Welp, I guess our little TBTL billboard is still standing in Friendship, Wisconsin. At least for now. 

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

On yesterday’s podcast, during a Blursday segment that Luke definitely attended (no matter what rumors you hear), someone mentioned the ol’ TBTL billboard. And that made me wonder aloud about the status of our beloved sign. Is it still up? Or did the billboard company pull it down already? Maybe instead of passing below our unsmiling visages, motorists along State Route 21 now see an ad for Crazy Freddy’s Hot Tub Emporium And Water Park. Or maybe nothing is there anymore. Maybe local protestors tore it down in the middle of the night, like U.S. Marines pulling down a statue of Saddam Hussein in the heart of Baghdad. (I like my cultural references like I like my coffee -- dark and about twenty-years old.) 

Anyway, one of our new friends from Friendship must have been listening yesterday, because I got an email from Hariet -- yes, THAT Hariet! -- assuring me that the billboard is still standing proud and strong. And in case I didn’t believe her -- why wouldn’t I? -- she included a photo in the traditional Hariet On The Go style!

Now, that’s an exciting update, to be sure. And I thought that was all the news I had to share with you today. But just a moment ago, while doing a little fact-checking about Hariet’s byline, I accidentally discovered something even more exciting: It turns out, her story about TBTL ran in last week’s edition of the Adams-Friendship Times-Reporter!

Now, this is only the first third (or so) of the article, and I’m not sure I have the rights to reprint the whole thing here without permission. But suffice it to say, this is a very exciting day. in the immortal words of Navin R. Johnson, “this is the kind of spontaneous publicity -- your name in print -- that makes people!”

I think I’m going to take this energy into the weekend with me, and I hope you do, too. But one quick note about today’s Hey Dummies video before I sign-off: I actually recorded the video below for last week’s newsletter, but didn’t end up including it. So that’s why some of the time references might not make tons of sense. But it’s still watchable, if you’re into glasses-cleaning talk. And why wouldn’t you be? 

Hope you all have a wonderful summer weekend. We’ll talk to you on Monday!

-- Andrew

Andrew: Kol El Mawaeed by Libyan Music Band

I’d been meaning to check out this small record shop in Lake City called Hex Induction Records and Books for a while now, and I finally stopped in yesterday. (I was getting my watch fixed at a tiny watch repair shop next door that seems to be absolutely thriving, by the way.) Hex Induction is definitely my kind of store, and within moments of flipping through some new arrivals I stopped on a compilation called “Habibi Funk: A Selection Of Music From Libyan Tapes.” Obviously, I know nothing about Libyan dance music, but I couldn’t resist the cover art (see above.) I’ve only listened through once, but the whole collection is a heck of a vibe. Synth jams like this one find themselves alongside cover versions of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2” and Londonbeat’s “I’ve Been Thinking About You.” You can check out the whole compilation here. 

Listener Audrey: Thumbsucker by Maya McDonald

My extremely talented little sister, Maya McDonald released her 2nd EP, “Townie”, earlier this Summer, and I think the Tens will really dig it! It's got the kind of vibes that help late summer usher into autumn, with themes inspired by her Ohio roots, time in Maine, and current home of Minneapolis. Maya is truly a wiser-than-her years songwriter and lyricist. The whole EP is worth a listen. Enjoy!

If you’d like to submit a “Music For Your Weekend” recommendation, just email me here!

#4524 Kirst Almighty 
Monday, August 4
The TBTL voicemail line has been filling up, so Luke and Andrew invent a fun way to listen to as many listener messages as possible. 

#4525 Big Pinchers Keep On Pinching
Tuesday, August 5
In their ongoing efforts to listen to every message on their voicemail line, Luke and Andrew delve into Tens’ garbage anxiety (and the anxiety of their trash collectors.) Andrew also accidentally flirts with a listener. 

#4526 Our Lady Of Perpetual Prizes
Wednesday, August 6
Day three of their voicemail odyssey brings Luke and Andrew to toilet-talk town, where one generous listener has a gracious bathroom offer for all TBTL Tens. Plus, Andrew is working on a screenplay that takes place in Luke’s bathroom. 

#4527 The World’s Longest Dad Joke
Thursday, August 7
Andrew saw a concerning post on Bluesky that has him worried about the future of his favorite thermostat. He and Luke also check-in on the TBTL voicemail line again, where they have messages concerning old coots at baseball games and the dangers of parents explaining swear words to their kids. 

#4528 That’s Nacho Business
Friday, August 8
Luke wants Andrew to say it’s okay to not wash your hands after you use the bathroom when you’re home alone. But Andrew won’t concede. We also hear from a listener who is still steamed over something that happened to her at a concert ten years ago.

This space is reserved for you! If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming TBTL Newsletter, just click here, answer a few fun questions, and you’ll be a podcast newsletter star! 

You can check out prior Tens of the Week in our archives.