One last horrified look back at 2021
Everything we covered in 2021’s Tom Dwyer Newsletter….
Tom’s one directive for “Your Car Matters”, the Tom Dwyer Newsletter, is not to waste your time. He says to stay out of your spam box we have to give you more than auto repair every month, so we cover everything from health to humor, from shop gossip to science, from the important news to fascinating trivia. The best way to show you what’s to come is to show you what we’ve done, so please take a look back with us at what we covered in the Second Year of the Pandemic, 2021…
At the end of this article you’ll find links to every post from each of our monthly newsletters in 2021. That’s a lot to dive into, so we’ve highlighted some of our favorite Feature Articles and a few highlights from each of our Columns. If you’d like to go back and see anything we’ve ever published, check out our full, constantly-updated Newsletter Archive. So let’s dive into 2021 one last time before we thankfully leave it behind forever…
Our Favorite Features from 2021…
Our Monthly Columns from 2021…
Tom’s not shy about sharing his opinions, and Tom’s Tidbits is just one place to find them… you can also catch some of them at OpEdNews. Two of our favorites from this year were ‘Betrayed by Domestic Enemies’ in response to the Jan 6 insurrection, and ‘Hold on… are YOU a radical?’ in which he looks at some American priorities that don’t get much attention.
Shop Talk’s not one of our most-read columns, but aside from our Comment of the Month and current moneysaving offers, we do have some interesting things in store for you. For example, in 2021 we told you Who Gets Hurt By High Repair Prices, and you can count on us to keep you posted on all the construction coming to our section of Sellwood in 2022. Stay tuned!
In November 2021, Kyle finished his first year as Head Chef in Kyle’s Kitchen. To look back, here’s his very first recipe for Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin (which is really great, even if it’s from 2020) and his first ORIGINAL recipe for a Vegetable Medley
We can’t promise we’ve read EVERY book that falls in our Book Spotlight, but we’ve at least checked them out and tried to make sure they were worthwhile. Two good ones this year were “The Open Society and Its Enemies” by Karl Popper and “Underwater” by Ryan Dezember. And take a look at our Lobby Library next time you’re in… many of the Spotlight books are on our shelves!
It doesn’t matter if your vehicle is running great if YOU aren’t, so we bring you Health Notes each month to keep you in shape. Two of our favorites from 2021 were the announcement of 20/20 vision from an eyedrop and something we’d thought wouldn’t have needed to be said… “Just say ‘no’ to unknown injections from strangers in parks”
Our Department of Reality Studies is a look at the bleeding edge of the science world. For instance, did you know that DARPA and NASA accidentally created a real warp bubble? Have you heard that rechargeable concrete batteries could one day power cities? Check our Reality Studies to learn all about it!
Our Funny Page is the goto spot for everyone who values humor in their mechanic. The Funny Page actually takes a team of people to put together each month. Keith Tucker brings a special “WhatNow?!! Toon” each month, Jen Rombach creates a custom “More Or Less” Word Puzzle, and an anonymous staff labors in an isolated sweatshop scouring the Net for the best humor and even contribute a little ourselves. If you miss a month don’t worry! Our Funny Page really is one long page, and you’ll find everything at your fingertips whenever you want it.
Just like it says, Popcorn Shorts is about the kind of things we think are really interesting, but don’t really need a large article to explain them. From the sublime to the ridiculous, check in here for crunchy bits of info you’ll love to munch. By the way, much (but not necessarily all) of our delicious Popcorn comes from articles we’ve posted on our Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, please stop by and “Like” us and we’ll keep a fairly-constant-but-not-frequent-enough-to-be-annoying stream of these coming to your virtual door! Want a handful of Popcorn before you dive into a whole bucket? Then take a look at these samples, one from each month in 2021.
And if we’ve peaked your interest, here’s a full review of EVERYTHING we’ve done in 2021. If, somewhere out there, there’s a person who wants even more, our FULL ARCHIVE OF EVERY NEWSLETTER WE’VE EVER DONE is always available at our Newsletter Archive. Now dig in, and thanks for your interest!
2021 December- Blog or PDF
Tom discusses the other plague we can’t escape * MEME EXPLOSION! * VOTE for our 2021 Yearly Awards * Kyle’s Christmas Salmon Balls * Synthetic Life, Space Acid, and Real Warp Drive * “The Open Society and its Enemies” * Perfect vision, in an eyedrop * Help with your rides during service * Lauren Boebert or SNL? You decide * What happens after they empty your big green bin? * Changes are coming to OMSI’s neighborhood
2021 November- Blog or PDF
Tom refuses to Eat the Rich * What do you think about Saturday shop hours? * January 6th, as it happened * Cranberry Brie tarts * Invisibility, Texting for the paralyzed, and Martian organics * A profound Thanksgiving compliment * “Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Hitler to the Corporation” * Fool yourself into Health * Renewables are cheapest.. but there’s more * Giant spiders have invaded Georgia * The 10 most ridiculous car myths * The Interstate Bridge in the Big One
2021 October- Blog or PDF
Tom thinks Facebook may be the future of corporate repsonsibility * Business or Politics? YES! * Scary Old Man Dwyer’s Halloween Treats * Kyle’s Kitchen- Mac-O-Lantern and Cheese Bowls * Our Best Advice on when to part with your car * We respond to a Bad Review * Brain stimulation means hope for depression * Expose yourself to art at the Sitka Invitational * Argue better. Dammit. * The Nobel, immigrants, and the minimum wage * Shatner on the Final Frontier
2021 September- Blog or PDF
Tom flushes out the radicals * Our best advice on Extended Warranties * Theocracy. ‘Nuff said. Well, almost… * KYLE’S ORIGINAL- Sage pork chops & oven roasted pears * Who gets hurt by high repair prices * Here’s what a real scientific controversy looks like. * “American Theocracy” by Kevin Phillips * NASA comes to Oregon * If 911 was a test, we failed * Oregon’s Single Payer Health Care plan * Who gets hurt by high repair prices?
2021 August- Blog or PDF
Tom wonders who’s buck it is, anyway * Painting the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge * Catastrophic new predictions are out… have they been right so far? * Planning ahead protects your summer * Cucumber and peach salad with herbs * How your body deals with heat… or doesn’t. * “The life-changing science of detecting bullshit” by Petrocelli * Tomatoes… poison you can eat * Hobo coins are the work of masters * Borgs are real * Remembering the Scopes Monkey Trial
2021 July- Blog or PDF
Tom remembers childhood dreams * Asset Recycling * Longtime client passes major milestone * Watermelon Lemonade * Sleeping your way to Health * Russian Cyberpunk Farms * The Trump Tell-All Final Parade of Shame * What you’re missing at the Olympics * The 50th Anniversary of the Drug War * Concrete batteries * Remembering Donald Rumsfeld * Sellwood’s Dick Samuels dies
2021 June- Blog or PDF
Tom unifies us in the face of independence * Covid’s fading, and our policies are changing * The foreclosure meltdown isn’t bad for everyone * Kyle’s Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas * Will this heat melt my tires? * “Don’t Label Me” by Irshad Manji * Just say “no” to random injections from strangers * The art of the joyful insult * Learn to drive a Model T * A Portland ferry? In 2022? * Siberia’s exploding craters * Maps to blow your mind *
2021 May- Blog or PDF
Tom tells us what a ‘fair share’ is * Cults- So much more than just an empty insult * Rats are coming for your car * Kyle’s ORIGINAL Chimichurri Sauce * Gut bacteria and your mental health * Jokes for Smart People * Wireless Brains and Inevitable Life * The MIT Essential Knowledge Series * Growing Mushrooms in Lockdown * The 51 Best Bar Patios in Portland * The Rise of Domestic Extremism in America * How To Bottle Sunlight
2021 April- Blog or PDF
Tom ponders the Chauvin verdict * Tom Dwyer Business Fleet Services * Gerrymandering- Carving Up The Body Politic * Kyle’s Vegetable Medley ORIGINAL RECIPE * We’re In An Age of Obesity… Why? * Jokes for Smart People * Zombie cicadas and warp drive * “Underwater” by Ryan Dezember * Mike Pence’s very, very fictional crime spree * TIME’s 50 worst inventions of all time * The Mt. St. Helens eruption anniversary * Flying suits are real
2021 March- Blog or PDF
Tom worries about a cancer patient on fire * Meet our Robotic Service Advisors… or else. * Do Mechanics Do Free Diagnostics? * Kyle’s Grilled Cheese from a Real Grill * A Vaccine for EVERYTHING * Years of our April Fools jokes * Lab grown humans and the Standard Model fails * “The Codebreaker” by Walter Issacson * They Live. * Right 2 Health * Let’s Go Volcano Diving! * The Word on Weed
2021 February- Blog or PDF
Tom unloads on our Domestic Enemies * What happens to your vehicle if it’s not driven regularly * How Biased is your news? A look at the Media Spectrum… all of it * Kyle’s Romantic Shrimp Scampi for two * Medical Myths about Aging * “Four Hundred Souls” by Kendi and Blain * The Zoo you never knew * The Navy patents the future * Our Ultimate Bernie Gallery * Perseverance, transparent aluminum, and biobots
2021 January- Blog or PDF
Tom wonders who we’re supposed to unify with * Our $1000 Referral Reward Yearly Winner * Can’t we all just get along? Nope. * Kyle’s 3-ingredient Angel Hair Pasta with Red Sauce * What binge watching does to your Health * “There’s No Right Way To Do The Wrong Thing” * Donald Trump’s plan for American History Education * A new view of the Living Earth * Your Crazy Uncle can be useful * How Butterflies fly