The Friday High Five

Stuff I'm into, for December 16, 2022

NBC

By way of a quick introduction: I’m still figuring out exactly what this newsletter should be. What do I want to write about here (as opposed to on Medium, for instance), and what would be valuable to you, the reader. I cribbed this idea from author and life-hacker Tim Ferriss, who sends a list of 5 things every Friday. The alliteration appeals to me and I like the idea of sharing the stuff I’m digging at the moment. Plus, everybody loves a good list.

Stuff I’m Watching

I am loving Trying on Apple TV. It’s a cute show about a pair of British 30-somethings who are trying to start a family. Funny and life affirming. Not as good as Ted Lasso—what is?—but a good alternative until Season 3 drops. Really appreciate that episodes are only 30 minutes long—I don’t always have the time or stomach for an hour-long drama.

Stuff I’m Reading

I tend to be a distracted reader. I always have multiple books going at one time. It’s admittedly not the best way to read but I’m never bored.

• Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation: I was at my peak gaming years between the late 80s and early 90s (read: a teenager with zero responsibilities). The title of this book is absolutely correct—it was a console war. Not really a fan of the book’s faux narrative style—there is a lot of dialogue, which while fun to read, isn’t realistic given this stuff happened over 30 years ago—but it’s great fun seeing what was going on behind the scenes.

• Stocks for the Long Run: checked this out from the library after I saw a YouTube clip of the author (Jeremy Siegel) and he struck me as both knowledgeable and no-nonsense. Thought I was going to get investment tips, but the book starts out with a lot of history about the market itself. Currently reading about the 2008 crisis. He’s verbose so I’m skimming a lot, but it’s interesting.

Stuff I’m Playing

I’ve been replaying Bioshock Infinite for the last month or so. I started it a long time ago on the Xbox 360 but never got too far into it. Playing it on Xbox One through the magic of technology interoperability. Anyway, having a grand time shooting people across sky cities and ingesting bizarre chemicals that grant cool powers.

Stuff I’m Listening To

John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together. The greatest Christmas album of all-time? Well, I think so anyway.

Stuff I’ve Written

A list of stuff I’ve published around the web in the past week.

• Why I Canceled Xbox Live After 20 Years (The Gamer)

• 10 Game of Thrones Characters That Deserved Better Endings (Slashfilm)

• The 10 Best Fight Scenes in The Lord of the Rings, Ranked (Slashfilm)

• Star Wars Rankings - Updated (Medium)

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What are you into at the moment? Drop a comment and let me know! Don’t be shy. :)