I'M TOO UNCAFFEINATED FOR THIS BULLSHIRT

Good morning! Did you know that today is National Latte Day? True story! Whether you're a coffee drinker or not, I hope something in your life puts a little pep in your step today. Today is also National Make A Friend Day. Make friends with a barista and maybe there will be a discounted latte in your future! (Tip on the full price, though, please.)

You know what puts a little pep in my step? Working on new art and product designs!

Unfortunately, finding time to do that since last year has been challenging for me and Boredwalk co-founder Meredith. Marketing work to recover from Apple's latest gimmick to sell more iPhones, trying to hire folks to grow the team, attempting to extract basic information from unresponsive vendors, navigating the seemingly endless supply chain issues that have been plaguing Boredwalk and every other business...it's been quite the gauntlet of administrative nonsense the last several weeks. Suffice it to say that our existence of late has been exhausting.

But here we are, ready to greet you with another brightly colored but darkly funny dispatch ripped from the cobwebby corners of our psyches! Perhaps it will resonate with you? I hope so! 

Existence is the real catastrophe. Before it I was just permanently unconscious,
and who doesn't love a nice hard never-ending nap?

Today is also National Guitar Day! If you're feeling inspired today, aim for the trifecta by listening to Eddie Hazel's epic solo from Parliament-Funkadelic's 'Maggot Brain' while chugging a latte served to you by your new barista bestie. Make a TikTok of the whole thing and tag me @boredwalk and I'll make it worth your while!

Before we move on to birthdays, I have one last bit of exciting news to share: we FINALLY got more Grievance Journals in yesterday! If you've ordered one (or more) in the last few weeks, rest assured they are on their way to you now! And if you've been eyeing our Grievance Journal for a while but have not yet taken the plunge, I encourage you to do so quickly; we're working hard to prevent further stockouts, but ongoing paper shortages in the US and Canada are not making that easy!

Don't forget to save 10% on orders of $100 or more when you use the code YAY10 at checkout! 

Also don't forget that orders of $75 or more ship free within the US — no code necessary!

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OK, enough updates! If today is your birthday, happy birthday! Let's spread the love, though, and celebrate February 11th's other notable birthday persons. Warning: a LOT of actors were born today:

 • Burton Leon "Burt" Reynolds, Jr., born this day in 1936! No better way to prep for Super Sunday than a viewing of The Longest Yard. I bet if we exhumed ol' Burt's body we'd find a buncha bones and a still-lustrous 'stache. 

• Talking six-pack Taylor Lautner, born this day in 1992! I kid, I kid — I'm sure Mr. Lautner is a lovely person and not just a collection of well-defined abdominal muscles masquerading as a werewolf. No offense meant if you're still ride-or-die for Team Jake. (At least he doesn't sparkle in the moonlight, right?!)

• Leslie Nielsen, born this day in 1926! Probably best-known to subscribers of this newsletter for his comedic roles in parody films like Airplane! and The Naked Gun film franchise and the law enforcement procedural comedy series Police Squad!, don't sleep on his more serious pre-1980 roles in Forbidden Planet, The Poseidon Adventure, and Day of the Animals, among others. Whatever you do, though...don't call him Shirley.

• The One With The Hairdo, Jennifer Joanna Aniston, born this day in 1969! Ms Aniston is best-known (in my house) for her role as Tory Redding in 1993 cinematic masterpiece Leprechaun. Then she did some other stuff, I think.

• Noted electrical creep Thomas Alva Edison, born this day in 1847! Best-known (in my house) for being the Lex Luthor to Nikola Tesla's Superman. Get bent, Edison!

• Actor Damian "Bobby Axelrod" Lewis, born this day in 1971! Look, Mr. Lewis has had a very accomplished career on both the stage and screen — member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, breakthrough role in HBO's Band of Brothers, REALLY breakthrough role in Showtime's Homeland, etc., etc., but for my money, his portrayal as rags-to-riches American oligarch Bobby Axelrod on Showtime's Billions is next-level.

• Finally, pour the dregs of your latte out for poet, novelist, and short-story writer Sylvia Plath, who bailed on existence this day in 1963! Some might say that there isn't anything happy about someone opting out with the sort of finality that Ms Plath did, but I choose to look at it this way: she was deeply unhappy in life until she chose not to be in death. How's that for some poetry?

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Alright! We'll be back in your inbox Monday with a new Boredwalk Community Q&A, more famous birthdays, a random holiday or two, and other assorted entertainment!

Until next time...

Peace, love, and naps,

Matt