Glad we got that out of our systems!
TRIGGER WARNING: The following newsletter contains passing references to porn, drinking, 9/11, dead pets, the ultimate pointlessness of human existence and the possibly unbalanced pop goddess Cher. If that bothers you, plz look away now. WHEW. Glad we got that out of our systems!
1. Spam, like cockroaches, will probably outlive us all. Everyone's least-favorite form of communication has a history far longer than you probably think. In 1906, people worried about bulk mailings. In the 1950s, there was junk mail. Said Robert Anguizola, the assistant director in the Federal Trade Commission's division of marketing practices, "this is something that has existed probably since the invention of the printing press."
2. You know that awesome inspirational quote you saw on Pinterest? It's probably misattributed, and possibly made up. The Internet is responsible for misattributing, and then spreading, an untold number of totally fake quotes. I particularly like all the motivational quotes credited to the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer -- a man who believed "life is a meaningless ordeal of suffering alleviated only by a meaningless death."
3. What TV will look like in 2025, according to Netflix. There will be no commercials, 48 million channels -- and Netflix will know exactly what you want to watch before you do.
This dog is named Nana. Nana is trying to learn to catch treats. Nana is ... failing.
Pocketables: "The worst day of my life is now New York's hottest tourist attraction." A writer who lost his sister on 9/11 visits the new memorial museum. (2222 words/9 minutes)
Postscripts: Lonely superheroes. Selfie machines. < 300 sandwiches. How to meet your soul mate on Twitter and how to tell when people lie in emails. 28 non-pornographic things that have been called "porn for women." 26 things that merit Facebook de-friending. This app may be the grimmest thing I've ever seen. This collection of Cher wisdom may be the silliest. Can Tinder for grandmas bridge the digital age gap? Can Bloody Marys really count as vegetables? Today, in other things I'm skeptical of: mascot redesigns (x2!), Facebook "Asks," Feminist Frank. (What was wrong with Gosling?! EXACTLY. Nothing.)
Until tomorrow,
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