Porthole

Aliens... [18+] 30dbc#3

It's been an up and down day. I won 1st and 3rd in the Song Contest:

1st Autumn Lullaby "Autumn Lullaby " 
3rd First Drum Set "First drum set" 

I saw friends. One friend who has been very concerned about covid and vaxxed to the max has tested positive for covid. Missoula is one of the hot spots. Don't ask what I think.

I've been cheerleading. Some success. Using characters is proving useful to NaNo-ers.

As for tourists... there weren't any until this summer and we thought we had dodged the bullet but this is an anti-vax state and the Gateway to Glacier Park is the epicenter of the outbreak and a White Nationalist Nativist hotbed of "Hate Everyone", especially the government. The Q folks are fighting over which one will represent WMT in Congress in 2022. Gonna make Greene look like a Georgia peach in comparison.

So... the governor is an antivaxxer (he blocked hospitals from mandating vaxxed health care workers). It's nice to read that it's getting better elsewhere. Sucks to be caught here. Reason doesn't work.

So visitors? All the antivaxxers and antimaskers decided to vacation here. Welcome to Hell.

Aliens have more common sense.

My comments from earlier when I wasn't so worked up.

To Robert: Oh, sure, I can pass as one of them, but if they got to know me, they would know I am the Enemy. Yep. Me too, albeit in different ways. Texas letter of sucession 1861 state quite clearly: “We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable."

Texas succession 1861: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_texsec.asp

Inconvenient truths? As for here... governor opened up the state to the maskless to promote tourism in Yellowstone and Glacier. We're caught in between, and even with the #1 % vaxxed we've had a severe covid outbreak. Ask me about tourists? Don't. Re "Tourist Trap" 

To Marvilla: People used to dress differently in this town. Every day. In some ways the place is becoming less quirky as it gentrifies. Tourists? They tend to be the 'normal' looking ones. No lumbersexual, no Portland grunge, no left-over-hippie. And subdued due to covid. Halloween was a no-show this year. And market-season is over. It'll soon be dress-like-a-bear season! And not just for Grizz football games. Re "Different tourists " 

To Lilli: "Football games. 25 thousand fans in the shadow of the mountain and nowhere to park and few ways in and out. But that's only a few autumn weekends. We used to have festivals. I try to visit places off-season. But Prague... not sure they have an off-season... that's why I wasn't charmed by it. We have lots of snowbirds here who winter in Arizona and Mexico." Re "Tourist Season" 

To Richard: "Absolutely loved this! There's enough tension building to make me want to continue. Yes, Z'llya is an assassin but... the B'rayians and the Vistors... related yet not related. I immediately thought of Serbians and Croatians. They speak the same language but don't tell them! Or Texans and Vermonters who don't quite look the same or speak the same and yet... I do believe that answering the prompt with a character is important, especially when IRL the prompt doesn't apply or triggers something not-so-good. And during NaNoWriMo? It can be perfect. Now we have a world that should seem familiar, yet isn't. Because I've worn glasses since age 6 I understand "glasses on, glasses off" and the usefulness of focusing and unfocusing. We'll see whether this poses a "problem" for your major/minor characters, but hopefully it adds to the work in some way. Like... are there assassins among the Newcomers? Or assassin hunters? Buffy-the--slayer wants to know." re "New Comers - Z'llya's Voice" 

To Tina: "Those aliens were actually my neighbors. Here we keep bear spray in our pockets. It's even been known to work on Texans. Glad you knew how to appease them. " re "Invalid Entry" 

To Ray: "Got me to laugh too. No one suspects bloggers are wannabe assassins... oops. And failed drama-queens ... now I've stepped over the line. Yes, I like this. A lot. I like the grittiness. I love the details and use of senses. I can smell it, see it, feel it. Gonna be a hoot when the buses pour out all those bloggers and their characters (some muzzled, some on leashes, some ... not). Surfs up! I'm not a swimmer, but if any blood is spilled... ." re "Ruminations " 

To QP: "Yep. I'm with Judith. They could always pick up that accent by watching Brit-coms and Fox News out of Wichita Falls. Did Starbucks sound familiar to them? Or were they chuckling because one was just built on the far side of Europa... " re "Tall and Spindly" 

Cappucine: "Yep. Lots of tree haters. Need to build a house? Clear the land. 200 year old trees are in the way of widening the road? Chop, chop, chop. "But we'll plant new trees." These tree-haters are the most evil of all.""Visit of the Tree Haters" 

MUSEUMS:

To Lilli: “penny universities” ... I love hanging out in cafes. Oddly, or not so oddly, that's why I want to visit Wellington, NZ. "Hanging out" has lessened with drive-by places we won't mention. If I want to drink alone I can stay home! Same with pubs, bars, etc. I do prefer the floral scents of Ethiopian or the earthiness of Kenyan. I'm sure you'll have a tasting room. re "What? You were expecting the Boston Tea Party?" 

To Richard: "As long as you include Swedish meatballs (and gadgets to make them) and fishballs. And takoyaki (octopus) made in special cupped pans so the balls come out round. 🐙" re "Now That's Spicy" 

To QP: As long as there's room for this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAdua8pGcE4
Ch4os4ever:
Strauss: hold my anvil and hammer
Tchaikovsky: hold my cannons
re "The History of Typewriters" 

To Cappucine: "This is strange... which is good but the surrealism surprised me. Part of me does want to visit. Would you suggest Paris? Shadow of the Pine... perhaps in a coastal town of Oregon or Tasmania? Where oh where are folks strange enough to embrace this? Hint: not in Melbourne.""Musee d’Ombeline" 

To Kathie: "I see where it would help. Even better if visitors didn't feel a need to be anonymous. Although on rereading, that may not be what you are inferring. Also, this info needs to be available and taught to men. And teenagers. The idea that we can't talk about these issues until it's too late really rankles me. The American denial about sex and gender has created havoc." "30 day Blogging-Nov 2, 2021" 

POSSESSIONS:

To QP: "I've used public transportation for years. So sad that Americans have to have a car. When I visited Torino I could walk to the store in 5 minutes. The walkability score was 99. (Here it was 94 but gentrification is shoving businesses out.) Plus, they have two train stations in Torino and they go most anywhere. Hop a train to the international airport in Milan and the world's your oyster. Oh, I wish... I've been without glasses for over 6 months. I've had to wear them since age 6... but I keep forgetting that it would be nice to see clearly. En serio... I forget. I need to buy a smart-aleck phone. They've become a necessity." re "Necessary Possessions" 

To Cappucine: 1. Or a warning! 2. I listened to the Typewriter Song today does that count? 3. Home. Most Americans only think of a house as an investment. 4. Good vibrations. I wish. 5. Look up at the stars! I need to get rid of clutter; give most everything away. I'm entering a different stage of life. Hopefully there are cats wherever I go. re "possess me " 

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