What I’m about to tell you will be of interest to about one person. Two, tops. But whoever you are, I love you. 

Hello, by the way! This is Andrew from the Too Beautiful To Live podcast. I hope this email finds you well.

A few weeks ago, I added something to the TBTL website that I’m quite certain nobody has noticed yet. It’s a small addition, very subtle for sure, tucked away in a far corner of tbtl.net that I suspect gets zero traffic. Jon probably doesn’t know about it yet. Luke definitely doesn’t know about it. I haven’t even told my parents, my therapist, or my priest about it. But I’ll let you in on the secret, just in case you find it useful for some reason. 

Folks, it is my great-ish honor to introduce you to the new TBTL Newsletter Archive.

You see, every now and then someone will ask me, “Hey Andrew, where can I go to read old newsletters that I might have missed?” I know it sounds like I’m making that up, but this time it’s actually true. It doesn’t happen very often, and I doubt it’s a sign of a completely healthy mind, but the question does come up from time to time. And my answer has always been the same: “I’m sorry, we don’t have a newsletter archive. But I can email you the last few issues if you’d like!”

Then, earlier this summer, while Luke was out visiting famous graveyards and helping cable news hosts chop firewood, I had some extra time on my hands, and I thought…would it be possible to create a little archive of these newsletters online? And is it horribly egotistical of me to think anyone would even want that? 

The answer to both of these questions was a resounding “yes!”

So, I started dinking around a little, and I ended up with a very rudimentary list of previous newsletters that you can click through, if you’re into that sort of thing. I’m embarrassed by the lack of design; Right now it’s just a list of hyperlinks reminiscent of an early 2000s Geocities site that your friend’s brother set up to share his various theories regarding Donnie Darko. 

I’m hoping to add some zing and pizzazz in the coming months. I’d love to set it up as an illustrated grid, maybe with some animated gifs. Maybe tear out a wall or two, open up the space a bit, and add an en suite bathroom. The sky’s the limit, really. 

But for now, it’s functional. It starts with the first newsletter of 2025, and I’ll update it each Friday with the latest installment. I also hope to build up the back catalogue eventually, too, so it reaches at least as far back as May of 2023, when we relaunched TBTL as an independent podcast. 

Anyway, that’s the plan. Chances are, I’ll forget to update it for weeks or months on end, then suddenly panic and add a bunch of old entries all at once…you know, like I just did for the Ten Of The Week archive page. (By the way, while my feelings about the newsletter archive are ambivalent at best, I do recommend the occasional saunter through the Ten of the Week gallery; Seeing all the lovely faces of TBTL Tens and reading their fun facts always brings a smile to my face.) 

So, we’ll leave it there for this week’s installment of the TBTL newsletter. I’m afraid to say I’m going to skip the Hey Dummies video today, because I’ve run out of time. But I promise to include one next week. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Luke and I will talk to you Monday!

-- Andrew

Andrew: Something Real For Us by 45 RPMs

I’m not sure if this is appropriate to share here, but what the heck. A few of my friends formed a band when I was in high school, and they released an album that I thought was pretty dang good at the time. I still have one of the original cassettes, and last week my buddy asked me if I could digitize it for them. I did, and they posted it to Bandcamp. And you know what? I still think it’s a pretty dang good album! Especially for a bunch of teenagers in 1995. Obviously, I’m pretty biased, since I’m now credited as a “digital engineer” on their website, a title that took me literally 30 years to earn. Follow your dreams, kids.

Listener Nick: Gun by Uncle Tupelo

I've been on a pretty huge Uncle Tupelo kick over the past few months. This song in particular makes me wish that Jeff Tweedy still played bass, because his bass lines were REALLY good. Anyway, here's the song. Enjoy, friendos.

What’s your name and where do you live? 
Sarah Farley. Spokane.

When did you start listening to TBTL? How did you find the show?
I googled Luke Burbank after hearing his interview with Colin O’Brady on my car radio.  I thought Luke had such a delightful and natural interview style…. I wanted to know where I could find more of his interviews…. I stumbled upon TBTL, met Andrew, was equally delighted by his style and personality. I’ve been an avid listener ever since then… 2018?

How would your friends describe you?
Easy-going, open minded, light-hearted, team player.

What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?Is it still your fav? 
Fruit loops/Trix (basically same thing/different shape) and Kix (bland form of Trix). 
I like Musli now:)

What food do you love to eat the most of?
Cheese and crackers if I’m hungry and lazy. I’ll eat just about anything. I’m a good eater.

What’s the best or worst nickname you ever had?
“Chaunce” which came from “Chauncy” which was derived from “Jonesie”- maiden name Jones. My nieces and nephews call my Auntie Kiki, a name my older brother called me. And “Sclera” as in Scleroderma. My older sister and I are nurses, and she gave me this one.

If you could play one song on TBTL, what would it be?
Any song by the Presidents of the United States of America or De La Soul.

What’s a special skill that you have?
Most proud: my nursing skills. When done well, it helps the patients and families I get to serve.

What’s a skill you *wish* you had?
The art of public speaking. And staying in shape.

If you were driving down the street and you saw Luke and Andrew on the sidewalk, what would you yell at them as you drove past?
“Oh my God - It’s you!  I love you guys!! Thanks for all you do!!”

Hey, it’s Andrew here again. Just a reminder that you can find our Ten of the Week form here! If you’ve never been a TOTW before  (or if it’s been a really, really long time) fill out our little questionnaire. And check out our Ten of the Week archive here!