all the links fit to share

david wolfpaw
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Issue # 🤷
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18 May 2022
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Reading time:
5 mins

I don’t really have much of an intro story to share this week. I tried thinking up something good, not for a lack of newsworthy topics to discuss.

The truth is that I just went through a brief but intense depressive episode, and that threw off a lot of things over the past week. Sure, life isn’t all productivity, but it still feels bad when you can barely get by doing almost nothing tangible for a week.

Things are getting better! I have an amazing support system in place, and I am grateful for them every single day. My number one piece of advice for everyone, not just those with mental health issues, is to strengthen the social support systems that you have.

So that’s it. No grand ideas here, but there don’t always have to be. Enjoy some links, and see you again next week before my vacation.

tweet from @MenshevikM that reads, "everyone knew crypto was going to collapse but idk if anyone plugged into that ecosystem was ready for the speed of it. that superbowl with all the crypto ads was less than 3 months ago

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What makes writing more readable? – Rebecca Monteleone, Jamie Brew, Michelle McGhee, The Pudding

This is an interactive demonstration of how to make your writing more readable, while discussing techniques and purposes.

Devouring the Heart of Portugal – Alan Bellows, Damn Interesting

An engrossing tale of how someone can use their skills in forgery and social manipulation to bend the world to their will, to the point of destabilizing a nation.

A ‘Lone-Wolf’ Shooter Has an Online Pack – Juliette Kayyem, The Atlantic

The lone-wolf myth is just that. A myth designed to minimize the perceived severity of individual actions. It’s clear that radicalization comes from somewhere, and it’s not from within oneself.

tweet from @TollyTaylor that reasd, "An unoccupied house on stilts in Rodanthe, North Carolina, as it collapses into the ocean this afternoon. Was worth $381,200 according to Zillow." Included is a 1:23 long video showing a house on stilts falling, then getting pulled into the ocean and jostled around in the waves.

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Times I should’ve realized I was autistic

illymation has done a wonderful video talking about her experiences in discovering her autism and realizing how it has shaped her life. I had a similar awakening and while it doesn’t necessarily make things better, it does make it more manageable and I am able to communicate my views and needs more easily to my partners.

Identity, Gender, and VRChat (Why is everyone in VR an anime girl?)

I do wish that it wasn’t entirely anime that makes up VRChat, but it’s great that people can experiment with gender presentation, even ostensibly cis folks who just want to play around safely.

Nintendo’s Queer Relationship With Gender

Let Birdo be Birdo! Or, you know, why bother gendering video game characters in sexless games?

Think Tanks: How Fake Experts Shape the News

Just saying, “a study was done that shows X” does not a news story make.

The Platypus Conspiracy

I knew it. Ass teeth.

A tweet from @hardmaru that reads, "Asked #Dalle to generate photographs of the bear stock market in the 1930s". The tweet includes three black and white computer generated pictures of literal bears in stock market situations

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Autcraft: The Minecraft Server for Kids With Autism – 2 Girls 1 Podcast

Such a wonderful idea! Plus I’m floored by the story of the creator contacting the parents of a kid who was ostensibly trolling, realizing that was not the case, and writing a tool that would help that kid and everyone else in the server. I aspire to that level of patience online.

The Right to Repair with Aaron Perzanowski – Factually! with Adam Conover

Imagine if you could not only not repair your million dollar tractor, but that the manufacturer could shut it off remotely, act like that’s a good thing, and claim that it’s because you don’t own it at all.

The moral panic behind “groomers” is an attack on marginalized people – There Are No Girls on the Internet

I really wish that the queer community would stop amplifying these stories by talking about all older queer folks as groomers or acting like it is normal in the queer community, thanks.

Taste of Summer 🌞 [lofi beats / instrumental mix]

My favorite lofi channel has a new compilation up!

If you made it this far, why not share this newsletter with a friend? Or share with me some of the things that you found that you liked this week. Either way, I’m thrilled!