Yeah, I’m not even hearing the idiot in the next neighborhood shoot his gun at the sky.

Cletus Luxlunae. He’d specialize in spirits. And he’d hate TERFs because they ain’t minding their own fucking business.

And a lot of recruiting companies are afraid you’ll bypass them and go apply directly, thus cutting out the middle man and they’re not allowed to send out goons to break your kneecaps.

That’s no fucking joke. I started with a passion for learning about computers. I love what I do now because I’m a one man company and answer only to myself and my contracts, but I didn’t turn on a computer outside of work for fucking years because of the burnout.

I used to be the kind of person who hated anything popular. And in Texas country music has always been popular. So I mercilessly mocked anyone who enjoyed it. “So is your cousin any good in bed?” “What has 103 fingers and 32 teeth? The front row at a Garth Brooks concert.” I have dozens of jokes about being stupid, inbred, toothless, smoking cigarettes, going to Walmart, and other stereotypical things associated with being a country music fan.

I’m still not a fan but sometime in the last 10-12 years or so I stopped giving a shit what anyone else liked. If it’s not for me but it’s not hurting anyone I just don’t care if someone likes country or pop, movies with popular actors, wants to dress in a way I see as weird, likes food that I don’t enjoy, or whatever.

I wish I could go back and change it because I know I made some people feel bad for enjoying what they like.

Edit: fixed a word.

I still remember every phone number from the day I learned to memorize phone numbers until I got my first cell phone. I remember my pager number. I remember my high school best friend’s parents’ number. I still know the number to the Mongolian BBQ joint that I ordered from when I was stationed in South Carolina. None of these are useful to me.

Also of no use is my icq number from the 90s that I remember.

However, the only useful numbers I remember are my main phone number, my parents land line (but that’s a holdover from before my first cell), and one friend who lives out of state. I don’t know anyone’s number who lives within 4 hours of me.

I don’t know what’s wrong with my brain.

I have a great therapist these days who has helped me a lot. I still hate therapy. I did finally figure out why, though. Because, with the exception of therapy and a couple of really great people, everyone I’ve ever been vulnerable in front of has weaponized it against me. So even though I know my therapist wouldn’t actually do that I’m still waiting on it to come back and bite me.

But can they sing? Do fathers on land reprimand their daughters?

Not just an 80s country singer. One that was mocked mercilessly as a big tit bimbo for years. She came out of that kind hearted and when Unknown Hinson came after her for preaching kindness there was such a backlash that he couldn’t play shows for a while and Adult Swim fired him from Squidbillies.

It does and it’s pretty awesome! I’ve taken my niece and nephews there on more than one occasion and we’ve road tripped with friends who have kids with ASD.

I had a lot of fun watching that. I played a drinking game where every time he took a drink, so did I.

If you’re a big fat man, I’m a titty fan. And I’d love to see yours, too.

I need 4, but that’s because one of my hobbies is being in a 5 piece band. I need the other 4 people to carry my untalented ass and I can’t be in a band with folks I’m not friends with. They like me because due to my obsession with being on time and prepared we get called back for gigs and booking agents (or sound guys, honestly) recommend us as local openers for large acts because we never let them down.

So they’re really trying to fix global warming!

I’m not a big movie theater guy, but I do enjoy heading to the local Alamo Drafthouse occasionally because they have terror Tuesday and weird Wednesday. Then near Halloween it’s like a full day of horror.

Absolutely I am! That’s so fucking cool. I love when folks build things out of bad ideas and gumption for creative endeavors

Oh absolutely! Shoot (or play, or draw, or whatever) on what you have. Get it to that 80% range of the professional output you see/hear. Then start looking at targeted upgrades.

But younger folks with wide eyes (including myself when I was that age) are sure that one more sensor or one more tube will get them where they need to go.

Spend enough to get something credible so you’re not fighting the gear and learn it end to end. Spend the money you would have spent on gear on experiences instead. Or put it in an account for better gear once you learn what each piece does.

Honestly I always hated that advice when I was young. But it would have saved me enough to buy some really really nice stuff when I was actually ready for it. Or put a down payment on a house.

I’m not a photography guy (browsing all while I wait on a 2am Uber so I’m not out driving drunk) but GAS is huge in musician circles. I remember when I was younger I wanted one of every guitar, one of every pedal, one of every amp… Eventually I realized I could get credible results with a handful of guitars, a few decent amps, and one intentionally curated pedalboard.

I still have a pile but that’s because I’m building and not acquiring these days.

I imagine it’s a little different in photography circles since there’s probably no good way to build new lenses with solder, a box of components, and a bad idea. However, I wanted to reach out both in solidarity (I know how you feel) and to let people feeling behind the 8 ball right now gear wise know that it’s not just them. A lot of us with gear heavy creative endeavors have felt the same way.

I just like how they feel. Know what I’m sayin’?

Look, I’m not racist but I have to say, I fucking love peanut butter.