Charismatic megafauna

Surprise me View in browser November 09, 2018 Cindy Lozito    This week I'm trying to stay focused on the positive outcomes from Tuesday's election—the incremental wins, not just the prominent losses. I'm also trying to relax a little. And to that end... On the podcast, Amina and I chat about the midterms a bit and then turn things over to LeVar Burton (yes, Roots, Star Trek and Reading Rainbow LeVar Burton, that LeVar Burton!), who talked with me about his work and answered some of the listener questions in our inbox. I'm reading Don't stop being shocked by gun violence. America's problem is racism, not "tribalism." How U.S. law enforcement willfully ignores the domestic threat of white nationalism. "Challenge the myth of whiteness and you trigger a spiritual crisis in those who cannot derive, or are not interesting in deriving, a fuller sense of self from anywhere else." I'm so thrilled that Lucy McBath is now a congresswoman. What happens when women win elections. A dispatch from the frontlines of Trump's attacks on the press. In an Atlanta suburb, wealthy residents are trying to secede from their neighbors. The founders look at modern America. A delightful skewering of Jordan Peterson. A profile of Will Oldham. A dispatch from the politically-charged wrestling scene in Kentucky. The fight inside Google over breaching the Great Firewall of China. How a woman becomes a lake. Late-in-life lovers know that love does not conquer all. Rethinking the placebo effect. Members only Become a paying member for just $5/year. That's it! What are you missing? Click here to see what these pie charts are all about. I'm looking & listening Ayanna Pressley's victory speech. The origins of anti-Semitism. "thank you, next." Going deep on plaid. Tuesday Bassen on the Good Company podcast. GIFspiration Me turning away from the midterms and looking wildly toward 2020. I endorse Starting smaller. I was pulling for Stacey Abrams (still am!) and Beto O'Rourke and Andrew Gillum, too. But as the dust has settled, I've been feeling like these races are the charismatic megafauna of electoral politics. They are important! But it's easy to get swept up in the momentum of a long-shot Senate or gubernatorial run and neglect the unsexy work left to do at the state level. Case in point: Just look how rampant voter suppression and hopelessly gerrymandered districts affected the midterms. These are problems that will have to be fixed in the states. The Supreme Court isn't coming to save us. So I'm re-committing to the Sister District Project. They identify races that will change things at the state level—and eventually make it easier to win national elections. Listen to co-founder Gaby Goldstein explain it all on JVN's podcast. As she says, "The federal government is dead to me right now." The time to get on board with the state-level long-game is now: Redistricting is happening in 2021. It's is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to redraw the boundaries that shape elections in a way that is equitable and fair. And add some incredible politicians to the national pipeline, too. If you're a fan of the long haul, give some cash or get involved while you're still feeling that electoral-politics momentum.  You endorse WeCroak, an app that sends you 5 reminders a day that you’re going to die. "It is surprisingly effective! Yesterday a message saying ‘you’re going to die’ popped up, rudely interrupting me in a moment of complaining about how much work builders are doing to my house. It got me off my privileged ass and signing up to the soup kitchen on my road!" -Lucy Christo What do you endorse? Submit a link here. The Classifieds Clothes are often made in factories by women working in brutal conditions for low wages. Why is this so easy to ignore? Racism. Our clothes are made by brown people in faraway places. We feel removed, even though their work touches our skin. Food for thought from And We Evolve. Calling mid-career women in digital journalism: Apply to ONA's Women's Leadership Accelerator — a yearlong program that supercharges your leadership and management skills to level up your career. Deadline is Nov. 30. Apostrophe Copywriters is an award-winning copywriting agency, peppered right around the globe. Say hello. Diamonds? Meh. Why not an engagement ring, two wedding rings, and an exotic getaway honeymoon for the same money? www.CubicZirconia.com Let's make (and fix!) music history. We are creating the world’s first recording of Dame Ethel Smyth’s final composition. She was a brilliant, ground-breaking composer who was not celebrated enough because of her gender. It’s time to change that. Cocoon Collective is the advisory board of your dreams. Get the support and insight you need to level up, be a boss, or take a creative leap. PRX and Google teamed up to create the Google Podcasts creator program, providing the tools, training and funding to make your podcast idea reality. Apply by Nov 18! 2018 ads are almost sold out! Lock yours down today. Click for rates and info. Testimonials "@annfriedman's newsletter is consistently one of the best things to arrive in my inbox every Friday. " -Jason Zaragoza. This is an even greater compliment when you note that Friday is a popular newsletter day! "Oh, nothing, just casually sobbing in my office after reading the opening of @annfriedman's newsletter." -Robyn Swirling. I'm here for the whole spectrum of emotional reactions. This newsletter is the charismatic megafauna of the newsletter world. Forward it to your personal mascot. AF WEEKLY Subscribe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Manage paid membership MORE ANN Email me About me Writing archive Public speaking Rent my brain Manage Preferences | Unsubscribe | Ladyswagger, Inc. 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