WE DID IT! Bette’s Membership Milestone

Thank you for helping me reach a new milestone and just a reminder that the Friends of Thom special ends tonight xo

Just a quick thank you to all the new members and a reminder that the Friends of Thom special ends tonight at midnight PT, so please take advantage of a great first-year rate and join if you can. I live in Los Angeles where the sunshine is free but the rent, not so much.

Members will be receiving an invite for Sunday’s Speakeasy with Wake UP Sonoma. I keep getting the watery stuff in my eyes as I think about it. What we are doing here is good old-fashioned journalism linked with good old-fashioned pro-democracy activism, and I couldn’t be more proud.

I got my start in journalism in West Marin County, at a tiny Pulitzer Prize-winning weekly newspaper called the Point Reyes Light. I document that experience on my MaeWestside Tumblr, and I suppose I’ll have to reboot it here at some point.

Sonoma needs our help, and this feels personal for me. As I drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, I was flooded with memories of my youth and how different those times were. I spent my youth on the streets of San Francisco, in Muir Woods, on Stinson Beach, Drake’s Beach, Bolinas, Napa, Berkeley, we already fought and won the wars for human rights — gay rights, civil rights, women’s rights.

And now, we flirt with fascism?! Fuck that.

I am particularly emo this morning. RadPod just interviewed Jason Stanley again, and it’s safe to say, I fkin love that man. We will have a reality check from him shortly, as well as democratic action steps. We keep forgetting we’re winning, as the zone is flooded with the ‘Politics of Language’ — the title of Professor’s Stanley’s latest book.

And I am grateful in advance to those of you who will take an hour of your time to join us on Sunday to learn about the capture of Sonoma’s real estate and businesses by an affiliate of a core member of the Council for National Policy. I owe being able to bring you these stories by the people I meet IRL — such goddess warriors as Anne Nelson.

There goes that watery stuff again. I am grateful.

I just surpassed 600 paid or gifted memberships, and am marveling at those of you are upgrading to Founding Member — thank you so much. Also, those renewing their annual memberships at $70 or above are automatically being upgraded to Founding Member status and will receive the monthly invites to our Founder’s Day events.

Reminder: anyone having trouble affording a renewal, please reach out to me directly at bettedangerous/gmail so I can find a plan for you.

We also have supporters who gift memberships so if anyone is in a gift-giving mood, please reach out to me for ways to give.

Thankful for those who chose to support with donations. It all matters.

I have made much of my archives free and available, but a paid membership not only supports this work, it gains you access to archives, podcasts, and community event invites.

As I noted earlier this week, in this changing world, reporting became “free” and with it came the rise and proliferation of free right-wing “news” sites of obscured origin, designed to hack minds and poison the infosphere.

I don’t think there’s ever been a time in history when being an independent investigative reporter mattered more.

Back in the ‘80s, when I interned for the Point Reyes Light while in J-School at UC Berkeley, I had a delivery route as part of my unpaid gig. I drove my Opal Manta to the various post offices in the community to drop off the newspapers. People used to wait outside the post offices for me to arrive. They wanted to see if a letter to the editor had been published or what was above the fold.

I am trying to carry on that tradition here of reporting on things that matter, as we collectively fight the fascist creep.

Your support helps me go on offense.

Thank you.

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Bette Dangerous is a reader-funded magazine. Thank you to all monthly, annual, and founding members. Thank you as well to all those who support my work with your generous coffee tips and who buy my ebooks. Some of you prefer making subsidizing donations via venmo, and it’s always greatly appreciated.

Also, a private link to an annual membership discount for older adults, those on fixed incomes or drawing disability, as well as activists and members of the media is available upon request at bettedangerous/gmail. 🥹

More info about Bette Dangerous - This magazine is written by Heidi Siegmund Cuda, an Emmy-award winning investigative reporter/producer, author, and veteran music and nightlife columnist. She is the cohost of RADICALIZED Truth Survives, an investigative show about disinformation and is part of the Byline Media team. Thank you for your support of independent investigative journalism.

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Begin each day with a grateful heart.

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