The Journal: Cultural Appropriation

In today’s Journal

* “Cultural Appropriation”… whatever
* Of Interest
* The Numbers

I’m a little under the weather and not in a good mood besides, so I’ll keep this short. In fact, I’m publishing it at all mostly to get the “Of Interest” stuff out to you.

I was going to write a whole long rant on so-called “cultural appropriation” but I changed my mind. Aren’t you glad?

Suffice to say, the actual purpose of a phrase like “cultural appropriation” is to intimidate and infuriate, not to effect actual change. To make that vein on the forehead bulge in such a way that the utterer of the phrase is provided with a moment’s entertainment and a temporary sense of power.

Come to think of it, the purpose itself was “culturally appropriated” from spoiled toddlers in every culture around the world who want to get their way and are willing to hold their breath until they turn blue if they don’t.

When my own toddlers tried something like that, I responded with, “Okay, go ahead.” Then I sat down with a bowl of popcorn on my lap to watch the show.

That was my response because saying, “Shut up and go do something useful” is as wasted on those who scream phrases like “cultural appropriation” as it is on the aforementioned toddlers.

Anyway, I like to think my response is why, as my own toddlers advanced through childhood and adolescence into adulthood, they stopped muttering meaningless phrases like “cultural appropriation.”

Talk with you again when I can.

Of Interest

See “The Artist or the Emperor? Cultural Appropriation and Children’s Classics” at https://www.thepassivevoice.com/the-artist-or-the-emperor-cultural-appropriation-and-childrens-classics/. See PG’s take after the OP.

See “The Teenage Girl Gang That Seduced and Killed Nazis” at https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/578187/teenage-girl-gang-seduced-and-killed-nazis. Just think, instead of taking actual action, these girls could have spent all their time talking about “cultural appropriation.”

See “Are aliens hiding in plain sight?” at https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2055122323085/are-aliens-hiding-in-plain-sight. Interesting discussion of possible new definitions of life.

See “Poor Clares Convent Cemetery” at https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/poor-clares-cemetery.

The Numbers

The Journal…………………………………… 330 words

Writing of “Turnaround” (short story)

Day 1…… 1092 words. Total words to date…… 1092 Day 2…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXX (done)

Writing of Blackwell Ops 8 (novel)

Day 1…… 1653 words. Total words to date…… 1653
Day 2…… 1043 words. Total words to date…… 2696
Day 3…… 1711 words. Total words to date…… 4407
Day 4…… 1221 words. Total words to date…… 5628
Day 5…… XXXX words. Total words to date…… XXXX

Writing of Body on the Beach (novel, working title)

Day 1…… 1135 words. Total words to date…… 1135
Day 1…… 1409 words. Total words to date…… 2544

Total fiction words for the month……… XXXX
Total fiction words for the year………… 335194
Total nonfiction words for the month… 970
Total nonfiction words for the year…… 151360
Total words for the year (fiction and this blog)…… 486554

Calendar Year 2020 Novels to Date…………………… 5
Calendar Year 2020 Novellas to Date……………… X
Calendar Year 2020 Short Stories to Date… 12
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………………………………… 50
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)………………………………… 8
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)………………… 213
Short story collections……………………………………………… 31