I’ve got a lot of catching up to do this week - tons of emails, newsletters, videos, movies, and keeping up with the news.

There’s this story about a mayor in the Philippines that netizens calls the “My Amnesia Girl” mayor that’s been all over my social media feeds. Apparently, she can’t remember a big part of her childhood. I’m not sure what’s really going on there or who she might be protecting, but this whole thing seems like it’ll blow over in a few months. You know how these viral stories go. Remember that cult leader from Siargao island a while back?

I saw that new Alex Garland film Civil War last Saturday, and I quite enjoyed it. It’s not often these days that an action flick actually makes you feel for the characters and their emotions. Most of the reviews were saying the really fascinating part of the movie was how it portrayed journalism — the crucial role journalists play when the world around them starts falling apart. Instead of just being an action thriller, it really explored what it means for journalist to keep doing their jobs and getting the truth out there when society itself is crumbling. Also, I was curious as to what Kirsten Dunst’s gear!

The Week in Links

🗒️ Trying out Jack Cheng’s new lightweight note-taking app, Bebop

❓ Howtown is a new YouTube channel by journalists Adam Cole and Joss Fong. I’ve been a huge fan of Joss Fong for a while now after watching all those edutainment videos she did at Vox. Her stuff is always so well-researched and engaging to watch.

📃 Rebeca Toh’s People and Blogs edition

🔎 Google recently added AI-generated overviews to search results, frustrating some users. Amidst these changes, Google quietly introduced a “Web” filter that displays search results without additional content or pre-processed answers. This filter presents search results resembling how Google looked a decade ago, without knowledge panels or ads. It provides a simplified view of search results, removing clutter.

🕳️ A rabbit hole of abandoned blogs

◼️ The most minimal sites on the web, curated in one place

Play