Sciatica, letters and culture talk
Happy holidays, everybody! I hope you and your family are well.
This sciatica, or whatever it is, is really doing a number on me. The pain ranges from mildly uncomfortable to excruciating. I was walking our dog recently and thought I might need to lie down on the trail.
I’m trying not to beat myself up too much about getting the car fixed. Things are just super hectic and it never feels like there’s time. I have to remind myself it’s better to bend a little bit than to break.
So far, my last letter has appeared in California, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Texas and Vermont newspapers. My next one will make the environmental case for increased public funding of cultivated-meat research. If you want to write your own letters, feel free to use the state email lists here:
Anyway, it’s time for (Cell) Culture Talk. Here is some of the stuff I’ve been playing, watching and listening to lately.
Game — Magic: The Gathering Arena. I got to Diamond Tier 1 in the Standard rankings with my Big Green Robot deck. For balance, I’ve added some small artifact-creatures, which can grow larger, like Patchwork Automaton and Foreboding Statue.
The most important addition, though, is four copies of Glorious Sunrise. All the abilities are great, but trample is probably the most useful. Transforming Rootwire Amalgam into a 15/15 creature doesn’t do much good when it can be stymied by an endless parade of 1/1 tokens.
On a side note, I’m not sure I fully appreciated how great Clay Champion is when I first put it in my deck. Getting an 8/8 creature out on turn four is awesome. I still have my eyes on a bunch of other cards I want to add. I see room for improvement.
Movie — You’ve Got Mail. I have a soft spot for this film. It was a favorite of my mom’s when I was a teenager, so I’ve seen it quite a bit. Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks, and dial-up internet connection. What’s not to love? The poster is framed in my living room.
Movie — Two Weeks Notice. This isn’t a top-tier Sandra Bullock or Hugh Grant flick, but it’s pretty fun. Also, was Heather Burns the go-to sidekick in turn of the century romantic comedies? I looked up her Wikipedia and not only is she in this and You’ve Got Mail, she’s in Miss Congeniality.
Movie — Father of the Bride. My wife was outraged I hadn’t seen this! After watching the 1991 comedy, I get it. The film is super funny and sweet. I’m realizing I haven’t seen much of Steve Martin’s filmography.
Movie — Father of the Bride Part II. In this one, the titular character’s daughter and wife are pregnant. It might be funnier than the first film? Evidently they made a third, but it’s a short. We’ll have to watch that at some point.
Sports — Knicks beat Pacers, 109-106. Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson played so well in the final few minutes of this close game. I don’t know how they did it. I was just watching at home the next day and was a bundle of nerves.
Sports — Knicks beat Warriors, 132-94. Steph Curry was out, but we’ll take the victory. It felt like New York was up by 20 points or more the entire game. In classic Tom Thibodeau fashion, the coach was still losing his mind when the team made petty mistakes.
Sports — Knicks lose to Raptors, 113-106. Oof, this game snapped New York’s eight-game-winning streak, their best since the ‘We Here’ season. I thought they might be able to pull it out toward the end, but they couldn’t quite manage it.
Sports — Knicks lose to Bulls, 118-117. Last night’s game was a heartbreaker. I’m sure Jalen Brunson is kicking himself about those final missed free throws. It’s a pity, because RJ Barrett was having a near-career-high performance, with 44 points.
Music — The Gift by Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel. This was another holiday album that seemed like it was playing in my childhood home all through December. I’m not sure who the musicians are, but they do excellent work here. It’s very mellow, without vocals.