Send me a mean anonymous email!

Happy Tuesday, pals! I am back in the office after a sojourn in the lovely city of Buffalo, and the newsletter is back with me. As I understand it, this is what happened on the Internet in my absence: OkCupid tried to be Facebook, Sarah Palin launched the world's most hilariously overvalued start-up, and this amazing app I can use to emojify my dog got spontaneously popular. Did I miss anything important? No? Okay, to newer links:

1. What video games can teach you about Gaza. Asi Burak, a digital game-maker and a former captain in Israel's intelligence corps, was involved in a fascinating project that simulated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict ... as a computer game. Seven years later, Burak's working for a gaming nonprofit and reflecting on PeaceMaker's lessons, some of which are pretty provocative.

2. A guide to the wacky and very overwhelming world of Vine. Vine is a peculiar and not particularly accessible platform: six-second videos, oodles of oddball humor, and pint-sized "celebrities" that make me feel washed-up. Fortunately Kevin O'Keeffe has answered all my most pressing questions, including "how much do I need to know about them?" (a bit) and "how old will they make me feel?" (very!).

3. Running into your former self online. Today's young adults have been online since childhood ... which makes encounters with your now-distant digital footprint very, very weird.

Look how fun Buffalo is, you guys! (Also, an aside to my cousin Colin: You promised you'd subscribe if I made you a GIF. I made you a GIF. xoxo)

Pocketable: The long and very sordid history of gossip giant TMZ. (8114 words/32 minutes)

Postscripts: Demonic texts. Regal photobombs. Questionable beauties. Cat facts. The ManServants start-up is not a joke, but #Unfollowaman (probably?) is. This is how to meet your soulmate at Comic-Con. This is why no one chews gum. Today, in arbitrary rankings: fist bumps > handshakes, doggies > Emmys, telegraphs > tweets. Disagree? You can send me a mean anonymous email! (Just kidding, no bullying plz!)

Until tomorrow,
@caitlindewey

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