Cruel Compendium #90 🍓
Know your rights, be hot, and have fun
Hello from high summer in Austin. I went to the Texas shore for the first time recently, and Portuguese man o' wars littered the beach. How cool is this?
On to the links…
The illegality and history of bombing Iran by
Because power in this country, in this moment, has abandoned principle. Because Netanyahu, facing political collapse and criminal prosecution in his own country, needed a distraction. And Trump, running an administration drenched in vengeance and authoritarianism, needed a flex of imperial muscle. So they gave the order. Bombers in the sky. Tomahawk missiles in the sea. Bodies beneath rubble. Cities on fire. And a world made infinitely more dangerous in the name of nothing at all.
The Iranian voices missing from the “regime change” debate by Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani
Perhaps the most popular lie is that Iran is on the brink of having a nuclear weapon, a talking point that can be traced back to at least 1992 and one that U.S. intelligence and the International Atomic Energy Agency alike have both dismissed. But the most nefarious lie is this: The Iranian people want bombs falling on their heads because the bombs will free them from the terrible regime that has ruled the country since the 1979 revolution.
We don't have to be dead for your movements to be alive by
They romanticize our starvation, turn the dying of our babies into poetic slogans about resistance and legacy, but I want none of that, I want formula for our newborns, antibiotics for our elderly, shelter for our wounded, classrooms for our children, not metaphors, not manifestos. I don’t want to be a symbol of resilience anymore, I want to be a person who wakes up without wondering who I’ll lose today.
What protesting is really about by
Low-risk flier by
Bits and bobs about freelance writing
The disappearing dream of a writing career by
How much it costs to run a freelance business by Sam Lauron. Related: My 2024 freelance year in review.
How to Account for Health Insurance, Vacation Time and Other Benefits in your Hourly Rate
7 pieces of writing advice that are so good, they’ll make you want to eat your hat. by
Is the answer to every creative problem a...deadline? by
Is this the worst time ever to be self-employed? by
Listen: Words for Artists on The Blindboy Podcast. The whole ep is worth a listen, but some excellent advice starts right around 53:00.
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Causes I care about and actions for change
I donate 5% of my gross income to a cause of my choice every month.
This month, I donated $360 to GLITS (Gays and Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society), a Black trans-led advocacy and services organization. I also donated $52 to Black History Bike Ride, who I joined for the Juneteenth ride here in Austin, and $51 to Austin Mutual Aid.
More links:
Donate to the Immigrant Defense Project
Emergency resources for the undocumented and the communities who support them from
US resumes visas for foreign students but demands access to social media accounts
Stop looking for red lines. You no longer live in a full democracy. by
🎒 I watched all of Benito Skinner’s Overcompensating and loved laughing inside of his world. Also got me back on Charli XCX hard.
🏝️ I didn’t think I would watch Love Island this season, yet here I am, 13 episodes in. I’d follow Olandria anywhere.
🫠 Listen: Why boys and men are floundering, according to relationship therapist Terry Real
🌈 What it is, a Pride message from
🧖🏻♀️ For the New Yorkers: the Mario Bodescu spa in Manhattan has amazing prices on facial and massage treatments.
🗣️ 30 things women over 40 want you to know by
✨ The 2-hour entryway reset by
💭 “Your future husband will literally have to guide you through the death of both of your parents, so choose that man wisely.” I’ve been thinking about this a lot.
💥 What you clicked on most in the last Compendium: In what specific way are you annoying? by
Thanks for the mention :)