January has been a mixed bag already (as they kind of always seem to be? What’s that about!) with some great success working on my resolutions etc whilst watching the only place I have ever truly thought of as home suffer through horrific fires and loss.
First, some music:
Mabe Fratti’s Sentir Que No Sabes which is kind of like a very current Rasputina that I can only a third understand.
Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal which of course everyone knows is a banger and has been listening to before I got to it.
I’ve also been obsessively re-listening to International Pop Overthrow by Material Issue ever since “Very First Lie” came on shuffle a couple weeks ago. What an album.
Second, some reading:
I’ve still been enjoying The Mountain in the Sea and I am suffering through This Will Be Funny Someday by Katie Henry on audiobook which is kind of a learning exercise for me, re: learning to hear things while my hands are busy which is going better than I expected! I also read and loved Navigating With You by Jeremy Whitley.
Third, some watching:
I finally watched The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings and I had a really fun time! For reasons previously detailed I did not think this would be my thing at all, but now that I am old and have a more open heart, it turns out it was.
Finally, some other stuff:
If you’re able, some places to donate: the Anti-Recidivism Coalition – you can include ‘firefighter fund’ in the payment box to ensure it goes to the incarcerated people who are fighting fires in LA and any of these compiled GoFundMes which are specifically for Black families in Altadena and eSims for Gaza.
If you’re unable to donate more than your time, this video tells you how to report landlords who are illegally raising rent prices in the wake of the fires.
Alright, I hope you’re doing well out there! I hope you’re succeeding at the resolutions and goals that really matter and ditching the ones that don’t. Don’t do shit you don’t want to do just because you feel like you should. Life’s way too fucking short.