Welcome to the very second Dispatches Weekly Digest. The format might change, the content might change, but here’s one thing that won’t change:
This is only for my coolest friends.
Today’s Schedule of Events
The song recommendation (and a story about me totaling my car)
TMI - A guy who’s been married for ten years asks another guy who’s been married for ten years for dating advice
A recap of everything that got published on the Dispatches this week, including
Links to all the Nooners, in a row
Let’s get started!
The Song
When my wife and I got married, her brother in law gave us an album by an artist he said he’d been following recently. This was back in 2013, and COMPACT DISCS were already becoming obsolete. Which means we didn’t have a lot of other options to put into the CD PLAYER in our car. Which means that album stayed in there for a long time.
By happy coincidence, that album was so good we had no desire to replace it. Of course, we’d usually stream music from our phones whenever we got in the car. But at least once a week, we’d just let the CD play.
A couple years later, we moved to Los Angeles, and I started driving for Uber to make ends meet. One night, on the way to a pick up, a driver on a cross-street fell asleep, jumped two lanes and a median, and t-boned me in the middle of a right turn. I noticed just in time to jack the steering wheel and move the point of collision a few feet further back, which is why I was able to walk away.
But the car was totaled. And when I went to the impound lot to collect our belongings, can you guess what album was still in the CD player?
This song isn’t from that album, it’s from the one after, but this is the song I always use to introduce people to the artist, because I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t immediately love it.
Shovels & Rope is a husband and wife team who, I believe, play every single instrument that’s ever been invented. I’ve seen them live a couple of times, and if you can believe it, they rock even harder on stage.
Anyway, you’re welcome.
TMI
Today’s TMI was emceed by my very first paid subscriber, Mr. Sean Worsley (hope it’s OK I’m using your full name, my dude). He and I have both been married for ten years, but for some reason he asked me for dating advice.
How’s that for clickbait?
The Digest
This week, I republished my post on The Old Man and the Sea, and another six Nooners.
Also, on Friday, Nerd Critic released an episode on A Quiet Place: Day One. We recorded video, but I needed to quit something, so we’re quitting YouTube. Sorry! We might bring it back when I get a computer that doesn’t threaten to commit suicide whenever I try to do any video editing.
Here’s a list of the Nooners:
(Listeners get to hear all of these in a row, one right after the other, without the intros and outros attached to the daily version. Once again, I’ll remind you that this is what you paid for.)
#59 (July 15) - Why we love sci-fi
Is curiosity the key to immortality?#60 (July 16) - Creativity is an abundant resource
The more you use, the more you’ve got#61 (July 17) - All of us are sodomists
It’s not what you think! (It’s worse.)#62 (July 18) - Don’t play the Zoomer labeling game
You’ll never win#63 (July 19) - You can’t autocomplete art
Belated thoughts on the limitations of ChatGPT, etc
#64 (July 20) - The simplest definition of faith
According to me
In Closing…
Two things, real quick.
If you want to help me out with the TMI segment, let me know and I’ll set it up.
If you’ve got ideas for other segments, also let me know! I want you to get your money’s worth.
Alright, that’s all. Thanks again, and don’t tell the others, but…
You’re my favorite.
Share this post