Well here we go. The clock on the right sidebar has wound down to one day. I’ve been absent from the site since a.) I’m in school again, getting a mid-career masters at Tufts, and b.) otherwise occupied doing the concert, and phone calls, and whatnot. I appreciate your patience. It’s been a hell of a few months. It’s been a hell of a year.
You should know that I’ve been planning to hand off ownership of this site for some time now. I’ve been doing this site for 16 years, in which time I turned from being young and fresh into middle-aged, pale, male, and stale. Blogs are so old and corny, they’re thought to be hip again. So I’m trying to recruit a young and diverse team who will take the site into the next era, with some moxie and ambition. I’m working on it.
Take care of yourselves, the next few days, or weeks, or — God forbid — the next four years … however long the inevitable crisis lasts. Drink water, don’t drink too much alcohol — it won’t solve the problems you want it to solve. Keep wearing masks. Don’t be stupid. Be as kind and brave as you can manage – those two things go together.
Have you already voted? Of course you did. Well done.
And if it works out OK in the week(s) ahead of us, congratulate yourself on having made it through four intolerable years. You’re probably tougher than you thought.
I’ve missed out on a few things in Massachusetts (God save it! in Charlie Pierce’s compulsive invocation, which I echo):
- Mayor Bob Hedlund just took $10M, and maybe $28M more, from Enbridge — you know, the pipeline baddies — for the City of Weymouth to stop suing them. This is for the same pipeline that’s been shut down by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Gosh, they’ve got a contingency plan for all these disasters that weren’t on anyone’s agenda before our pipeline overlords showed up. I don’t know what human lives are worth, what lungs are worth, what not being incinerated in a “blast zone” is worth, what having a world for your kids to grow up in is worth … I just don’t know. Bob gave up. They drove a dump truck full of money up to his house — he’s not made of stone ...
- COVID. It’s back, seemingly everywhere. As Gov. Baker correctly re-closes some areas of public gathering, it seems we’re in for a long winter. The legislature and governor have failed to give decent protections for vulnerable people, which is a lot of us. And utility debt has already piled up. Nothing is OK.
- Rooting for Becca Rausch tomorrow. I think she’ll pull through. Tram Nguyen, too. Patrick O’Connor is a non-crazy, anti-pipeline Republican from Weymouth, so I appreciate that; but we can upgrade to progressive Meg Wheeler.
- Friendly’s, man. That’s a harsh blow.
Sleep well tonight. Sleep well tomorrow night. And the next. Very Dan Rather voice: COURAGE.
I just want to publicly say how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for all of us. This site has been an anchor for me during turbulent times, especially during the past four years, and that’s the direct result of everything you’ve given us. I’m sure I’ll say more as I’m sure that others will join me.
I hope you’ll stay in touch after you hand over the reins.
Thank you SO MUCH for everything you’ve given us.
Well, that is big news and no mistake.
Thanks for all the fish, Charlie, and I hope you can find a new crew with your capacity to articulate problems in ways that are inclusive and positive, even when describing some of the gravest challenges we face together.