Swamp Ruler Edition
Super Bowl, Special Announcements, SNL, and more
Hello, internet strangers!
Let’s say you had a bad day. You can’t dwell on it. That doesn’t help. You can only go forward. Tomorrow is another day.
Every new day is a new day to start over, start fresh, and start again. Yesterday is in the past. You went to bed and did a soft restart. There is no need to jump out of bed but get moving. Roll out of bed as refreshed as you can be. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Do a little exercise. Have a little coffee. Enjoy that hot shower.
Your eyes will open a little wider. The day may even look a little brighter. The sun will shine. And if it’s raining… eventually, the sun will shine. That’s what it does.
It’s a new dawn. It’s a new day. No need to dwell on the past. Go forward.
Here are the things I thought you might want to click on this week:
Doechii Supreme, the Swamp Ruler
What a week. I don’t know about you, but we could all use some female power hip-hop in this joint. The Tiny Desk Concert from Doechii fits the bill. Featuring a full band, horns, and two background singers, the performance is a masterclass in creativity. I’m not even a huge fan of hip-hop, but this jazz-influenced mini-show is amazing. The girls with the cornrows… they got all the talent.
Related: This Jazz musician reacts to the Tiny Desk concert.
A Different Kind of Screen
Paper Apps are pen-and-paper games cleverly disguised as small reporter-style notepads. They are marketed as a "fun, smart alternative to screen time." Some games are themed around dungeons, space exploration, and golf.
Not Like Us
Super Bowl 2025 may have been more of a beatdown than an exciting football game, but luckily, Kendrick Lamar was around at halftime to provide some much-needed drama. You probably need some backstory, too. From "Uncle" Samuel L. Jackson providing a preemptive critique of the show from "mainstream" America, to Serena Williams crip walking for more total yards than the Kansas City offense (also, when your ex-girlfriend dances to the tune of the guy publicly humiliating you, it’s never a good thing), to all the Drake-baiting, plus some provocative, timely questions about what "America" means anyway, all of it performed in front of the sitting president himself, it was a lot. Here are some of the easter eggs/hidden meanings in the show. Apparently, MAGA had a meltdown? I loved the scope of the choreography, but I honestly don’t find Lamar particularly musical.
Related: The best (and worst) Super Bowl commercials this year. It’s missing the Nike So Win ad that was in my top three.
Also Related: Lastly, the new scorebug was bad in so many ways.
Trailer Park Super Bowl Edition +1
F1 Super Bowl spot, Lilo & Stitch Super Bowl spot, Thunderbolts* Super Bowl spot, Jurassic World: Rebirth Super Bowl spot, Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning Super Bowl spot, How to Train Your Dragon Super Bowl spot, Novocaine Super Bowl spot, Sinners Super Bowl spot, and The Accountant 2 Official Trailer.
Related: Leigh Singer gathered clips from movies that break the fourth wall and look or address the camera directly. The first supercut. The sequel.
How much is Green Bay?
Last week, Democratic Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois shared a video titled "A Special Announcement from Governor JB Pritzker.” In the video, Pritzker made fun of some of President Donald Trump’s more absurd proclamations in the weeks since he was confirmed as the 47th president. Obviously, Lake Michigan should be Lake Illinois. More of this.
Related: Trump pardons disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Sigh.
Live From New York…
It’s SNL’s 50th anniversary weekend. Check out the two main events. The Homecoming Concert features many big-name performances and the Saturday Night Live’ 50th anniversary special (which, for some strange reason, is on Sunday).
No Need for the Wayback Machine
A federal judge has ordered the HHS, CDC, and FDA to restore their websites and datasets to how they were on Jan 30th by 11:59pm. Resistance is not futile, but we’ll see how much Trump wants to push/piss off the judiciary.
Who You Calling Chicken?
Beloved McDonald’s menu item to return for the first time in nearly a decade, but wait, there’s more! Not only are Snack Wraps returning, but the McCrispy and the Chicken Big Mac are getting more love. I also find it interesting that chicken strips are making a comeback. It will be interesting if they are cheaper and better than Raising Canes.
Asteroid Blues
Remember the asteroid with a 1-in-77 chance of ruining everyone's 2032 Christmas plans? Scientists now say there's a 1-in-43 chance it will hit the Earth. The good news? Scientists like Scott Manley are tracking it and creating YouTube videos explaining it. The bad news? They won't know for sure where it might hit until they get more data. Right now, the potential impact zone stretches from India across Africa to South America, with a bonus splash zone in the Atlantic. Fun.
Poster Boy
David Edward Byrd, one of the foremost graphic artists of 20th-century pop culture, has died. His partner of 40 years, Jolino Beserra, said on Facebook that he passed away of pneumonia. Byrd designed posters for The Rolling Stones’ 1969 tour of the U.S., The Who’s performance of their rock opera Tommy at the Metropolitan Opera House in 1971, and album covers for Lou Reed’s Sally Can’t Dance in 1974 and the members of KISS in 1978.
Playlist 2.15
What I’ve been listening to: Paul McCartney and Wings “Maybe I’m Amazed - Live,” Red Voodoo “Bring it Back,” DeWolff “Natural Woman,” Gunshine “Bayou,” Cory Marks “(Make My) Country Rock,” The Band Feel “Call It What You Will.”
365
Dave Winer: Democrats must campaign 365 days every year.
