Introducing more Situation Normal

The internet's 57th most popular humor newsletter now publishing twice a week!

Jul 6, 2022

Hi everyone & welcome to something new at Situation Normal! In addition to the slice of life humor I post every Sunday, I’m slicing off more funny pieces of life every Wednesday too! This is exciting news, so I suggest you celebrate like Jim Carrey 👇

Now, you probably have some questions about this news. So, I’ve prepared a brief Q&A with yours truly to bring you up to speed.

Q: Does this mean we get two Situation Normal stories per week?

A: No, not exactly. The Sunday edition stays the same. But the Wednesday edition of Situation Normal will feature multiple formats.

Q: It’ll still be funny, right?

A: It better be! Otherwise, Michael Estrin could lose his job.

Q: What kind of stuff should I expect on Wednesdays?

A: It’s a humor sampler platter. I’m planning to do some offbeat interviews and some even more offbeat reportage. I’ll share conversation snippets I overhear when I’m out in the field, questionable life advice from questionable people, reviews of direct mail, and the occasional book or movie recommendation. Plus, TikToks that will change your life, cold takes on topics that aren’t topical, and funny content that readers like YOU find in the wild.

Q: Wait! So, I can contribute to Situation Normal? This is a dream come true. You’re not shitting me, are you?

A: I shit you not. I need your contributions. Unlike the Sunday stories, the Wednesday sampler platter ain’t gonna write itself.

Q: Wow, this Wednesday edition sounds like just the thing I need to get me through the work week. By the way, have you noticed that the weeks are getting more and more… Unhinged? FUBAR? Apocalyptic?

A: YES! YES! And YES! I noticed the doom while doom scrolling. It’s very bad out there, things are getting worse, and the people with the power to do something aren’t doing jack shit.

Q: Can the Wednesday edition Situation Normal save us from the doom?

A: That’s a lot of pressure. I’m hoping a few Wednesday laughs will save you from doom scrolling.

Q: I’m on board for more laughter. But I have one last question. I love your GIF-game. Will there be GIFs on Wednesday too?

Overheard at Outback Steakhouse

Husband: “It’s the second time I’ve failed the sexual harassment training.”

Wife: “What happens now?”

Husband: “Just take it again.”

Wife: “Wanna get the coconut shrimp to start?”

Husband: “Sure.”

The waiter’s pizza math don’t math

I was never a very good math student. But skepticism comes naturally to me, so I used to ask my math teachers annoying questions like, “when are we actually going to use this stuff in the real world?” My teachers never had convincing answers, but those were the days before social media. As it turned out, TikTok had me covered. Press play for the best math problem ever👇

@epi_lady #math #pizza #radius #geek

Tiktok failed to load.

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Nextdoor Creatures: 2 turtles lost, 1 duck found

Reader Becky R.R. in Santa Clarita has been busy, thanks to a series of animal adventures on Nextdoor.

First, a turtle went missing.

Then a second turtle went missing.

I asked Becky for updates, but there’s no news about the missing turtles, or any explanation as to why so many people in Santa Clarita can’t seem to keep track of their turtles. If a third turtle goes missing, I might have to launch an investigation, maybe even go undercover. Meantime, one of Becky’s neighbors found a duck that just needed a place to beat the heat.

Poll question

Note: the poll only loads in the Substack app, which you can download here.

Contribute to Situation Normal!

Got an animal post from Nextdoor that made you LOL or WTF? Spot something odd on your morning walk? Find a funny typo in the wild? Send your pictures to me at

michael.j.estrin@gmail.com

When submitting, please tell me if you’d like to remain anonymous, use an alias, or do the first name last initial thing like Becky R.R. And if you write a newsletter, I’m happy to link to it, so let me know!

ICYMI

Scoundrels stole my catalytic converter. Time for vigilantism!

Respectful Smartass

Ariana Newhouse, the very funny woman behind a Substack called Respectful Smartass, analyzed one of my NyQuil dreams from a post back in May. You can read Ariana’s hilarious and insightful analysis here.