PATRONS!

I'm about to go on "work lite" for next week and then take the last two weeks of August off completely. I hope that a three week break gives me some pause and perspective because I am absolutely BURNT at the moment. There is very, very little creative juice in me, and I want it back. Honestly for the rest of the year, I'd really like to work less and do more writing. We'll see whether that works out though because we're quite busy at the co-op...

How about you? Did you have a summer break yet? Are you doing ok? Hit reply :)

Maybe I'm sorry about this (don't hate me)

Photo by Chris Hall on Unsplash

Last night as I was falling asleep, I stressed out about the things I need to get done today before being able to go on "work lite" next week, and then into full on vacay mode for the rest of August. One of things to do is, surprise, this newsletter. It takes me a fair bit of time each week even though I'm pretty sure it reads like planned ramble. Ramble is a good word for this, I think.

Anyway, I remembered that I saved a link about a butt fungus, and I thought maybe I should focus this entire newsletter on that butt fungus because it's as good a metaphor for 2020 as any other. Time will tell if I write an entire episode about a butt fungus. I suspect I will, and I apologize to those of you who just decided to unsubscribe. Before you go, say "butt fungus" in your mind because damnit "butt fungus" sounds hilarious.

I wouldn't want to have butt fungus, of course, and I'm truly sorry if there's a human out there who has had to experience butt fungus. The topic comes up because the link I saved is about a butt fungus that is currently affecting a particular group of cicadas. Oddly, I also ate a "alpine herb" flavoured cicada this week, but that's another story.

So there's this parasitic fungus that eats through these poor insects and causes them to trip like they're on mushrooms. They get hypersexual as the fungus messes up their little tiny brains and, apparently, that hypersexuality has some dire consequences for their mates (about whom they are no longer choosy) because the fungus spreads via spores. It is, in part, a sexually transmitted disease. But that's not all, the spores are easily dislodged as the insects rub their butts and genitals on branches and leaves and whatnot.They are the "flying salt shakers of death".

All of this is called Active Host Transmission – the host is alive and under the control of the parasite. This particular parasitical fungus, the Massospora, eats through a THIRD of the insect's body before the little cicada dies from, like, losing a third of its organs and stuff. All of this is pretty fascinating and super gross, but the idea of "biological puppetry" is the cherry on top.

The word "zombie" is often used colloquially to explain AHT behaviours. Maybe Zombies. Now you see.

Here's the short version, and for those of you who need to nerd out on the sscientific paper like I did, Behavioral betrayal: How select fungal parasites enlist living insects to do their bidding.

Maybe I'm a weirdo

Photo by Martin Woortman on Unsplash

I don't know why this version of Freshly Brewed Thoughts is so royally f'd up, but I also need to comment on the wakaresaseya industry. My comment is "There is so much I don't know about so many things." I've never even poured stuff in the avocado hole and I was surprised that music and barcodes are a thing.

I'm tinkering along, distracting myself from the ordinary and missing the extraordinary. But my work stuff is interesting too, a lot of the time. I just...well, I'm burnt out.

So later, y'all, see you when I see you. Maybe not until September? I don't know. Is managing expectations necessary when it comes to creative expression? Seems like it wouldn't be any fun if authors and artists didn't go off the rails from time to time...

Maybe I need help?

CLEARLY I need help. No question about it. The problem is, I don't think there's help for my sort of affliction. If there is, hit reply and tell me about it.

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