Your Planet is Experiencing Technical Difficulties. Please Stand By.
I have been laying low lately, since it seems like the handbasket has arrived and we’re all being whisked off to…well. You Know. 
Japan has been devastated by an earthquake, Tsunami, Nuclear Disaster 1-2 (3?) punch.
A shitstorm of victim blaming has erupted around the gang rape of an 11-year old in Texas.
Unions are busted, and Michigan experiences a silent power grab by the Governor, who will soon be able to dismiss elected officials at will.
It’s all just too depressing, and the best I can do is offer some cuteness.
How do you cheer yourself up?
EDITED TO ADD: Some good news–Maru and his people are ok.
I look at cool photos of insects at wonderful blogs like yours. Keep up the good work. Courage!
Lately I’ve just been walking around with my fingers in my ears and chanting LA-LA-LA-LA-LA! Reading Zooborns helps, too.
Same thing I do every night, Pinky. Then when that’s taken too much out of me, time with friends over good food and good drinks. The important part of that is picking friends to whom I don’t have to explain why all these things are appalling.
I read history. Nothing like reading about them good old days of widespread plague, pestilence, and 30 year life-spans to make me appreciate the present.
Oh, and cute fuzzy mammals work too.
Rum. Jager. And perusing random blogs. Oh, and online browsing of useless things I really don’t need. Like finger lights.
Here’s a video of an explosion at a nuclear plant in Japan, caused by the earthquake:
I remind myself that for all its ugliness the world is full of beauty, for all the idiocy there are moments of brilliant wisdom, and that there may be redemption in even the darkest of situations.
And whiskey. Lots of delicious whiskey.
I don’t go drinking guinea pigs out of teacups, that’s for sure.
Also, it’s a good idea to rinse the cup before putting tea in it, after the guinea vacates.
Well, one thing I do is sit and look at the ‘pale blue dot’ picture for awhile. That helps adjust my perception a bit. I also talk with online friends of similar views. Unfortunately, I have no meatspace friends to speak of.
This is a very red state.
I also read history, non-fiction and sf, as well as listen to music on Sirius/XM.
Spending time with our four Shelties and three cats helps as well.
Sometimes, if I see a place I can make a difference, I’ll pitch in to help. It’s hard for us to help in Japan, other than donate though.
I mostly live in denial. Actually, I am still an optimist, but I am really glad I live where I do, even if it is a frozen white wasteland.
Individually, all we can do is get out there and give it our best shot. I led a tour at “my” wildife refuge today, that’s always a good way to remind myself that there are actually lots of people who are interested in the natural world and care about it.
On a related note: I always start my tours off with a little speech about the National Wildlife Refuge System. I find it comforting to note that in the 10 years I’ve been giving that speech the number of refuges in the system has increased from about 400 to well over 500, and the protected acreage has increased by 50 percent. It’s really not all doom and gloom – there are positive events as well.
I like to read “Always Coming Home” by Ursula K LeGuin. It is set in California of the far far future and humans are back to living in small communities and spending most of their time growing food, cooking and making art. It seems like a good life to me and calms me to contemplate.
I go out and chat with my pigs. They’re charming, erudite, witty and thoroughly down-to-earth philosophers. I’ve never yet met a pig I didn’t get on with. The same can’t be said for humans.