Americans would rather retreat to their tribal enclaves than seek solutions. I don't see how one side can live with the other if they are perceived as killing them off.

I don't think it's politicians and media. I suspect it's traditional dogmatism versus investigative science. The schisms run deep in American society. It morphs with every generation but it's underpinning is an us-versus-them zero-sum mentality that in my opinion goes back to the OT. There are modern nations that don't play this tribal game."

96 and 158 at 6. No bueno.

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