We're Going To Make It
Brief reflections on the week + Live Show in Long Beach
Quick note from the IRL world, I will be doing a public talk / show at CSU Long Beach, Saturday November 15. Tickets are still available. The theme is our future, life with machines, democracy, Earth and more. And there will be lots of time for Q&A. We’re gonna keep things very real because the times demand it. Also, there will be jokes. Because the times demand it. See you soon!
And for my Seattle and nearby people, I’m honored to be performing at the Netse Mot (One Heart | One Mind) gathering next Tuesday November 18th. It’s a celebration of solidarity among all peoples, hosted by the First Peoples. Find out more and get tickets.
My goal with this email is to share a little bit of where my head is at as well as literally share content that’s been helping me see the world in its more beautiful state as so much ugly/stupidity has gripped the United States lately.
I’ve been living mostly on the road mostly since August. It’s been a mix of birthday travel (vive la France!), heads down work on building out our media company where I do most of my speaking, show-making, storytelling work, and hitting stages in places all across the USA spreading a message of humanity and life-first, interdependence, and occasional tomfoolery.
For a while I worried that my initial travel pattern (Los Angeles, DC, Portland) was the reason masked, jack-booted, under-qualified men were storming those same U.S. cities and kidnapping people. Then I realized, no, I just have good taste in metro areas.
And now, some highlights from the feeds that are feeding my soul right now:
A Revolutionary Approach to Education with Zero AI
I had such a fun conversation with
of that I decided to publish the entire thing in our Substack.
A Museum Heist Worth Celebrating
From Artnet via my IG feed:
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently home to a guerrilla art project featuring the work of 17 Native artists. The unsanctioned augmented reality exhibition, “Encoded,” was launched by nonprofit media and design lab Amplifier on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, taking over the institution’s American Wing.
California Is Leading in Participatory Democracy
Yes we voted hard yes on Prop 50, but that’s playing defense in a system that’s increasingly out of touch. Meanwhile, citizen assemblies and other forms of participatory democracy (beyond voting) are gaining steam across the country.
From
in my Substack feed:This state government office has built a deliberative democracy tool called Engaged California, and they’ve been using it to engage with Californians directly affected by LA fires. Starting with open-ended, almost philosophical questions, they used the platform to get a sense of where people were and what was on their minds. Then, they refined that feedback into specific policy options and invited deliberation. Soon, that feedback will go directly to the governor and state legislature, to guide LA’s rebuilding and recovery.
We Can All Be Lesbians
Showed up on my YouTube homepage.
Elbows up! Love our Canadian neighbors to the north and this comedy series, Mr. D.
We Can All Live Like Billionaires
From We Wing Any Car and Oli Frost on LinkedIn
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires? This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get. Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires. They’re for everyone.
Chicago Is Showing Us How To Do It
In response to a question about “illegal aliens,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “We don’t have illegal aliens… We have human beings.” From my IG feed.
Share what’s giving you life from your feeds in the comments. And let me know what you think of this as a newsletter format.
Thank you.
With love and peace.
You know what always give me a lift - besides you? andstillwerise@substack.com does Pictures + Posts that's like social media highlights everyday. I quit Instagram not long ago, so this is a little "fix" that helps me feel less alone in the mess we're living in right now. Be safe everybody!
- As a former always-dancing-to-Michael-Jackson-toddler myself, this little girl singing to her bear (I hope the link works): https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQ5RgZ3COJ0/?igsh=Yndic3NxcXEwa3Q=
- @annalauraart on IG, her drawings are so sweet
- My students made fun of me yesterday for being into dancing Dalmatian stuffed animal videos. Hey guys, you gotta make the algorithm wholesome somehow 🤣
- I went to the Texas Book Festival Gala and the actual festival last week. That lifted my spirits, so keep finding events to meet people and connect with the arts wherever you live.