Solid piece, Michael Arceneaux .

I feel for you and all who are living through the All That Is Insane of 2020 and who now have to try to do that while sleep deprived.

On my end, I’m an ex-pat Yank living in a peaceful city in Japan since 2004 and I’d intended to spend several months in the U.S. this year writing a book about my trip which was going to, in part, be an appeal to Americans to face the toxic individualism which has made life in America, for many, increasingly unbearable.

So your thesis just reinforces that sense I have about the U.S. (and also my decision to stay in peaceful Japan and witness the collapse of the culture from here, sometimes weighing in but mostly just expressing my sympathy while hoping that 2020 will be enough to snap Americans to their senses that individualism really can be taken too far).

Anyway, much as I also recognize the need to blow off steam (I do it by ranting into a local river, and by banging away on my acoustic guitar, likely damaging the ear drums of the many birds who unfortunately happen to come by my residence.).

Hang in there and, if someone reading this, is a fireworks user, do try to do it in a place that’s going to cause your fellow humans the least amount of stress and sleep-lose as possible.