1. Good catch. The date up top wasn't advancing as the days passed — that's fixed in the latest build. Reload and it should tick forward now.
2. Totally fair, and you're not the only one to hit this. Dead Letters is more of a reading game than a doing game — you're dialed into a small town's bulletin board, reading it as it shifts over about a week. There's no task list, no objectives, no timer counting you down. You just read, jot things in your notebook ([O]), and reply to a post when it lets you — that's the [R] option, which shows up on posts you can actually answer, like the message to the fire chief. The story comes together from what you notice and what you miss. [?] pulls up the guide anytime. Go back in with that in mind and I think it'll click. Thanks again — feedback like this is exactly what helps.