Good morning! Just over here in my snow capped podcast bunker contemplating how treacherous civic life is becoming?
Even though Susie Wiles enabled this, of course. Her face is my face, is your face, is all of our faces.
Not sure why but this story kind of did me in? Mainly, I think, because it feels like a completely random piece of lunacy. But also because, when every social media doom scroll tells me to counter dire national news by taking a deep breath and “focus on joy” - this gold goblin is coming for MY joy. The joy of the arts. Escapism of entertainment. And yes, nostalgia that I will never be invited back to the Kennedy Center to teach sex-ed.
Obviously it’s a distraction, and pales in comparison to an array of other embarrassments and an apparent hostile takeover of our government? Here is a good explainer of that whole horror show.
Not to be all Cassandra about it, but a very big part of the problem is that we are incapable of anticipating what Donald Trump can whip up in his imagination.
Like you know how sometimes you wake up from a dream and you say “oh my god I just had the funniest dream that the dog wouldn’t stop laughing, and her laugh sounded like James Earl Jones!!” and everyone is just thinking “stop telling me about your dreams.”
I think he wakes up from his dreams and says “I am the boss of Canada now.” Or, he takes an elderly man’s nappie-poo in the afternoon, wakes up groggy, slurps a Diet Coke and muses “wouldn’t it be fun to do a WWE RAW in the Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center? The acoustics are huge.” “Or what about one of those cool political rallies where we all do this random gesture together because no one is capable of stopping us?”
Well, we better damn well figure out how to stop this mayhem, because we are learning that things change quickly and without warning. We would overall love democrats to stop telling us that they did better in the election than they actually did, and we would love for them to link arms, get creative, and fight back. Will the legal system protect us? SURE HOPE SO.
Here is another good explainer of America in general right now.
What are we, three weeks in?
This week, I’m prepping for a Planned Parenthood presentation in Florida, of all places, in which I shall deliver a heartfelt speech to a room full of absolute WARRIORS. Literally what can I possibly say to them other than “I bow down before you?” But it will feel good to stand in a room filled with the best people, snarfing gin soaked olives out of the bottom of a martini glass and calling it dinner.
Speaking of Florida. There is a special general election to fill vacancies left by Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz on April Fools Day, natch. Of course Trump has nominated and endorsed the two republican candidates he would like to see win, and they are just as unqualified as you might imagine. BUT, two democratic candidates are running against them: Gay Valimont and Josh Weil. Now, these districts are heavily conservative - blood orange, if you will - so yes, I get it. But maybe we could practice with this one, like, for the midterms and such. Why the fuck not? I dunno man. Please believe me I am aware that the idea of voting makes people’s skin crawl right now. I am aware that when you tell people to call their members of congress to complain, that it actually can make you feel like running through a wall like the Kool Aid man. Still. Attention needs to be paid.
Other things occupying my time:
I do want to highlight a charitable endeavor that a friend of mine is undertaking to support the Trevor Project. You can read about it here.
And amplify this piece, which I found so moving and uplifting.
This op-ed from a veteran that should be mandatory reading for all.
Don’t sleep on Neko Case’s wonderful book.
And this one, which I am thoroughly enjoying as well.
Finally.
Today I learned that birds need 8 calories per day to survive the winter. Say what?
My favorite quote:
“Its cold-season daily requirement of about eight calories? That would be like 67,000 for a 100-pound human, Mr. Sibley writes, or about 27 large pizzas or 26 pounds of peanuts, to get through a day.”
So basically, Super Bowl Sunday?
Let’s chat again next week.
Xo,
Sam
Thank you, Sam. You are a bright light in our world.