Won’t Look Back

Forward Ever

Lots of music, poignant links, and events to peruse, but first…YKTFV..rant time!

What does becoming a ‘better person’ do for other people? What does self improvement have fuck all to do with white supremacy, especially when white supremacists would argue that they are ‘good people’?

Looking at how you actually show up for your values is a more cleareyed way to asses your position in this moment, and all others.

It’s been ten years of heightened “awareness” around hundreds of horrific police killings of Black folks—and what has changed? Its been almost ten months of genocide in Palestine, a second genocide brewing in Sudan, what has changed? 

Hate to break it to ya, but writers and content creators are now wholly in service of the fascist status quo.

We always have been, a little, because we don’t own (or dismantle) these sick systems. Even now--with our perceived freedoms to use platforms like substack, beehiiv, Instagram, and TikTok, the more you talk about it(fascism), the fewer eyeballs you’re given. 

OR -- youre SO good at it, that now it’s your job, and you’re on a pedestal and a circuit of pain, commentary, world events and content becomes your life. Your pleas for change served up in between spon con and shopping content. 

Then there is you, the reader. The watcher. 

Without engagement, without dialogue, you’re passively consuming. That carries WEIGHT. You know it does when you complain about phone neck, eye strain, blue light, and screen time. 

The inherent voyeuristic relationship to those willing to be spied upon is an ebb and flow. Some people are one, some are both. If you’re going to scroll, scroll, scroll, and never contribute to conversations(IRL or offline) there reaches a point where it’s not passive. It’s maybe a bit aggressive, even.

While I’m (often) harsh, I swear I’m not passing judgment here--we’re all worried about looking cringe, slipping up, making mistakes. Everything is fucking cringe. Imagine the gall of writing about some little product while we head deeper into the fire? We do it. I do it. It’s cringe. I’m cringe. 

Nothing is more cringe, though, than swiping through the rising tides and not at least letting the content you consume (or make) infuse your life with values, with impactful conversation, with your living, breathing life, holding space for those who have had theirs taken. 

Consider financially contributing to activists and activism creators if you are going to consume their research, their content, their pain, even “passively”. 

Figure out how to put your heart into that support, or you’re quite possibly using their words and platform and often their art to ‘stand against’ something that you’re inflicting upon them too.

💐

LATEST WORK: MUSIC IS THE KEY

PLAYLIST and my first practice mix!

I wish I just had a job walking, yapping, and making playlists, but they’re just my fav hobbies instead. I guess you can count writing as YAPPING.

Here’s 90+ minutes of THICK sounds for sunset parties, steamy walks, pondering, moody drives, whatever you need a distractingly loud and chic playlist to do for you, this is that one.

CANDLEWOOD TAPES: VOL 1 - I’m recording 1 hour cassette style practice mixes, taped live so NOT PERFECT but its been a long time coming.. YOU HAVE 7 DAYS TO DOWNLOAD !

INFLUENCED: Buying Insights 📲 

Ghia Le Spritz - Ghia Soda🍊

I crave these, truly. Even the lime and salt one! While I haven’t tried their big-bottle non alcoholic aperitif, these RTD’s are just a treasure. Bold citrus flavor evokes Italian analcolico classics like Crodino and San Bitter but with a modern, herbal spin that is even more cocktail-like. I feel like there’s some bergamot or other perfumed citrus in there, but its hard to pinpoint—and mystery is my favorite quality in a beverage!

$60 for 12 cans at Ghia

10/10 🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊

Jasmine is really that girl. I get a little misty eyed thinking about the puffs of pink blossoms in Oakland’s foggy mornings. Or thinking about the razor-like discs of royal jasmine that sometimes surprise with their crisper perfume, standing out in a sea of (often disheveled) star jasmine’s thick, musky brew. 

Its why I was like, uhhhh yogurt? But this is the best one™. And it was so delicious, with a delicate sweetness, dramatic crème, and gentle jasmine flavor. I hope I get to have it again like I hope I get to smell pink Jasmine again, which is often.

$3.50 for 1 pot

7/10 💐💐💐💐💐💐💐

EEEEvents

Check out these fun events in NYC, the West Coast, and beyond!

Links to Love 💕 or Hate 🫀

Keep shaking it off, keep swinging for the fences

As a member of the club of proud and few humans who know how to make shoes from scratch, this suit is kinda fuckery. If these classes didn’t already use purchased Nike materials, OK, sure, but they got theirs. Franchising a ‘bootleg’ concept is a bold move though, legally speaking. Team no one!

Sign me up? No but since coming up for air after spending a good chunk of my 30s fighting to have my pain taken seriously, I’m ready for a rebate on some years 😂. if I can take some longevity drug for a few months to reset my ovaries and stay dewy a lil longer—I would. Is it vain? I dunno. Is wanting your pain to stop vain? Definitely not, and the pain was coming for my youth.

You can’t unsee the colony, wherever it is. The cycle of struggle continues, but until we break the hold, it will remain ever bolstering itself. This is an old article for an old story, but bears repeating until we see our way out.

Now we’re talking. It’s time for a microdose regimen ova hea.

There is real science starting to back up why shrooms really do it right for many people struggling with mental health issues. Forming new thoughts is sometimes the hardest and most daunting step in getting better, or in making change. While the giddiness of even a microdose ushers in more perspective, I always found that what was going on inside my head was often more profound than the external parts of a trip. 

Sorting through it the next day feels just like a therapy sesh, you feel “better” but also a bit low. My thoughts feel raw from having to think them, but they feel filed, sharp edges sanded off. Excavate the demons!

Rooftop party with dance music from the 80s 90s launching AUGUST

Ciao ragazzi 😘😘