If we're being real

It's exceedingly rare to see the subjects of Internet scorn in the flesh. So when a manosphere megalomaniac called a "press conference" near me, I couldn't exactly not cover it. Long story short: It was both annoying and surreal to meet Roosh V off the Web. Kinda like snapping on your bedside lamp to find cockroaches, not monsters, under the bed!

1. Is streaming killing songwriting? We all know that artists make very little off their Spotify streams. But they're living the life compared to their writers, who earn fractions of pennies. Some are trying to organize; others are trying to sue. Either way, we definitely have a Spotify vs. songwriter showdown to look forward to.

2. Inside the only "micronation" on Airbnb. (Actually, it's not a micronation -- it's a "non-territorial global sovereign entity.") If we're being real, I understand neither that concept nor this place. But if you're looking for Australian accommodation, the price is pretty great!

3. How to Snapchat like the teens. A terrifying sociological exploration of the modern 13-year-old mind ... masquerading as a silly how-to for Buzzfeed.

Today is apparently national pizza day?
(... and bagel day? and pancake day? like, they couldn't space them out?)
which seems like a good time to bust this favorite out

Pocketable: On gadget addiction, or the specter of it. (4103 words/16 minutes)

Postscripts: Fake music. Taste of Streep. Digital alter egos. Complaints of a president and confessions of a troll. How to get phone numbers on a dating app; how to get journal articles on the Dark Web. Despite the rejections of publishers, you might have that great novel in you yet! Australia has a Facebook beer market; Japan has an Amazon sommelier. Last but not least, Twitter has a new safety team -- and naturally, its exact function is totally opaque.

See ya tomorrow!
@caitlindewey

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