Happy December, dearest Community! It’s so good to be back here with you (and your great writing) after my vacation. I hosted a feast for 11 people last week, and I’m pretty sure I’m still exhausted. I’m also still in a festive state of mind. I’ve baked about ten dozen cookies since THE Ohio State University beat Michigan last Saturday (O-H!), I definitely have a fridge full of nine-day-old leftovers that need addressing, and I can’t seem to convince myself that I shouldn’t go get another Honeybaked Ham for my personal use.
But enough about me and my sugar-crusted ham dreams. How are YOU? What does YOUR end-of-year look like? December is, predictably, a time of reflection and hope. We race towards the shortest day of the year before the long nights begin to recede again. This year, we—not just me, not just you, Dear Reader, but the world—have the highest of hopes for 2020: It is the year that the nation’s voters choose a president to lead us out of Trump’s seemingly endless destruction of our country.
Regardless of how the impeachment of Donald Trump turns out, all of us here at Daily Kos—Staff AND Community—must unite to activate and educate voters so they exercise their right to pull that lever on Nov. 3 … and not just for our next Commander in Chief, but for downticket leaders and local issues.
2020 is a year that will demand so much of progressives. Are you ready?
I’m sure you’re ready for this week’s Picks! Let’s do a quick review of how this all works, courtesy of me.
This list gets populated from stories written Fri.-Thur. of any given week, for those who may be new to how Picks are … well, picked.
Truly, there is no formula. We tend, unsurprisingly, toward stories with solid writing and fresh perspectives, that cover a wide swath of topics. We’re suckers for stories with a personal bent when we can find them. We also aim to feature different writers whenever possible. Finally, with this list being put out on Saturdays, we do our best to pick stories that haven’t gone stale by the time I hit Publish.
In the interest of fairness and to reduce the threat of pie-olence in this cheerful space, we’re also avoiding presidential candidate posts until the nominee is chosen.
Does making this list really matter? That’s up to you to decide!
This list isn’t just for this weekly series, either. Community Picks started out as an email newsletter long before I started at Daily Kos, much less publishing these lists in August 2018! That means that every staff-chosen POTW reaches a far wider audience than it might usually find. Pretty cool stuff.
As I mentioned in our last installment, our first POTW writing challenge was an utter and complete failure. So I have a different challenge for you as the December 19 debate looms, which hopefully won’t be another embarrassing flop.
I want your positive candidate diaries! It doesn’t matter WHEN you wrote them! I’d love to do a Presidential Picks on Debate Day, representing as many of the candidates on (and off) the debate stage as possible. Everybody needs a champion, so help me highlight the candidate that’s most captivated you.
Share your positive candidate diaries in the comments, or drop it in a Kosmail!
That’s all for now! Onto this week’s picks! Remember: Being added to this list re-opens each story’s comments, so feel free to join the conversation, even if you’re a little late. Many of this week’s picks invite commiseration.
Layoffs - what it's like to work at a newspaper
By Jensequitur
Inside the slow and painful decline of a Texas newspaper, through the eyes of an employee who, over 24 years, watched it happen firsthand.
Diagnosis: Frontotemporal dementia / corticobasal syndrome
By MadScientist
This brutally honest telling of a two-year fight for a terrifying diagnosis is also an invitation to discuss dementia. Phenomenal comments abound.
Surviving narcissism
By whiffleberry
This thorough explainer with deeply personal elements is a masterclass on not just identifying the narcissists who may be in your orbit, but also on how to deal with them. This story also has a great discussion in the comments.
The first week of December is a challenging time for me
By sfbob
This fact-based personal essay blends the facts about HIV with stories from a life spent living with it.
The right wing media still lies
By greenandblue
Conservative media is in the pocket of Donald Trump and the GOP—but you knew that already. Yet do you know how deeply this dangerous partnership goes?
Everyone loves Kamala Harris. Now that she isn't running for president anymore
By GoodNewsRoundup
The California Senator became the belle of the ball—as soon as she dropped out of the race. A look at the phenomenon of how differently women—not just Harris—are viewed when they’re seeking power, and when they’re not.
Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day: Mike Pence
By republicinsanity
How vile is the Vice President? Let us count the ways.
A son's relationship with his mother's hair
By Eihenetu
This beautiful narrative explores the significance of hair, on our own heads and on others’. A thoughtful look at culture, beauty, and family.
Remember when Gorbachev did a Pizza Hut commercial?
By Alonso del Arte
What will life be like for Trump after he leaves office? For a polarizing leader like the USSR’s Gorbachev, it was pretty weird.
Fox News and Tucker Carlson are rooting for Russia, but I'm not
By Richard Cranium
There is a subset of Americans who have embraced Putin’s Russia, despite the undeniable fact that it’s a danger to us all. We have to accept this, and we have to fight back.
That’s it for this week, folks … though I must give a nod to our very own Kalisin, who just made history in North Carolina as the first openly-transgender candidate for state legislature!
Looking forward to seeing y’all in the comments! Keep on writing, cherished Community. It’s part of what makes Daily Kos so special, and we are so glad you’re here.