The Stonks, The Games, and Against Happiness

There’s been some internet stuff this week. I know, right?

BowieBarks icon

Howdy [subscriber:firstname | default:yall],

This is the Wolfpaw Weekly. Don’t remember signing up or don’t want this anymore? It’s easy to unsubscribe.


I think that I’d still refer to myself as an Very Online Person, though I might not say Extremely Online, mainly because I’ve stopped believing in the power of a post in the real world. Yes, I’m saying that now as I acknowledge the pain that posts cause, and the way that social media allows people to radicalize and form violent sects that try to stage a coup and write it off mainly as just a content stunt.

I mean, if you’re a journalist, you feel a strong need to tweet constantly while knowing that it is bad for you, and indeed many readers thing that it makes you less trustworthy.

Can the internet make us happy? What even is happiness, and is it something that we should be chasing after. We have carved out a right to a “pursuit of happiness” that has become a mandate of sorts. Pop psychology is driven by the tools meant to make you happier, which is often side-by-side with making you a more productive worker.

I’m often coming down on the side of being against happiness, but that’s because I think of it as this nebulous concept without a clear definition or scale to measure. I’ve always said that I prefer focusing on a pursuit of contentment than a pursuit of happiness for this reason. Am I safe and climbing up that hierarchy of needs with the people that I want around me? Then I think that I’m making progress.

screenshot of a fake Letterboxd listing that says

๐Ÿ“š

david Cooper Moore talks about patience and playing games with his son during this interminable phase of schooling from home. He thought to do something that Anne Helen Petersen did: actually talking to kids about how they game and what it means to them in lockdown.

Moore also weaved in his thoughts about the excellent show Halt and Catch Fire. Ashley Blewer made an incredible syllabus for using the show as the basis of a fictional semester-long class. I want to rewatch the show with this site as a study guide.

9 Russian Adventurers Mysteriously Froze to Death. A New Theory Explains Why – Matt Simon, Wired

I used to be very into creepy and supernatural stories, and the Dyatlov Pass Incident was definitely one of them. That said, at this point I’m more in line to think of the more scientific response as correct now ๐Ÿ˜…

Scientists have taught spinach to send emails and it could warn us about climate change – Marthe de Ferrer, EuroNews

So many IoT jokes to be made here, but for once I’ll just go, “dang, solarpunk is getting even more cool!”

The Nightmare Share She posted an ad for a roommate. What’s the worst that could happen? – Bridget Read, The Cut

This sounds like an absolutely dark story. I don’t know if I would have been able to make this chaos work as long as the owner has been doing in this story, but I hope that it works out for her.

on vibing – mary retta

I’m trying to work on vibing a bit more this year. As is my way, it is not going well

๐ŸŽฅ

Exposing Capitalism by exposing the truth!! (Interview with Adam Conover!)

I haven’t watched anything from this show before, so I am not endorsing it directly, just this one episode. I love listening to people like Adam Conover figuring things out and knowing that they aren’t always getting it right but focusing on improvement as opposed to defensive posturing.

He shares a lot about this kind of growth in this interview, as well as a bit of behind the music where he shares that the only show of ‘Adam Ruins Everything’ that they couldn’t make was about the NCAA, or that College Humor was making a stop motion Star Fox show but it got cancelled when Netflix scared of Nintendo by leaking that they were going to make a Legend of Zelda series.

Everyone has heard plenty about Stonks and GameStop and hedge funds and Wall Street and that sense that no matter what happens all of us outside of the highest tiers of finance are going to be screwed. Samantha Bee can take a break to explain it to you. Wisecrack does as well. And Legal Eagle will let you know what parts of this are likely legal (most if not all of it of course).

I’ve watched a few interesting videos about the whole situation this week.

If you want something bigger and flashier, Ben Mezrich already has a book proposal and film rights sold for a book about the situation. The situation that is still currently ongoing.

picture of a billboard in NY that says

Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story | Philosophy Tube โ˜…

CONGRATS ABIGAIL THORN!!!

I’ve spent a lot of my academic thinking time focused on Identity as a study.

If you want a general statement on her coming out, she posted one up here.

Film Theory: Dib Is An ALIEN! (Invader Zim)

This makes a lot of sense, that’s all.

Amazon’s Big Game Commercial: Alexa’s Body

Yes, it’s Amazon, so it’s already existentially terrifying. But this is also funny in a dark, dystopian way.

Life as a Bokoblin – A Zelda Nature Documentary – Monster Maze

The amount of time put into editing Breath of the Wild clips to make a nature documentary makes this worth a watch. I’ve also just started playing the game again on my Twitch stream!

Werehyena: The Terrifying Shapeshifters of African Lore | Monstrum

TIL that unlike werewolves being humans turning into the beast, werehyena’s are hyena’s who turn into humans.

She Ra’s Casual Queerness | Episode 72 – Culturally F’d

She-Ra is a good show, give it a watch.

screenshot of a tweet from @sanjazakovska that says

A few weeks ago I shared this TikTok of Machine Learning playing with a block toy. I don’t know why these tickle my brain in such a way, but I’m glad that a friend sent over this version of devs watching QA testers, and then a resolution. Give Alison Burke an award for her performances.

๐ŸŽง

SOPHIE — It’s Okay To Cry

I admit that I’d never heard of SOPHIE before being given the news by several friends of her passing. I’ve been listening to some of her music this week, mainly tracks shared with me directly. After reading this obituary in Vulture I wish that I’d been paying attention earlier. Rest in Power.

Miley Cyrus: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Fun little set on a fun little set

Episode 53: Fuck Off 2020 – Commune College

If you aren’t listening to Commune College, it’s one of my favorite podcasts. @ProxyGlitchcat @realmaxkeeble @themboydeerdog talk about 2020 and it sucked. Thankfully, them together has been a highlight of my year.

Something Awful – 2 Girls 1 Podcast

Much better than the 4Chan interview that they did. Still have a lot of old internet thoughts that need to get dug up.


Remember to share the stuff that you liked this week, or let me know what you think of my shares. See yall in a week and stay safe! ๐Ÿ’

Unsubscribe | Manage your subscription


Posted

in