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 October 20.
Daniel Bader
I've spent most of the week watching The Good Place on Netflix, which has proven to be among the funniest shows I've consumed in a long time.
The show, by Michael Schur, is both irreverent and brilliant — a woman, played the amazing Kristen Bell, wakes up to realize she's in a not-quite-heaven that's run by Ted Danson. The premise sounds a little absurd, and it is, but the formula works incredibly well thanks to sharp jokes, a diverse set of interesting characters, and a writing team that isn't afraid to mess with the audience.
The first season is on Netflix right now and the second is airing on NBC.
Ara Wagoner
So, I could use a little comedy right now, and I don't think I'm alone. Patton Oswalt's new stand-up special Annihilation came out this week, and it makes me want to laugh and cry in equal measure. Oswalt is an amazing comedian/actor/creator/twitter god, and last year, his wife suddenly passed away. This is his first special since then, and half the special is devoted to his wife's death, his and his family's recovery, and it is as gut-wrenching as it is side-splitting.
At the beginning of that section, Oswalt recounts the philosophical debate he and his wife carried on, with him believing that there might be some greater plan at work while his wife says "It's chaos, be kind". The last year has shown us all that if there is a plan out there, it is quite obviously beyond any of our comprehension, but Michelle McNamara's words ring just as true today.
It's chaos, be kind.
Tom Westrick
For whatever reason, I am on a bit of a Jazz kick this week. I've spent the day listening to this radio station, and I've really enjoyed it. It has been a bit interesting to have the voices of my coworkers mixed in with a sultry saxophone solo, though. I also finished listening to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, which I recommend to anyone.
As for reading, I'm still working through the digital pile of Batman comics I bought a few weeks back. My favorite story so far is easily The Batgirl of Burnside saga, and I recommend it to anyone into comics. Speaking of things that are batty, I'm finally watching Batman Beyond, even though I've had it in my Plex library for about a year now. Better late than never, right?
Marc Lagace
It was an inevitability, and yet it still hit like a ton of bricks.
On Wednesday, Canada learned that Gord Downie, the frontman and lead singer for the iconic band The Tragically Hip, had passed away after a lengthy battle with brain cancer. The country had learned of his diagnosis in May of 2016, and by summer's end the band had concluded a final farewell tour across Canada. culminated in a final show played from Downie's home town of Kingston, Ont., which was broadcast live coast-to-coast on CBC as one-third of Canada tuned in to say goodbye.
If you live outside of Canada, there's a good chance you've never heard Gord or The Tragically Hip. For over 30 years, Downie wrote beautifully poetic songs from a uniquely Canadian perspective and his cultural impact within Canada will likely be felt for generations. It's hard to compare Downie's impact within Canada to outsiders, but The New York Times may have put it best: "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada's national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you're getting close."
The fact that Downie doubled down on his efforts to shine a light on Canada's disgraceful residential school legacy while his health deteriorated illustrates just how compassionate and caring Downie was away from the limelight of the stage. He will be greatly missed from coast to coast, but will live on through his music which will remain on heavy rotation around my house for the foreseeable future. RIP Gord.
Joe Maring
As mentioned in last week's post, I started diving into John Green's Turtles All The Way Down. Granted it's been a hot minute since I read one of Green's novel, but I can say with certainty that this is one of his best. The continuous conversation of mental illness is eye-opening, and one that's important to have. I'm only a few chapters in so far, but I'm already hooked.
I've still been watching through "The Good Place" and "Silicon Valley", but more of my time this week was spent relistening to a lot of The xx. The group's latest album is "I See You", and even though it came out back in January, I suggest going through it again if it's been a while since your last listen (or if you never got a chance to check it out in the first place).
"Performance" and "Test Me" are particularly haunting, and with the total album only about 39-minutes long, it's an easy listen from start to end.
Your turn
What are YOU reading, watching, or listening to this week? Let us know in the comments!
Update, October 20, 2017: This is a weekly series where we tell you what we're into, so check back every Friday!
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