Car update, letters, Avatar, etc
I took the car to the garage but the mechanics were out of their depth working on a hybrid. They recommended we make an appointment with the dealer, which is our next step. Apparently, our vehicle doesn’t have an alternator. Everyone we spoke to thought that was the problem. I know nothing about cars.
I’m realizing, though, even if I had reliable transportation, I might not be able to protest until my sciatica is a little better. Prolonged standing is hellish for me right now. It honestly feels like there is a knife in the back of my left thigh.
If the pain doesn’t improve in a few weeks, I guess I should look into a chiropractor or something. That said, some of the stuff that could be causing the issue, like carrying the kids, can’t be helped. The previous time I dealt with this, it eventually went away on its own. I just can’t remember how long it took.
So far, my last letter has appeared in Maine, Oregon and Texas newspapers. My next one will make the public-health case for more federal funding for cultivated-meat research. If you want to write your own letters, check this out:
Anyway, it’s time for (Cell) Culture Talk. Here are some of the things I’ve been playing and watching lately.
Game: Magic: The Gathering Arena. Remember that childhood friend I played paper Magic with during the pandemic? Well, we played online the other day and had a lot of fun. I want to make a regular thing of it. I’m hoping this will help us keep in better touch.
I collected all four copies of Unnatural Growth for my Big Green Robot deck. The card doubles your creatures’ stats. For instance, I recently had two copies out, so my transformed Rootwire Amalgam, a 15/15, became a 60/60. So ridiculous!
As cool as it is, I’m not sure if Unnatural Growth actually makes my deck better. My creatures were already pretty large and to make room for the enchantments I may have thrown off the balance. I’ve got to tinker with it some more.
Meanwhile, I got to Mythic tier in the Standard rankings with a new version of my Reinforced Ronin deck. Basically, I replaced everything that wasn’t part of that central dynamic of cards going in and out of play with removal spells. I also added four copies of Symmetry Matrix, which fits that dynamic.
Movie — The Lost City. This was a rewatch for me. I thought my wife might like it. Sandra Bullock stars as a romance novelist who goes on an unexpected adventure with the cover model for her books, played by Channing Tatum. It’s a very funny flick.
Movie — Avatar: The Way of Water. This was the first film I’ve watched on the big screen since Rise of Skywalker. I was able to catch the James Cameron sequel at my hometown cinema, the Palace Theater in Lake Placid. It’s a really cool spot with an organ from the silent-movie era.
I understand people who are critical of the Avatar franchise. It can be silly and derivative. What bothered me about the first entry was the romanticization of pre-industrial forms of animal exploitation. Still, I enjoyed it and and I enjoyed this new film.
I think the Way of Water would have benefited from a shorter run time. It felt like the story ground to a halt in the middle of the movie. Then again, some of that was in service of the whaling plotline, which I thought was handled well and wouldn’t want to cut.
Sports — Knicks lose to 76ers, 119-112. New York was leading for most of the game, but, in the end, the superior talent of Joel Embiid and James Harden won out. The Knicks just couldn’t seem to score in the fourth quarter.
Sports — Knicks lose to Mavericks, 126-121. I’ve mentioned before that I generally don’t catch these live. As a result, I often know whether a game will go into overtime based on the length of the stream I find. That was the case here, but I had a hard time believing it, since New York seemed to have a comfortable lead in the final minutes of regulation.
Still, the Knicks managed to squander it and lose in overtime. I’ve always heard what a once-in-a-generation player Luka Dončić is, but this is the first time I saw it for myself. He had a historic night with 60 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Sports — Knicks lose to Spurs, 122-115. New York was missing Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, who were out due to injury. Still, you’d hope they’d be able to beat San Antonio, who are expecting a high pick in next year’s draft. This was the Knicks fifth straight loss.