Labor Day, and the end of the Fair. Even if you don’t go, its presence is felt and its absence noted. That’s some garish junky AI “art” up there with a Minneapolis prompt, and I felt obliged to note that it didn’t get the skyline entirely wrong. It's swiping from some recent Fair posters, I think.

Asking the ever-obliging dreaming machine to give us a poignant picture of an abandoned state fair, and, well:

What are you on, dude

So nothing much today, except an opportunity to chat. There is a column up at the Substack, around 10AM. One of my “gosh, the seasons are changing” perennials I would’ve written for the newspaper, if they hadn’t dunderheaded my column. I intend for the Substack to be a continuation of the column completely, in part to appeal to the readers who miss it, and in part to keep myself working in a particular format and length. I find myself going on Bleaty digressions, which have to be excised - but they’ll often end up in the Wednesday Miscellany section, with amplification.

I’m drawing a clean distinction here: nothing on the Substack will detract from the Bleat. There will be no shifting of priorities. In fact, I’ve decided that a huge project I was intending to release as an ebook will be ported over to lileks.com instead, FOR FREE. There are so many patrons who’ve been coming here for the gratis gelato for many years and I value the persistence and loyalty. I’ve always regarded this as a thing I do because I have a job, but

But. The Great Untethering gathers in the distance, he said portentously.

Anyway. Happy Labor Day, however you may celebrate it, and we will return tomorrow with the usual diversions.

There is also a Diner! Free of charge. And matchbooks.

See you tomorrow.