Shit(heads) On The Internet

Staying True Blue For Me + You

“I remember the days when I was so eager to satisfy you
Be less than I was just to prove I could walk beside you
Now that I've flown away, I see you've chosen to stay behind me
And still you curse the day I decided to stay true to myself…”

Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days)
Performed + Written By Nelly Furtado

I graduated college just before the World Wide Web became popular.

Back then, we connected face-to-face, over the phone, or by mail. I didn’t have a cell phone or even a pager until after graduation.

Navigating the chaotic world of the internet—the shitposts and straight-up shitheads—came much later for me.

Some days, I still wonder if I’m doing it right.

“Social media etiquette” wasn’t a thing because social media itself wasn’t a thing.

But I was fortunate to graduate with two power skills that feel almost like relics today: critical thinking and media literacy.

These weren’t buzzwords or electives; they were woven into my education, both at home and in the classroom. They taught me how to spot red flags, question sources, and separate fact from fiction—skills I rely on daily.

Now, I can’t help but wonder: are these still part of the curriculum, or have they been shoved aside, like shop class, to make room for more standardized tests and TikTok trends?

Critical thinking and media literacy are skills that matter now more than ever.

The internet doesn’t just connect us—it exposes us.

And not everyone you encounter online is your friend.

Some are just trying to drag you down, steal your money, and/or waste your time.

They remind me of Nelly Furtado’s “Shit on the Radio (Remember the Days).”

Only now it’s strangers on the internet popping off from behind the safety of a keyboard while the rest of us are just trying to do our thing and live our best lives.

That’s why I set boundaries for my little corners of the internet.

Over the weekend, a shithead tested those boundaries. They paid to subscribe and promptly left an unkind comment.

My guess is they thought they’d get away with it. Instead, I promptly deleted their comment, refunded their money, banned their account, and called them out in an email. Unsurprisingly, I’ve heard nothing back. Bullies usually shrink when confronted with their own bullshit.

While I value all the creative and financial support, no one is going to disrupt the gentle, kind community of carers and sharers my Substack is lucky enough to have.

My patrons and supporters are more than just fans and followers, they’re patron saints in my book, worth defending and protecting as much as I know how.

For anyone new, here’s a friendly refresher on the guidelines for commentary and comments on my Substack:

1. BE KIND…OR REWIND (ELSEWHERE).

2. KEEP IT ABOVE THE BELT.

3. OPINIONS AND TASTES ARE NOT FACTS.

4. CELEBRATE DIFFERENCES—DON’T DEBATE THEM.

Being decent isn’t difficult or too much to ask…or to require.

Thank you to all whose caring and sharing make this community so open-hearted and open-minded.

To the shitheads, I say, “Out damn spot!”

Thanks for reading!
Clint

P.S. Speaking of shitheads, I just learned YouTube’s bots have struck again. I now face a two-week forced “break” from the platform. It’s always something with those mfers. Why do I even bother trying anymore over there?!?

P.P.S. If you’re able, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. YouTube continues to censor my work and limit my ability to make a living. Thanks for all the patronage and support—past, present, and future.

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ON THIS DAY = DECEMBER 2

BIRTHDAYS

• 1859 = Georges Seurat = French painter

• 1863 = Charles Edward Ringling = American showman and Ringling Brothers Circus co-founder

• 1923 = Maria Callas = American-Greek soprano and actor

• 1925 = Julie Harris = American actor

• 1944 = Cathy Lee Crosby = American actor

• 1945 = Penelope Spheeris = American filmmaker

• 1946 = Gianni Versace = Italian fashion designer 🌈

• 1954 = Dan Butler = American actor and screenwriter 🌈

• 1978 = Jason Collins = American basketball player 🌈

• 1978 = Nelly Furtado = Canadian singer-songwriter

• 1981 = Britney Spears = American singer-songwriter and dancer

• 1983 = Action Bronson = American rapper, chef, and tv host

• 1991 = Charlie Puth = American singer-songwriter

EVENTS

• 1883 = Johannes Brahms' "Symphony No. 3" premieres with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

• 1927 = Ford Motor Company unveils the Ford Model A as its new automobile.

• 1930 = In a State of the Union message, POTUS Herbert Hoover proposes a $150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.

• 1939 = New York City's LaGuardia Airport opens.

• 1952 = First human birth televised to public on KOA-TV in Denver, Colorado

• 1970 = The United States Environmental Protection Agency begins operations.

• 1979 = Martin Sherman’s Bent, about the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, starring Richard Gere and David Dukes, opens on Broadway.

• 1986 = Desi Arnaz dies in Del Mar, California, at the age of 69.

• 1990 = Aaron Copland dies in New York, at the age of 90.

• 2001 = Enron files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

• 2013 = The first official day LGBTQ couples in Hawaii (both residents as well as tourists) can marry in the Aloha State.

• 2016 = Thirty-six people die in a fire at a converted Oakland, California, warehouse serving as an artist collective.

• 2020 = Cannabis is removed from the list of most dangerous drugs of the international drug control treaty by the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

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PHOTO + QUOTE OF THE DAY

“In the past, people were born royal.
Nowadays, royalty comes from what you do.”
Gianni Versace

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