How we're spending our leisure time.
Everyone has a bit of quiet downtime once in a while. Whether you're sitting quietly at home or trying to relax on a plane or just giving your busy mind and hands a break, it's important to relax.
A good way to do that is to read a book, listen to some music or watch a movie or show. See what's caught our attention for the week of November 11.
Daniel Bader
I've had precious little time for movies and TV shows this week, but since I am always walking my dog, I've started trying to catch up on the many podcasts I missed over the summer.
My go-to podcasts are usually not tech-related, since I spend most of my day immersed in the insular community of the tech-obsessed, but somehow Gimlet's Reply All manages to transcend the monotony by focusing mainly on the people involved in stories about the internet. If you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend listening to a two-part series called "Long Distance" and "Long Distance Part II". They're incredibly relatable, funny, and just plain smart, and they're eminently listenable.
I also listened to a very interesting interview with Michael Lewis, author of The Big Short and Moneyball, on NPR's Fresh Air. He talks about how the transition between the Obama and Trump governments didn't go so smoothly, and that there's a lot we don't know about how the various departments, including the Departments of Energy and Agriculture, are being run today.
Ara Wagoner
Ancient Magus' Bride's beauty finally comes to life in the new anime!
Funimation has finally brought their anime streaming service to the set-top with their Android TV app, and I've been using it to binge on new anime seasons and old.
I'm finally galloping into A Centaur's Life and I'm fangirling like crazy over the long-awaited anime for Ancient Magus Bride, which is as beautiful as it is enchanting.
Tom Westrick
I decided to follow my coworkers' lead and watched the first season of The Good Place on Netflix this last week. I can confirm it is indeed good, and I'm looking forward to catching up on the second season episodes soon. I have zero interest in buying any sort of smart stuff for my home, but I'd be intrigued by a speaker that lets me set "Janet" as the trigger word.
I also went to see Thor Ragnarok with some old friends this past weekend, and I enjoyed it a lot. I think the message about focusing on making connections with people instead of places was presented well, and I loved seeing a Hulk that spoke in complete sentences. I hope in the future we get a version of the Smart Hulk, which was a phase that Hulk went through in the comics where he could actually access Bruce Banner's intellect.
Harish Jonnalagadda
I missed out on the NES Classic last year, and I wasn't going to make the same mistake this time around with the SNES Classic. I pre-ordered it the second it as soon as the listing was up on Best Buy, and the retailer managed to deliver it on launch day. It took slightly longer to get it to India, but that's a story for another time.
As for the console itself, Nintendo has done a magnificent job in terms of replicating the design of the SNES. Everything from the size to the purple power and reset buttons and the controllers hearken back to the early '90s, and I love it. I'm looking forward to an entire weekend playing Contra and Super Mario World.
Marc Lagace
As a fan of the Green Bay Packers still trying to deal with the reality of Aaron Rodgers season-ending collarbone injury, I've been trying to find things to distract me for the remainder of the NFL season.
This has led me to discover the 30 For 30 Podcast, a series of audio documentaries about sports in a similar vein to ESPN's acclaimed 30 For 30 documentary series. Just like the video documentary series, the 30 For 30 Podcast does deep dives not only into the stories behind iconic moments or performances in sports, but also the wider cultural impact through interviews with the people behind the stories.
The first season of the podcast was released over the summer and the second season is set to start November 14. In the meantime, there are bonus episodes called 30for30+ that dive a little deeper into some of the televised documentaries. The most recent focused on the documentary "Nature Boy" which was about professional wrestling legend Ric Flair. It was a really fascinating listen and a great primer for the upcoming season of original audio documentaries.
Joe Maring
This week, my video watching hasn't changed much. I'm still working through Silicon Valley, Stranger Things 2, and this latest season of The Good Place.
As you can see, I've never been taught the art of binge-watching.
However, an even bigger reason for me taking so long to work through these shows is because of Call of Duty: World War II. I've been a fan of the Call of Duty franchise since I can remember, and after flying through space in Infinite Warfare last year, it feels fantastic to jump back into the classic WWII setting.
The gameplay is as tight as ever, the mixture of different modes allows for countless hours of fun, and new additions like Headquarters (despite being broken at the moment) add a nice sense of newness that's really appreciated. In case you couldn't tell, I've really been liking this game.
Hayato Huseman
I might be biased because they're my friends, but I can't stop listening to The Contortionist's new release Clairvoyant. I love heavier music, but this album takes a slight step away from the band's progressive metal nature and focuses more on melody, tension, and layering. It's one of those albums that takes a few listens to really take in, but I'm absolutely in love with it.
I've also been checking out a lot of Donny McCaslin's work lately. He's the figurehead of jazz as far as I'm concerned; last year's album Beyond Now is an absolute masterpiece, and David Bowie liked his work so much that he hired his ensemble to perform on Blackstar. Definitely worth a listen.
If you're into camera talk, my favorite podcast as of late has been Hey Indie Filmmakers, with Griffin Hammond and Nick Bodmer. Griffin's always been my go-to guy on YouTube whenever I want to learn more about Panasonic cameras, independent video work, and things I wouldn't normally think much about — like liability insurance, drone laws, and what to do in the event of content theft.
Your turn
What are YOU reading, watching, or listening to this week? Let us know in the comments!
Update, November 11, 2017: This is a weekly series where we tell you what we're into, so check back every Friday or Saturday!
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