Here we go again with a “I haven’t written anything for a while” post. But with the calendar turning to November, it seems like a good time to turn up the output here and provide some proof of (writing) life.

(I said the same thing to myself going into October, of course. Probably at the beginning of September too.)

I don’t get to write as much as I used to (though I almost took care of that with a job I was offered — but had to turn down — this past week), so I’d really like to take care of that with the blog and website that I put the effort in to set up. That includes the Amusement Park Podcast, where I intend to put most stuff on genre and geek subjects. I feel like writing holds me accountable somehow.

(Recently, I’ve written movie reviews for A Star is Born, Halloween and The Old Man and the Gun. Bohemian Rhapsody is soon to follow. I want to do a lot more of them now that we’re in movie awards season.)

And I want to do these Not a Newsletter posts regularly. Newsletters are kind of the new blogs these days (actually, podcasts probably are) and if I thought I could assemble a decent subscriber base, I might do one. (Did I sound really old right there?)

But I like blogs, man. (And social media is such a biohazard these days.) So we’re doing it here unless/until I’m convinced otherwise. Now I just have to decide what’s the best day to post the “newsletter.” Sundays feel natural, like the morning that we sit down to read over coffee and bagels (or something lower-carb). Yet Thursdays seem like a good day too, giving you good people some links worth a click leading into the weekend.

As the header to this site says, it’s a constant work in progress. In the meantime, like comic books do all the time, we’ll reboot Not a Newsletter with a new issue No. 1! Thank you for stopping by yet again!

Some Reading for You

** My preference for black coffee might explain my moodiness and recurring mean behavior. You too? [Investigation Discovery]

** Welcome to the jungle, baby. We’re gonna die! [New York Times]

** Is this really a thing? Men aren’t brushing their teeth? It’s bad enough that many of you don’t watch your hands after using the bathroom, based on what I see in public. But can’t you tell that your breath reeks? Don’t you hate the way your mouth feels? [GQ]

** Black Mass was a good, not great movie. (The same could be said about director Scott Cooper.) But I’m certainly interested in what the guy who made a Whitey Bulger biopic thinks about his murder in prison. [Deadline]

** I love Grape-Nuts! (Little carb-heavy for me these days, though.) But I had no idea Grape-Nuts ice cream was a thing. Going to check out Publix this week, and consult my friends in New England soon. [Eater]

** Sprinkling in a few links that would’ve gone in previous Not a Newsletters had I bothered to write those posts, this tribute to Norm Breyfogle — the comic book illustrator who passed away in late September — provides so many wonderful examples of why he was an iconic Batman artist. [io9]

** Ever since reading this a few weeks ago, I can’t not think about every time I watch football — college or NFL. Remember when shoulder pads used to be massive and players looked like they were wearing Iron Man armor on the field? Those days are gone. [New York Times]

** What was the original ending for Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns? Miller made the right choice for Batman. [Bleeding Cool]

** This is a fascinating look at NFL roster-building under the salary cap. It also kind of depressed me, knowing that the Detroit Lions aren’t following this plan because of all the money they’re paying Matthew Stafford. (Stafford’s still my quarterback, though.) [ESPN]

** Here’s where I found a link to that Bill Barnwell ESPN piece. Smart roster-building and financial savvy aren’t good for veteran NFL players, unfortunately. [The Ringer]

On the Menu

As ludicrous as it sounds, I’m trying to watch more TV. Not having the interest or devoting more time to sports because of work has deprived me of what could be some fun conversations. Plus, we talk about TV on the Amusement Park Podcast!

But with so many compelling TV and series on Netflix right now, I feel like I should be watching at least one thing a week there. I might keep track of that here at The Casselbloggy, if only to make me feel like I accomplished something.