Rescue Me from the Doldrums, Friends

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020: Good afternoon from soggy Seattle, Climate Strikers! I need serious help. As I mentioned in the previous post, I tend to get hit pretty hard by Seasonal Affective Disorder this time of year; and the current weather in Seattle isn't helping matters any. It's been raining almost constantly since the year began (which, mind you, is normal for a Seattle winter; we have to make up for the fact that we get almost no rain during summers); and the sun comes out so seldom during the winter, we practically get blinded by sunshine when it does occur for a minute or two every weekend or so. It's not that I feel unhappy all the time--but seasonal affective disorder tends to make you want to sleep more than usual; you don't give a crap about much of anything; and your energy levels are quite low most of the time. I need something to boost every aspect of my being at the moment.

Politically, it's no great surprise that Donald Trump was acquitted of the charges by a U.S. Senate dominated by Republicans; they want to hold onto political power any way they can, and they know which side their bread is buttered on, as the saying goes. Unfortunately, it appears that there's no getting rid of the POS Pseudochrist prior to this year's Election Day; and he likely is more convinced than ever that he's above the law, and he can get away with anything, up to and including mass-murder-by-drone and mass species extinction. And, of course, the courts no longer stand up to the Orange Idiot, as he's stacked them all in his favor. We'll just have to vote him out, or drive him out by mass protest; I assure you, strikers of the world, that Trump falls far short of speaking for all Americans, on climate change or any other issue.

So, what are we who are afflicted with seasonal depression to do, to lift ourselves out of the doldrums? One way or another, I have to discipline myself into writing and posting here and elsewhere, as well as staying on top of climate news, especially those stories that illustrate progress on combating the worst effects of climate change. As I said many posts ago, I'm not going to be another of those "It's hopeless; we're all screwed" climate bloggers. I hate the notion that there's nothing one can do about important issues and crisis situations. I always try to look for solutions to problems, no matter how intractable. I've been struggling to make money in self-employment, to no avail to speak of; but I keep trying anyway, while confronting whatever seems to be blocking my ability to generate income, over and above my disability benefits. I want to pay off my student loan debt and travel more often, after all, albeit by sustainable means. I also want to donate more to ecological causes and disaster relief efforts all over the world.

I still have to take the time to work on the StrikeMap, as well as adding new song videos to the StrikeSongs page, and come up with inspiration for new topics to blog about here. However, I've also been pondering the current phenomenon of far-right and corporate-controlled governments in various countries at present, and their negative effect on both working people and environments. Not only do such leaders hate the notion of putting more money in the pockets of working-class individuals and families; they can't bear the thought that government has a large responsibility to protect ecosystems (at least, those within their countries' borders), as well as the land and water rights of indigenous peoples of their respective nations. There seems to be a connection of sorts between far-right leaders' negative attitudes toward workers and the environment and climate. I'm not sure exactly how to connect the proverbial dots; but the common denominator seems to be doing away with any regulatory constraints on industries' bottom lines, no matter how workers, civilian communities, and ecosystems suffer as a result.