Hello lads - I’m making the mailer a littler meatier because I’m enjoying the process of writing it.
In an unseen turn of events some people have chosen to be paid subscribers, which is generosity beyond my expectation and a bit of a rocket meets arse scenario.
🗞️ News 🗞️
I’ve been as sick as a dog for the last week and still I’m in fit of administrative activity. I’ve promised myself that I’d do at least one Work In Progress a month for the next 12 months!
Here’s the poster 👇🏻
The Edinburgh Fringe felt like a success. I’m keen to keep that momentum going. Largely, because I felt like a proper comedian and that is a feeling I’d like to bottle. I don’t know exactly what the show is about but for now I’ve landed on the themes of trying hard, being sound and taking multivitamins.
So I’ve booked the first few in. Here’s a little list
The Bill Murray, Sunday 7th December - 4pm
More TBC
Well golly, it sure would be swell if you could come along.
🪩 BITS 🪩
Another successful gig with BITS x Umbrella Cider House!
I love this gig a lot. It’s really all my wife Flora’s hard work and I just show up and MC (equals pequals). We’re really very proud of it. Flora strives to make it gender balanced, equitable and as free of dickheads as she can. When we decided to set it up we looked at Angel Comedy and the strong emphasis the club has on community. We’re trying to do that on a smaller scale. As proof, here’s a lovely family photo.
Flora is planning some really lovely gigs for the end of the year one of which being a BITS Christmas Party. That’s exciting isn’t it?
I can’t possibly say more…
So for now;
🥃 Good Spirits Club 🥃
In the meantime, if you didn’t know, in my civilian life I used to teach people about spirits. Booze. Not ghosts.
A handful of people have contacted me about leading some tastings. For the most part whisky tastings tend to be where you might meet some of the worst wankers ever to purchase chinos. Gatekeepers who suck all of the fun out of having a nice time.
In light of the interest we’re going to run a free tasting to see;
a) if we want to do it
b) it’s financially feasible
c) the format works
🍑 Little Treats 🍑
I have consumed a lot of interesting things this month, including the entire Tenacious D back catalogue. Here’s some of my favourites
💿🎵 Antony Szmierek - Service Station At The End Of The Universe
Nice, clever, affecting. A distinctly Northern voice bringing together all of the things I love about Self Esteem, Loyle Carner and Yard Act. I really like this album, especially The Great Pyramid of Stockport. ‘Imagine what the Pharaohs could have done with a four day working week and a three-fingered Twix’
📚 The Death of the Student Essay—and the Future of Cognition
Professor Brian Klass’ reflections on AI tools such as ChatGPT and the effect they’ve had on student essay (RIP). Properly interesting if not a bit scary but mainly an urgent treatise on living a full life.
📺 1000 Players Simulate Civilization: Rich & Poor
Full disclosure, when I watched this I’d ingested a hefty cannabis edible and settled into making a lasagne from scratch (yes, I made my own pasta). Good clean fun. Glory to Westhelm.
🎥 Morbius
This film is awful. Jared Leto and Matt Smith, the goody and the baddy, both have a rare blood disease that means run of the mill, day to day tasks exhaust them to the point in which they need constant blood transfusions. There’s a scene that takes place before their transformations into vampires where they walk down a New York Street, one with crutches the other with a walking stick. It is without a shadow of a doubt the most distasteful and unintentionally hilarious pieces of cinema I have ever seen.
That’s all for this one.
Bye 🥔