OT: What’re we watching/reading/playing?

[The Note]

Most of us (excluding those of you working frontline jobs, we thank you!) probably have a lot more free time these days. How are you filling it? Personally I’ve been reading a lot more (finished Dispatches by Michael Herr, a really tremendous book about his experiences as a correspondent on the ground during the Vietnam War) and have now started SPQR by Mary Beard. SPQR covers how Rome went from middling village to the empire we think of today. Recommend both highly. I’ve also been playing a ton of COD Warzone with my buddies (a good way to stay connected!) and Civ 6 on PS4. The controls don’t pull over quite as well on console from PC but it’s still a great strategy game. So, what say you, HFBlues? Any recommendations to kill some time until we (hopefully) restore something sense of normalcy?

Click to read more...

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m working more, fishing and working out.

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

Civ is the way to go.

I've been on a Long Lost Family kick, so I cry a lot now

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I’ve been working like normal.

In the last month, non-work stuff I’ve read includes The Mongoliad- Neil Stephenson, Greg Bear and others,
Fifth Season, Shattered Earth - Jemeson
Cerebus High Society - Sims
Consider Phlebas, Player of Games - Iain M Banks

Been playing online board games with friends mostly, including
1830, 1889, Bios-Genesis, The Great Zimbabwe, Brass, and Mansions of Madness
Also play some Legos Harry Potter on XBox with my wife.

Ill be surprised if anyone here knows any of those games. Most of that reading is sci-fi stuff.

 

[BlueKnight]

I got more free time since work shut down. I've been doing lots of house projects. Lots of cooking and baking. Watching a lot of Netflix, Youtube, Twitch etc. Also been playing a lot of computer games and sims with friends. I spent the past week playing a new game.

 

[bluebird enthusiast]

Video games and YouTube and stuff got old a while ago for me, so I picked up a Kindle Unlimited trial and started reading everything they'd give me with the word "Dragon" in the title because I'm a fantasy degenerate. Now that I've started reading again, I've discovered how hopelessly connected I am to my phone. It's like I subconsciously check it every time I finish a chapter or something. I hope I can get back some sense of patience after this is all over.

I am very determined to learn how to solder this week, too. I'd like to pick it up because I'm meaning to work on a custom keyboard that finally came in last week. Hopefully I don't burn myself too much.

 

[simon IC]

I spend at least two hours a day walking. I brisk walk on and off. Fortunately, I live in a very quiet neighbourhood, so I can easily practice social distancing. I find the walks therapeutic. I spend the rest of my team reading. I subscribed to the NYTimes, the Washington Post, The Newyorker and the Atlantic magazines, and the Athletic. I also spend a lot of time on the CBC news website, and the BBC. I bought a bunch of Ebooks, mostly British and European history, but I haven't started a single one. My news and magazines take up most of my time. There just isn't enough time in a day to read everything! When I get sick of news I listen to my favourite music on YouTube. Oh, and of course there is HF.

 

[stl76]

I've been working a lot. Not a "front line" job, for the record, but still didn't have a single day off between 4/13-5/6...lot of long hours in between as well.

Other than that, been doing some body weight exercises and going on longer bike rides to try to stay active. Enjoying jazzfesting in place @ www.wwoz.org, lot of great music on there! Currently reading The Big Sleep when I get a chance, but also a very healthy dose of streaming TV/movies: catching up on The Walking Dead, The Last Dance, the new Ghost in the Shell on netflix (meh), ect. I watch a lot of movies, so won't list them all. Did finally got around to seeing the new Star Wars last night tho, which wasn't my favorite. Zooming and facetiming with friends/family has been a god send. Had a fun cinco de mayo zoom call last week with a bunch of the guys I play hockey with. Going to have a some mother's day facetime calls tomorrow.

All-in-all, I'm really fortunate - still have a job and able to work remotely, family is all healthy/safe, ect. The biggest hardships I've had to endure have been working some long hours, and not having hockey to watch or play.

Anyone else drinking more than usual? I'm not drinking to excess, but I've found myself having a beer/glass of wine/cocktail most nights lately (where as usually I would only drink 1-2 nights a week).

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

I now have a beard...

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

I now have a beard...

A big full one

I took 8 weeks off work, called a sabbatical were I work , now I want to show my workmates. I'm proud of my beard.

I go back to work in less than 2 weeks.

The problem is that I'm a first responder at work. A shaved face is needed to wear a respirator.

Grrr

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m working more, fishing and working out.

And playing more golf. Been getting out once per week.

 

[Celtic Note]

Been watching a ton of guitar videos, playing guitar, drinking a lot more than normal and playing mobile COD.

I should be reading and listening to podcasts, but I haven’t gotten there yet.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I've been working a lot. Not a "front line" job, for the record, but still didn't have a single day off between 4/13-5/6...lot of long hours in between as well.

Other than that, been doing some body weight exercises and going on longer bike rides to try to stay active. Enjoying jazzfesting in place @ www.wwoz.org, lot of great music on there! Currently reading The Big Sleep when I get a chance, but also a very healthy dose of streaming TV/movies: catching up on The Walking Dead, The Last Dance, the new Ghost in the Shell on netflix (meh), ect. I watch a lot of movies, so won't list them all. Did finally got around to seeing the new Star Wars last night tho, which wasn't my favorite. Zooming and facetiming with friends/family has been a god send. Had a fun cinco de mayo zoom call last week with a bunch of the guys I play hockey with. Going to have a some mother's day facetime calls tomorrow.

All-in-all, I'm really fortunate - still have a job and able to work remotely, family is all healthy/safe, ect. The biggest hardships I've had to endure have been working some long hours, and not having hockey to watch or play.

Anyone else drinking more than usual? I'm not drinking to excess, but I've found myself having a beer/glass of wine/cocktail most nights lately (where as usually I would only drink 1-2 nights a week).

Supreme Court Overturns The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

 

[mk80]

My list is all over the place in terms of interest, here's a list of the main things in each category:

Reading: None
Watching: The Last Dance, all my Hogan's Heroes DVDs, Avatar the Last Airbender, re-watching and critiquing all my hockey broadcasts from this season, and re-watching The Mandalorian.
Playing: CIV 6 (PC), Europa Universalis 4 (PC), Planet Zoo (PC), Battlefield 4 (PS4), Spyro Reignited Trilogy(PS4)

Bonus: Working on improving my graphic design skills, and working on my portfolio.

 

[Brockon]

Reading :
Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a f***
Training manuals for my new position

Watching :
2019 Cup Run
Altered Carbon

Playing :
Diablo 3

Also rebuilding fences on a few of my uncle's rental properties around town with the help of my younger brother.

 

[Hrkac Circus]

I've been watching "The Last Kingdom". It's a dramatized look at the Dane/Saxon struggles during the formative years of England. I've been re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series.

 

[Celtic Note]

Reading :
Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a f***
Training manuals for my new position

Watching :
2019 Cup Run
Altered Carbon

Playing :
Diablo 3

Also rebuilding fences on a few of my uncle's rental properties around town with the help of my younger brother.

Big fan of Altered Carbon

 

[Brian39]

I'm still working, but there is less to do for a number of reasons (all jury trials from March 16-July 6 have been postponed plus law enforcement has been instructed to summons and release less-serious offenses. July is going to suuuuuuuuuck). I've gone from working 50 hours a week to 20-30 for now, so my free time has increased.

Outdoor Hobby: Hiking. I live in the mountains and we are allowed to recreate within our county, which leaves me with several hundred miles of trails to explore. The decrease in hours has meant that I'm on a trail more days than not. I'm in shape for a week long section hike of the Colorado Trail later this summer if restrictions on camping are lifted. I feel very fortunate to live in a small town surrounded by nature during this.

Gaming: Replaying the Mass Effect trilogy, which is my favorite gaming franchise outside of Zelda. When I want to zone out a bit more I'm playing NHL Legacy on PS3, which is the most recent NHL game I own. My girlfriend and I have played way too many games of Sequence over the last couple months as well. Civ 6 for Switch has been tempting me, but that is a game I just can't play when I have any real-world responsibilities.

Listening: I'm going through my vinyl collection in alphabetical order. I got tired of picking what to listen to, so I'm just going straight through.

Watching: Lots of movies/documentaries that have sat in my queue for months-years, The Office, The Wire, The Last Dance and plowing through last year's playoff run.

Reading: Homicide by David Simon and The Dark Tower by Stephen King. This is my 3rd time starting the Dark Tower and I'm committed to actually finishing it this time.

 

[Brian39]

Big fan of Altered Carbon

I finished the 2nd season pretty much as soon as it came out, so it hasn't been in my quarantine lineup.

Since we are talking about good sci-fi series I have to mention The Expanse too.

 

[joe galiba]

Reading lots of sci-fi/fantasy on Kindle
just started rereading Shelby Foote's Civil War history trilogy of books
playing Panzer Corps 2 and Strategic Command WWII on computer and replaying Baldur's Gate on iPad
re-watching Farscape and Psych, just started season 3 of The Expanse
(also reading news sites opposite of some on here, just to try and bring balance to the force )
after years of just reading HF, I started posting, how desperate is that!

work hasn't changed for me, this is just filling the no hockey/baseball/high school soccer void
I am really f-ing missing hockey
I even miss the Petro is really good, no - he is too soft arguments

 

[Lord Helix]

delete

 

[Celtic Note]

I finished the 2nd season pretty much as soon as it came out, so it hasn't been in my quarantine lineup.

Since we are talking about good sci-fi series I have to mention The Expanse too.

Same here!

I will have to check out the Expanse

 

[Celtic Note]

Reading: Nothing, as of yet.
Watching: Ozark and Insatiable
Playing: Smite, Battlefront 2, NBA 2k20, and this...

(hit me up for my PSN tag if you want to play)

I like Ozark a lot.

that guitar is quite stunning. PRS?

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

Same here!

I will have to check out the Expanse

My wife is friends with both authors of the Expanse books, and I’ve hung out with both guys before this was published, certainly before the show was a thing. It’s cool to see how it’s grown. I’m terribly biased, but I think the series (both novels and the TV show) stand on their own quality. Highest recommendations.

My favorite line from Season 4:
“Are you alive?”
“I’m acing my Turing test!”

 

[Lord Helix]

delete