So Rough

July is ending in a very rough way. 

It's really hot and very humid and I'm in a bad place. I went to bed early last night, but it didn't matter. I kept waking up sweaty, usually every two hours. I would give anything if we had an HVAC. Being able to sleep cool during the night would make such a difference.

I'd honestly just be happy with an AC that was programmable.  That would help more than what we have going on right now.

The next few weeks are going to be very intense. Labs and appointments and surgery and then more appointments. I'm not looking forward to it, but here we are.

I need to work on stuff. I don't feel like it. My horrible headache is back, and I'm nauseous. I suspect that an actual night's sleep would help me a lot, but that's kind of impossible right now. In the meantime, I endure.

Let's Talk about the Population

 Let's talk about a decreasing population, shall we?

Currently, we have like 8.3 billion people on the planet.

Honestly, how many more people do you want here? That's an insane amount of people. 

If all these people were having a decent, lovely, self-fulfilling life, that would be one thing. But that isn't the case. Most people's lives are scary and miserable. The rich and powerful are trying even harder to make everyone's life more scary and more miserable. 

Beyond that, most people who whine about people not having enough babies never seem to look at the benefits of what a smaller population can do for you.

Environmental Relief

Lower emissions. Fewer people mean reduced greenhouse‑gas production and a smaller overall carbon footprint. We even saw a version of this during COVID lockdowns, when reduced activity led to measurable drops in emissions.

Resource recovery. Pressure eases on vital resources like fresh water, arable land, and forests. Given how strained these are in many regions, this relief is significant.

Biodiversity growth. Reduced urban sprawl allows natural habitats to expand and wildlife populations to recover. This is not a small benefit — it’s foundational to ecological stability.

Less pollution. Waste generation, plastic use, and chemical runoff all decrease when fewer people are consuming and discarding materials.

As far as the planet itself goes, a lower human population has no environmental downside.

Economic and Workplace Gains

Higher wages. Labor shortages historically increase worker leverage, pushing employers to raise compensation. Whether today’s wealthy class would respond the same way is debatable, but in theory — and historically — this pattern holds.

Automation acceleration. Companies invest more in technology and innovation to compensate for labor gaps. This can counteract some wage gains, but it also drives efficiency and new industries.

Affordable housing. Lower demand reduces real‑estate prices and overall living costs. Again, historically, this is what we’ve seen.

Wealth inheritance. With fewer heirs, generational wealth becomes more concentrated. It’s basic math: my sibling and I split an inheritance 50/50; add more siblings and each person receives less.

Infrastructure and Quality of Life

Reduced congestion. Less traffic means shorter commute times and fewer daily bottlenecks.

Public service relief. Lower population density reduces crowding in public transit, parks, and recreational spaces. It also shortens hospital wait times and improves emergency response speed.

Smaller class sizes. Schools can offer more individualized attention. This is crucial — and it also means fewer students competing for placement in strong programs and for scholarships.

Lower crime potential. Statistically, a smaller youth demographic correlates with lower overall crime rates. And now let me ask you? What are the benefits to higher populations? .............I'll wait.

Finally Happening

 The heat is finally really getting to me. I had a really bad night last night, waking up soaked in sweat and not really able to find much relief from my fans. 

I'm not happy about this. 

I'm also nervous about it because I am having surgery in a few weeks and you're supposed to be very clean before surgery. I can't help the level of sweat I'm going to have going on.  

Overall, it's just exhausting. I'm at that point where the heat is making it difficult to focus on anything. 

Aloneness

 The discussion of the 'unmarried women will end up alone' threat has been going on again.

Ughh. This is so old. 

Anyway, let's get into it.

1. Women tend to outlive men. So it's quite possible that even if you get married, you would not end your life with that person.
2. Roommates exist. Friends exist. Extended family exists.
3. Being alone is actually very peaceful. 


Actually, I think that last one is the one that most people just really do not process. Being alone is peaceful. Your house isn't silent. Your house is full of your thoughts. Your house is full of your wishes. Your house is full of your projects, accomplishments, and favorite things. 

Does this mean you're going to have to figure out who takes you to the doctor? Yes. It does.

But let me ask you to consider this. How many people who have families still end up having to figure out who will take them to the doctor because everyone is busy or not around or is so used to that person being the one who provides that they never consider what it is that person may need?

And then, let me ask you to consider this. What exactly are you asking people to give up in order to live a life to where they might not end up alone? Is that cost really worth it?

A Week of Frustrations

 This honestly should have been one of the better weeks of my life. It was not. I was discussed by people who do not know me and assumed things that were not true.

Then, in a separate situation, I was lied to and made to look like an idiot.

I am, quite honestly, just ready for this week to be over. 

Outside of just trying to work on stuff, I have no weekend plans. Maybe catch up on a couple of shows. 

There is honestly some stuff I wanted to blog about tonight, but I'm just so soul-weary from the day that I can't.

I Swear this Always Happens

 So I entered a contest and ended up as one of the Honorable Mentions.

There were four overall winners for various categories, and then ten Honorable Mentions. I was pleased — there were a massive number of entries.

However, the very first thing I saw, even before noticing that I had won, was my name mentioned in a comment thread.

Curious, I opened it. And… it was someone complaining that I won my little Honorable Mention spot. Not just me — most of the winners, actually.

Here’s the deal.

The contest was for a body of work that told a story highlighting an emotion. The rules stated that you could not submit just one image; you had to submit a series that created a narrative.

You had two choices:

Option One: Submit your work as a collection. Option Two: Submit your work as a video. Video uploads were limited to 90 seconds.

Those were literally the options provided.

My interpretation was simple: I could create a single video that told one story — a story that fits within 90 seconds. To me, the point was to tell a complete narrative within that timeframe.

So that’s what I did.

What other people understood this to mean was: You could create multiple videos that together told a very long story.

And that’s what they did.

Neither approach was explicitly right or wrong. The rules didn’t forbid either method. No one on the judging panel, and no one monitoring the contest, sent out emails saying, “This isn’t what the rules meant — please change your submission.”

As a result, the people who submitted multiple videos are now complaining that those of us who submitted one video broke the rules because we only submitted one clip.

But the rules never said “not just one clip.” They said “not just one image.” There is a difference.

And while I absolutely understand their frustration — the rules should have been clearer about what was required, what wasn’t, and what might be overkill — it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong.

I also empathize with the pain of submitting (in some cases) bodies of work with 100+ pieces and feeling like it was overlooked.

However:

My win is legit. My win was earned. My work was good.

I’m not going to say anything in that comment thread. I’m not going to defend my work, because I do not defend or justify what I make. I don’t believe any creator should.

I do, however, want to acknowledge how frustrating it is that a win I should have been thrilled about is now tinged by the fact that I found out about it through someone questioning its validity.

IPSY Ultimate Sneak Peek Three for August 2026

While not disappointing like Sneak Peek Two, the third round of Ultimate reveals was still kind of a dud.

They technically “revealed” only one new item: NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick. Everything else was already shown in previous rounds. Were those items now featured? Yes. Was it an actual reveal? Not really.

So let’s talk about the NARS. It’s a good formula. If it ends up in my box, I won’t be upset the way I would be with certain other things. Am I yearning for it? No. And with lip products, there’s always the question of shade roulette. There’s also the repeat factor — IPSY is already forcing one lip product on everyone this month. Why send two?

It’s highly unlikely IPSY will do a fourth reveal round, so this is probably it. Based strictly on what has been shown, here’s my list.

PART ONE: WHAT I KNOW I WILL GET

• MERIT Shade Slick Gelée Tinted Lip Oil

• Makeup By Mario Master Mascara

PART TWO: WHAT I HOPE I GET

• Korres Kyma Eau de Toilette

• Patrick Ta Major Headlines Double‑Take Blush Duo

• Indie Lee Stem Cell Serum

• ILIA Skin Rewind Complexion Stick

• MUTHA Up All Night Eye Cream

• Skin&Co Summer on the Riviera

PART THREE: WHAT I WON’T BE MAD AT RECEIVING BUT HOPE I DON’T

• NARS Afterglow Sensual Shine Lipstick

PART FOUR: WHAT I DO NOT WANT

• SACHAJUAN Hair Repair Treatment

• ILIA The Base Face Milk

• REL BEAUTY The Essentials Brush Set

• AREY Goodnight Grey Serum

CONCLUSION

Given that this will be my last month with IPSY, I’m not unhappy with how Ultimate looks. Am I deeply pleased? No. But I’m not unhappy either. I’m at peace with how our relationship will end.