lqb2weekly #196 (5 april 2024)
hey,
lots of stuff up here in this opening section so if it feels overwhelming, just scroll on down to all the links and stuff.
first off, the lunar eclipse rocked me and many people i know. 3 ppl i know were in the hospital on the sunday of the eclipse (including me - i broke my finger within 24h of it). will i be watching the solar one coming up? most likely not. i will hopefully be in my house resting and trying to avoid chaos. will it work? doubtful lol. (i’m glad it’s not just me, though).
next, i am starting a (joking) campaign to put spring in its place. people (note: people might be you) RAVE about how great spring is but i think folks straight up have amnesia about spring, at least in new england. also, my partner thinks this is me being a hater… and i think he’s right. i rarely embody hater energy so i’m gonna enjoy riding this one out lol.
things people say they love about spring: the weather, the crisp air, flowers.
those same people seem to not ever also acknowledge as a part of spring: sleet-snow storms in april, having to leave the house in 31 degree weather but knowing it’ll be 65 by midday, and the return of allergies after the respite of winter.
for me, also part of spring is the experience of going from the slowed down, restful vibe of winter to LET’S DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE ALL THE TIME. which, as an aries is def my vibe. the higher energy reality is def something i love. but the transition from the chill to the faster pace is so. hard. i know i’ve said this here before: once may rolls around, i’m super happy. but getting from winter to late spring is hella hard. like… how must it feel for buds to split open the bark on trees and come forth after the bark just did such a good job at protecting the tree insides from the brutal cold?
change my mind. :P
next, another we are what we practice podcast highlight! this time, from my interview with nadav. some top moments in our convo for me:
what’s possible when we think long term in our movements
having care teams for your care teams
practicing “no” (and “not now”) and learning from overextension
regular spiritual practice that means way for spiritual stability
on having friends that call you on your shit
ok next thing, yall should know that i am about to develop serious thought-leadership about disney’s underrated gay uncles. yes, you heard it here first. i was spurred onto this by watching encanto with my cutie and now that i’m thinking about this, i can’t stop. my current list of gay uncles in disney movies who are critical plot supporters:
timon and puumba (they cross-species shepherded the heir of the kingdom through an identity crisis and puberty)
scar (hey, i never said they were all good)
jafar
sebastian
bruno
mushu in mulan
stay tuned.
also, this one line from encanto is just worth shouting from rooftops:
“stars don’t shine; they burn.”
(technically/scientifically, i don’t think stars actually burn, but it’s a great fcking lyric.)
next, there is SO MUCH to say about palestine. over the last few weeks, i’ve been using my thursday fasting to do more self-education along with feeling my feels. in my last newsletter, i asked for some medium-weight resources and got a lot. here’s a gathering of what i’ve gone thru so far (which i might put on a separate list somewhere someday soon):
here’s a sermon that a friend sent in from their pastor:
my friend’s words: “Jin S Kim on how we got to October 7. He founded undergroundsem.org that uses clear post colonial history to interpret scripture and our times. Here is a link to a sermon he preached explaining these notes. It’s a very helpful overview in less than 30 min.” —
my take: the whole sermon is interesting, especially if you’re coming from a christian perspective. if you just wanted jin’s historical take, start at 28:04 https://cando.org/audio/sermons/2023-10-22-JinSKim.mp3”
another friend shared:
“I'm reading Sacred Instructions by Sheri Mitchell and her explanation of how we got here - the myth of separation; colonized ways of being; life threatening ecological imbalance, frenzied productivity and consumption, rampant "othering" - rocked my being.”
another friend shared about this palestine-israel 101 course starting in mid-april
that same course teacher has a bunch of youtube videos, many of which i’ve found interesting. https://www.youtube.com/@zacharyfoster7426/videos. particularly interesting is that this guy started out pro-israel and over time has become pro-palestine (which he discusses in this 12 min interview).
another friend shared this piece from ezra klein: What Israelis Fear the World Does Not Understand (this is a centrist, zionist piece)
that lead me to two other pieces from ezra
ps - if you are one of the friend’s listed here and want to be named by name, let me know; i’m happy to edit the post on substack. i just didn’t want to put you on blast here without your consent.
next, a beloved, juli, had an awful apartment fire and other friends are raising funds to help them get things back together again. can you contribute?
another friend, bernadette, is having a big return battle with cancer. also a great place to contribute. chris, who i have shared a note about and was looking for a job in a recent newsletter, is one of the co-leaders of the effort. more deets here.
another friend is sunsetting a rad BIPOC farming project. he is looking for someone to help them do the sunsetting over this year. here’s the RFP. please spread the word! it’s due next week, though! sorry for getting this out to you all late in the game.
revision urban farm is having their annual seedling sale. if you want plant starts in boston, go here!
also, an amazing organization, the urban farming institute (which i was recently on the board of) bought its farm!!! this is huge news. check out the piece in the boston globe:https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/25/business/urban-farming-institute-fowler-clark-epstein-purchase-mattapan/
finally, tomorrow is a boston fixit clinic, run by my friend jonathan. it’s in JP and if you have broken things you want/need fixed (instead of throwing them away and gettin new things, go go go!
on to the things!
(!!) pick of the pack
writing
some things i’ve written since the last newsletter:
quotes
there is nothing new under the sun. also, full transparency, many of these quotes come from james clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter (which i love).
I didn’t fall in love, I rose in it. — Toni Morrison
Freedom is in the unknown. If you believe there is an unknown everywhere, in your own body, in your relationships with other people, in political institutions, in the universe, then you have maximum freedom. — philosopher John C. Lilly
stars don’t shine, they burn. — encanto
poetry
in order for me to write poetry that isn’t political… — Marwan Makhoul
reads
some things i’ve read since the last newsletter:
New Metroidvania Game Inspired by Afrofuturism and Bantu Culture | GameRant
Am I Burned Out? How To Recognize The 12 Stages Of Burnout | Forbes
Artist Crushes Tesla With Colossal Olmec Head Sculpture | Hyperallergic
Imaginal Cells | The Caterpillar’s Job to Resist the Butterfly | Augusto Cuginotti (!!)
jams
some things i’ve been (aurally) enjoying since the last newsletter:
the new beyonce
levii’s jeans (i REALLY WISH the last chunk of this song was like 3x longer. idk who post malone is (yes i live under a rock) but this yelly vibe is like so good. i am on the verge of crying every time but it’s just not enough to tip me over… goddess bey, if you can hear your humble servant, plz grant me this one wish lol)
jobs
co-hosted by my dear friend, nadav david!
Movement Innovation Collaborative Co-Director | California i-Cente | $200-220k | Los Angeles, CA
Strategic Communications Manager | City of Boston | $77k-103k | Boston
upcoming events
Reckoning with White Femininity and Anti-Blackness | 14-18 April | New Market, TN
($$) fun-raising
newsletters
bad environmentalist: Ask a Bad Environmentalist #1
emet ezell: in my dream, i drive a white convertible
building belonging: What comes after Whiteness? (!!)
solstice newsletter: newsletter: you x culture building x power
gibrán’s newsletter: The Holy Feminine
right now i’m learning…
how to deal with having a broken finger. =[
mood
(me being sad that i can’t surf til like may!!!)