the award for best supporting character in their own life

david wolfpaw

Issue # 🤷

17 Mar 2023

Reading time:

5 mins

I want to write something longer and deeper, but just haven’t had the energy lately, physically or mentally. I’ve been trying to take care of things by seeing a range of doctors for various issues or tests. March is medical month I guess!

I didn’t watch the Academy Awards as I used to, but I did watch the acceptance speeches for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’, which is still at the top of list of one of the best films I’ve ever seen. I especially loved the speeches for original screenplay, Jamie Lee Curtis, and most of all Ke Huy Quan. Every interview that I’ve seen with him has been acknowledgement on his part that he’s gotten very luck in ways that most people would not be, and was able to overcome a lot of hardships along the way.

I spent a while being jaded by the film industry, and am still very jaded by the streaming industry and how the pandering for profits is not only completely obvious, but celebrated by the very audiences that are being affected by business decisions over artistic choices.

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Who Is Still Inside the Metaverse? – Paul Murray, NYMag

A not very flattering look at Facebook’s attempt to own the nebulous concept of the metaverse via VR experiences.

AI Will Make Human Art More Valuable – Krzysztof Pelc, Wired

I like the idea that people value human made things, especially those made just for themselves and not specifically for a profit motive. But the author does bring up the unfortunate corollary of corporations using a veneer of artisanship as a way to sell more products.

Chuck E. Cheese Still Uses Floppy Disks To Make Its Rodent Mascot Dance — For Now – Katie Notopoulos, Buzzfeed

Are floppies in general really that much more reliable than USB? I worry about bit-rot, but maybe it’s more an issue of the added (sometimes unnecessary) complexities bogging down tools that are able to use USB in the first place.

Best printer 2023: just buy this Brother laser printer everyone has, it’s fine – Nilay Patel, The Verge

This seems cute and novel now, but I am worried that pointing out that you are adding to a chumbox to appear meta and excuse pumping out garbage will just lead to more and more garbage written for and by machines, with humans relegated to hunting for the snippets of real information that they want.

A Mastodon post from @Riedl@sigmoid.social that reads, "The greatest product review of all time", with screenshots from a printer review from The Verge

📽

What’s the deal with this font?

Dives into old video game design? Yes please!

Why Kyoto Prohibits Bright Colours

ngl, I enjoy the vibe here a lot. Not just as a “oh, this is what foreigners think of rural Japan”, but from a, “this would quiet my brain so much” mode.

How Hip-Hop Artists are Using AI to Transform Their Sound

You can still use AI and make something human

How Old-School Cassette Tape Drives Played Games | MVG

Like I said, old school game design and I’m there

AI and Image Generation (Everything is a Remix Part 4)

While placing the current AI trend into historical context as he does so well, Kirby Ferguson reminds us that image generation tools are only as good as their inputs, prompts, and datasets.

Similarly, this New Public presentation shows how image generation tools can both make assumptions in manipulation based on the race of subjects, as well as how to model prompts to work in your favor.

The Rise and Fall of Online Quizzes

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Chokepoint Capitalism with Cory Doctorow – FACTUALLY Podcast

I’m a fan of both host and guest and this book is now on my to-read list, specifically because Cory says that he offers some actionable takes and not just problems.

🌱 Chillhop Essentials · Spring 2023 [chill lofi / instrumental hiphop beats]

Always a favorite to relax to

The Legacy of J.K. Rowling – Respect the Dead

I like how they flexed the rules to make it about her legacy, so that they can bring up heinous shit

Adult Fans of ‘Bluey’ (Don’t Worry, It’s Wholesome) – 2 Girls 1 Podcast

It is wholesome! I love the cartoon and got into it with a partner, which helped us connect and bond a bit more 🥰

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!