puppets, prophets, and predators
november '24
Sometimes, when my phone dies, I feel like I’ve been released from prison. My wrists have already slipped loose of the Low Battery warning handcuffs and I’ve pushed onward with the force of a thousand thumbs, scrolling deeper into the depths of brainrot hell. It truly doesn’t matter what app I’m on or who’s Substack post I’m reading, it’s a form of paralysis that only the death of a battery can free me from.
If you’ve kept up with this newsletter over the past several months, you’d remember when I boasted a screen time of sub-2 hours. Blame it on poor discipline, early-winter-blues, or my new iPhone 16 Pro, I’m averaging 3x that number now. It’s trivial, to metricize, analyze, and comment on this kind of thing nowadays. Like, if we’re really tracking screen time, honestly, accurately… I’m spending more of my day looking at a screen than not.
A few days ago, I took advantage of $6 Tuesday movie tickets to go see Heretic (fantastic film, by the way) and I had a weird post-movie realization. I noticed everyone else sauntering down the stairs with notifications scrolling on their phones, just seconds after the credits rained down on the big screen. Then we got in the car and stared at a screen to navigate back home, where my silly little laptop was waiting for me on the dining table with Slack messages and emails unread.
I can’t expect this world to be rid of screens or devoid of technology, but damn, I’d love to live in a world not puppeteered by glowing rectangles. I’ll use this as an excuse to keep this month’s newsletter short - spend a little less time reading this and more time staring out the window, just for me.
i’m feeling lucky
I feel remiss on not sharing this earlier... but this month’s playlist is golden. Lots of new releases and unique sounds in these 40 tracks - worth a listen.
[Archive playlist can be found here, and in my spotify bio]
question everything
I grew up listening to NPR on my dad’s car radio. I never paid attention to the content, but nowadays I find myself tuning into the station when I take longer drives. And my biggest finding is that NPR leans heavily to the left. Uri Berliner claims “An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America.” It’s all about culture and progressive change and LGBTQ-this and pro-choice-that - music to my ears. But I’m not necessarily looking for music, especially when tuned into politics.
I think that’s half our mistake, though. We listen/read/watch political content as though it’s the same as reading a girlhood essay on Substack or listening to 2000s RnB Hits playlists on Spotify. Being involved in the political realm isn’t about comfort and appeasement; it’s about the democracy of the mind. It’s about giving ourselves as the opportunity to digest information through multiple mediums, putting our minds to work in determining if these policies align with our values.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of mainstream media and join the herds of mindless bots who follow the subscription model of politics. These news outlets spew slightly-bent truths to match the MO of their platform, skewing our view of DNC rally turnout, impeachment terms, indictment tallies, and whatnot. And depending on the channel that’s on, our influence is swayed one way or the other.
Podcasters, influencers and pop stars act as political prophets, taking the high route over MSM and proudly shaping their followers minds into politically-poisoned goo. As rebellious as their efforts are, it still just adds to the worlds shittiest game of telephone. Joe Rogan is not distributing factual evidence or reporting on world happenings; he builds audiences by serving opinions on those events.
This whole election was a test of vibes, heightened and strengthened by main stream media and pompous podcasters. It’s a shock that Trump scored ALL of the swing states and stole the popular vote for the first time as a Republican candidate since 2004. But it’s only a shock to those who fail to believe that the Democrats even had a chance.
If we are naive enough to believe that Kamala could take down a serial cheater, a convicted felon, Putin’s little bitch and Elon’s daddy, then that’s on us. Because we blindly listened, when they told us that her rallies were filled with thousands of voters. We happily watched Trump dance at rallies and age with ease, not questioning the UNO cards he would play on election day. We got comfortable with the falsified hymns that MSM and social media platforms would show us, because that’s really all we wanted to hear.
Biden’s creaky voice saying “We’re fine. Everything’s fine.” still rings in my head like a hollow promise from a dying elder… why did we get comfortable listening to lies?
If you’re looking for folks who will actually dive deep into the why and how of this election shitshow, here are a few: Mehdi Hasan, Jesse Singal, David Sasaki, Mary L. Trump, Matthew Yglesias, and Celine Nguyen. I’d prefer not think about the ways in which our voting system failed us and the loopholes we may have found in the Electoral College. I’d rather not dive deep into the reason why DT was handed the throne and why a dozen million voters disappeared from the final count. You could entertain me with theories on how Putin had his fingers in the bucket or how Elon’s Starlink devices were doing a little subtraction before sending in numbers, but I’m not to be satisfied.
Instead of crying over spilled milk, I’d love to see if we can clean the mess we made. And I’ll start by questioning everything I’ve heard and read and watched - because some of these truths don’t add up.
through my eyes
Self-explanatory.
For those of you who are new here: I usually share a photograph of higher quality, something significant from my camera or from my travels. But I haven’t been traveling and I haven’t captured anything significant on the camera recently. This is all I have to offer.
control or be controlled
One of the key themes from Heretic was control. The writers managed to weave a complex debate about the legitimacy of religion and its power over the people, into a thriller-comedy masterpiece. It’s more of an intellectually scary film, with the way it makes you question everything you know. And I think that’s why I’ve been toying with this idea of control for the past few days.
And when I mean control, it bleeds over to several things: parenting and the freedoms of childhood, freedom of speech and the command of mainstream media (as I’ve already whined about in this letter), universal morality and the agency we have over our own decisions, religion and faith, and so much more. I’ve spent the last few days collecting notes on all things control, here are a few interesting ones:
on natural order
A disciple and his master were walking the fields when the disciple asked his master:
“How can you give up control?”“Do you see that river flowing in the fields?, asked the master.
“Go and make the river flow upstream.”
“That’s impossible. People would look at me like I’m mad.”, answered the disciple.
“Then why do you want to control God’s plan?”
“What can I control then?”, mumbled the disciple.
“How you respond to God’s plan written for you.”
In a rather drab and morbid take on control, many people turn to the idea of a higher power dictating the course of the world. And, in some sense, it’s true—whether you believe in a deity or not, certain forces remain beyond our control. We have no authority over the weather, for instance. Whether it’s framed as God’s plan or simply the natural order, the notion that we must harmonize with these uncontrollable forces is both humbling and fascinating.
But faith isn’t limited to religion; it extends to the algorithms and systems we rely on daily. It’s not just a natural order - we often find ourselves at the mercy of unseen predators in technology, capitalism, and systemic procedures, quietly exploiting our innate need for control and certainty.
on uncontrollability
“The driving cultural force of that form of life we call ‘modern’, is the idea, the hope and the desire, that we can make the modern world controllable. Yet, it is only in encountering the uncontrollable that we really experience the world. Only then do we feel touched, moved, alive. A world that is fully known, in which everything has been planned and mastered, would be a dead world.”
This quote from Harmut Rosa’s The Uncontrollability of the World exudes the same energy as that one Steve Jobs quote about being an outside-the-box thinker, trying to bash into the walls of the world and make something from it. I’m very much aligned with the mindset that sets people free of the modern rules, laws and best practices - I think that’s what drives innovation. The curiosity beyond the autonomous world is what leads to divine experiences and feeling alive. Then again, I think that humans toy with the dichotomy of wanting to explore uncharted theories and establishing new ones for others to follow.
on parenting
“The Parent has two main functions. First, it enables the individual to act effectively as the parent of actual children, thus promoting the survival of the human race. Its value in this respect is shown by the fact that in raising children, people orphaned in infancy seem to have a harder time than those from homes unbroken into adolescence. Secondly, it makes many responses automatic, which conserves a great deal of time and energy. Many things are done because “That’s the way it’s done.” This frees the Adult from the necessity of making innumerable trivial decisions, so that it can devote itself to more important issues, leaving routine matters to the Parent.” - Games People Play by Eric Berne
I’m curious of the joystick that parents grip and how it affects their parenting models, especially when realizing the power they have to control their little ones. Adulting is difficult as it is, adding the responsibility of morally and safely raising a child within customized constraints seems insurmountable. I can imagine that’s why parents resort to the “that’s the way it’s done” shtick, and as children we’re forced to learn the why in novel ways - either by failing later in life or waiting for someone else to explain it. Even as some of my friends think of having children and boast of the ways that their little rodents won’t be addicted to tablets and social media, I can only imagine the disciplined control they’ll need to exert and exercise in that house.
on memes
“It may seem like a stretch, but I’m proposing that all behavior, everything we do beyond our most basic biological necessities, is governed by memes.
Remember, memes aren’t just internet jokes or fads; the culture that memes transmit is the sum of all our knowledge, beliefs, theories, technologies, and traditions—everything in our heads beyond the physical instincts programmed by our DNA. And even then, the actions we take to address our instinctual urges are 100% mediated by the memes in our head.” - How Memes Control Everything by Nathan Baschez
If memes govern our actions, then control is less about individual autonomy and more about the influence of cultural programming. Our decisions, values, and even how we satisfy basic needs are filtered through learned ideas. This implies that our sense of agency is almost an illusion shaped by the memes we adopt. And memes are just one part of that adoption; this concept can extend to any culturally influential medium: music, clothing, art, politics, philosophy. But the idea that something as implied and particular like Arthur’s fist can carry a poignant emotion and control the emotional output of a digital ecosystem for several months, is insane.
link dump
the most beautiful poem I read this month
have you considered giving up sex because of the election?
After nearly two months of packed weekends and continuous obligations, I’m heading into the weekend with some time to breathe and clear the cobwebs in my head. I bought a new journal on Amazon last week, and I’m looking forward to staining the pages with transcriptions of the voices in my head. I think sometimes that voice ends up in this newsletter and I sound more frustrated than I am, but nonetheless it’s content… right?
The weather is colder in Austin, the holiday sales are in full swing, and my winter flannels are making their way out of the closets. So that means more time at home, reading and writing - we’re still on track for 24 letters in 2024!
If you know anyone who might enjoy this newsletter, please share it with them! And as always, thank you for supporting me and my curious mind. I’d also love to hear your thoughts on control, the election and anything else that stood out to you.
have a lovely November, folks
if you’re feeling nostalgic about my last post:
Great read as always machi! Loved the musings on what control looks like in our lives. Here’s one of favorite quote on control by Gandalf
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.
Badass that you’re going to hit 24 newsletters this year. Congrats machi 👏🏽
I love that quote by Harmut Rosa. His concept of “resonance” has been by North Star this year. The less screen time, the less information I take in, the more resonance I feel.