EEDA Newsletter Vol 5, Res 22: CA Voting, Vote for Libraries, & Purrli
This is a public issue of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. Feel free to share it!
Hi friends! I’m writing this on Halloween evening and if you want to see my Halloween costume, you can see a short video on TikTok or Instagram. I am very proud of myself and I definitely wore it to therapy this morning.
I’m writing this on Halloween evening because instead of my usual newsletter writing mid-week, I made myself a new website. It’s better on desktop or tablet than mobile; I’m still trying to figure that out.
I’ve been doing some hard things lately, including decluttering. I came across a box of my mom’s clothing and Nicole stepped in to help as we drove it to the thrift shop. At least there was a beautiful sunset that day.
This week's EEDA Pod episode is titled, “Taking Care On Election Day & Communicating Hard Things” and we share our plans for taking care of ourselves during election day as well as some communication advice around hard subjects. We also talk about a completely bananas book we’ve both recently read.
You can find our show, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts. You can also support the show on Patreon.
It’s resource week so let’s get to it!
Resource 1: CA Voter Guide
Every voting cycle, I get access to a massive spreadsheet of CA and Bay Area Voter Info. It includes a huge list of voter guides as well as a tab with how the guides recommend voting on each thing (and candidate) on the ballot. It has CA statewide props as well as federal candidates and then some local (Oakland/Alameda County) items. You can access it here.
Resource 2: Save Public Libraries and Schools By Voting Down-Ballot: Book Censorship News, October 25, 2024 via Kelly Jensen for Book Riot
Here’s your reminder to get to know what is on your local ballot, how to determine the best candidate for office, and then what to do after you don your “I voted” sticker. The suggestions here will take some time, so carve out an hour or so before you go to vote. You can do these things all at once or break them up into chunks.
Not only a reminder, but instructions on what exactly to be looking at and for.
Bonus: Purrli, the online cat purr generator
I shared this back in April of 2020 but many of you weren’t here then (hi!) and even if you were, you may have forgotten about this gem. If you want to see what I wrote about it back then, you can look here. I’m really happy it’s still around.
Recent & Current Reads
Inclusion of a book in this section is not necessarily a recommendation and these books won’t necessarily be added to my Bookshop. Links are affiliate links.
Recently Read:
Angela Davis: An Autobiography by Angela Y. Davis
So Long Sad Love by Mirion Malle, translated by Aleshia Jensen
Becoming Who We Are: Real Stories about Growing Up Trans by Sammy Lisel (Author) Lilah Sturges (Author) Cynthia Yuan Cheng (Artist) Naomi Rubin (Artist) Victor Martins (Artist) Sunmi (Artist) Ravi Teixeira (Artist) Higu Rose (Artist) Kameron White (Artist) Hazel Newlevant (Editor)
Wicked Collector's Edition: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Currently Reading:
African American Folktales: Stories from Black Traditions in the New World by Roger D. Abrahams (sorry, can’t find it on Bookshop. My copy is from 1985)
Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown
That’s it for this week! You can shop many books I’ve mentioned in this newsletter at my affiliate shop, The Infophile’s Bookshop, and support independent bookstores. In fact, any Bookshop, Amazon, or Etsy links in this newsletter are affiliate links so if you shop through those, it helps support my work. Or you can leave me a tip on Ko-fi, Paypal, or Venmo.
If you want to send me some snail mail, you can find me at P.O. Box 21481, Oakland, CA 94620-1481.
You can find our podcast, Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and wherever else you get your podcasts.