Starts earnest, gets increasingly silly
Just like most of these newsletters or life itself really jeez that took a turn
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On not being so brave
I’ve been writing our episode for Monday and tracking it. Sorry, “tracking it” is jargon for recording the parts where it’s just me talking. I try to sound off the cuff in those but I do have at least a suggestion of a script, which I improvise off of to some extent.
So the episode is with Amanda Knox and I was thinking about the idea of relatability with her story. Because yes, we all go through difficult events in life and a lot of us go through horrible events. So in that sense, of course we can relate to Amanda’s situation in a broad sense. But then again, very few of us have been falsely accused of a crime, falsely convicted of that crime - twice - in a foreign country, and had our names become synonymous with a high profile murder forever. As Amanda has.
Still, like all of us, Amanda has to go on with her life. That’s how linear time works.
And I bet someone at some point has told her that she’s so brave.
People have told me that at the worst times in my life or at the times following the greatest trauma. And I get that they’re trying to help and that motivation is nice I suppose. But I think it’s kind of a useless thing to say.
No one I know who has been in horrible situations has ever thought of themselves as brave or heroic. You just go through the moment and then arrive at the next moment. Repeat. You try as best you can to make the best decision with the information you have in that moment.
Here’s what Amanda Knox has been: patient. Anyway, that’s on Monday.
I’m sure they mean well but
Lady looks like she’s being attacked by a third-tier smart vacuum cleaner.
She’s wearing a highlighter Halloween costume made by someone who’s never seen a highlighter, only had it described in a voicemail.
I think seeing that lady try to look like a good sport just cured my depression.
Is it legal to wear that in soccer?
Worst attempted shoplifting ever at Humidifers R Us.
BrainsWay? More like BrainSway from side to side thanks to this huge contraption on my head.
These days all the kids are wearing them backwards.
Look
It’s been a really rough week with some personal news. Everything is fine but it’s been a lot. Great week for professional news but rough on the other stuff so I’m just going to enjoy the weird depression helmet.
How is the mental health among young people?
Not good:
Return to remote learning is taking a toll on students and families, mental health experts say
Not good:
How COVID Is Affecting Kids' Mental Health
Really not good:
Survey Shows Pandemic Continues to Impact Student Mental Health
How long did it take you to find those articles, John? It was the fastest thing I have ever done in my life. It took the opposite of effort.
Shit’s fucked up.
Here’s what I like about Wordle
You know the dang game that everyone’s playing?
I like it because it has boundaries. You get to complete it once a day, either by winning or losing. Then you have to wait for the next day. You can’t binge or get addicted or any of those other game-selling descriptors that are, ominously, rooted in the language of self destruction.
If you don’t have boundaries, the game will provide them. That’s good.
PLEASE, WORLD, IN A TIME OF INFINITE DARKNESS, JUST LET US HAVE WORDLE