Welcome, folks

My name is Josh, and I put out this newsletter, Having a Normal One. This is the page where I explain things about it. Below, I answer the most common questions I've gotten since starting this newsletter later today. (I'm writing this before sending out the first issue, but I think these will be the most common questions.)

What is the newsletter about?

In January 2020, a book came out called Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change, by Eitan Hersh. In it, Hersh talks about "political hobbyists"—people who spend hours on the internet reading and talking and arguing about politics basically as a form of entertainment, instead of actually doing things that would create the political changes we say we want.

The "we" there is intentional: I am a political hobbyist. I have done so many tweets, Facebook posts, and even BuzzFeed comments about politics, and although I've learned quite a bit and my thoroughly delightful contributions to the discourse have brought smiles to countless faces, to date they have not helped lower a single person's health insurance premiums. They have not fed any hungry families or prevented the mistreatment of any marginalized populations. They haven't even named a post office. It's not great.

I assume Hersh's book explains how to stop being a political hobbyist and use your time more effectively, but I never finished it. I got distracted talking about politics on the internet. I will get around to finishing it at some point, but until then, I thought I could put the time I spend online to better use by making political news a little easier for normal, less-online people to understand. The first issue has some more about that too. (I still haven't sent it out, but I'm going to come back and add the link as soon as I do.)

And who the hell are you?

I told you, my name is Josh. I am a middle-aged man (that's fairly recent) with a wife, at least three children, and an enviably full head of hair. I work as a copy editor. I live in Madison, Wisconsin, and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota. In between, I lived in places like Nebraska, Northern California, and New York City, where I met Beyoncé (or as she told me to call her, "ma'am"). At our house here in Madison (my family's and mine, not mine and Beyoncé's), we have cats and ADHD. I enjoy sitcoms, food, and the music of Irish rock'n'roll band U2.

Politically, I vote for Democrats, because Republicans have absolutely lost it, and even before they lost it, they were the party that wanted to put God in public schools and ban abortion. (I love God, but He assured me early on that He was already in schools and neither needed nor wanted that kind of help. He also told me people without uteruses shouldn't be telling people with uteruses what to do with them.) I have plenty of bones to pick with Democrats too—like most people on the left, I find other people on the left extremely annoying—but they've mostly gotten pushed to the back burner since the GOP started doing Nazi things.

To be clear, I know a lot of Republican voters, and I don't think they are interested in doing Nazi things. But I don't understand why they're so invested in supporting politicians who are. One thing I'd like to do with this newsletter is figure that out. (If you're a GOP supporter, I would love to have you as a reader. I'm not going to pretend I think Donald Trump has any redeeming qualities to spare your feelings, but I will be straightforward and honest and as cordial as I possibly can.)

So how much does your newsletter cost?

Once you sign up, there's a seven-day free trial. Then it's $3 a month. Or, you can get an annual subscription for $33—which is like getting one month for free. Your subscription will entitle you to one (1) newsletter per day, Monday through Friday, except on federal holidays and my birthday. It works out to like 15 cents per day.

(At some point, subscriptions could go up to $4 a month, and long after that, maybe even $7. But never any higher than $7, obviously.)

What if I don't want to pay that much?

Issues of Having a Normal One will be available to read for free as posts, here on this very website, a day after they're published.

What if I want to pay you more than that?

I've just started using this newsletter software, and today I found out there's a tip jar. If you enjoy my work and want to help me feed my family and pay our health insurance premiums, I'd be a fool to stop you.

How do I get in touch with you, Josh?

For now, the best way to contact me is at joshwimmer@gmail.com. Feel free to reach out with questions, concerns, compliments, advice, romantic overtures, and baseless accusations—but try not to be an asshole about it.

Credits

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