Murderbot is among the top 3 shows this year that have truly surprised me (in a good way). The far-future show–based on a series of novellas by Martha Wells–follows a small group of space hippies who head to a planet for some research, and the sponsoring company requires that a security robot accompany them. That’s … Read more
I haven’t played fantasy football for many years, but I tried it this year after hearing about a new “guillotine” format, and I’m really enjoying it. I’m curious if it could work elsewhere too. The idea is that the players on your team earn points based on their real-life performance, and your team’s points accumulate … Read more
Pixar’s latest movie, Elio, is a prime example of the importance of clear marketing: I really enjoyed the movie, but before watching it I wasn’t aware of any hook that would entice me to watch it. Actually, the hook is there, but it’s kind of an awkward hook to promote: Elio is a movie about … Read more
Last week, I walked into my home office in the morning and opened the blinds to see a beautiful bird sitting on the windowsill outside. It had a long beak, brown feathers with speckles, and it seemed like a juvenile. Instead of just enjoying the moment, I reached for my phone, and the sudden movement … Read more
The weather was amazing in St. Louis, so I spent a significant amount of time outside: In addition to the Tower Grove farmer’s market and disc golf at Willmore Park, we attended the hot air balloon glow on Friday evening and a cheese tasting at a local farm on Sunday afternoon. There’s a big annual … Read more
It’s very rare that I see a musician live in concert; I think the last time may have been Me Like Bees, several years ago. But a few friends were interested in seeing Lucy Dacus here in St. Louis, so we made dinner plans and bought tickets to the Monday show (an interesting night for … Read more
When I heard that a spinoff of The Office was finally happening, I was incredibly excited, especially since Greg Daniels is still at the helm. Having watched season 1 on Peacock–yes, the full season was available right away–I can say that I enjoyed the show and am curious about where it’s headed. The “documentary” crew … Read more
Every six months I update my top 10 favorite tabletop games list. For this list, I looked back at most of my top 10 videos over the last few years for games that were ranked 1 and 2 multiple times (for any type of list, most of which focus on a specific mechanism), and I … Read more
I’m enchanted by the first book of a duology by Rebecca Ross, Divine Rivals. This is essentially a historical fiction novel, but with a dash of mythology and magic. Divine Rivals follows two competing journalists in the city of Oath with war as a not-so-distant backdrop to their lives…until one of them decides to go … Read more
I’ve known for a long time that I have some specific social anxiety. I first had an inkling of it at happy hours in my 20s, as I found small talk (especially among mostly strangers) to be exhausting. I chalked it up to introversion at the time. I attended a wedding around 15 years ago … Read more