08 - Wherein There's No Real Theme
Greetings, fleshbags, It’s time to prove time is flat circle and do this thing again.
1. Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself
I tried to write this eloquent introduction to myself last week, then realized I still don’t really know what I wanna be when I grow up. Instead of trying to unpack that with y’all, I’ll just share a song that encapsulates my feelings about the future (and a ton of other things) right now.
(and the lyrics, cause we all need to read ‘em)
/1
2. It’s About Damn Time
3. “We Can Go to the Bathroom Any Time,” he said through a rictus grin
A couple of weeks ago, a not zero number of different social media accounts sprang out of thing to come to the defense of Jeff “I have more money than God but there’s never enough” Bezos. After initially seeming like random employees rallying around the company, it turns out (surprise, surprise), this is a team of peeps who previously held other “ground level” positions who are now full-time collaborators, swooping in when the good name of Dear Leader might be tarnished.
Given the staggering amount of wealth the company and it’s founder have amassed, it’s fascinating that instead of paying lip service to things like pay raises, commitments to better conditions, or more realistic quotas, Amazon has gone the astroturf route.
ps, in the interest of (real) transparency, I am, whether I like it or not, deep entrenched in the Amazon Ecosystem. Broken meatcage things means reading in bed a lot, which is infinitely easier with a kindle. They bought Comixology a few years back, so there's all that content as well. I use the fuck outta Amazon Prime, for anything from diabetic test strips to kitchen tongs. To be clear, none of this is bragging, it's just pointing out the capitalism is fucking weird, and sometimes relationships with companies are complicated. I think, at some point, there was a solid idea or 3 at Amazon, but they've lost their way, and I'm just not sure they can come back now.
pps, fuck you, there’s no wrong time for surprise Keegan Michael Key
/3
4. I Do Not Like This Future Can I Still Return It
5. Selfcare Tips for the Burgeoning Supervillain
There I was laying in bed, unable to sleep, but also kinda bored of the games currently on my phone. I fired op ye olde fruit-based app store, and stumbled on #SelfCare — TRU LUV, an incredibly chill game that starts with the conceit of taking a mental health day, in bed. While there’s a theoretical goal of “growing your light”(I know, I know, stay with me), calling it a game feels like a stretch, as you’re really just playing a bunch of mini games. That said, there’s a real meditative quality to the thing that I find myself coming back to at the end of a tough day.
Also, a reminder, You can always take time away from social media/ the news /everything. You’re no good to anyone if you’re too overwhelmed to function. As I keep hearing, you gotta put on your own battlesuit mask before you can help anyone else with theirs.(this message brought to you by my wife, my therapist, my begrudging agreement with them, the letter n, and the oxford comma.)
/5
6. (Of What Could Have Been, Part Deux)
Last week, Anchor seemingly solved my single biggest beef with their service, audio editing. You can trim or split (then trim) files, rename them on the fly, and even add flags while recording to easily edit later. It’s still not perfect, as there doesn’t seem to be an easy way to trim silence or crossfade 2 files, but will probably do just fine for most users. Anyway, if you wanna read more, here. And, unless something massive happens, next issue will be Anchor free.
/6
7. Stuffs for Your Brainmeats
Hollywood Dead (Sandman Slim 10): QUICK SUMMARY OF THE SERIES: Guy gets sent to Hell. Guy comes back from Hell. Mass carnage, revenge, and hilarity ensues.
One of the things I love about this series is Kadrey’s total willingness to make Stark (just Stark) uncomfortable. Not a little uncomfortable, but, completely out of his depth or experience. Hollywood Dead is no different, as it finds our hero(?) back in LA after a year and almost entirely cutoff from his friends and support group, and grappling with everything that means.I won’t give much of the plot away, but there’s something spectacular about a protagonist who’s journey is (in some ways) more about working through trauma and PTSD than growing his powers to defeat the next bad guy. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of violence to be had in these pages, but there’s a deeper through line if you look for it.
/7
8. Never Forget
And with that, dear readers, I bid you farewell from the Volcano Base. Remember, as a subscriber, you’ll be spared in the coming werebearsharkadactyl attacks.
/8