A roundup of noteworthy things I’ve played, read, listened to, or watched over the last few weeks. A bit late, as usual, so … not really late.
📚 “Childhood’s End” by Arthur C. Clarke – A classic scifi work, new to me. Enjoyable, and painted in broad-enough strokes to not feel super-old. I love reading these really old foundational works and then discovering their clear influences in other novels, movies, stories that came later.
🧩 “My little World” Round Puzzle by Londji & Cinta Vidal – Not strictly media, but D and I did spend an inordinate amount of time on this beautiful, circular, 500-piece jigsaw puzzle. Very meditative. Loved it. (A+)
🎤 “Shocks & Struts” by Kyle Kinane – Fun stand-up set by Kinane. Did LOL a few times. (A)
📺 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 2 (2023) – Something about SNW just feels right. Is it the simple one-story-per-episode structure? Is it Anson Mount’s fabulous hair, or Melissa Navia’s equally rad cut? The chemistry between the people on set? I don’t know, but it just works. We’re still in the middle of S02, and enjoying it a lot. (A)
🎮 Chorus – A space shootybang. Tight control, great presentation, but it just didn’t click with me. Apparently I’m not the kid anymore who played the shit out of Descent et al.
🎮 Everspace 2 – Another space looter-shooter. See Chorus, above.
🎤 “Greatest Bits, Vol. 1” by Kathleen Madigan – Super-solid standup set by a comedian I had never heard of before. I had fun! (B+)
🎮 Horizon Zero Dawn™ Complete Edition – I’ve almost 100%’d HZD on my PS4 Pro a few years back. I loved everything about it so very much. Since I don’t have a PS4 anymore, I decided to pick it up on GOG for PC, and give it a shot on my MacBook (M1 Pro) using Heroic Games Launcher and Whisky. I was surprised how relatively painless the installation is and how well it runs, even with everything set to High or Ultra. (A+)
Clarkesworld Magazine – I enjoy their “Let me read you a story” podcast, so I figured I’d go and pick a couple of their short stories at random. Here are a few that stood out to me:
German language stuff
Umgang mit Rechtsextremen: Seid unhöflich zu Demokratiefeinden! (Archiv), Der Tagesspiegel – “Wir müssen AfD-Wählerinnen nicht zurückholen. Sie sind keine entlaufenen Haustiere. Sie sind erwachsene Menschen, die sich kraft ihrer demokratisch verliehenen Stimme bewusst dazu entscheiden, Rechtsextreme zu wählen – und so unser Gemeinwesen zu sabotieren."
