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When public health becomes a casualty of the right-wing culture war, innocent people will die.

As we watch right-wing agitators, Fascists, media personalities, and the impeached president howl about ending Stay at Home before the public health experts say we should, remember that, as a SPECIES, we are only as safe as the least-protected person among us.

I am so grateful to live in a city, county, and state that has leadership that understands that. I can practice responsible social distancing, I can stay at home, and I can be a responsible and compassionate member of society, knowing that I’m supported by my local and state government.

I am terrified that right wing state governments will end Stay At Home before the public health experts say it’s safe to do so, and even places like Los Angeles, which are sort of politically insulated from the worst impulses of the Fascists in the federal and various state governments, will be right back to where we were when this all started, and all this Stay at Home we’ve all been responsibly doing, because we care about our neighbors and loved ones, will be for nothing. I can’t even imagine how terrifying it must be to live in a place like Michigan, where we see the profoundly ignorant, following the profoundly evil, hearing the call to turn public health — the very life and death of our fellow humans — into just another part of the culture war.

It is deeply irresponsible, sociopathic behavior, and it is sadly predictable.

The only thing Republicans care about is their own wealth and power, and if people have to die so they can accumulate even more, they are entirely okay with that. If the right people die (according to their racist, xenophobic worldview), that’s a bonus. It’s sickening.

I mean, can you even imagine believing that “only” 1.28 MILLION CHILDREN DYING is entirely acceptable, so shareholders can get a little more money this quarter. That’s a true thing that happened. That snake oil grifter Dr. Oz said that. He’s totally fine with 1.93 children dying, and he doesn’t even have the self-awareness or compassion to realize what a ghoulish, reprehensible, indefensible statement that is.

But if your children, your parents, your neighbors, YOU, have to die so Trump can infect us with his brand of Fascism for another four years, if someone you love has to die so a billionaire can shove a little more money into their pocket, that’s entirely acceptable.

So hey, here’s an idea for Trump cultists: if you’re cool with “only” some percentage of people dying preventable deaths, you go first. It’s worth it, because the Dear Leader says so. Infect yourself to own the Libs!

See how fucking insane that sounds? How callous, how selfish, how just fucking horrible that is? Good. Your revulsion to that statement proves that you’re a good person. I’m glad you’re here. There are more of us than there are of them, and we who are lucky enough to live in a city, town, county, and/or state that has responsible, public-health-minded officials leading us have to do what we can to help protect our brothers and sisters who don’t.

These right-wing agitators are going to create civil unrest, and they are going to get innocent people killed, because they are the Useful Idiots for people like Trump and his transnational crime syndicate, masquerading as a government.

Don’t let these people hurt you and your loved ones. Stay safe, everyone. Stay home. Stay healthy.

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New York Times Number One Best Selling Audiobook Narrator Releases Free Audiobooks During Stay At Home

It occurs to me that, if I were better at marketing myself, I’d be writing and sending out press releases titled, “New York Times Number One Best Selling Audiobook Narrator Releases Free Audiobooks During Stay At Home” because I’m having so much fun reading and recording these things (today, the dogs really joined in), and I want them to find as wide an audience as possible. I don’t know anyone else in my line of work who is doing this sort of thing, and I think that it’s kind of a cool thing to do. I suppose I should have a conversation with my team.

Today’s story is from 1956, and it feels like one of those 90s anthology shows, like Outer Limits or Perversions of Science. It’s a whole lot of fun.

If I may: are you listening to these things? I’m unclear on the size and enthusiasm of the audience, and I’m curious.

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Gamers vs. COVID-19

My upcoming eSports competition show, Gamemaster, has been delayed like everything else, but the people involved wanted to use the resources they had already mustered for production to do some good at a moment in time when it’s so desperately needed.

So we’re organizing to 3D print what we can for our frontline healthcare workers!

“As the spread of COVID-19 continues to impact us all, GAMEMASTER takes solace in friends, family and the indomitable spirit of our players, cast, crew and brand partners. When Reagan Stewart, web developer and an overall tech guru for GAMEMASTER, brought the idea of our team helping to make, distribute and organize PPE for medical professionals as they experience shortages, we immediately saw a way that we could help. Thanks to our amazing and generous brand partners, we have not only been able to set up a 3D print operation in Atlanta, but, we have also developed a network for healthcare providers and first responders across the country to connect with makers in their community to get the specific PPE that they need, quickly and without cost. Thank you all!:”

I’m so proud, and so honored, to be part of this show. I’m so excited to share our first effort to join the fight against COVID-19. If you’d like to get into the fight with us, and add your resources to ours, we have a sign-up page, here.

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Radio Free Burrito Presents: Return to Pleasure Island by Cory Doctorow

I was talking to my friend, Cory, over the weekend, and we decided that we would each read and release something the other had written, because why not?

I’m a huge fan and admirer of Cory both as a human and as a creative person. He’s been my primary mentor since I started writing professionally, and I owe him more than I’ll ever be able to properly repay. It’s not unreasonable to say that, without Cory’s guidance and kindness, I wouldn’t be a published author.

So it’s with excitement (and a little trepidation, because I don’t want to disappoint my friend) that I chose one of Cory’s fantastic short stories from way back in 1999, which he describes this way:

This is the story of the ogres who run the concession stands on Pleasure Island, where Pinocchio’s friend Lampwick turned into a donkey. Like much of my stuff, this has a tie-in with Walt Disney World; the idea came to me on the Pinocchio ride in the Magic Kingdom, in 1993.

You can grab my narration at my Soundcloud. I hope you enjoy it.

When we were talking, Cory asked me if I he could read something of mine on his podcast, so I sent him a diary I wrote about my son and Cory’s book, Little Brother. He read it on his podcast, making this an official Podcast Swap, which I did not know was a thing.