Hello Romance Novelists,
Earlier this week someone told me that my newsletter was very robust. Which I agree with. Probably too robust. So in the coming weeks I’m going to be experimenting a lot with format and also probably sending out a survey to see what y’all actually care about in the newsletter. So keep an eye out for that. I know things here are already perfect, but we can make things even more perfecter.
In the meantime keep reading. This week for the opening section of in depth article coverage I made it somewhat themed: everything revolves around, in some way, our addiction to devices and media. A sad and all too common theme, I know. But one we must grapple with nonetheless.
That is all I’ll say about that. Time for the usual linkies. Enjoy.
I Became An Influencer As A Joke – Then It Nearly Broke Me
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
A cautionary first person tale of how addicting and dangerous the social media space can be. Don't define your worth by how many followers and likes you get on Instagram. Define yourself by how hot you are like it has always been. And by hot I mean good person.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
At my peak, I had almost 150,000 followers, but I still never described myself as an influencer. I wanted to be the Instagram cool girl, the renegade who sat on the sidelines, satirising the people who really cared. But I really cared. I thought I could have lots of followers without needing followers. I thought I could monetise my account without selling out. I thought that I was different, that I wasn’t like other girls.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
It gets kind of scary just how much social media interaction and validation has become a part of our lives and how we use it to define our happiness. You're better than the number of likes you got on that last post. Unless you're insta famous, in which case... please promote The Breads. Kidding, kidding in which case just know that you're more than how many people engage with you on social media because that shit does not a real boy make. Your taste in newsletters makes you who you are and if you're reading this you obviously have great taste so you’re cool.
Stop Spending Time On Things You Hate
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
Analysis and practical advice on how to stop spending time on things you know have absolutely no benefit for you. You know what they are. Things that you do to procrastinate from doing other things. Or things that bring you no joy but you do anyways out of habit. It is kind of an ingrained human habit, so how do we break from it?
And A Quote From The Article Please:
These errors occur because without prior planning, the impulsive toddler in our heads who has no concept of tomorrow dominates our executive function. That leads us to overestimate the value of a little short-term pleasure and underestimate the value of our long-term well-being. The outcome can be fairly trivial, like playing Angry Birds for 10 more minutes, or more serious, like smoking for one more day—every day.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
I spend at least 3 hours a day between Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok. It's sickening. Not to mention the amount of time I spend habitually checking my email. The crazy thing is, whenever I go more than 30 minutes without checking my phone I literally feel better. Not figuratively. Literally. Like I am much less stressed and much more clear headed. And when I do that I immediately realize it is because I have not checked my phone in a while, and then, like the glutton I am I immediately check my phone again and fall back into the pit. We all do it.
Myspace Tom Got It Right
Just Give Me A Synopsis:
A short opinion piece on how Tom and Myspace actually weren't failures at all but went under the radar at exactly the right time. That time being the moment things became toxic and detrimental to society as a whole like all the other social platforms.
And A Quote From The Article Please:
Where do you think Anderson was during that hearing? Probably knocking back his third mai tai, on an island so exclusive that neither you nor I have ever heard of it. Never for a moment does he need to worry about the ways his former company might be fraying the civil order. Those days are over. Anderson is simply enjoying being rich and adamantly offline, knowing that — by luck or foresight — he abandoned the social media monopoly right as it was getting very, very dark. Let’s hope some other tech CEOs start taking a page out of his book. Please, for the love of god, just enjoy being retired.
And Tell Me Why I should Care:
A gentle reminder that exponential and nonstop growth isn't always the North Star. Especially when that growth leads to companies that are literally ruining the world's collective mental health. Myspace was great because you had 8 friends and didn't get prompted to buy things you don't need and weren't fed conspiracy theories you never imagined could be true until you saw them 12 times in two days. Here's to Tom for creating something mostly wholesome on the internet. A tall task. And also here’s to this article for arguing that realizing the highest earnings possible for investors and shareholders isn’t always the best rout for individuals or the world.
Weird Internet Resource Of The Week
Scan the World is a collaborative project allowing anyone to download files used for the 3D printing of cultural artifacts. Like sculptures and such from all over the world that you would see in museums. They currently have over 18,000 digital scans, so you can find that hipster piece from Rodín you learned about in art history class that you like so much. And this way you don’t have to actually steal culturally significant artifacts from their homeland to bring to Western museums! Obviously this only really is useful if you have access to a 3D printer, but still very cool.
Other Interesting Things You May Or May Not Care About
The First Major Interview With John Swartzwelder Of The Simpsons – One Of The Most Revered Comedy Writers Of All Time
This dude is elusive and has been retired from The Simpsons for years, but decided to grant The New Yorker an interview because of the prestige. He drops a lot of knowledge about his life and writing for the most successful comedy of all time. I particularly liked this quote "Assembling a writing staff for a new show is difficult to do, because you’ve got to find people who are great at their jobs but who can’t find work anywhere, which is an unusual combination." This is also my way of saying I am open to writing on a TV show if you are hiring.The Plan To Kill Osama Bin Laden As Told By The People In The Room
This will take you about 2 hours to read. But it is very thorough and very in depth (obviously if it takes multiple hours to read. Redundancy is key here at The Breads). If you're into military ish and US history you'll enjoy this. If you're not into the military industrial complex, maybe not so much.Are We Really In For A Summer Of Love? A Post-Vaccine Dating Investigation
People are all horned up! But as it turns out less for one night stands and more for cuffing season. Things are weird now so people want to get their freak on in committed relationships.Woman Hit With Embezzlement Charges for 20-Year-Old Overdue VHS Tape Rental
The commentary in this article from this very, very unfortunate woman is god tier funny. Like it is hilarious. Also sometimes watching that incredibly low quality version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is well worth the risk of felony embezzlement charges that screw up your credit for life.Buying American Is Harder Than It Sounds. Jeep Is A Good Example.
With the way the supply chain works today, especially for complex products like cars (30k parts), finding something made all in one place is pretty much impossible. Buying American doesn't necessarily mean what it used to mean when good old Dusty Rogers made an entire Ford with his bare hands somewhere in the Midwest and then finished off his day by simultaneously eating McDonald's while copulating with a Bald Eagle.Yellowstone Is Shooting Paintballs At Wolves And Says It’s For Their Own Good
It is practice for a new military unit prepping for the eventual emergence of wolf people as a biological weapon. Some of our greatest enemies are creating genetically enhanced werewolves, so we need to figure out how to stop them. Either that or it is a conservation method to teach wild wolves to fear humans once again after the wolves get too comfortable around us cause dummy guests at the park keep feeding them.
Other Newsletters You Should Check Out
The Mandate Letter is from Olympian and Men's Health contributor Jason Rogers. It’s a longform newsletter and each edition he dives into the weird, conflicting, and harmful messages society offers us on the topic of masculinity. He uses interviews with experts and his own internet sleuthing to think about how we can offer a more helpful and inclusive definition of what it means to be a man. Basically an analysis on how fellow men can be less shitty. Which we need lots of in this world. Check it out.
Brands I Quite Like
There are so many brands out there that are not cool or unique that I thought I would highlight new brands that I think are in fact doing dope things and are worth knowing about. This is not sponsored or full of affiliate links.
Standards Manual - Archival Design Books From An Independent Publisher
Standards Manual publishes the kind of books you want to put on your coffee table when you have design junkies coming over for din din. Some of their recent books include a NASA graphic design manual, historic national park maps, the NYC Transit Authority graphic standards manual, EPA graphic standards manual and a bunch of other great historical archives. They are all put together in a beautiful way. Great for those of you into design and history. Or for those of you who want to pretend you’re into those things in order to look more sophisticated when guests come over. Either way a dope independent publisher. Check em out.
Let’s Just Looks At Art Because Reading Sucks
Morgan O'donovan Photographs The Tropical Jungle That Overtook A Ruinous UK Office Block
The World’s Greatest Sports Stars Shot By Walter Iooss Jr – In Pictures
“Sugar Fever Dream” Is A Collection Of Hyper-Natural, Post-Humanist Landscapes
Lists Are What The Internet Was Made For!
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“Do you believe in life after love? Or love after realizing you will never read anything as good as The Breads?” – Cher
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