Time for a Break

Despite the jolly tone of Homer pouring beer into a coconut (dressed to the nines, might I add), this announcement comes with mixed feelings.

As you are very well aware, there's a lot going on right now. Candidates to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal Party leader, and consequently prime minister, are kicking off. Doug Ford in Ontario recently called an election which is now well underway. Trump is... I mean, fucking Hell.

But this has coincided with juggling a lot of balls in my personal life. I overworked myself at a job in late 2024, made a big move to a new city and have been dealing with planning a wedding ontop of it all. Throughout all of this, I've been doing my best to consistently write The Catch and bring you original reporting in the form of The North State every other week. This work has kept me connected to journalism at a time when it seemed personal circumstances were boxing me out.

But it's also added stress in my life. It takes a lot to write 1k-2k words weekly about how the news media consistently distorts reality. The toll isn't readily apparent. You don't realize how jaded and cynical it makes you until you do it for this long, mostly solo.

This all may have been manageable, but another road block in my personal life popped up, which I prefer not to disclose. It was the final piece of the puzzle. So when I pulled back to see what art was on the jigsaw, it was the words "TAKE A BREAK" in big bold letters.

Sometimes a tactical retreat is needed. It takes a good commander to understand when to deploy it. That's right. Apparently, I'm comparing myself to a great military leader now. You can see why I need to step back.

So after discussions with my fiance and other people in the sphere, I've decided that's what I'm doing. I'm not sure how long the break will be. Certainly weeks, perhaps months, but there is no doubt in my mind that it is just that... a break.

This is not the end, I can promise you that. I plan to release episodes of other podcasts I've appeared on in The North State feed during this time. That way I can give a chance for my listeners to still hear episodes, if not necessarily those of the same format. It's also not a hard stop. Should a news phenomenon so egregious rear its head, don't be surprised if a new edition of The Catch pops up in your inbox. I'll also check back in with occasional updates. You can follow me on Bluesky if you'd like to get in touch in the social media sphere.

I also want to take this time to take stock of what The Catch is, and more importantly what it can be. I have plans to further develop the project, including, but not limited to, redesigning the site. But primarily, this break will force me to take my hands off the reins for however long I need it.

I appreciate my audience immensely, so if you're reading this, thank you. Thank you for reading The Catch, thank you for listening to The North State and thank you for supporting myself and this project. Watch this space, cause I will return.

Until then, picture me doing singing the - B E E R - C O C O N U T - song.