It’s Fucking New Year’s!
It’s almost 2022. There are no hoverboards (no, not the ones that blow up!), A.I. robots, or flying cars. Instead, we are entering year three of the COVID19 pandemic. Since this thing started, we’ve lost 800k Americans, and the unofficial death toll may be much higher. We’ve lost millions of people globally to the virus and countless others living with long-COVID. Not to mention, all the lives turned upside down from this never-ending pandemic. No proms, more canceled vacations, no graduation ceremonies, having to be online for countless mind-numbing Zoom meetings for yet another year or three or twenty perhaps.
Hell, I’m awaiting COVID test results as I write this post. The Omarion Variant has put a damper on everyone’s Christmas and NYE plans. And it looks like #JimCrowJoe Biden has told the American people, “You’re on your own; we gave y’all mofos $1400 like a year ago. That should hold you until this thing blows over.” But unfortunately, due to Corporate Greed and the lust to keep the market open at all times, world leaders continue to let this pandemic stay out of hand. Disaster Capitalism at its finest.
Big Pharma benefits and gains massive profits, just like the billionaire class has done since this pandemic has started. Wealthy nations have hoarded the vaccine, while new variants like Omicron ravish nations. I’m sure we’ll be dealing with the Omega or Megatron variant in a year or two. All while brought and paid for D.C. politicians and world leaders sit on their asses. Big Pharma could share the vaccine formula with the rest of the world. Just like we could focus on the 100 companies that causing climate change. But as usual, it’s on the little people to suffer more while the elite laughs all the way to the bank. At the same time, the virus continues to mutate, and the planet continues to burn. The little people squabble over vaccine mandates, lockdowns, anti-vax conspiracies, and 5G being the reason for the pandemic in the first place. Misinformation and ‘fake news’ are turning the satirical disaster movie, Don’t Look Up‘ into a real-life documentary.
Capitalism is winning, and late-stage capitalism is upending civilization. And killing the planet. But don’t worry, I’m sure Elon Musk has a dick-shaped rocket ship that will ferry off the world’s billionaires and their families to a new planet to corrupt. I pray that the rocket ship doesn’t get launched into the sun. As the late and great comedian George Carlin once said, “the planet will eventually be fine; it’s the people that are fucked!”
New Year, Same Me
In 2022, I want to travel more and see friends and family that I haven’t seen since 2019, pre-pandemic. But each new COVID variant hinders that possibility. On the bright side, I will celebrate six years of the Evolving Man Project. 2021 was our best year ever! No lie! Thousands of people have visited this website and checked our Question Culture podcast. I know; I’m proliferating the Podcast Industrial Complex, Twitter lefties. In 2021, we had guest authors, a novel release, a short story series, and three fantastic guests on our Question Culture podcast. Despite its challenges, I see this new year as another year of personal evolution as I reach the milestone of 40 trips around the sun within the next two years. Like, the old Kanye once said, “Jokes on you, we’re still alive; we weren’t supposed to make it past 25!”
I want to say thank you to all the folks across the globe who’ve read, commented, shared, liked, and listened to the random thoughts of a brotha living in the Black Mecca, aka Atlanta. A Chicagoan trying to make sense of an increasingly insane world. Thanks to my brilliant and lovely wife and contributing editor to the Evolving Man Project, Berneta L. Haynes, for her love and continued support. I want to thank my Question Culture podcast co-host, Brian Grieshaber. I want to thank EMP contributor and professor, Michael Thomas for his input this past year as well.
I want readers and listeners to know, even if many of the topics, ideas, and discussions are often in the context of doom and gloom. Another world is possible. It’s gonna be up to us to make that possible. I will continue fighting as a union steward and organizer. As a thinker and activist. Like the countless brave people worldwide who’ve decided to take on the world’s most massive corporation entities to unionize their workplace and win. To the folks across the globe at the forefront of the climate justice movement taking on the all-powerful fossil fuel industry and winning. To all the people just making it one day at a time. Keep fighting!
None of us are perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should not strive for a more ideal world. To lessen the suffering of those who don’t have much. Fight for our future and our children’s futures. Remember to take care of yourselves and have a little fun too. The world’s problems can seem so big, the challenges in our own lives can be so hard that we often forget to give ourselves grace. This world is a rat race that we need to dismantle. But if you can, be kinder to yourself. And know when to say no.
We can’t save everyone. We need to let our hair down (even though my hair is gone #powerbald) and have fun every now and again. Sleep, read, travel (if Omarion hasn’t gotten us all yet!) safely, eat, play games, laugh, hug, kiss, sing, dance, drink, and be merry. I wish you all the happiest new year possible. There is always hope, and we have to fight for that world we hope for!
Evolving Man Project 