J. Martin

September 12, 2021

It’s All So Confusing but Here’s Help!

For the upcoming federal elections in Germany and the Berlin state election, there’s the Wahl-O-Mat to pair voters with political parties. But there are so many questions and it’s all so confusing! Thus, as a free service to my readers, I devised a simple three-strike-questionnaire to help you find the party or candidate that’s right for you in one minute or less!

First question. Has the party in question fucked everything up for fifteen-odd years or more but promises now to change everything as if they’d just freshly arrived on this planet? If true, that’s a strike. Second question. Has the party in question no chance whatsoever to pass the electoral threshold? If true, that’s a strike. Third question: Does the party in question excel in moonlighting to line their pockets and those of their rich friends while doing only the bare minimum for those who voted for them and pay them handsomely for work they don’t actually do? If true, that’s a strike. Now go and vote for the party with the least strikes whom you trust most to not fuck everything up. That’s it. That’s the party you should and can vote for with the least cognitive dissonance! It’s that simple.

On the editing front, I’ll be finishing my second pass of line editing this week and will then proceed to copy editing, with a few words in next Sunday’s newsletter on what that actually is. Also, I bought a fresh pair of running shoes! I had many Brooks models over the years, but Levitate is new territory. They’re a lot narrower than I’m used to, but otherwise feel good so far. And I also tried a new gin, An Dúlamán Irish Maritime Gin, which is awesome and recommended.

As for photos, I uploaded a new album on Flickr on Chengde V: Temple of Universal Happiness (20 images) and finished another one on Singapore River (25 images). Plus, there’s my ongoing album with cross-posts from my more laboriously edited images I publish on Glass.

Finally, The Matrix. Yes, I’m up in tears.

Dispatched from my balcony beanbag, with an iced mate soft drink on one side and my manuscript on the other,
J.