ChrispenEvan said:

Oregon’s Bay Area is feeling thoughtful.

Good morning! Happy birthday to Marz, well and truly middle-aged in dog years and still a footwear terrorist. Some things age gracefully. Others just get more efficient at destruction. Honestly, there’s a metaphor in there somewhere, but we’ll get to that.

Let’s start with the numbers, because they’re doing a better job telling the truth than anyone in power right now.

—————————snip———————————

This is the part where a reasonable person might ask what, exactly, you’re supposed to do with all of this. The honest answer is: pay attention, because the people making these decisions are counting on you not to. War is easier to sustain when it’s abstract. A purge is easier to execute when no one’s watching. Contractors get rehired when the original scandal fades. The pill gets restricted when the fight feels too exhausting to keep having. None of this is accidental because exhaustion is a policy tool.

Marz is still chewing guests’ shoes, thereby displaying a level of consistency that would be refreshing in just about every other arena right now. For the record, he would be chewing my shoes as well except he has trained me to always put them up. Off for a birthday romp.

Thanks. A good read.