Greg's Newsletter

Episodes

1. 21

   The Blog Era and Telling Internet History [No. 099]

   Welcome to Greg’s Newsletter NUMBER 99. I’ll be checking in next edition with a look back at some hits and misses since launching this in January of 2015 (!!!!). And there will be an announcement as well. Stay tuned. But for this issue, I want to talk about The Blog Era. It’s a new podcast series...

   May 23, 2023

   8m
2. 20

   Do Not Disturb (I'm Available!) [No. 098]

   Welcome to edition #98. So glad to have you. The last several newsletters have been moderate-to—lengthy essay type-things, so let’s make this one a links issue. To the internet we go! First, from CNBC: Amazon, TikTok and YouTube are investing in Shopping Network-like capabilities, hoping to…

   more
   Feb 17, 2023

   7m
3. 19

   What is the Deep State Doing on LinkedIn? [No. 097]

   Welp, at the end of last year, I was part of a large round of US layoffs at my agency. Even if they tell you it’s strictly financial and nothing related to performance, it’s still takes a hit to the ego. Rather than grind myself to a pulp finding the next gig during the holidays, I took the...

   Jan 17, 2023

   23m
4. 18

   Oh Gosh, OK, Let's Talk Twitter [No. 096]

   I’ve tried my absolute best to avoid writing about Twitter, in part because I don’t want to give myself whiplash because I paid attention to the day-to-day tomfoolery happening on the platform. And because everybody now has an opinion on Twitter. It’s amazing. A rich guy buys it and now people...

   Dec 5, 2022

   12m
5. 17

   Babies Are Terrorists [No. 095]

   Hi friends! Been pretty busy around these parts. I started a new job in February and, let’s see what else, oh right—I’m trying to keep two relatively new-ish humans alive. And, ideally, alive and possibly a little smarter each day. I’ve tried to not have my entire identity wrapped up in being a...

   Oct 18, 2022

   4m
6. 16

   The Convoys Are Coming [No. 094]

   It’s been a minute and I wanted to come back with something light-hearted and fun. So, today, we’re going to talk about the Canadian conspiracist truck convoy, the impending U.S. version of this thing (that I hope I’m wrong about!), and how social media and influencers are helping drive it. So,...

   Feb 17, 2022
7. 15

   My Mom, Cancer, and Norm Macdonald [No. 093]

   That’s my goal in life: not to die. - Norm Macdonald, Me Doing Stand-Up (2011) Norm Macdonald was in the room when my mom died nearly 20 years ago. It was January and she was in the hospital bed that she'd been in for months, in the living room at home. And one day at school, I all of a sudden...

   Sep 17, 2021

   6m
8. 14

   Venmo is Wild [No. 092]

   Welcome to Greg’s Newsletter. Great news! You can now listen to the audio version on Spotify, in addition to Apple Podcasts. Either click those links or search for “Greg’s Newsletter,” hit subscribe, and you should be golden. I have a pretty bad memory. I could probably stand to actively combat...

   Aug 17, 2021

   7m
9. 13

   Nostalgic Tees & Tyranny [No. 090]

   I've been thinking a lot about nostalgia lately. In music, in clothes and fashion. And in how different generations, cohorts, and demographics view nostalgia and what they're nostalgic for. Svetlana Boym, the media artist, playwright, and novelist, defined two main types of nostalgia: the...

   Jun 16, 2021

   5m
10. 12

    6 Thoughts For Wednesday [No. 089]

    I hope you're doing well. We're inching our way up to 100 editions of Greg's Newsletter. Today? It's just some thoughts, y'all. Some quick hitters. * It's so fun to see the new generation of NBA stars start to take over. I'm sad that my (first born) son Luka Doncic and my Mavericks are out, after…

    more
    Jun 9, 2021

    5m
11. 11

    Funniest Jokes of All Time [No. 087]

    How do you catch a unique rabbit? U-nique up on it. How do you catch a tame rabbit? Tame way. U-nique up on it. That joke above is is in my top 5 of all-time and it's been in my repertoire since middle school, when we got internet access at my house and I discovered that there were dozens of web...

    Apr 16, 2021

    7m
12. 10

    OK, Fine, Let's Talk Clubhouse and Dispo [No. 086]

    I want to thank you for all the kind words and responses to the last edition of Greg's Newsletter, which included some thoughts on last week's winter weather disaster here in Texas. And also hi to all the new subscribers! Check out the archive here and to everybody: if you like this newsletter,...

    Feb 23, 2021

    10m
13. 9

    Extreme Weather Warnings [No. 085]

    *Before we jump into today’s newsletter, Texas is in a really bad place right now and a lot of people need help. Check this Twitter thread for a list of organizations to consider donating to.* My Apple Watch probably thinks I'm dead. I haven't worn it since Sunday, when the snow and the frigid...

    Feb 18, 2021

    10m
14. 8

    Good Takes on Bad Things [No. 084]

    Earlier this week, I shared some thoughts on how language and calling people racist or insurrectionist, or fascists, is important. And how we may not quite have the vocabulary to define what's happening today yet. (Sidenote: we might. I probably need to do some digging and learning to say that…

    more
    Jan 13, 2021

    12m
15. 7

    Democracy & Deliberate Words [No. 083]

    I had a newsletter written up last week, all ready to send out. It was about the uneasiness I dealt with in 2020 and coming to terms with the facts that technology and social media have had a bad effect on society and democracy. For most of my life, I've been a technology optimist and evangelist...

    Jan 10, 2021

    6m
16. 6

    Top 10 of 2020, Part 2 [No. 082]

    Welcome to part 2 of my top 10 of 2020. You can read/listen to part 1 here. These are not ranked in order, but they have numbers because this is a list of 10 things and so I want everyone to know that I did, in fact, include 10 things. * Group chats: they exist in texts. iMessage. Instagram...

    Dec 30, 2020

    7m
17. 5

    Top 10 of 2020, Part 1 [No. 081]

    What can I say about this year that hasn't already been said except for: keep wearing a mask. Socially distance. Understand where the people you interact with have been and potential exposure points. Avoid unnecessary travel—yes, that means even certain kinds of vacations, no matter how bad you...

    Dec 28, 2020

    7m
18. 4

    Music for Disaster (and Plants) [No. 080]

    Since I haven't been able to write much lately—a function of my schedule, life, and general paralysis/anxiety—I figured I'd drop in with a quick newsletter to try to tap into that creative well again. Vice published a series called Unpaid Royalties, which digs into how the music industry...

    Nov 12, 2020

    6m
19. 3

    Wikipedia Is Important, Etc. [No. 079]

    *Note: There is an audio version of today’s newsletter, if you’d rather get it that way!* Today, we're going to talk about Wikipedia and one of the most insane stories of the past several weeks. First, I need to be up front that I did not know that Scots is a language spoken in the lowlands of...

    Sep 8, 2020

    6m
20. 2

    Greg's Newsletter Awkwardly TikToks [No. 077]

    Welcome, welcome. As with the last edition, you can now listen to this newsletter (and find it in Apple Podcasts, if you’d rather subscribe that way). First, to kick things off, some self-promotion. My regular radio show Hot Sauce Radio can now be found on Souncloud which, tbh, is probably better...

    Aug 11, 2020

    8m
21. 1

    💀 Greg's Newsletter Stops Doomscrolling [No. 076]

    I've enabled audio for this newsletter, so if you would rather listen to my sultry voice talk about the news, then do it! And let me know if you do. Might be something I start doing regularly, except next time with a real mic and audio software instead of my Airpods and phone. [Image: The Seattle...

    Jul 21, 2020

    7m