Divide and conquer. We women are so strong when united. That coven was deliberately hijacked. Women are being weaponized against each other for centuries. Women watched men burn witches.
I think we are planning a “zoom lunch” in the comments and I’m looking at places in NorCal for some kind of writing retreat in August 😳 If that’s of any interest!
I not only don't capitalize president, I refuse to use the term at all, opting instead for "current administration" and "person currently in power." And Ally, I appreciate your well-reasoned accounting of all that's fucked about this situation, and your efforts to make it make sense. IT WILL NEVER MAKE SENSE!!
I watched a quick clip yesterday, part of this TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW1CQZoXxrg) where Elizabeth Booker Houston describers the white-ification of the civil rights story, and how it wasn't just Rosa Parks on the bus one day with tired feet. It was years and years of coordinated effort. That's where we are. That's what we're doing. You're doing. The struggle does indeed make us stronger, even if it hurts in the moment.
Isn’t it funny how it was presented to us like Rosa Parks just suddenly decided she’d had enough that day? That’s how it was presented to us, anyway. Meanwhile she was a total activist, secretary of the NAACP Montgomery Branch, totally focused on voter registration, youth outreach, legal remedies for Black survivors of white violence of every horrible kind etc, etc.
And it’s good to know there are many of us refusing to give that man the thing he wants most, which is his name everywhere, and respect. Nope, nope, nope!
Hugs and love to you, Elizabeth. Oh and yes! Figuring out this crazy lunch idea since everyone is everywhere lol 😂
I don't know how you do all that you do, Ally, let alone lunch. But I have a hunch the latter would be incredibly restorative, even if you can only figure it out for a few nearby.
Aw thank you. Let’s see how it goes after the edit, but some things you just know you have to do the long way around.
And yes! I try to be pretty mindful about my news consumption believe it or not, and my time online, period. I don’t necessarily time-box it, but there tend to be a couple of stories that rise to the surface and seem the most meaningful to me each week, and once I know what they are, those are the ones I dig into. I prefer to read the news rather than listen or watch, anyway. So I keep up with what’s happening every day, but I also know when I need to take a breather. These people will drive us all insane if we let them😬
I like that approach Ally - being intentional about which stories to further read. Often it’s like a platter of anxiety is served so why not pick and choose
Emperor Donaldus Johnium Trumpius, first of his name. Hopefully the last as well. It's really hard NOT to see the Roman Empire similarities, especially with the cage. How long until they start feeding folks to the lions, for real? Bread and circuses. It's worked for thousands of years and it's still working on American voters. Everyone's on the brink of disaster but hey, let's watch two half naked men beat each other up in a homoerotic show of strength. That'll do it. It's so awful, Ally. Just so much shit.
If I weren’t seeing the videos with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. It’s hideous. People in the comments under these posts are absolutely devastated, embarrassed, horrified, and then some dude will be like, What? What about when Obama had the NBA come to the White House? Because yeah lol. That’s the same thing. Smh. I will say I don’t see a ton of those idiotic comments defending this. I guess viewership will tell the tale (though he owns most of the stations now😬), but I think even a huge percentage of his own people are not too happy about this. On the other hand, he couldn’t care less. I will not be shocked if they build him a throne, give him a crown, and add a lion. The arena and the spectacle, the circus and the bread.
Only thing, I also think there’s an army marching (charging 🙏🏼❤️🔥) toward the polls in November. I sure hope so, and I hope it’s enough.
Someday things will be wonderfully dull and simple. At least I hope for some semblance of sanity and justice in the future. Thanks for this well written piece. Did Rubio actually say those ridiculous things? What country are we living in?
I am so looking forward to the days when we are not dealing with a daily onslaught of insanity. It genuinely does feel like we are in a simulation too much of the time. And yes, Rubio really did say those things 😩https://youtu.be/ZIHnHBoN2w8?si=B59-Q2No3IQqG81n
I think we’re still figuring it out 😂 I am pretty sure we may need to do this lunch over zoom since we have people in different time zones, so maybe that means for some people it will be breakfast or dinner. Maybe we can take ourselves outside at least, and replicate this lunch/breakfast/dinner under the trees together. Though I am thinking about a writing retreat too☺️ I never use the chat feature here, but maybe I’ll use it to set up the zoom. Might be the easiest way…
Hi Sharon! Now I’m wondering where everyone is? There’s a conversation about a zoom “lunch” happening in the comments which would be hilarious, and I’m also thinking about some kind of in-person writing retreat long weekend somewhere…with lots of trees😁
Funny, I was thinking we could zoom to say hi and have lunch. Would that be the funniest zoom ever? What are we doing? Oh, we’re zooming and having lunch together 😂 I’d totally do it, though. I’m imagining everyone is everywhere. I’m also seriously thinking about trying to find a place in NorCal in August for some kind of writing retreat. It’s on my list for today, just gonna see if there are any cool venues or maybe an Airbnb or something. Redwoods and writing. Maybe a little yoga and meditation if people want it. Definitely a lot of laughing. A fire pit would be nice. I’m manifesting, Sharon. Why is there no redwood emoji 🌳📑🌊
Let me know, If I can afford it/have the time I will be there. How did we see people across the country before zoom and face time (I think it was more trips criss-crossing the country/world}? As a recent transplant to SW Indiana 50 miles north of Kentucky, I am having to learn ET and CT (my entire lifetime was CT) so I would probably need to confirm numerous times for PT. LOL. Blessings.
I know. It’s wild. I will keep you posted if I find anything ideal in NorCal, and as for a zoom, I can definitely time it so it’s good for as many people as possible. Probably best to do on a weekend day. And maybe we make it coffee so people aren’t trying to time their lunch around a zoom 😁
I used to belong to 2 different FB groups that were exclusively for women physicians. The topic/purpose of the groups was to talk about sex and relationships. The more exclusive/open-minded of the two groups was the only reason I stayed on the platform for as long as I did.
Ultimately, even the groups I loved were infiltrated with snark and political sniping. I understand that sex, like all things, is political but it just got to be exhausting. Every time I logged into FB, I wound up feeling worse. So I deleted my account in December.
I still have a bit of FOMO sometimes but opting out of Meta feels like a kind of reclaiming. Those people steal my attention and IP and sell it back to me with ads. Now, when I say I’m not on IG/FB, people look at me astonished. Like I told them I swam across the Pacific. “Wow! Good for you!” sincerely, is the common response. Or “You should totally be a medical influencer on IG!” To which I give a kind-hearted laugh and an unwavering “No”.
I wrote a whole essay in response to this and then couldn’t do that to you lol. I have a business page on fb attached to a business account on insta. I’ve had the business fb page since 2009, I started it when I started my yoga website. I used to blog there back when we blogged 😂
To say that things have changed is such a sad understatement. I built a community there but now if I want more than 10% of them to see what I have to say, I have to pay zuck to boost a post, and I think we both know I’m not doing that! Anyway. Congratulations on your freedom from meta. You’re not missing out on anything, believe me.
Hahaha. Well now that I know I don’t have to worry about cage fights, I’m so there! 😂 In all seriousness, I’m determined to hang out with y’all in person sooner than later❤️
Somedays I am hopeful and other days sad. The speaker is saying we have to adjust SS next year which is my income but sure let's have a temporary hideous money making cage match on our now destroyed white house in the meantime. I wrote yesterday about how I don't even let my phone correct spelling anymore or know where I am. On the bright side we are taking a close friend to a late lunch tomorrow for an early birthday celebration. It is miserably hot here in SC but we are playing badminton and croquet tonight with neighbors. There will be fans to try and cool us off and Liquid IV between cocktails. I have made a decision to stop spending so much time reading about you know who. I know enough. I'm reading books again. Starting on The Correspondent today.
The Social Security conversation is horrifying on multiple levels. That’s my stepdad’s income, too, and countless millions of Americans on both sides of the aisle. Hopefully we’ll turn out so big for the midterms, we’ll stop these bastards in their shitty tracks, Mary.
I hope you had a great, sweaty time playing badminton, I hope you have a wonderful lunch today, and I am all in favor of your plan! My TBR pile includes The Correspondent. Been trying to finish my own book with the hours I have which has cut into reading time, but it’s close to the top of the pile! Hugs and love ❤️
There’s so much here… hard to choose what to comment on. I urge people to get educated about AI. I have a lovely friend who prefers butterflies and rainbows and after I talked to her about the dangers of AI she sent me a Facebook post about how AI is digging wells for poor people in Kenya or some such. Actually poor people in Kenya are employed as content moderators for AI and are hideously traumatized as a result. I’ve read two books on AI, the first is the ominously titled If Anyone Builds it, Everyone dies, by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, and the other is by a fantastic journalist named Karen Hao, and her book is The Empire of AI. Of course one is tempted after reading about AI just to sit at home and cry, but we do need to act, now, in a more constructive way.
As for cage-fighting on the Whitehouse former lawn, well, next will be monster trucks I suppose. It’s all the lowest common denominator, the worst aspects of American culture. My husband and I do not refer to the nodfather by name—only as asshole, lowercase.
I know. I stopped and re-read that a few times, too😳🧐
I’ve also had conversations with people who say “Oh, they’re building the AI data centers so they’ll be close-looped and self-cooling.” Uh-huh. Right. That’s what they say. First of all, when? Because these centers are going up NOW, and that’s not how they’re being built, and 2, even with the closed-loop, self-regulating thermal systems, they’ll still be impacting local water reserves.
Yes please for lunch!! And just downloaded ecosia because of course yes to trees!!!!! It all feels hopeless and we can’t give up hope because that’s what the stephen millers want…so no to miller style hate and data centers and yes to trees over and over and over again.
Yay for Ecosia! I really like it! And I will never give up. These awful people don’t get to have the redwoods. Or the oceans. Or us.
And heck yes! I am actually very seriously trying to cook up some kind of writing retreat or SOMETHING in person somewhere accessible for everyone, somehow. I would love to find a place where we could all meet under some trees somewhere and be together. Really want to do that. Maybe it’s just me though..?
Divide and conquer. We women are so strong when united. That coven was deliberately hijacked. Women are being weaponized against each other for centuries. Women watched men burn witches.
I’d love to meet for lunch! No idea when I’ll have a chance to be in LA, though 🙂
I think we are planning a “zoom lunch” in the comments and I’m looking at places in NorCal for some kind of writing retreat in August 😳 If that’s of any interest!
Pick me, pick me! I want to meet for lunch!
I not only don't capitalize president, I refuse to use the term at all, opting instead for "current administration" and "person currently in power." And Ally, I appreciate your well-reasoned accounting of all that's fucked about this situation, and your efforts to make it make sense. IT WILL NEVER MAKE SENSE!!
I watched a quick clip yesterday, part of this TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW1CQZoXxrg) where Elizabeth Booker Houston describers the white-ification of the civil rights story, and how it wasn't just Rosa Parks on the bus one day with tired feet. It was years and years of coordinated effort. That's where we are. That's what we're doing. You're doing. The struggle does indeed make us stronger, even if it hurts in the moment.
Isn’t it funny how it was presented to us like Rosa Parks just suddenly decided she’d had enough that day? That’s how it was presented to us, anyway. Meanwhile she was a total activist, secretary of the NAACP Montgomery Branch, totally focused on voter registration, youth outreach, legal remedies for Black survivors of white violence of every horrible kind etc, etc.
And it’s good to know there are many of us refusing to give that man the thing he wants most, which is his name everywhere, and respect. Nope, nope, nope!
Hugs and love to you, Elizabeth. Oh and yes! Figuring out this crazy lunch idea since everyone is everywhere lol 😂
I don't know how you do all that you do, Ally, let alone lunch. But I have a hunch the latter would be incredibly restorative, even if you can only figure it out for a few nearby.
Quarter million word memoir draft - I’m so impressed! Good luck in revision
Also, with the news, do you timebox your consumption?
Aw thank you. Let’s see how it goes after the edit, but some things you just know you have to do the long way around.
And yes! I try to be pretty mindful about my news consumption believe it or not, and my time online, period. I don’t necessarily time-box it, but there tend to be a couple of stories that rise to the surface and seem the most meaningful to me each week, and once I know what they are, those are the ones I dig into. I prefer to read the news rather than listen or watch, anyway. So I keep up with what’s happening every day, but I also know when I need to take a breather. These people will drive us all insane if we let them😬
I like that approach Ally - being intentional about which stories to further read. Often it’s like a platter of anxiety is served so why not pick and choose
Emperor Donaldus Johnium Trumpius, first of his name. Hopefully the last as well. It's really hard NOT to see the Roman Empire similarities, especially with the cage. How long until they start feeding folks to the lions, for real? Bread and circuses. It's worked for thousands of years and it's still working on American voters. Everyone's on the brink of disaster but hey, let's watch two half naked men beat each other up in a homoerotic show of strength. That'll do it. It's so awful, Ally. Just so much shit.
If I weren’t seeing the videos with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. It’s hideous. People in the comments under these posts are absolutely devastated, embarrassed, horrified, and then some dude will be like, What? What about when Obama had the NBA come to the White House? Because yeah lol. That’s the same thing. Smh. I will say I don’t see a ton of those idiotic comments defending this. I guess viewership will tell the tale (though he owns most of the stations now😬), but I think even a huge percentage of his own people are not too happy about this. On the other hand, he couldn’t care less. I will not be shocked if they build him a throne, give him a crown, and add a lion. The arena and the spectacle, the circus and the bread.
Only thing, I also think there’s an army marching (charging 🙏🏼❤️🔥) toward the polls in November. I sure hope so, and I hope it’s enough.
Someday things will be wonderfully dull and simple. At least I hope for some semblance of sanity and justice in the future. Thanks for this well written piece. Did Rubio actually say those ridiculous things? What country are we living in?
I am so looking forward to the days when we are not dealing with a daily onslaught of insanity. It genuinely does feel like we are in a simulation too much of the time. And yes, Rubio really did say those things 😩https://youtu.be/ZIHnHBoN2w8?si=B59-Q2No3IQqG81n
What time's lunch? I'll bring some Margaret River rosé.
I think we’re still figuring it out 😂 I am pretty sure we may need to do this lunch over zoom since we have people in different time zones, so maybe that means for some people it will be breakfast or dinner. Maybe we can take ourselves outside at least, and replicate this lunch/breakfast/dinner under the trees together. Though I am thinking about a writing retreat too☺️ I never use the chat feature here, but maybe I’ll use it to set up the zoom. Might be the easiest way…
I may also be the dead of night for me 😂
Maybe you stay inside then 🤣 You can join in pajamas
I shall find my most fabulous set!
Me 🖐️
Hi Sharon! Now I’m wondering where everyone is? There’s a conversation about a zoom “lunch” happening in the comments which would be hilarious, and I’m also thinking about some kind of in-person writing retreat long weekend somewhere…with lots of trees😁
Love these ideas!!! I’m in Maine. :)
I do. I love your posts. 100% agree with everything here.
Aw thank you, Reagan. I appreciate you so much!
She thinks ‘AI’ is digging wells in Kenya??? Does she think AI is actual people?
Where are we meeting for lunch?! It would do my heart well to sit with other like minded people. Maybe a good zoom meeting if we're all over.
As always, your writing is exactly what I would have (if I could have) written if I could put my feelings, thoughts down.
Thank you, again.
Funny, I was thinking we could zoom to say hi and have lunch. Would that be the funniest zoom ever? What are we doing? Oh, we’re zooming and having lunch together 😂 I’d totally do it, though. I’m imagining everyone is everywhere. I’m also seriously thinking about trying to find a place in NorCal in August for some kind of writing retreat. It’s on my list for today, just gonna see if there are any cool venues or maybe an Airbnb or something. Redwoods and writing. Maybe a little yoga and meditation if people want it. Definitely a lot of laughing. A fire pit would be nice. I’m manifesting, Sharon. Why is there no redwood emoji 🌳📑🌊
Let me know, If I can afford it/have the time I will be there. How did we see people across the country before zoom and face time (I think it was more trips criss-crossing the country/world}? As a recent transplant to SW Indiana 50 miles north of Kentucky, I am having to learn ET and CT (my entire lifetime was CT) so I would probably need to confirm numerous times for PT. LOL. Blessings.
I know. It’s wild. I will keep you posted if I find anything ideal in NorCal, and as for a zoom, I can definitely time it so it’s good for as many people as possible. Probably best to do on a weekend day. And maybe we make it coffee so people aren’t trying to time their lunch around a zoom 😁
I used to belong to 2 different FB groups that were exclusively for women physicians. The topic/purpose of the groups was to talk about sex and relationships. The more exclusive/open-minded of the two groups was the only reason I stayed on the platform for as long as I did.
Ultimately, even the groups I loved were infiltrated with snark and political sniping. I understand that sex, like all things, is political but it just got to be exhausting. Every time I logged into FB, I wound up feeling worse. So I deleted my account in December.
I still have a bit of FOMO sometimes but opting out of Meta feels like a kind of reclaiming. Those people steal my attention and IP and sell it back to me with ads. Now, when I say I’m not on IG/FB, people look at me astonished. Like I told them I swam across the Pacific. “Wow! Good for you!” sincerely, is the common response. Or “You should totally be a medical influencer on IG!” To which I give a kind-hearted laugh and an unwavering “No”.
I wrote a whole essay in response to this and then couldn’t do that to you lol. I have a business page on fb attached to a business account on insta. I’ve had the business fb page since 2009, I started it when I started my yoga website. I used to blog there back when we blogged 😂
To say that things have changed is such a sad understatement. I built a community there but now if I want more than 10% of them to see what I have to say, I have to pay zuck to boost a post, and I think we both know I’m not doing that! Anyway. Congratulations on your freedom from meta. You’re not missing out on anything, believe me.
You should send me the essay in a DM so I can read your rant! Lol 😂
Yoga is my solace in these absurdist times. I go like 3 times a week to escape the noise in my head. We should get coffee the next time I’m in LA
I wrote it and deleted haha. But I can message you. And I would love to have coffee!
Lunch, dinner, whatever. Come over and hang out for a week. I promise not to challenge you to a cage fight <3
Hahaha. Well now that I know I don’t have to worry about cage fights, I’m so there! 😂 In all seriousness, I’m determined to hang out with y’all in person sooner than later❤️
Jenn and I are as well! <3
Somedays I am hopeful and other days sad. The speaker is saying we have to adjust SS next year which is my income but sure let's have a temporary hideous money making cage match on our now destroyed white house in the meantime. I wrote yesterday about how I don't even let my phone correct spelling anymore or know where I am. On the bright side we are taking a close friend to a late lunch tomorrow for an early birthday celebration. It is miserably hot here in SC but we are playing badminton and croquet tonight with neighbors. There will be fans to try and cool us off and Liquid IV between cocktails. I have made a decision to stop spending so much time reading about you know who. I know enough. I'm reading books again. Starting on The Correspondent today.
The Social Security conversation is horrifying on multiple levels. That’s my stepdad’s income, too, and countless millions of Americans on both sides of the aisle. Hopefully we’ll turn out so big for the midterms, we’ll stop these bastards in their shitty tracks, Mary.
I hope you had a great, sweaty time playing badminton, I hope you have a wonderful lunch today, and I am all in favor of your plan! My TBR pile includes The Correspondent. Been trying to finish my own book with the hours I have which has cut into reading time, but it’s close to the top of the pile! Hugs and love ❤️
There’s so much here… hard to choose what to comment on. I urge people to get educated about AI. I have a lovely friend who prefers butterflies and rainbows and after I talked to her about the dangers of AI she sent me a Facebook post about how AI is digging wells for poor people in Kenya or some such. Actually poor people in Kenya are employed as content moderators for AI and are hideously traumatized as a result. I’ve read two books on AI, the first is the ominously titled If Anyone Builds it, Everyone dies, by Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, and the other is by a fantastic journalist named Karen Hao, and her book is The Empire of AI. Of course one is tempted after reading about AI just to sit at home and cry, but we do need to act, now, in a more constructive way.
As for cage-fighting on the Whitehouse former lawn, well, next will be monster trucks I suppose. It’s all the lowest common denominator, the worst aspects of American culture. My husband and I do not refer to the nodfather by name—only as asshole, lowercase.
She thinks ‘AI’ is digging welks in Kenya??? Does she think AI is people?
Yeah… I guess AI was somehow helping? TBH I didn’t read it because it was clearly nonsense…
I know. I stopped and re-read that a few times, too😳🧐
I’ve also had conversations with people who say “Oh, they’re building the AI data centers so they’ll be close-looped and self-cooling.” Uh-huh. Right. That’s what they say. First of all, when? Because these centers are going up NOW, and that’s not how they’re being built, and 2, even with the closed-loop, self-regulating thermal systems, they’ll still be impacting local water reserves.
I put your books on my list, Martha, and laughed out loud when I got to “nodfather” — 😂😩 That is sad perfection.
Yes please for lunch!! And just downloaded ecosia because of course yes to trees!!!!! It all feels hopeless and we can’t give up hope because that’s what the stephen millers want…so no to miller style hate and data centers and yes to trees over and over and over again.
Yay for Ecosia! I really like it! And I will never give up. These awful people don’t get to have the redwoods. Or the oceans. Or us.
And heck yes! I am actually very seriously trying to cook up some kind of writing retreat or SOMETHING in person somewhere accessible for everyone, somehow. I would love to find a place where we could all meet under some trees somewhere and be together. Really want to do that. Maybe it’s just me though..?
Would absolutely love that!!
Yay!