Good morning good morning friends. Howdy ho. How are you? All well? All well? Yes? Please? I do hope so.

No sign of Aggro Ioniq Man this morning. Thank god. I am starting to think maybe he’s just neurodivergent and friendly or something? Maybe it’s all a coincidence? But god. He sure does have me looking over my shoulder. And being absurdly, over-the-top polite to strangers. I kept apologizing for things to other parents this morning — not holding the door quickly enough, taking too long signing Jane in. Dude’s got me acting like a kid who thinks Santa is watching.

Yogurt Journey update: Spent $14 on a small amount of Stevia — most of the stevia on the market is bulked up with filler to make it more like sugar strength, but I don’t want the filler. Sprinkled it on my very-bitter yogurt. You know what? It helped. Probably need a slightly better way of mixing it in, but I can work with this. We may be nearing the end of the oh-so-thrilling Yogurt Journey. Tune in this fall for Salmon Journey oh god oh god.

Had an epiphany, posted it on Bluesky (country song title). Probably shoulda posted it on threads where people read things. Anyway here it is:

This is not sarcasm! I think… especially combined with the timing of Bill Clinton and his “new left” which I guess just meant capitalism. I really thought Democrats were clever like Republicans and were secretly hiding their true agenda and we were all in on it and they were going to.. yeah. God. I mean, I have known this was not the case for a while now, but it still shapes me. Every time I hear some Democrat saying they won’t support AOC or Mamdani because they’re socialist. I was duped. Those Republicans duped young teenage Rick. I am such a rube.

This doesn’t seem like such an epiphany I suppose, and I’ve known the truth for a long while, but lately I’ve been wondering why I ever thought Democrats were socialist. And then I realized: oh it’s because the world’s greatest propaganda machine told me they were. I fell for it.

semi-related, this is my prediction and I am sticking to it. Well, it’s not exactly a prediction but… yeah. It kind of is:

I don’t know why I felt like posting to Bluesky twice last night I swear I was not drunk or lonely.

Join the GMHHAY slack! Reply to this email and ask for an invite if you’re a human who likes chatting with other humans about topics such as these within!

Listening to this Album Leaf record a second time before I file it away into the main record library. Recent Numero Group re-issue. Which one is it lemme look. One Day I’ll Be On Time. Good title. Loved it when these dudes were one of those touring bands and you could see em live every year or two. Took it for granted. Would be so psyched if Album Leaf came ‘round these days.

Oh speaking of which we are taking Jane to her first indoor rock show. Linda Lindas at the Haw River Ballroom in October. Very excited. Place is gorgeous. It’s not a “club” so much as a “hall.” So, you know, baby steps. Her first show was the Spinanes reunion — tarred a hipster for life she is. Then she’s seen The Cure/Twlight Sad and Pet Shop Boys/New Order and then Soft Cell/Allison Moyet/Human League. I think that’s it? Big step here. A band formed in the 21st century.

Had a dream that my Haitian cab driver was listening to the 90’s alternative band from San Francisco, Swell. My god. I was so excited. We really bonded. I love Swell so much. I did not know there were two i’s in “Haitian.”

Music Hall of Williamsburg is closing. Very sad. We had our wedding there. I saw so many great shows there, and several great ones at its precursor, Northsix. Landlord isn’t renewing the lease. Probably wants to turn it into condos you know how Williamsburg is these days. RIP. Amazing venue. Beautiful sound. I think I said all of this to you a few months ago when I learned this but I put it out of my head and re-learned it yesterday, Memento style.

I think I’m coming out of my weekly bout of depression as the meeting load lessens and I look forward to the Boston trip. I mean. I have three meetings today. That is still more than your average Wednesday. But I can handle it. I think. Also I think it is very weird that I fell right asleep last night — took less than ten minutes — even though I had gotten twelve hours of sleep the night before and not less than eight for the several nights previous. I am constantly vaguely concerned I have some disease these days. I was never hypochondriac in my life. Is “hypochondriac” a noun and an adjective? Is there a different adjective form? hyprochondriacical? I like it. The fainting spells, the insane bruising from the smallest injuries, the bouts of nausea. It is not good! Thank god AI is against my religion or I would be letting some AI convince me I have adult-onset anemia or something oh god is that a thing.

Going to a funeral memorial this weekend for an old friend. We had been out of touch for a decade or more, actually probably two. But she was just such a gem, so kind, so fun, so full of life. Amazing woman. And she was struck down by… cancer I thin? And fast. Like so fast her parents barely had time to fly there and see her. And this keeps happening in life to people my age and I know my plan is a good one — work until I can sell this company, then retire and enjoy the fuck out of life as much as I can. But the plan relies on the universe cooperating and I feel like it has already cooperated enough for me and it’s gonna bit me in the ass soon and time is running out, man. I need to wrap up this struggle era of life and fucking relax. All fo this is so, so privileged to even talk about.

(Speaking of which if you have a couple grand you feel like sending to someone you don’t know for an incredibly good cause, today, tomorrow latest, drop me a line and I will tell you about it. But it involves saving lives. Imminently. Desperately. Specific ones. Children.)

Jane is… sort of better? A bit? Was fun last night but was just absurd this morning. Doing that flopping, eye-rolling thing about how boring it is to, oh, I don’t know, fucking walk from the counter to the door. Stupid shit. I don’t know why it offends me so much, and I know the correct response is light jest and then changing the subject to something fun but fuck that man I am not a court jester!

Okay, I am a court jester. That is what I did.

I do have a bunch of playlists done, but I watched this video last night and the video is awesome, and the song is amazing and disturbing and Vincent Cassel is a gem and you should probably watch it.

Have a lovely day all day.