Birch Bark Issue 34

In case you didn't know, I have a weekly newsletter where I share the most interesting art, music, videos, and links of the week. This is the 34th week in a row with an issue, and while I'm biased, I have it on good auithority that it's a nice way to go into the weekend. If you enjoy this, feel free to subscribe and get it every week!

P.S. I'll reitterate here that this newsletter has no long term plan. I'm not building a list of people to sell a self-help class or anything like that, I just want to share some of the best stuff I find online. I don't even use analytics in my emails. No, really, read the email in an email app that yells about tracking pixels and you shouldn't see anything (and if you do, let me know!).

Art

Did you know: you can tap on any piece of art below to see the source.

Videos

Your Laptop Webcam SUCKS. Do This Instead

How America Bungled the Plague

Sylvan Esso - Ferris Wheel (Animal Crossing Music Video)

Stuntmen React To Bad & Great Hollywood Driving

Ori And The Will of the Wisps Switch Analysis: Inside An 'Impossible' Port

Music

Did you know you can subscribe to these music picks on Apple Music? Add the playlist here and get new songs every Thursday before this email even goes out :)

Shiver by Jonsi

In his first proper solo album since his 2010 debut, the Sigur Ros frontman is back with a new record that is just as beautiful and hopeful as I remember his first record being. This is a good 'listen in the dark' sort of record.

Listen now

Free Love by Sylvan Esso

I really don't know what to say about this one other than the fact that Sylvan Esso has an immense ability to deliver consistently great, quiet pop music.

Listen now

Links

Long-Concealed Records Show Trump's Chronic Losses And Years Of Tax Avoidance

The New York Times with a bombshell report with more Trump tax information than we've ever seen before (and that he has worked very hard to hide from the public). I'm no tax expert, so I highly suggest reading this and then seeking out commentary from the experts.

Microsoft had a secret Windows XP theme that made it look like a Mac

Oh man, it looks bad.

Best Shortcut Tools Out Now

My buddy, Jeff Perry has a great selection of the best resources out there for Shortcuts right now.

A Pilot's Review of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

I love this game so much, and it's great to see the perspective from someone who actually flies planes and can speak with authority on the authenticity of the game/simulator/training program.

Apple Watch Momentum Is Building

In a few months, the number of people wearing an Apple Watch will surpass 100 million. While the tech press spent years infatuated with stationary smart speakers and the idea of voice-only interfaces, it was the Apple Watch and utility on the wrist that ushered in a new paradigm shift in computing. We are now seeing Apple leverage the growing number of Apple Watch wearers to build a formidable health platform. The Apple Watch is a runaway train with no company in a position to slow it down.

"That's Their Problem": How Jared Kushner Let the Markets Decide America's COVID-19 Fate

First-person accounts of a tense meeting at the White House in late March suggest that President Trump's son-in-law resisted taking federal action to alleviate shortages and help Democratic-led New York. Instead, he enlisted a former roommate to lead a Consultant State to take on the Deep State, with results ranging from the Eastman Kodak fiasco to a mysterious deal to send ventilators to Russia.

Free, High Quality Studio Ghibli Artwork

Feel free to use it within the bounds of common sense. Amazing resource here.

A Deep Dive Into the 'Gentrification Font'

He described it as part of an aesthetic he called "generic authentic," which attempts to convey a sense of "authenticity" through "classic typefaces, raw materials like wood and cement, and these nostalgic nods to older artisanal craft."

They Watched the Debate...on Twitch

On the "Chapo Trap House" Twitch channel, which has nearly 63,000 followers, one host commented that following the debate "is like trying to watch a subtitled movie when you're drunk."