Little things to do each day
Welcome back to The Intertwixt. Finding subscribers, even to something free, is hard. I sometimes feel in my life that little posts go out in the ocean like those messages in a bottle. You don’t know who’s ever going to see them. And then sometimes you hear from someone that they watch your videos and it makes you feel better for a bit. Then it’s that messages-into-the-ocean feeling again.
Sometimes I have days where I’m restless and scared and antsy. I have this little checklist I try to do at least some of most days, and I definitely make sure I’ve done some of them any day I don’t feel so great. So far, it’s helped, I think. I’ve come to love them. I’ll share them with you. I thought it would be a nice thing on this fifth edition of a journey into the newsletter unknown.
Walk 10,000 steps. It’s basic, it’s not an absolute measure. But in bursts it gets me out and walking. The more I do the more I do. It kind of kickstarts everything, but some days it doesn’t happen, because, well, things.
Meditate. I never believed in meditation, and I still don’t fully understand. Friends told me to do it. I tried. Now I tend to 20 minutes at a time, because it feels like I need at least that much time to get in at least a few minutes of good space. I also silently say a mantra word to myself, which I find removes focus from my own mind. Just enough that I can drift…and I don’t judge any of my thoughts that pop up. Breathe, quietly think-say the word, and let twenty minutes pass. I find it very helpful.
10 minutes of free writing. I set a timer, and let go. Lately I also draw a tarot card and reflect off that. It’s a journal, it’s a rant, it’s a way to sprint with words. It’s another form of meditation.
A 30-minute cardio workout in VR. You can choose what you like, but I use a Quest 3 and a mix of Supernatural and Beat Saber, maybe mixing in other stuff like Starwave. I get seriously sweaty, and pair an Apple Watch for Supernatural. I use a silicone facial insert because the foam would get disgusting.
Ok, one more I’ve added: weights. I’m up to 15 pounds and I do arm curls and a few other lifts, and I do squats. I’m also trying knee push-ups. I have no idea what I’m doing but I follow some instructions online. I should get a trainer.
I keep track of what I’ve done on Streaks, and I just see what I can get to. But I know when I attend to these, even a couple, I feel better. I don’t feel as end-of-the-day anxious. I feel more balanced.
Or, at the least, I say to myself: if I’m not feeling great today, have I done at least a few of these? If not, start. They don’t take long. Fold one in.
Now let’s take a tangent, to games and tech and the week that was.
Blippo+ is full of slipstream programming. (Credit: Popaganda)
Games galore: Pokemon approaches, and Hades II/Blippo+
I found myself buried in games this week, and only got to write about one. Pokemon Legends Z-A coming October 16 is fun from my brief demo, but I’m not a huge PokeMan. My son is. I also thought about Epic Universe and some kind of theme parky thoughts while playing a demo a few weeks ago. Lumiose City seems like a good place to build a theme park recreation of.
Hades II came out in a 1.0 “final” version this week, and also hit Switch and Switch 2. I’ve started playing for the first time, and it’s great…but in that “good memories of Hades” way. Much like Hollow Knight Silksong, I feel like I should go back and play the first one again too.
And some belated love for Blippo+, a weird sort of intergalactic cable TV simulation that hit consoles and PC in a color version, but has been on Panic Playdate via its Season 2 of games for months. I’ve been a fan of the odd Meow Wolfy feelings I get scanning kitschy retro alien channels, trying to figure out a story or thread. I prefer the Playdate experience simply because it’s so small and surprising on there, a one-bit fuzzy feed that seems even more impossible.
Meta’s CTO Bosworth tells me about where Meta Ray-Ban Displays could go next
I had a sit-down video interview with Bosworth (aka Boz) at Meta Connect and it’s live now to watch, or read the highlights. I found the insights fascinating. We talked entirely about the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and Neural Band debuting next week that I talked about last week.
Meta’s not making truly adaptive moves with the neural band yet, but that’s a “phase two” goal. Also, that band could end up on a watch or fitness tracker next. Bosworth also suggested two-handed typing with two bands, maybe, someday.
And Meta realizes that the neural band could be a universal controller someday, but that’ll require other devices and manufacturers to get onboard to support it. That’s unlikely anytime soon, but down the road, neural wristbands or similar gestural tech could evolve cross-device functions. How many other companies will be trying to pursue the same thing?
I’m going to try to see One Battle After Another, which I’m obsessed with, as I keep re-reading Italo Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler for a book club with friends.
Have a good weekend, see you next week.