Hi! After encouragement from many of you over these past months, I've finally decided to do some writing again. The old-school newsletter surprised me as a worthy contender for platform. It reminds me of blogging in the early 2000's. A few friends would blog. We'd all comment on each other's posts. Occasionally we'd see that friend-of-a-friend doing something interesting, and start RSS-following them as well. It seemed a healthy and valuable form of Internet communication.
If you are receiving this first letter, you were subscribed manually by me. Based on our past interactions I must think you can handle my meanderings. I probably also think you might have an interest in replying to me from time to time. Thank you to those who have pushed me here. It's good to get writing to you! And if there is anyone out there who is considering joining this activity, do reach out we can chat about the nuts and bolts.
As always, feel no qualms if you wish to unsubscribe.
Mac & Cheese
What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
Last month was one to both remember and forget, but I'm not going to write about that. I'm not sure if I'll ever write about the general news of the world. It seems like we have more of that type of information than we can healthily absorb.
Were humans ever meant to ingest this amount of information? That's not to say the information flying around out there is not important to the society nor to certain people within it, but consider how much of this information can actually have a marked impact on the quality of our daily life and decision making? If all of this input does have an influence on our daily life, does it counteract the negative impact on our mental state; the degrading and depressing of our mood and brain function? Do those losses wipe away any benefits of our almost-always-on absorption of news/opinion/gossip/information? How do local communities sustain when a majority of their members are in this state of dulled creative thinking? How, how, how?
I'm not going to write about that.
Overheard: Kids Edition
If we cover our mouths when we cough, why don’t we cover our butts when we fart?
The Consumption
Jesse and I finally wrapped up Schitt's Creek. It is right up there with Arrested Development as an all-time favorite comedy series. In the beginning I felt I owed it to King Levy and Queen O'Hara to give it a shot. For the first several episodes it was a mildly-funny-in-that-Canadian-way show. Then midway through the first season I realized there might be something a bit more going on.
As the show continued rolling from seasons 2 through 6, it never stopped delivering on its mix of many snickers, occasional laugh-out-louds, and more than a few tears. Schitt's Creek built a world filled with people that had very few of the prickly trappings we all carry with us. People that treat each other like people. It's a world I hope to live in someday.
And aside from all of that, Moira Rose is absurdly, consistently, and constantly amazing.
If you'd rather your amusement be less than 2 minutes, I give you a different Kenneth: heavy metal Kenneth Copeland.
Join Me?
Finally, if are you reading this and having that twinge of regret that you didn't put out a newsletter before I did, don't despair. Bounce off that pain and on to buttondown.email or some other service or simply your email account. Send me something so I can read it. I'm tired of reading the articles and influencers and mind benders. Give me something I can feel!
All of that above paragraph is not directed at one particular person who I know is feeling regret. That one person needs to take this all very well to heart and start composing some electrons, like, yesterday. I'm only giving you your own advice. Take it!
Finally, this letter is proof that you don't have to send something with any actual content. Write what you write. If some original thought creeps in from time to time, that's a bonus!
