Alex Hanna! Last day for merch! Tuck on TransLash!

Hey friends,

Hope you’re all hanging in there. It’s still very very hot here and probably everywhere, but I’m thrilled to say that I took some time off*** this week to try to have Fun for once!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please clap.

Anyway, last Monday’s episode featured Dr. Alex Hanna, who works at the fascinating intersection of AI/tech and sociology/ethics. I’m so glad we could talk about both serious issues (like living under digital surveillance and why Big Tech isn’t gonna fix our social safety nets) and fun stuff like Jinkx Monsoon and roller derby. (I was a little stressed about audio quality tbh but it seems like people understood it and enjoyed it, which is so good to hear!)

We also released a new episode of the bonus podcast (Gender Conceal!) for our $5+ patrons, which might be sitting right below this newsletter in your inbox. This month’s bonus episode features musician Eden Rohatensky, who I first interviewed for the podcast way back in 2017. We talk about what’s changed in the last five years; why Quebec is being weird about French; how fish bones messed up Eden’s sense of gender a little bit; and what’s going on with Grimes. Normal stuff!

Photo ID: Eden showing off the new fish bones tattoo discussed in the ep. It looks like a cartoon fish skeleton that an alley cat would eat, or whatever

And speaking of podcasts, I had the honor of being interviewed by Imara Jones on the TransLash podcast this week! We spoke about the Gender Reveal grant & mutual aid programs, and tbh I have been too nervous to listen so far but I heard a rumor that it turned out well.

Alsooo, if you’re reading this on Sunday, you still have a few hours left to grab a Trans Wrath sticker or a Gender Reveal dragon shirt(!) or anything else your heart may desire from our merch store. I was gonna make y’all a little promo code, but our margins are so low at this point that I don’t think they’ll let us make stuff cheaper. (We love inflation, don’t we, folks!)

Photo ID: A photo of the new Gender Reveal dragon sticker and new "Gimme a Break!" sticker sitting on a wooden table.

OK, it’s time for Links & Stuff:

• Pour one out for the world’s coolest 99-year-old.
• These badgers are doing amazing or terrible work depending on how much this would horrify you.
• Did you know that you can do climate crisis activism with one (1) lentil?!
• Niko made a good quiz.
• Mentally, I am here.

Photo ID: A sloth holding onto an oar.

That feels like enough but here's more bonus links anyway: 

• There are so many monkeypox explainers but I like the tone of this one.
• Did you know that all baseballs are coated in the same specific mud??? (If you can’t get into the NYT, surely many other places have written about this, and also it doesn’t matter.
• Surprise, it sucks to work for Marvel.
• Surprise, surprise, street sweeps suck shit.
• In better news, this is the gayest dog I have seen in a long time.

That’s it for this week. New episode tomorrow! Here’s your weekly Rhubarb.

Photo ID: Ruby peeking out from under a couch.

Xo,

Yr resident gender detective

***I’m realizing now in the moment that when I say “took some time off” I mean “stopped working for several hours” which is maybe … not the correct definition… because I think we are all supposed to stop working for several hours like… a couple days a week? Or even like certain parts of the day, every day? Hmmmm much to consider here.