there’s so much going on but I’m too sick to be bothered

david wolfpaw
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Issue # 🤷
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21 Jan 2022
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Reading time:
6 mins

It seems that I just can’t catch a break on the getting sick front! Well, I take that back, since I still seem to somehow be Covid free, despite the fact that apparently everyone is gonna get it by the end of March. But yet we soldier on, turning as rusty cogs in need of oil or replacement or whatever the proper metaphor here is for seemingly purposeless wandering in a world on fire.

This time my sickness is likely a sinus infection based on symptoms and the fact that my partner was diagnosed with one a few days prior. All I know is that this week I’ve felt the most sick that I have since before the pandemic, which I guess could also be a positive way to look at it?

At this point I don’t have a ton to go over while resting, despite the number of stories out this week that would be right up my alley. Twitter making a potentially very bad or very forward thinking decision with NFT profiles (I’m leaning toward the former)? TikTok and Instagram both announcing paid subscription support? Something that I think is very worth looking into further.

In my mind they’re basically the same story to an extent, figuring out how monetization is going to work for creators when the bottom drops out on click based advertising. I want to give this more attention when my mind isn’t wandering quite so much. I’d also like to hear from yall what you think about new forms of scarcity and subscription funding online and if you think either are worth it.

For now, I’m going to drink more DayQuil and take a little break from email. Have a good weekend!

a tweet from @RawbertBeef that reads, "Willem Dafoe when I trap him inside my Apple Watch". The attached image is an arm wearing a bracelet and an apple watch, and the watch has a background image of Willem Dafoe's face looking shocked and the text "You can't do this to me."

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Who runs the internet? Furries – Dylan Reeve, The Spinoff

This would be a “duh, of course” non-story if it weren’t for the (private political group) New Zealand Taxpayers Union getting upset about this story existing, and getting ratio’d on Twitter by furries while complaining. Don’t poke the (literal and metaphorical) bears!

The Gritty, Underground Network Bringing Japan’s Arcades to the US – Cecilia D’Anastasio, Wired

Another good find from Lisa to share this week. I wouldn’t have thought that arcade machines phone home to ensure that their DRM is still active, but it makes sense when I think of the songs that we purchased on Rock Band and could no longer play thanks to rights reversion when we plugged in the xbox years later.

Wordle’s Creator Thinks He Knows Why the Game Has Gone So Viral – Nicole Holliday and Ben Zimmer, Slate

I have a few guesses of my own, and while the game is positioned as a slow-down of just once per day, that social share has catapulted it in popularity.

There are plenty of knockoffs, apps getting booted from the Apple app store, and people debating why he won’t just monetize it already.

My favorite alt version is Absurdle, btw. A version of the game that actively fights back at you guessing the answer while still being fair.

We Booped the Sun – Marina Koren, The Atlantic

Not to take away from the monumental achievement, but uwu, we booped the sun’s snoot 👉🌞

a tweet from @egg_dog that reads, "The main city in DuckTales being called 'Duckburg' is mad. Imagine a human city called Manchester"

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Fear of Cold

A good Jacob Geller video mixes books with movies and with games in equal measure to tell a compelling story. This is one of those videos.

Bidoof’s Big Stand

The Pokémon stuff that goes to YouTube is just a bit darker or more emotional than the stuff in the anime!

Why Do Gay Men Love The Golden Girls?

I dunno, I watched reruns all the time as a kid, so you tell me!

Why is there Fishing in Every Video Game? | Video Essay | History of Fishing in Video Games

I can’t think of any game where I’ve actually enjoyed the fishing mini game, and I wouldn’t mind finding a better alternative to waste time within a time waster.

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Lady Gaga: So Happy I Could Die vs. Natasha Bedingfield: Pocketful of Sunshine [comparison]

Every time I try singing one of these songs, lyrics from the other blend into it. I’m glad that someone else noticed over a decade ago to prove that I’m not crazy 😂

Death to Medical Debt! with Allison Sesso – Factually! with Adam Conover

I’ve heard of charities like RIP Medical Debt, but this deep dive into how they actually work was a welcome discussion. Honestly I’m surprised that the guest didn’t go further in suggestions of how to make her job as obsolete as the insurance and chargemaster jobs that she’s trying to get around.

Relaxing horror game ambience and music | Vol.2

I wouldn’t have thought relaxing and horror would go together, but this popped up in my feed and I put it in the background while working and it was indeed kinda relaxing. Rain ambience and PS1/2 era graphics just feels cozy

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!