Brad was in England for the past couple weeks with is band Instant Ruin and came home last night. I picked him up at LAX, he got in the car and said “holy shit- you look wrecked!!”.

And I do, indeed, look wrecked. I feel wrecked. I am wrecked. The Maggots have won this battle of completely exhausting me. Well played, psychopaths.

If you are anything like me right now, the doom scrolling is compulsive. I feel like I have to take in everything to stay prepared for what’s coming. I don’t want the nightmare of our current administration to get one past me. And I have too many people in my life that are in at-risk communities (and myself being a woman am at risk), so the Mama Bear in me is staying vigilant. But the end result is that I am wrecked.

My dear friend Stevil Smith posted this in his latest blog post, and I’m sharing it to you because I think we all really really need it right now….

Wise and important words from sociologist Jennifer Walter about what is happening in our country right now and what to do about it:

"As a sociologist, I need to tell you:

Your overwhelm is the goal.

1- The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.

2- Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.

3- Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.

The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.

What now?

1- Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.

2- Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.

3- Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.

4- Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context.

5- Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.

Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.”

So with that, find your people and lean on each other. The primary news sources I am using right now are Aaron Parnas, Under the Desk News, and The Guardian. I’ve posted the linktrees for Parnas and Under the Desk so that you can find them on whatever platform you are using the most. I’m going to be primarily on Bluesky, but my content is going to filter onto Insta and FB b/c I refuse to let Zuck take away my people. Fuck that loser.

But remember to breathe. Remember to take breaks. Reach out to people. Take walks. Drink water. Take your meds.
Don’t let the bastards get you down.

The thing that sincerely blows my mind is that MAGA is still so so mad. I’m watching them still having meltdowns when they’re pushed onto my feeds; saying “We don’t care about what you libs think”- while posting videos that prove they VERY MUCH CARE and are still throwing fits. They are getting every bit of the hate they voted for… so why are they still so pissed?? If anyone has any of these people still in their life and can explain this to me, I’d really like to understand it. Because I’m currently baffled.

That was long winded. Apologies. If you made it this far, here is a pic of Simon and The Captain as a prize.

Stay safe, and mentally well, and if you need to vent this is a safe space for it.

Brad and I are here for you. xoxoxoxo~k