Entryway of the Dipper, 53rd of the Dog Days, 526 M.E. (Betelgeuse): Not dead yet. The heart is still ticking, and all day yesterday, as the hours passed, the pain that I had experienced in my chest became less and less noticeable and required deeper and deeper breaths to experience. I can still feel it today, but only on the deepest of breaths, and it feels more like a "pressure" than something I would call a "pain." Also, now it feels more like it may be my lungs instead of my heart. But what do I know? I'm not a doctor.

Still, better safe than sorry. I scheduled a doctor's appointment for the 61st and final of the Dog Days, which was the earliest I could get.     

As my internal body falls apart, I watch the external world fail as well. It's still oppressively hot, and I used my health today as an alibi to not push things and take my alternating-day walk (it all started after my walk two days ago). But it's really the heat and humidity - who wants to work out in that soupy weather? 

The Stable Genius is now in a trade was with Canada, of all people, and is laying the groundwork to declare a national emergency by spewing election conspiracy theories to sow public distrust in the democratic process. A study found that 85% of personal-care products tested, ranging from shampoo to baby lotions, contained unlabeled toxic chemicals, including phthalates, PFAS, and formaldehyde. Dog food is being recalled due to the presence of metal contamination, eye drops over sterility issues, and foods rang from jalapeño peppers to ice cream to soup due to Salmonella and Listeria. A recall of frozen blueberries (a staple of my daily smoothies) sold at Publix stores (where I get them) was upgraded to its highest health-risk classification due to an E. coli outbreak. It's getting to the point where you don't want to go to the supermarket anymore without a printout of the latest FDA recall notices, but even that is no longer considered a reliable source.

The world is shit, the United Snakes is completely off the rails, it's too hot to walk outside, and my internal organs are going through some things. But at least now I'm free from the scourge of paying reasonable prices for timber products from Canada.