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Mercury retrograde is retrograding, it’s raining in New York, and I have started this episode eleven times, so if the vibe is a little feral, that is why. We talk influencer discourse and why some people stay quiet about big things, why Instagram is not the United Nations, and why Substack is where nuance belongs.

Then we pivot to joy, nostalgia, and the hunt for a real Pac Man or Ms Pac Man machine like the ones from my childhood pizza shop days. And yes, I am still side eyeing Dateline and 20 20 because where is the new content babe.

After that, we go full Dating Court.

Soft launch relationships where you are basically dating but nobody will say the words. Ghosting and then liking your story like you do not have a memory. The “I’m not ready for a relationship” man who acts like your boyfriend anyway. The 11 47 pm “wanna hang” text that is not a hang, it is a booty call with plausible deniability. Dating app pen pals who will trauma dump for weeks but will not meet you in real life. And future faking, aka selling someone a whole fantasy life just to keep them invested.

We close with the truth that rejection is survivable, but ambiguity will eat your brain alive. Clarity is kindness. Actions and words should match. And you do not need to decode the right person.

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