My Many-Tentacled Mini-Empire
Dear Friends:
I appreciate that the title of this newsletter is a little obtuse. I explained it my first post this way:
The name of this newsletter, The Octopus and The Ant, is taken from my two tattoos, which are, well, you can probably guess. The Octopus, to Aristotle, was a universal form embodying the mind (the head, also the phlegmatic humor), the five senses, and the three other humors (eight legs; the melancholic, choleric, and sanguine humors). At least, that’s what I deduced in college, inspiring me to get an octopus tattoo. The Ant represents hard work and service to one’s community.
I only had three subscribers then so it’s understandable if you missed this explanation. Recently one of kids told me that I had made up these tattoo explanations even if I am corny enough to do something like that. Can’t please everyone, I guess.
I think the octopus is also representative of the many many projects I am constantly working on. I talked about this a couple weeks ago in this post. The downside of that habit is that I am spread a little thin. The upside is that I have lots of other content to draw on when I am stumped about what to write here. I thought I would share some of the other stuff I have written recently in case you don’t read all my newsletters or aren’t in my favorite group chat (“My Coven”).
Over at The Pushback, I wrote about the mystery of the missing labor movement and why I think unions should be further along (i.e. start) on a plan for challenging the Trump administration. I also wrote about my great idea for rescuing our democracy: a new package of Constitutional amendments. Let me know what you think, here or there.
On Champions of Conflict, I wrote about “Free” Speech and the Workplace. That is, I give an overview of whether you can be fired for the stuff you say online. It has some relevance right now, I hear.
Finally, in the group chat, a friend shared an article from W Magazine “Long May They Rock: Nine Trailblazing Women Who Rewrote the Rules of Music,” that I had a sort of negative reaction to. I didn’t completely disagree with it; I just thought of so many other women who should be on that list. They told me to make my own list, so I did. I also started a playlist. I don’t love every artist on this list so some of their songs on the playlist are just their most popular or the ones I like the most. List below in no particular order, Spotify playlist in further down. Let’s argue a bit in the comments, shall we?
- Dolly Parton (if I haven’t already recommended it, Dolly Parton’s America is a must-listen)
- Joni Mitchell
- Joan Baez
- Polly Styrene
- Kathleen Hanna
- Kim Deal
- Lita Ford/Joan Jett/The Runaways
- Jenny Toomey
- Carrie Brownstein
- Amy Winehouse
- Chaka Khan
- Patti Smith
- Nina Hagen
- Siouxsie Sioux
- Lydia Lunch
- (Probably Laurie Anderson but I really really don’t like her)
- Yoko Ono
- Erykah Badu
- Janet Jackson
- Exene Cervenka
- Lauryn Hill
- Sade
- Shonen Knife
- Belinda Carlisle
- Courtney Love
