The Meerkat Muse: 16th of July, 2025
We’re back baby! What’s been happening?
A Day of Irritants
Considering all the events of the 3rd of July, I wonder if I even have the right to feel annoyed, but between escorting a grumpy teenager to school, an unexpected diversion to the supermarket on the way home, and breaking my PC mouse via the shortest of possible drops (honestly, this thing proved ridiculously fragile), it was a day to get under the skin for all the wrong reasons. Ultimately though, I feel bad for feeling annoyed, because I also learned of something extremely tragic.
Rest in Peace Diogo Jota
Those of you who regularly follow my blog will know I am a Liverpool FC fan. I was stunned and devastated to learn that Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, was killed in a car accident in Spain, in the early hours of Thursday morning on the 3rd of July. He was only 28 years old, had recently got married, and he also leaves behind three young children. To make matters even worse, his brother was killed in the same accident. My heart goes out to his family and friends. They are part of the Liverpool family, so they will never be alone, because as the club song goes, You’ll Never Walk Alone. Rest in Peace Diogo.
Cinema Etiquette
This has already inspired a Meerkat Prompt, but it feels noteworthy enough for a Muse. My wife, daughter and I recently saw Jurassic World: Rebirth at the cinema. It was a decent film, but the experience was somewhat marred by inconsiderate people fiddling with their phones, and having conversations for the duration of the entire movie. I am at a complete loss as to why people come out to the cinema, and treat the screen like their personal living room. I wish I’d said something, but I am too nice.
Sweaty Meerkats
The oppressive heatwave has continued, with the occasional lashing of rain thrown in for good measure. If anyone is still unconvinced that climate change is real, they need to take a long hard look at the mercury. This planet is heating up, with increasingly erratic weather, and there’s no way that isn’t down to human activity.
The Life of an Author
After a brief period of deliberation, I’ve signed an updated contract with my publisher. The goal is to be more proactive with marketing activities. These can take the shape of online advertising, book signings, and more. The alternative is was to let my contract lapse, which I wasn’t prepared to do. The people of Jumpmaster Press have helped me enormously down the years, and on top of that there’s no guarantee I’d find another publisher. It’s not a question of giving up the day job (which for the sake of my family has to be the priority), but I will be working harder from a book promotion perspective.
I certainly wish I could dedicate my full-time activities to being an author. The day job is increasingly unsatisfying, and I have stepped up my job hunting of late. Whether this yields anything that I would find more rewarding, and feel more confident in, remains to be seen.
One Year to Go
Unless my daughter decides to go into the sixth form, she has now reached the end of her penultimate year at school. It is surreal, and a bit emotional, to reflect upon this. I can still remember her first day of nursery, where she headed in without hesitation, and without looking back. Now my baby girl is a young woman, nearly at the end of her educational journey, and I don’t know whether the world is ready for her!
21 Years
My wife and I have now been together for 21 years! We are fast approaching our 16th wedding anniversary as well. It’s quite amazing, and I am, as always, extremely grateful to her patience, and her love. 21 years is a long time to get on each other’s nerves, and we have undoubtedly done that, but here we are, still going, still very much in love.
The Ladybird Invasion
There’s been a few reports on the news about the presence of a great many ladybirds. Sure enough, we’ve seen more than usual in our garden. They are harmless enough, and quite pretty little things, and my wife rescued one from a spider’s web. It’s thought the heatwave has led to a boom in their population, and they are all over the coastal parts of Essex, with some heading further inland. It turns out they can bite, but in all my years, I’ve never been bitten by one, nor known anyone to be bitten.
The Man of Steel Returns
I’ve written a review here, but I wanted to say a few words in my Muse on this triumphant return to form for one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time. James Gunn’s Superman is precisely the sort of movie that we need right now. Here is a story about a character who refuses to give up on the best of humanity, even when humanity is showing its worst face. Here is a man devoted to helping strangers in need, not to seek out some sort of reward, but because it’s the right thing to do. Here is a person who is an immigrant, showing that immigrants do not deserve the demonization that so many conservatives seem so desperate to apply to them.
Indeed, such is the tone and stance of the film that some have derided it as ‘woke’. I for one believe the film is proud to be woke, and rightly so. When did showing compassion and kindness become derogatory? Superman shows the best of these qualities, and somehow this has enraged some on the conservative right. One of the saddest ironies of this is that former Superman actor Dean Cain has come out to criticise this portrayal of the character, proving he learned nothing from playing Superman on TV for several years.
The Epstein List
At the risk of continuing to be overly political in a Meerkat Muse, the notorious Epstein List has been making headlines again. Once upon a time, Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed to have a client list on her desk, awaiting her attention. Donald Trump promised to release the list during his campaign for office last year. Now it seems there isn’t a list, following an FBI investigation. So, who to believe?
On the one hand, when Trump opens his mouth, it is fair to assume he is lying, so perhaps he was lying about the list? On the other hand, Trump and Epstein were said to know each other, and might have even been friends at one point. Would it come as any great surprise that Trump, who already has a murky history where it comes to sexual abuse, might not want his association with Jeffrey Epstein to be under scrutiny?
Recently, some people have suggested that the list, if it exists, should not be made public, on the grounds that it would prejudice people. However, this feels like a flimsy excuse. Trump promised to release it, and backtracked. The list alleged sat on the desk of the Attorney General, and now it apparently doesn’t exist. The inconsistencies, and Trump’s own association with Epstein, would appear to render this as a cover-up, and that is not in the public interest. Keeping the list hidden protects those on it, and those on it are said to be the political, social and business elites of the world. Think about that. People of considerable wealth and influence are being protected, and if there is a list of Epstein’s clients, it’s worth reminding people that Epstein traded in child abuse and sex crimes.
Concealing the list, and even pretending it doesn’t exist, does not serve justice.
A Prospect
I have my eyes on a possible opportunity, though I need to decide if I should make the leap or not. It’s not the dream prospect, but it’s an option I overlooked once before, and then regretted it. The question is, do I make a leap into the unknown, and trade the stability of my current role (albeit a role I am increasingly unhappy with) for something I cannot yet qualify or quantify?
Of course, I can apply for something, have an interview, get a deeper, wider picture of affairs, and then decide what I want to do. I’m under no obligation to say yes to an offer.
A Silent Worry
Following the recent refit of our boiler, I have noticed a feeling of greater lethargy, not only with myself, but with my wife and daughter, especially over the last few days. None of us have felt like ourselves. Now, this could all be one random coincidence, but our new carbon monoxide alarm was bleeping the other night. It cannot possibly have a power issue already, yet the other alarm did not go off. It is best to err on the side of caution where this sort of thing is concerned, especially since it is potentially affecting my loved ones.
The bottom line with this sort of thing is to get it checked out. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
A Pivotal Point
I’ve come to a decision that, whilst heart-wrenching in some regards, is also what I consider to be the right decision, regarding the third and final part of the Chon’ith Saga. It may surprise people, it might even shock them, but in the end, it will serve as a vital component of the story I am trying to tell. I don’t mind admitting I got a little emotional writing the scene!
With that thought, I conclude this edition of the Meerkat Muse! Until next time!
