Issue 012: Feral Cats, The Monopoly McScam, Perseid Meteors & Capitol Reef
Hello out there, Internet friends! Hope y'all are having a great humpday. I'm still wrapping my head around last night's primaries in Ohio, Kansas, etc, and what it means for November. As usual, FiveThirtyEight has some good coverage.
All spay and neuter should be free by state law. I don't wanna get in the way of their fornication, but cats and dogs are breeding out of control and many are dying as a result. There are an estimated 3 million (and growing) feral cats in Los Angeles alone. In 2 years, one feral female cat and her offspring can produce 225 additional cats. That's bonkers.
I'm all for No Kill, but it's a band-aid on the problem. The best way to reduce shelter intake is Trap Neuter Return (TNR). State and local governments spend a staggering $16B a year to trap and euthanize feral cats - a number which could be cut in half by investing in TNR.
BUT, spaying or neutering can cost around $200 per animal, which puts an enormous financial burden on rescue organizations and low-income families. Even in counties like Los Angeles, where cats and dogs must be spayed or neutered by 4 months old a disproportionate number of low-income families don't spay or neuter their pets.
Making spay and neuter services free would save $9B annually and save countless cats and dogs. Feels like a no-brainer to me. Whadya think?
Some interesting quick reads from the last few weeks.
SLATE: The Ring Video Doorbell App Turned My Life Into A Domestic Horror Movie
This is spooky, and a great idea for a horror short. Anyone want to make it with me?
SHORT OF THE WEEK: Be Everywhere All At Once
This article has so much helpful stuff in it, but I also feel like it boils down to: be a nonstop creation and promotion machine... which... is hard.
NYT: How To Clean Your Filthy Disgusting Laptop
A definitive guide. I'm bookmarking this.
IndieWire: How Four Female Directors Landed Their First Time Emmy Nominations
An in-depth breakdown of four filmmakers' journeys.
The Perseids at Joshua Tree from timelapse filmmaker Henry Jun Wah Lee
This weekend marks the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, one of the best cosmic displays of the year. It's always the most 'watchable' meteor shower, but a crescent moon that sets early will make for even better viewing conditions this year (at least in the U.S.). During peak hours late Sunday / early Monday, you could see as many as 80+ shooting stars per hour.
I'll be in Joshua Tree if you want to join me. Otherwise, ask Google where the best viewing spots are near you. (If you're in LA, I'd recommend Vasquez Rocks - a short drive up the 5).
Undercover agents, fast food, strip clubs, psychics and the mafia. This excellent investigative long form about an ex-cop rigged the McDonald's Monopoly contest is one of the most engrossing articles I've read in a long time.
Immediately after finishing it, I emailed the author about the rights. I didn't hear back, and a day later two young upstart filmmakers snagged it.
Feel good about yourself and make the world less shitty with these 5 ways you can spend $5(ish).
Help Broadway director Sam Pinkleton raise money for homeless young people via Covenant House.
Help Luxe Paws save feral cats in Los Angeles (and follow them on instagram for cute cat pics).
Support Christine Hallquist's campaign for Governor of Vermont. She's the first trans candidate from a major political party and won the Democratic primary last night.
Tri Counties Bank is raising money for victims of the Carr Wildfires in CA through United Way NorCal. Jump on board, these fires are fucked up.
I've always wanted to go to Capitol Reef National Park, and I'm convinced the best way to do it is to road trip through Monument Valley to the Capitol Reef Resort.
From the Utah tourism site: "Capitol Reef Resort has been hosting travelers from around the globe for decades at the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. And just like good hosts do, they get better and more creative each year. Phenomenal views, a pool and gorgeous hotel rooms just weren’t enough. So now they’ve gone and made a legit glamping compound that rivals any hotel."
Uh... this is the inside of the teepee. And, here's a king size bed plus bunk beds in a Conestoga wagon:
There are hot tubs with these views:
And... in case you didn't know: the sky in Utah is insane.
Okay, real deal, when are we going?
The first 'episode' of Human Emotions is live. Thanks to all who gave feedback!
I do an improv comedy every Friday night at UCB Franklin with Bangarang! We've sold out weekly for the last 8.5 years. It's fun!
SMALL TOWN: A fully improvised show based on real articles from your hometown newspaper. Second Mondays at UCB Sunset. NEXT SHOW MONDAY!
Thanks for reading! I'd love to get your feedback. Favorite segment? What's working? What's not working? What do you want to see more of? Keep in touch...