Not all the news is bad
Anil Dash is back again with a blog post (“Don’t call it a Substack”) and a Bluesky thread suggesting that Substack—much like Fuchs’ purchase of Twitter—is a political project. These do not appear to be actual businesses designed to make their money back.
I’m happy to be publishing on Buttondown.
What we are and are not ready for
I’ve not felt in any mood for John Oliver’s post-election episode of Last Week Tonight, as YouTube kept serving its thumbnail up to me day after day. Tonight as I washed dishes I took the leap.
Oliver taped this episode from deep within the anger stage of grief. Once he allowed himself to let the emotion show you could feel it exploding from his pores.
Oliver (and his team—he does not make the show himself!) did take a moment to recognize a few wins by trans candidates across the country, including Emma Curtis, who won her race for city council in Lexington, Kentucky.
The list of LGBTQ+ candidates who won their races across the country is long and growing, every election. Not just in “blue” states.
Despite how a plurality of American voters cast their ballots for TFP, there is no going back.
One thing
I gave a one-time donation to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. I’ll revisit later whether/when I might turn it into an annual or monthly contribution.
All of the @#$%ing things
Night 12: Contributed to The Guardian
Night 11: Read, reflected, and rested
Night 10: Sent money to support vaccinations in Nigeria
Night 9: Sent money to a friend in need
Night 8: Gave gifts and spoke words of appreciation aloud
Night 7: Contributed to a California-focused nonprofit newsroom
Night 6: Made homemade donuts for my team
Night 5: Opted into a paid Buttondown tier
Night 4: Reviewed my local election results
Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting
Words, sorts, and thinks by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com