Can You Feel The Love...?

Showing Up + Showing Support For That + Those That Bring Joy

Lately, I’ve been taking a long, hard look at how and where I spend my money.

When I reviewed my monthly expenditures, I was shocked to see how many streaming services I was paying for—most of which I barely use, let alone enjoy.

Some of these streamers are owned by the same media giants I worked for in a past life—including a few that laid me off when my department or division fell out of favor.

So why was I still willingly giving them my money?
I honestly don’t know. But I’m not doing it anymore.

My disposable income is limited, so I want the dollars I can spend to matter.

Instead of mindlessly propping up giant corporations, I’m making a conscious shift: investing in independent creators whose work truly sparks joy. Their art and words entertain and inspire.

If you’re looking for ways to spend less on faceless media moguls, I’ve put together a short list of Substack creators I happily subscribe to and support. They’re real people making meaningful things. For your consideration:

• BARBARY LANE DISPATCHES
  by Armistead Maupin + Christopher Turner

• THE CAFTAN CHRONICLES
  by Tim Murphy

• COACH RICKY VAUGHN

  by Coach Ricky Vaughn

• FORD KNOWS BOOKS
  by Mr. Troy Ford

• GAY BUFFET
  by Aidan Wharton

• GOOD QUEER NEWS
  by Ben Greene

• OKAY MCKAY
  by PJ and Thomas

• PALCINEMA, TELEVISION, & MUSIC
  by Dan Pal

• QSTACK | THE LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY OF SUBSTACKS
  by Mr. Troy Ford

• THE QUEER LOVE PROJECT
  by Jerry Portwood

• SITTING QUEERLY

  by Ty (He/Him)

• THAT TRANS FRIEND YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU NEEDED
  by Robin Taylor (he/him)

• UNDIVIDING WITH KARL DUNN
  by Karl Dunn

Supporting fellow independent creators isn’t just about getting original content that entertains and inspires—it’s about helping build the kind of creative community I’m proud to belong to. Every paid subscription is a vote for more authenticity, creativity, humanity, and independence.

Thank you for being a friend!
Clint 🌈✌️

P.S. I wish I could afford to support even more. If you have some favorites I’ve missed, please suggest them in the comments. Thanks!

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ON THIS DAY = SEPTEMBER 18

BIRTHDAYS

• 53 = Trajan = Roman emperor 🌈

• 1709 = Samuel Johnson = English lexicographer and poet

• 1838 = Anton Mauve = Dutch painter and educator

• 1873 = Eugenia Rasponi = Italian aristocrat and suffragist 🌈

• 1901 = Harold Clurman = American director and producer

• 1905 = Eddie "Rochester" Anderson = American actor

• 1905 = Greta Garbo = Swedish-American actor 🌈

• 1913 = Edward Sagarin = American writer 🌈

• 1914 = Jack Cardiff = English director, cinematographer, and photographer

• 1917 = June Foray = American actor and voice artist

• 1920 = Jack Warden = American actor

• 1926 = Joe Kubert = American author and illustrator

• 1933 = Fred Willard = American actor and comedian

• 1933 = Jimmie Rodgers = American singer-songwriter

• 1933 = Robert Blake = American actor, producer, and screenwriter

• 1940 = Frankie Avalon = American singer and actor

• 1946 = Gailard Sartain = American actor

• 1946 = Nicholas Clay = English actor

• 1949 = Beth Grant = American actor

• 1959 = Mark Romanek = American director and screenwriter

• 1961 = James Gandolfini = American actor and producer

• 1964 = Holly Robinson Peete = American actor and singer

• 1970 = Aisha Tyler = American actor, tv host, director, and author

• 1972 = Adam Cohen = Canadian singer-songwriter

• 1973 = James Marsden = American actor

• 1975 = Jason Sudeikis = American actor and comedian

• 1978 = Billy Eichner = American actor and comedian 🌈

• 1983 = Matěj Stropnický = Czech left-wing politician 🌈

• 1987 = Jinkx Monsoon = American drag queen, actor, singer, and comedian

EVENTS

• 1809 = The Royal Opera House in London opens.

• 1837 = Tiffany & Co. (first named Tiffany & Young) is founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young in NYC. The store is called a "stationery and fancy goods emporium."

• 1851 = First publication of The New-York Daily Times, which later becomes The New York Times.

• 1927 = The Columbia Broadcasting System (aka CBS) goes on the air.

• 1964 = The Addams Family premieres on ABC.

• 1981 = Mommie Dearest is released in theaters.

• 1987 = Fatal Attraction is released in theaters.

HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES

• Air Force Birthday

• Constitution Week (September 17-23) 🇺🇸

• National Cheeseburger Day

• National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day 🇺🇸

• National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) 🇺🇸

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PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY

JAMES GANDOLFINI (C. 1979)

“Standing in public in other people's clothes, pretending to be someone else. It's a strange way for a grown man to make a living.”
James Gandolfini