Shutdown
So, the US government’s shut down.
Again.
Since I’m considered non-essential, this means that while I don’t get paid until Congress votes to fund the government, at least I’m not forced to report to work while also not getting paid. Perhaps as a sign of just how much has changed since the last shutdown, I barely remember the 35-day one back in Trump’s first term. Part of it was that half of the shutdown happened during winter break, but part of what makes this one feel different is the surreal nature of realizing that this administration wants to project their vision over reality. As Marisa Kabas reported over at The Handbasket, like many federal employees, I received an email from our boss blaming the Democrats. That this was asserted as plain fact when it’s not causes a strange double-vision: you start to question if this type of message will convince others, and not truly being able to answer definitively.
Then there’s the continued threats of using the shutdown as an opportunity to continue mass illegal firings. Perhaps it’s a bluff (and I tend to think it might be, simply for logistical reasons) but it certainly makes me nervous to be part of the ante in this game. Adding to the unreality was Trump posting a godawful AI slop version of Don’t Fear the Reaper, featuring Russel Vought as - you guessed it - the Reaper.
With the Weirding of the workplace that’s been happening around me, I guess Zach Gillan was right, after all - Weird Fiction is the mode in which we may best capture the wrongness of this moment.
For now, I’m slowly unclenching from the tediousness of my Return to Office commute. Maybe I’m wrong and get swept up in another wave of illegal firings. It’ll suck, but what could I have done to avoid that? So, I’m catching up on my sleep. Getting back into my workout routine. Talking to friends and family more often. Trying to find joy in the small things.
We need to build up resiliency, after all. We don’t know how long any of this will last, but as a recent legal opinion implies it’s up to us.
Until next time, be well everybody.