D&F 11-15-20
Can you believe we’re halfway through November? Despite the sameness of many days during this mostly-constant quarantine, this year is somehow flying by. For a lot of my friends, this week was a big one for a tiny iPhone Mini, or a giant PS5. I got the big, big Sony machine in the mail on Friday, and immediately dove back into the updated No Man’s Sky; flying around procedurally generated planets in my purple spaceship never looked so good.
Our election is thankfully over in the states, and Biden won. Do you think we’ll get to see Tenet in our homes before the shit in charge gives in and admits it? Tenet comes out on December 15th supposedly, so place your bets.
Here’s some music for this clown car of a year:
Strap-in, today’s a little longer than usual!
Links
- It’s a real bummer that when the pandemic is finally over, so many neighborhood restaurants and stores will be closed. In Japan, ramen shops are boarding up instead of gouging their customers to stay in business. I don’t know about you, but that kind of attitude is exactly. what I want to see more in the world. More affordable ramen for the every person. Also the chart in this article on the price of ramen helped me understand just how long these delicious noodles have been inexpensive. 昭和 prices in a 令和 world.
- On Saturday I rewatched Akira and started Serial Experiments Lain all over again. There’s something to be said for these two very strange and beautiful anime about self-actualization and nirvana.
- I grew up in fairly run-of-the-mill evangelical sect that fully believed in the end of the world and the eventual second-coming. It turns-out the things I learned in the backwoods might serve me well now still. If nothing else, I can do a lot of weird outdoorsy things that you wouldn’t expect. Also I’ve shot some truly wild guns.
- Continuing the mild bummer, I really enjoy Anne Helen Peterson’s newsletter, and this last week’s was all about the “social safety net” that women provide in the states. We seriously won’t be able to advance gender justice and equity until we also deal with the massive lack of living wages and healthcare.
- How do I keep track of these links? Things! Every time I find something cool, I paste it into Things in a project called Weekly Links. Other folks I know swear by Raindrop.io which is specifically a bookmark manager, but I like having all my links in my task list, so that when I tap “write newsletter” I get directed to the part of the app with links, plus the Drafts section of iAWriter with cool URLs like:
ia-writer://open?path=Drafts
things:///show?id=123-456-789 - In case you don’t like digital todo apps, perhaps you’d enjoy these cards?
- While you’re at it, maybe you need small minimal shelf?
Closing
Please don’t go to a large gathering for the holidays! Virus cases are on the rise, and I’d love to know that my readers are taking it easy and keeping themselves and their family safe! Thanksgiving is my birthday this year, but I plan to stay home, and at most drink outside with two or three people at a distance. It’s just not worth it to do more.
OK. PSA over.
Is there anything you’re really looking forward to during the colder months? What’s your favorite cozy item or way to make the most of these long, crisp, beautiful nights? Any scents or flavors you associate with fall and winter? Personally, I love glogg and risgryngot while it’s cold. Nothing like mulled wine and some rice pudding to really liven-up the season. Also don’t forget about hot pot and salted fishes. However you enjoy your fall, I look forward to hearing about it, and testing-out other folks’ hygge traditions.