Hey there,
Happy Halloween! Here is a list of every Halloween costume that I can remember wearing:
-Lion
-Dracula
-Time-Traveling Werewolf
-Banana
-Mr. Greenwald (my high school math teacher)
-Siegfried (of Siegfried and Roy)
-Parrot Doorman
-Dog cop
-Werewolf Doctor
Apparently my go-to costume is to combine "animal + profession." I hope you are staying safe and spooky indoors tonight and getting dressed up if you want to! The costume isn't for the candy, the costume is for you. This year, no one will be able to ask "Why time-traveling werewolf? What even is that?" Instead, it'll just be me nodding in the mirror at myself, saying "Oh... are you a time traveling werewolf? Love the look!"
UPCOMING EVENTS
HMM... LET ME THINK... WHAT COULD BE AN IMPORTANT EVENT THIS WEEK?
- If you're reading this email, I have to assume you've already voted or you have a plan. BUT IF NOT... you gotta do it! Here's a nicely designed and clear state-by-state guide on how to vote. Here in California, I put my ballot in a library dropbox and got a text from the automated tracking system saying that my ballot has been received. It should be that easy for everyone.
This week’s list
GREAT:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a rare breed of political celebrity. Already demonized and feared by the right, she's only just beginning her career as a legislator. She's managed to remain amazingly candid under a level of scrutiny that I cannot imagine. She's also got a level of authentic Bronx energy that I deeply love and respect as a native New Yorker. This Vanity Fair profile of her got a lot of attention for a stupid reason (the price of the clothes she was wearing), but I wish more people read the piece because the substance is really great. She talks about the unhealthy desire to turn politicians into saviors or boogeymen, what it's like to be one of the only people in Congress who isn't rich, and why she believes so strongly in putting out big visionary plans instead of incremental improvements. AOC's Next Four Years
(semi-related: Alyssa Limperis doing the best AOC impression out there)
FUNNY:
Jonathan Muroya is a RISD grad who's been putting out a bunch of very funny comics and cartoons about life in quarantine. Here's one on summer traditions: covid-edition. Or here's a great one on the Greek myths in quarantine.
INTERESTING:
Matthew Desmond is a sociologist and the head of Princeton's Eviction Lab. He won a Pulitzer for his book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. Evictions clearly lead to homelessness, but also much more. Worried about coronavirus? Evictions are super-spreader events. Care about racial and economic injustice? The wealth gap was created through redlining and is perpetuated by evictions. What's surprising is that housing also offers practical and immediate solutions to America's current issues. I've been amazed and inspired at what tenants unions across the country have accomplished this year, whether stopping illegal evictions in LA or a group in Minneapolis who kicked out their landlord and provided a blueprint for structural change. Desmond gives real reasons to be hopeful in this interview: 'Biggest thing to happen to renters since WWII': why this US eviction expert is optimistic
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Boo,
Chris