Now & As of Late

The /now page is a concept developed by Derek Sivers where folks share whatever is important to them at this particular now. It’s kind of like a more fluid /about page.

Books

• Doppelganger by Naomi Klein
• Sedated by James Davies
• What Moves the Dead by T Kingfisher
• Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Videogames

• Stardew Valley — The 1.6 update has me fiending
• Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom — Mildly obsessed with the atmosphere and ecology of the Depths
• Hyperlight Drifter — The enchanting richness of the narrative, especially without using any dialogue, is masterful in this gorgeous, atmospheric, and rewardingly challenging game

Movies

• Escape from New York — Wacky dystopia featuring eyepatched Kurt Russel as ‘Snake Plissken’
• The Substance — A chilling and absurd body horror taking aim at how women are manipulated and exploited by the beauty industry
• The ‘Burbs — A silly comedy horror with Tom Hanks

Food & drink

• Polish bigos home cooked by a culinarily talented friend
• Deep fried gravy from Amsterdam’s hot food vending machines
• A negroni cocktail I named the Buttery Minx consisting of equal parts gin, Madera, and coffee liquer

Travel & excursions

• Striezelmarkt in Dresden
• Berlin
• Amsterdam
• Naples & Sorrento

Thoughts, ideas, impressions

The surprising lack of public transit after midnight in Amsterdam and, in comparison, abundance of public transit options at all hours here in Dresden, Germany

The clashes between individualistic/medicalized views vs systemic/social views of mental health (check out Jesse Meadows’ substack Sluggish for some great essays)

The extent to which the DSM centers work (and that which interferes with work) in defining symptoms and dysfunction

Reframing history education as lessons in world building as a way to trick my brain into engaging with the material more

Admiration for the vision, drive, and diverse talents of solo game developers like Eric Barone (Stardew Valley) and Chris Sawyer (RollerCoaster Tycoon)

The special place in my heart for movies that take place in (or close to) the span of a night (Die Hard, Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, Labyrinth, Coherence, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf)