Do you have questions? Are they things like:
Why does the president keep talking about certifying the vote? Isn't that over?
When are Electors selected? When do they vote? (Spoiler alert: TODAY!)
Want to know all the things, the down and dirty rules for how this representative democracy actually works? We've got you covered! Or, more accurately, Equality State Policy Center does. Check out their series How Does the Process Work to understand more about what the hell is supposed to happen.
Feeling extra nerdy today? For even more on what happens after the voting ends, check out National Conference on State Legislatures.
Feeling fired up about the slow-moving coup attempt? We'd recommend these two essays:
'This Must Be Your First' by Zeynap Tufecki
We must unequivocally condemn the campaign to overturn the election by Chris Merrill at the Equality State Policy Center
Want a little distraction from all the "is-the-end-of-the-Republic-upon-us" conversation? We hear that. Take a break if you need to. But join us on the other side in fortifying the democracy.
Essays
Woman Takes Short Half-Hour Break from Being Feminist to Enjoy TV Show from The Onion | "While affirming that she had fully recommitted herself to the cause of gender equality as soon as the show’s credits ended, Jenkins admitted she was already looking forward to the next time she could let herself disregard the many ways women are reduced to stale caricatures on national television."
Talking about Sarah Fuller as a ‘first’ avoids the uncomfortable conversation of Katie Hnida by Jane McManus | "Fuller doesn’t have to be the first to matter, to have her accomplishments be just as impressive, to have her path be just as difficult. But let’s not erase the other women in this tiny sorority."
Books
Anything We Love Can Be Saved by Alice Walker | "Like Walker's past collections, this one makes a stab at some of the themes of her fiction—nonpatriarchal religion, the true relationship of humans to the earth, racism, the oppression of women, and the interconnectedness of all of the above."
Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine | "Delusions of Gender takes on that tricky question, Why exactly are men from Mars and women from Venus?, and eviscerates both the neuroscientists who claim to have found the answers and the popularizers who take their findings and run with them."
The Woman at the Washington Zoo: Writings on Politics, Family, and Fate by Marjorie Williams | Check out the review of this timeless 2005 book right here. We miss Marjorie Williams and her insight into political movers and her incisive writing about them.
TV Shows
Movies
Nomadland (admittedly, we can't watch this anywhere right now; but we want to)
Recipes | In the spirit of a boozy holiday season. Something we all need right now.
1. French 75 | Ingredients 2 oz. London dry gin 1 tsp. superfine sugar 1/2 oz. lemon juice 5 oz. brut champagne
Directions Shake gin, lemon juice, and sugar well with cracked ice in a chilled cocktail shaker. Strain into a glass half-full with ice, then top off with champagne.
Side Note
Make it a French Montana by swapping bourbon for gin and blood orange juice for lemon juice.
2. Fireside | Ingredients 4 oz vodka (We like Tito's. Added bonus? In the apocalypse, we're pretty sure it'll trade like cash. Stock up.) 1 oz organic maple syrup 1 sprig rosemary 5 oz pink grapefruit juice 1 pinch of salt
Instructions In the bottom of a rocks glass briefly crush the rosemary leaves into the maple syrup and salt. Fill glass with ice and add the vodka. Top with fresh pink grapefruit juice and salt and stir well. Garnish with an extra sprig of rosemary.
3. Eggnog | Pro-tip: Buy the eggnog and put the booze(s) of your choice in it.
Unsolicited Opinions
It isn't really a slow moving coup attempt anymore. It is accelerating daily. It requires each and every one of us to stand up and denounce it. Our job now is to create, foster, and protect a pro-democracy coalition. What would that look like? And what role do you need to play?
We're pretty ecstatic that the first person in our nation getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a Black woman working on the front lines of health care. And that the first person to give that vaccine is a Black woman working on the front lines of health care. It is high time we see the faces of the people truly providing front line care in this crisis—and every day prior to the advent of this crisis.
Take a walk.
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