When I set out to create a newsletter, I knew I wanted it to focus on my love of pop culture while simultaneously sharing stories about local art and politics. I quickly decided that each week, I’d aim to have two news stories plus my list of pop culture recommendations.

That’s still the plan, but this week was more hectic than I expected, so instead of stressing myself out further, I am keeping it short and sweet with three lovely pieces of media.

Spring has been, to say the least, extra difficult over the last two years. The second anniversary of the worst day of my life is approaching faster and faster, and I feel myself naturally slowing down to brace for the impact.

So, although I’m not much of a sports girl, I am so moved by the mesmerizing performances of Amber Glenn and Alysa Liu at the 2026 Olympics, both on and off the ice. I am especially grateful that we have a new neurodivergent queen in Liu, who hung up her skates and walked away from the sport for four years before coming back to take home the gold.

In the spirit of resting when you’re tired, let’s all take a page out of Liu’s book.

Happy reading,
Dakotah

I didn’t plan it this way, but looks like the theme this week is big feels.

The deeper we fall into a technological hellscape, I am reminded of the somewhat prophetic Pixar movie, WALL-E. Not only is it surprisingly relevant, but it is so god damn wholesome.

If you somehow haven’t seen it, WALL-E is a trash-compacting robot set to clean up Earth after humans destroyed it. Partway through the film, he finds himself on a spaceship filled with humans who have pretty much abandoned socialization in favor of hovering lounge chairs and screens just a few inches away from their faces.

I watched the movie as a cautionary tale, and never did I ever expect so many of the themes to carry forward into the real world nearly 20 years later.

(Note: I do want to emphasize that since its release, the film’s portrayal of humans received warranted criticism as being fat phobic and ableist.)

Getting “good” recommendations from streaming platforms seems to be a thing of the past, but Beach Bunny is probably the last actual artist that I “found” via algorithmic suggestion.

Emotional Creature is the second studio album by Chicago indie rock band Beach Bunny. Most of their previous music is pretty upbeat and this album manages to keep a similar vibe, while providing a deep emotional journey through heartbreak, self-doubt and depression.

Per usual, I am recommending that you listen to the album from start to end. If you want to jump in to specific tracks, I’d recommend “Entropy,” “Eventually” and “Weeds.”

There’s really nothing that I can say about this album that isn’t better captured by the album itself.

(Note: Not on this album, but Beach Bunny recorded a version of their hit “Cloud 9” featuring Tegan and Sara.)

One of the things I like about having a handheld game system is that it gets me off the internet and away from my phone. I have a pretty short attention span and am typically much more of a social gamer. For example, I will wreck you at Super Smash Bros, probably with Incineroar or Pink Villager.

A Space for the Unbound is a story-driven game set in 1990s Indonesia, of all places. The story follows two high school sweethearts, Raya and Atma (pictured above), as they navigate the appearance of a strange supernatural power that is wreaking havoc on their community. The game also has strong themes, particularly around anxiety and depression.

I haven’t finished it yet, but if you’re a casual gamer or looking for something with relatively straightforward game play, it’s gorgeous with its pixelated visual style.

There are also lots and lots of cats. And yes, one of the objectives in the game is to pet them all.

You can play the game on most systems, including Steam and Nintendo Switch, for $19.99.

I cannot stop thinking about Cleveland.com’s Editor-in-Chief Chris Quinn tripling down on his decision to replace writers with “AI specialists.” Here’s my favorite response to all that nonsense, titled: “Cleveland Plain Dealer honcho Chris Quinn took time out of his busy schedule to crap all over journalism schools about their views on AI, despite not actually knowing their views on AI.”

Enjoy!