Thousands of people in the streets
There is still too much news to process.
Conditions are still evolving in South Korea, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared—and then rescinded—martial law, following a 190-0 vote by the National Assembly. (Here in the US we can not expect a unanimous vote against any choice TFP might make in office.)
American journalist Sarah Jeong happened to be on the streets of Seoul—and a little drunk—the night of the martial law declaration. Her first-person dispatch is a delightful read.
The crowd is getting bigger and bigger; The New York Times later reports there are thousands of people on the street. In the moment, I attempt to do a rough count before I realize I am still a little too buzzed to do it.
Elsewhere, Pete Hegseth’s days as nominee for Secretary of Defense may be numbered, as news outlets report that TFP has been discussing swapping in Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. [NYT] (DeSantis would be an awful pick for other reasons.)
One @#$%ing thing
For “Giving Tuesday” I made three donations to:
- World Central Kitchen, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises
- GiveDirectly, which gives cash directly to people in poor communities
- A Safe Place, providing shelter and advocacy to survivors of intimate partner violence here in Oakland
All the @#$%ing things
Night 27: Addressed a hazardous tile floor
Night 26: Picked up trash with the Trash Falcons
Night 25: Learned more about Pete Hegseth than I wanted to
Night 24: Canceled recurring subscriptions I no longer need
Night 23: Dwelt in gratitude
Night 22: Picked up pie from a favorite local business
Night 21: Downsized my clothes closet
Night 20: Increased my monthly contribution to the ACLU
Night 19: Deleted a blog from two decades ago
Night 18: Researched nonprofit board opportunities
Night 17: Contributed to Trans Lifeline
Night 16: Spent time together with loved ones
Night 15: Bought from a not-for-profit online store
Night 14: Refined an icon and wordmark
Night 13: Contributed to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
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, thinks, and actions by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thanks for reading! Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com