Category Archives: My Thoughts

Jan 15 2021
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My Thoughts, Site News, The Newsletter I Used To Do At The Other Place

So, I think I’m taking this website private.

…and with this, I’m pretty done with Substack. I’d like to continue to maintain my free, but private newsletter, which I feel has been the best thing I’ve done online in a long time, but I’m sure as hell not inclined to help pad their numbers anymore.

So, my options are:

  1. Find another free newsletter provider that isn’t currently run by shitheads, or likely to get bought by them (this last part’s completely out of my control)
  2. Use the newsletter apparatus I have built into this website to continue the newsletter here, and merge my Substack subscriber list with the main one.

The problem (if it is a problem) with the second option is that I want the newsletter to be private, and for the newsletter to be part of the website’s infrastructure and private, I’m pretty sure this website needs to be private.

I’d been kinda thinking about making it that way for a while, anyway, even if it’s potentially a big pain in the ass for my readers. I generally feel better about writing if I don’t have to look over my shoulder while I do it, if you follow. I’m not interested in being famous or popular. I’m not making money off of this website. I have other websites I can keep public (for now). Let’s poke at things, as a group, and at least see if it will be as much of a pain in the ass as I fear it could be, alright? If it sucks, I’ll come up with something else.

As I’m about to do things, I’ll let you know, and if you need to opt out of anything, let me know, and it’s totally OK, but otherwise, I ask that you bear with me, as there’s a lot of other stuff going on in my life at the moment. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

Oct 05 2020
2 Comments
My Thoughts, Site News

Let’s try this again…

(11/04/2020 Edit: I did, in fact, go back and do that other shit. The account’s deleted, and it ain’t comin’ back. Hopefully, some of you decide to come here and/or keep in touch in other ways.)

I left Facebook.

Again.

I didn’t delete it. I didn’t deactivate it. I just fuckin’ left.

At some point, I may go back and do that other shit. Right now, I just wanna be done with the place.

If you’re seeing this because you saw my “I left, come here instead” message, hi! Say hello in the comments.

Now that this is done, let’s try to talk about that website a lot less.

Maybe I’ll even start posting things of consequence here again. Most of that’s gone to Substack lately. I wanted a place to write conversationally, privately, with the comments also being private, and it’s served well in that regard for the first month-ish that I’ve had it. If you want to subscribe to it, email me and let me know, including your preferred email address.

This venue has a use, though, too, so we’ll see. Let me figure out what I’m posting here next, and we’ll take it from there.

 

Sep 25 2020
2 Comments
Music News, My Thoughts, Site News

Been a few weeks…

Reports and Questions:

  1. The Substack experiment continues to be a successful one. If you’re signed up for email updates from this site, were enjoying them, and would like to sign up for a similar thing that generally leads to about one email per day, please let me know (and include your preferred email address), as the Substack’s private, and I need to invite you for you to sign up.
  2. If you’re wondering why I’m not just posting all of this stuff to this website, it’s because I want some privacy, both for myself and my commenters. Everyone can use some privacy sometimes, right?
  3. I’m looking into possibly taking this site private (as in “you wouldn’t be able to see anything on it without logging in”), and if I do that, I may merge the Substack list with our user list, but not before talking to both my readers here, and subscribers on Substack first. If I take things private, you should still get posts emailed to you, but you’ll need to login here to see them on the website. This is all in the very early stages, and again, within reason, I’m allowing input from the people who give a shit about any of this, so don’t worry, it won’t be abrupt.
  4. A question for this group: I’ve figured out how to do it now, but would you prefer to get these posts in their entirety in your email, or do you like just getting notification that they’ve happened, that you then have to click through to get here? To me, it seems like the full post in the email thing’s easier on everyone, but your mileage may vary, and again, I wanted to ask those of you who’d be affected by this before I just did something, in stark contrast to the behavior of most of the rest of the Internet.
  5. Listen to the new Bob Mould album. Seriously.
Sep 02 2020
3 Comments
Music News, My Thoughts, Site News

So, yeah, 3 months later…

…that “I’ll try to write more frequently” business looks pretty bad.

There was a sick cat (she’s doin’ better now, but it took a while), several home improvement projects, and the dog ate my homework.

I still exist, though, and my people, from what I can tell, are doin’ alright.

I should mention that I’m cheating on you right now. As an experiment, I started a Substack. I’ll be posting mostly different stuff there than I am here. It’s free, but it’s invite-only. If you’d like an invite, ask me for one via email. I cannot guarantee that I’ll agree to it, because sometimes, the wrong kinda weirdos ask me for stuff, but I’ll at least consider it.

World, especially the States, continues to be in the shitter. Some places are better than others. The one I live in is not one of those places.

Despite the looming threat of No More Comic Books and a bloodbath at one of the major companies, comic books continue to show up for now.

I’m still on fucking Facebook, but the Substack thing is part of my exit strategy. Watch Zuckerberg buy it now that I said that.

I’ve watched a bunch of movies and TV. I wanna get this post out, so I’ll get back to you on what, because I’d have to go over what I’ve gotten to.

The post just below this one has most of my favorite albums of the year in it, but as it’s not on Spotify, I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend Emma Swift’s Blonde on the Tracks again, as it’s great.

The rest, we’ll get to soon. In the meantime, how’s about leaving a comment, and letting me know how you’re doing?

May 01 2020
2 Comments
Music News, My Thoughts

May 1st, and whatnot.

Some updates:

Everyone I’ve mentioned in these pieces who has or had COVID-19 is still with us as I type this, as far as I’m aware (and I have been keeping up; the person who had the worst case out of all the people I know is still fighting like hell, but they’re starting to make some progress now). I do know people, including some of you who read this, who’ve had losses, and I’m very sorry for those losses.

In much lighter news, I’m 40% through the pile of comic books now, so there’s been some progress there. I’ve watched The Illumination of Jim Woodring, Strange Brew, One Million Years B.C., Barbarella and the long-lost Music Of The Spheres (which I hadn’t seen in over 30 years, and which I thought was lost to the ages) since I wrote last, so I’ve finally got some attention span back for movies. I’ve been keeping up with Better Call Saul and Westworld, too. The former had a great season, while the latter’s had an uneven one. We’ll see how the finale plays out on Sunday.

On the video game front, my household’s played the hell out of Untitled Goose Game, and I just have to get through the timed missions to 100% it. It’s been a tonic through some pretty bleak times.

I’ll try to write a bit more frequently this month, as it’s probably kinda scary when people have long gaps in between their diatribes nowadays. I hope that you are all as well as you can be at the moment. Y’all should stay in touch too, eh?

Apr 16 2020
4 Comments
My Thoughts

Still here.

34 days since my household started trying our level best to stay the hell on our property, with varying degrees of success.

Still haven’t read that last batch of comic books yet. Soon.

One friend who tested positive for COVID-19 is recovered now, though they had a hell of a time with it. Another is still in a relatively bad way with it, but they’re fighting like hell, and hopefully, they’re gonna beat this thing. Another friend who wasn’t able to get a test, but more than likely had it has recovered. Beyond that, as far as I know, anyway (I’m not hearing from some people in some serious hot zones), it’s this mix of “OK” and “people who were or are sick with something over the past few months that may or may not have been it”. I’d still call it all pretty early on in the process, and every time anyone leaves the house is a significant risk, but my people, best as I can tell are hanging in there so far.

Thanks for any crossing of fingers and whatnot that you may have done.

More soon, ideally sooner than my last update. I hope you’re all well or getting there, and I hope you all stay safe.

Mar 27 2020
4 Comments
My Thoughts

Another long day in a strange world where not much is going right.

The residents of my house have been a hopefully safe distance away from other human beings for 14 and a half days at this point, and we’ve been in the house for nearly all of it. We’re due for more supplies and a walk soon. Please wish us luck with all of that.
 
I did get to wave hello to a friendly face through a window (the first familiar person outside of my household that I’ve seen in two weeks) that dropped by and delivered what could be the last new hard copy comic books I ever see from the major comics publishers. I do hope that everything goes well for my intrepid comic book delivery person and their store, as it’s never easy to own a comic book shop, but right now, it is extremely hard.

Two people I’ve met and been a friendly acquaintance of, at various points in my life, have tested positive for COVID-19 so far. One of those people feels OK so far. The other has been pretty sick, and has been radio silent for just over 24 hours. I’m worried about both of them, but I’m pretty freaked out about the situation with the latter of the two, and am hoping they’re just getting a LOT of rest.

Two more undoubtedly have or had the virus, but can’t get tests where they are (2 different countries). One seems to be on the mend, but the other thought that they were also on the mend, and then got sick again, so even if you think you have this and start to feel better, please give it way more time than you think you’ll need, if it’s at all humanly possible.

It hasn’t all been rough news like this in my circles. I know that so many of us are absolutely craving some tiny bit of good news right now, but unfortunately, for the moment, especially as it’s still so new and so touch and go, I have to sit on the success stories I know about, and hope that they remain success stories.

I know that I’ve already asked you for luck once in this short piece, but in all of these other cases, along with my household’s, whatever you do for people when you’re hoping their stories will turn out OK, whether it’s prayer, crossing fingers, lighting a candle, or other stuff…I am not personally a believer, but if you could do your thing anyway, I’d still appreciate the sentiment. I’d give you names, as I know that can be a thing in these practices, but I’d like to protect their privacy, as these are sensitive matters. If “Scott’s friends” will get them through the door here, feel free to use that. I’m sure there are a lot of people asking you for this, and plenty more that you’re voluntarily doing it for without having to be asked, but I still have to ask because I, like any of you with a brain and a heart, want my people to be OK. You don’t have to tell me if you do it. Just know that I appreciate it, and that I hope your stories turn out OK, as well.

More of this as things unfold, and I’m able.
Mar 22 2020
5 Comments
My Thoughts

Just under 62 days

That is, unfortunately, how long I was able to stay away from Facebook.

Unfortunately, the nature of this worldwide crisis we’re in means that being in touch with people and being able to at least try to support them through all of this takes priority over how I feel about the least trustworthy company on Earth. At least for now. If I find that my being on there does more harm than good to myself, my household or the people I came back to support, I’ll leave again.

Goddamn it all.

Mar 12 2020
15 Comments
My Thoughts

How y’all doin’?

I’m askin’ for reals. I’ve heard from probably less than 20% of what I’d consider to be “my people” in the past month or two. Let me know in the comments, or drop me a line.

This fuckin’ world, eh?

Here’s some stuff that’s been happening, aside from, well, a goddamned pandemic:

Phantogram, Moses Sumney and Jonny Polonsky have all put out solid albums in the last few weeks…

On the home front, we finally found a reliable electrician, and have adequate lighting in our home for the first time in four and a half years.

I was supposed to take a trip to New Jersey in early April, but who the fuck knows on that?

At some point, I will stop talking about this, but the account I deleted in January, breaking from the company’s old habits (maybe it’s the data protection laws, or maybe I’m just an undesirable), is completely deleted now. I can’t even do a password recovery. If we used to talk exclusively on there, I’d have to make a new account and send you a friend request to do it again, so maybe get ahold of me here instead if you come across this, you dig?

That’s kind of it at the moment.

 

 

Feb 24 2020
8 Comments
Music News, My Thoughts

Some life updates…

I am alive.

It’s been a little over a month since I did that thing I did.

I hear from far fewer people on a given day than I was hearing from before I did it, and I don’t know a lot of what’s going on in your lives. Plenty of you are keeping the faith, though, and I appreciate it. Shoot me a line, leave a comment here, or whatever. “I’m always home. I’m uncool!”

I’ve done my best, given my general state of being, to reach out, too. There’s room for improvement, but I’m very human and my sleep was a mess for weeks. I’ll continue working on it.

I’m also torn between my desire to nuke multiple accounts on really terrible websites, and my concerns about further isolating myself at a time when people need each other.

Back here on the other side of the screen, it’s tough for a middle-aged man with my interests to make local friends without either volunteering somewhere or being an alcoholic. Where volunteer work is concerned, the spirit is willing, but I’m tired and physically unreliable. I’m retired from the other thing. Alternate suggestions are welcome.

I’ve started the next round of doctors for the various things that are wrong with me. My goal (barring new catastrophes) is to figure out what can be fixed, what’s likely to get worse, and what’s going to stay about the same relatively soon. Wish me luck on all that.

I figured out, during this process, that Monday appointments are a really bad idea for me. It’s a combination of the stress of not knowing if I’ll be awake for said appointment, and wanting to get started on my week when other people do, especially since my productivity is often limited during business hours.

Little by little, I’m trying to clear the cobwebs from a year’s worth of post-concussion syndrome. At least, I hope it’s post-concussion syndrome, and some more of it will wear off, and not permanent brain damage, where life’s just gonna be like this or worse from here on out. There are good days and bad days.

I’m still experiencing some writer’s block, which has been ongoing since I pulled the plug on the motherfucker. It’s impacting this website and my other one, but I’m trying to push through it. How obvious is it that I’m straining to write this?

I’ve been a little behind on current music (I’ve got a backlog of at least Kesha, Marc Almond, and Ozzy; best wishes to Ozzy, by the way…), but Richard Marx, that beautiful bastard, put out an album that I’d describe as a best-case scenario for a Richard Marx album released in 2020. I’m going to guess that if you’re not already a fan, this isn’t for you, but who knows?

There are also new songs from Sparks (full album out May 15th)…

…and Choir Boy (full album out May 7th).

I haven’t gotten out a lot lately. Definitely feeling the urge, but there’s a time and place for it.

With that said, I highly recommend going to see Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn while it’s still in theatres, or at home when it isn’t. I think it’s the best live-action DC super-hero movie I’ve seen since Keaton was Batman (though I haven’t seen Aquaman or Green Lantern yet).

I’m pretty sure that the world’s still on fire, figuratively and literally, and getting worse by the second. There’s some good stuff too, though.

Does anyone have any questions?

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