Woeful Wednesday.

The weather outside is lovely.

Especially for mid-winter.

Especially considering what it's been.

Especially considering that it seems the world is over.

Or at least, Barack Obama's era of Hope.

Some weeks ago, I started reading a short book by Naomi Orestes and Erik M. Conway called "The Collapse of Western Civilization: A View from the Future."

I put it down right about the time global warming had inundated the entirety of Scandinavia and most of the east coast of North America.

You know, on page three.

Theirs was an apocalyptic vision. A vision based on what happens when the government denies facts and denies science.

And this was before the American Fauxlection in November.

Where a pissant man, a petulant bully became the most powerful human on earth.

Preston Sturges, America's greatest-ever comedy writer, wrote in "The Palm Beach Story" a line that I keep thinking about today. 

He said, "That's one of the tragedies of this life--that the men who are most in need of a beating up are always enormous."

It remains to be seen if anyone--any party, mass-popular movement, or resistance can beat up Clockwork Orange. 

It remains to be seen what revelations will come out.

Or if, in these doctrinaire times, if truth and goodness matter at all.

I can turn to Faulkner now, but even he, in my present mood sounds hollow.

I'm not sure if we will prevail.

Or if this is the last ding-dong of doom.