Hello reader. I have moved Anecdoche over to Beehiiv, because I do not fuck with Nazis and I do not fuck with anyone talking Elon up, as Substack CEO Chris Best recently did. They’ve had a Nazi problem for far too long, and that new Best post was the last straw. I’m a small fish, it won’t make a difference to them, but I’m out. I’m still getting used to this new platform and tinkering with the look of it, but wanted to try sending an email out and see how it goes.

I also just deleted Spotify. I reached my breaking point with them continuing to demonetize songs and artists. If you haven’t read this piece by Liz Pelly, I recommend it. They’re actively working against artists. I have never loved Apple Music, so I’m trying Qobuz out. Despite a horrible name, so far it’s been…just fine. It’s simple and clean, it isn’t trying to make me listen to podcast hosted by some bozo. It’s just the music I want to listen to. It’s much less algorithm driven which is fine, I wasn’t using Spotify to find new music anyway. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I have been done on X/Twitter for awhile. Nazis are everywhere these days.

I’m working on controlling what I can control. It’s going well. (It is not.)

I know I still haven’t even done my records of the year post. I’m working on it. Not having a deadline on things is good for me but maybe it’s actually bad?

This section is about music!

Here is my BEST SONGS OF 2024 PLAYLIST.

A few things I’ve been listening to lately include Niki Colet, this split from three Boston bands, the new Pacing record, and LaterGator.

A lot of bad news and four good things.

It must be so nice to be stupid and uninformed. Just to have no clue what depraved madmen are out there doing to us every day. Walking around, looking at stuff, not thinking too hard about any of it. One sentence that sums up so much of our society: everything seems like a conspiracy when you don’t understand how anything works.

Trigger warning for this block of text: it’s scary. If you just skip to the good things at the end, I get it. Look for the bold text. Okay. For those who can’t keep up with the onslaught of insanity, here’s just some of what’s been happening. It’s a good time to read up on the Network State and the Reboot playbook; super fringe beliefs have gone mainstream real fast and show a roadmap of what’s happening. As much as they are unhinged, there is a plan. The water Trump released in California was a huge waste. It didn’t help the fires; now it won’t be available to the farmers it belonged to when they need it during the hot, long, dry summer season; and it would have caused serious flooding if not for last minute interventions by the water managers. A website called DEI Watch List popped up, targeting mostly Black federal health workers by posting their photos, names, and public info, and labeling them as “targets.” The new AG wants to open criminal investigations into large companies that do DEIA which of course is not a crime. Just trying to push non-straight/cis/white people out of the workforce. We are in the middle of the most dangerous cyberattack ever against the US, and it’s coming from inside. Tuberculosis cases are rising in multiple states including Kansas and North Carolina. We’ve got losers impersonating ICE because they think they can just do whatever they want to immigrants, and sadly they might be right. Elon says we should get rid of all regulations, and they want to get rid of OSHA too. Wages, benefits, the weekend, workplace safety…these things are all regulations. He also wants to ship prisoners to El Salvador, which is just straight up insane. The FBI is suing to protect themselves from the President, which is one hell of a sentence. “At a minimum, 300 babies who wouldn’t have had HIV now do.” The CDC posted then deleted info about bird flu going from cats to humans, that’s probably fine. 10 (no I am not missing a digit, it’s 10) out of 500k collegiate athletes identify as trans so Trump signed a bill to keep them out under the guise of “protecting women” meanwhile 1 in 3 of his cabinet picks have been credibly accused of violence against women. The NCAA is not even federally funded so they don’t have to go along with this, they’re just choosing to because it’s politically expedient and they are cowards. It’s not about girls or women, and it’s not going to stop with trans people. Speaking of people failed by the NYT, they still can’t say Trump is breaking the law, instead going passive voice mode on “defying legal limits.” Good news, foreign bribes are fine now. Yes, it’s a coup, and yes, it’s targeting you. Sometimes you just need a good headline. Remember: this all equals death. Malice. Murder. Anyone who was outraged when Luigi popped one dude should be many times more upset by this widespread destruction, pain, and death. I’m sure they will be… not.

Is there a point where Trump voters will realize they’re getting fucked here too? There has to be, right? Right? Okay, yeah, stupid thought. “Yes sir thank you sir!” as the tanks roll over their home and children.

Okay here are four good things. You can order some Girl Scout cookies from trans girls if you wanted to. Shoutout to Barry the bear who is too fat to be tranquilized and just like me he can be coaxed out of hiding with grocery store rotisserie chickens. Rilo Kiley tour. Chappell Roan gets it.

Trans rights and queer joy or else.

Fix your heart or die.