I remember… but just barely… Weekly Recap 5/27/2024

My family got dial-up internet through AOL when I was pretty young. I can’t remember exactly what year this happened, but I do know that one of the first things I tried to search for was Mario 64 cheat codes. Mario 64 was released in 1996 — a fact I only know thanks to the internet, so I guess I was younger than 10 years old.

Before that day, I spent a significant part of my days playing outside… with toys. I built legos. I pushed MatchBox cars around a track. I hunted for interesting rocks. I rode a bike. Sometimes I just swung sticks around in the back yard.

But after… I was fairly obsessed with getting online time. At first, there wasn’t a ton for me to do — I had a highly parentally-controlled “child” account. That’s okay, I was crafty. In a very 80’s-movie-esque sequence, my parents would write down their passwords on a sticky note that was hidden in fairly obvious locations. Eventually I upgraded to keyloggers.

And I’d use that unrestricted access to download free internet service providers, like NetZero, to further secure my online freedoms. Do you guys remember NetZero? Apparently they’re still offering 10 hours of free dial-up internet per month. That’s pretty admirable and I’d love to try it out. But I don’t have a modem. Actually, I don’t have a phone line, either.

Do you guys still have phone lines?

It’d be more fair of a question to ask if I remember life before cell phones. I didn’t have a cell until I was 17 or 18… but the internet was present for a significant portion of my formative years.

Good morning and happy Monday, friends! And happy Memorial Day!

I had a great conversation with Alexander Cabot on Saturday afternoon. The raw interview footage is up on my Patreon if you’d like to take a peak. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be transforming this into Season 2: Episode 2 of M3.

This Sunday, you can catch me on the Alexian show. It’ll be streaming live in the afternoon and I will be sharing some of my song lyrics in his “enchanted verse” segment.

One of the true highlights from this week was rescuing a baby bird. I’ve got some video and I’ll turn it into a short so you can enjoy it with me.

Isn’t he cute?

I wrote an article on Feeling the Music, which recounts some of my experience playing for a Christian worship band. I’ve also been working on my book and my workshop for Summer Magick Fest 2024, which is happening in just two weeks!

We’re still getting lots of messages from pagan inmates who need support. Folks are messaging from Arkansas, New York, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, and elsewhere. It’s kind of cool that there’s been such a response. If you’d like to help support that, I made a ko-fi where you can send a donation.

In mundane news, Selene and I saw the Garfield movie. It was a pile of hot garbage.

And finally, in the typical American fashion, we’ll be grilling today. We’ve got plans for burgers and hotdogs, but Selene also spatchcocked a chicken. I’ve never grilled a whole chicken, so we’re definitely venturing into new territory here. Don’t worry… you can probably find pictures on social media later.