EEDA Newsletter Vol 6, Res 25: Detect AI, Book Pre-Orders, & Old Makeup
This is a public issue of Enthusiastic Encouragement & Dubious Advice. Feel free to share it!
Hi friends! Quick reminder that I finally launched the EEDA Pod Merch Shop! You can find it here and it is always linked on the EEDA Pod webpage.
I have had a renewed vigor for getting-things-the-fuck-out-of-the-house. A few weeks ago a friend came over to help me go through books and I found maybe a couple hundred to either release into the wild or sell to the used bookstore. I’ve already gotten about a quarter of them out of the house and I have plans for the rest. We also had a massive bag of clothes that got picked up by a Poshmark reseller and I have some donation piles going of things to donate to my beloved Oakland Museum of California White Elephant sale. The dates for 2026 have already been announced. Did I just say I’m getting things out of the house AND excited about a massive rummage sale in the same breath? You betcha!
New EEDA Pod episode this week! The Missteps of Modern Activism: Awareness vs. Action
In this episode of Enthusiastic Encouragement and Dubious Advice, hosts Patricia and Nicole discuss the significance of community and activism amidst the prevalence of digital misinformation. They delve into how algorithms shape our online experiences, the pitfalls of generative AI, and the importance of real-world actions over mere online awareness. The show also includes updates on their new merchandise shop, experiences at the Oakland Sticker Faire, and tips for creating positive, actionable change in isolationist times.
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, where we have some perks for paid subscribers with even more coming this year. You can also just make a recurring donation through subscribing to our Patreon, as our show is independently run and without ads. It helps keep us going!
Bonus: We updated the top tier of our Patreon to make it more accessible! You can find that announcement here.
It’s another resource week so let’s get to it!
Resource 1: Pre-Ordering Books Makes You More of a Citizen of Literature by Charlie Jane Anders via Happy Dancing
If you are reading this newsletter, then you’re probably the type of person who enjoys supporting your favorite authors. I don’t think that enough people know how important it can be to pre-order your favorite authors’ books. Writer, podcaster, and all-around groovy cat Charlie Jane Anders wrote an incredibly helpful piece on why pre-ordering books is so wonderful. She has a book coming out in just over a week, Lessons in Magic and Disaster. Such a great read!
Resource 2: Detect Fakes via Northwestern University
How good do you think you are at spotting AI images?
From the site:
How do you spot a deepfake? How can you tell if an image is AI-generated? How well can people distinguish between AI-generated media and images, audio, and video recorded by a traditional camera or microphone? Detect Fakes is [a] research project hosted at Northwestern University by researchers at the Kellogg School of Management to examine how people distinguish truth from fiction in online media, especially as synthetic media becomes more and more realistic.
Resource 3: I Still Use My Old Makeup — Here’s Why It’s Okay (Sometimes) by Izzie Deibe for Refinery29
Makeup is expensive and it feels like even stepping out the door costs money so many of us certainly can’t afford to be throwing out cosmetics willy-nilly. The linked article gives you some helpful tips on how to figure out if the makeup you have is still good to go or if it really is an infection-risk. That eyeshadow may be cute, but pink eye is not.
Recent & Current Reads
Inclusion of a book in this section is not necessarily a recommendation and these books won’t always be added to my Bookshop. Links are affiliate links.
Recently Read:
The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity by Sarah Schulman
Destroy This House: A Memoir by Amanda Uhle (out 8/26)
The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch (out 8/26)
Special mention: Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz (I read this months ago and it’s finally out! Go buy it! Cozy dystopian!)
Currently Reading:
Stolen Sharpie Revolution: A DIY Zine Resource by Alex Wrekk
Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell
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.