I am currently flopped on my bed at the Intercontinental in Atlanta, where I am informed I got a [ [Deep Serious Voice] TWO TIER UPGRADE for reasons I wasn’t really listening to and can’t tell you.

Which would be nice if I wasn’t leaving tomorrow I’m here for dinner, one day in the office and straight back to the airport. It’s a nice room I guess.

The flopping is because I took the wrong exit off the train and treated myself to a nice long walk in the 95° sun. Exercise!

Hey people! Beloved, dear people. Laura sent me an email earlier, so I'm kind of updating briefly here. It has been a long while and I missed you dearly (and I skipped a lot of posts, sorry!).

So… a lot was going on here and I do mean the hell lot. In the past two months my sister moved to Melbourne with her partner and two dogs and there was a lot of drama there. I moved apartments in Jerusalem (again…) and that actually happened last week and I'm still unpacking and desperately want to get to the part where I can properly clean the floors. I've been working twice as hard in the past weeks at my work because of reorgs and other fun work stuff. I'm still recovering from long COVID. And of course, for the last 6 months I've protested a lot. A hell lot. It kind of goes with territory of living a mile from the Parliament and half of mile from the prime minister's house. So many blocked roads you guys! I couldn't commute at all to work in over a week and I'm glad I can work from home.

I guess now it's the point where we're all understanding life under constitutional crisis. I can't say much about it because it's still pretty new but it also wasn't a complete shock. This Parliament is a nightmare. I mean, I hate protesting, and I still went out there for about half of the protests so far (~15). I was chased by water cannons, friends were arrested or subjected to police violence (they're okay/recovering), and there's the general chaos all around.

I guess I'm not surprised because it's just one more layer of the appearance of democracy that we are - and that is of course my own personal political opinion - and again, we have a nightmare of a parliament, almost no matter what your political opinion is. So it's constitutional crisis time and there are several ways out of it and we will just have to wait and see what's plays out. Yes, things are weird and they are a lot, but for now it's not like someone flipped a switch from democracy to autocracy. In the beginning of the week I wrote to a friend, "Wanna go and watch Barbie later this week, if we're still (somewhat of) a democracy...? You know what, even if we're not." so that's where we are. I'm sure next week will be different and the month after it will be different and six months after it will be very different. But for now it is what it is.

I'm heartbroken and at times aghast, but I'm also a bit hopeful (remember lockdowns? Kinda like that). First because just seeing so many people protesting is amazing. I mean, I'm an activist for things that feel like they have smaller audiences and seeing that so many people care about something that you also care about does raise one's hopes. And I'm also hopeful just because I can also imagine a future either out of here or here but in a more liberal country. And just to put things in perspective, for now climate catastrophe still scares me more than the shitshow we're having here.

Laura, thank you so much for that email. I really really wish that I will have more time to talk with y'all. I love you, I love this place. I still love Jerusalem very much. Take care, and I will try and update here from time to time. Thanks again.

I've thought of you often while hearing about your country's shitshow, Shir.(Say that three times fast.) My heart is with the people trying to prevent autocracy.

Shir! I’m glad to see you but do sorry for all that you’ve been going through. It’s sometimes hard to fathom how things got this bad this fast. Here too, of course, where we are working on our own version of terrible.

So good of you to check in, Shir, and yes, I've been thinking about you and Nilly a lot, a lot.

And just to put things in perspective, for now climate catastrophe still scares me more than the shitshow we're having here.

I do understand that perspective! Thank you for the update, Shir. I think of you and worry for you and your neighbors so often.

Yeah, I'm upset about climate too.

Perhaps a new thread - Pike's Bitches?

Bwahahaha. Thread proliferation!

Enjoy flopping in your fancy upgraded room while you can, brenda!

It's good to hear from you, Shir, I was just wondering how you were doing. I hope Australia is good for your sister and that all the protesting pays off with eventual increased sanity and that you enjoy Barbie

It’s good to see your pixels, Shir. I hope your sister’s move to Melbourne works out well for all concerned and that your new apartment is nice. I’m sorry that your government is experiencing, um, difficulties. It’s great that you’re protesting, and have plenty of company in doing so, although the water cannons sound scary.

I’m in Denver for a conference. It is nice to bake instead of steam for a while. The conference has three 90 minute keynote speeches—one for each day. Unless Tom Hiddleston is giving them, I expect that’s 270 minutes I’ll spend fantasizing about Tom Hiddleston giving them. Or Hiddles doing almost anything else. Seriously—what can conference organizers talk about for that long? They’d better have the world’s most comfortable chairs.

Shir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, friend, how much I've been thinking of you through all of this mishegas!! I go back and forth from day to day on whether we're still a democracy either, but in any case I heartily endorse getting your living space the way it finally makes you able to relax, and going to see Barbie with good friends.