The question of the day is are all books written just vanity projects or something more?

Don is concerned with the increasingly casual anti-semetism out in the world; David doesn’t really care much. Like white women and black people, I guess.

Don is starting over and is now actually starting. Except his analogies leave David perplexed.

David’s recent “Post-It Notes” indicated his feeling that parenting is either form of or cause of mental illness. Given Don’s deep resevoir of pertinent experience, the Apes talk parenting, mental illness, and David’s weird new pronunciation of that ink on skin phenom.

The Chimps hold court about the possibility of another Trump presidency, the marvels of Marvel’s “Wakanda Forever,” and a Rorschach that includes Chicago’s The Hideout, the NYT’s coverage of puberty blockers, and the joys of being Chris Evans. Also, a really terrible Sly Stallone impression.

Don comes back to Chicago for a week and discovers a few things much needed. David gave him a couch and fun. They convene at the Cornerstone Cafe for breakfast and recorded the ApeCast amongst other diners and also have a lovely breakfast. They did NOT get free breakfast despite the huge reach of their podcast.

Like a Back to School or Breaking News Episode. She Who Will Not Be Named (by earnest request) wrote a love letter to her lover from the summer for The Ape. Don and David decided not to publish it because, as the co-editors, they have the right to reject submissions. As one can imagine, this went about as well as the marriage. No Rorschach, no Six Things, just spillin’ the tea.

Don goes on a non-date and David seems unusually invested in the outcome. Plus a good discussion of the final farwell of the McRib, Kanye West, and other tawdry crap in the world.

Don finds some success and failure in his part-time gig as a Wichita sub and David revels in being a peripheral character to buddies from college. Also: SPED.

Don visits his high school for the first time in four decades and the experience exposes a definitive difference between our two hosts.