Zero Lives: 2023/01/23
Oh, hey there. How ya doin’? It’s been a while. Well, pull up a chair, and let’s get reacquainted. It feels like life has been moving at 900mph and I’m doing what I can to hold on. Man, it really does feel like a blur.
I opened an Etsy shop and have been investing a lot of time into that. I put together a book that’s a compilation of all my 2022 artwork. I’m trying to diversify and branch out. Plus, a few extra bucks for years’ worth of hard work doesn’t hurt, right?
Work has been challenging. I’ve been dealing with nasty bouts of anxiety and depression, which have made it difficult to sit and write. It makes me a little insecure that I’ve not been as “reliable” as I used to be. However, the upside is that a change to my meds has helped and I’m trying to be more disciplined about it. Hence, this newsletter actually getting out.
I need to focus less on the future and legacy and more on the here and now. I lost sight of living in the present and taking care of what was right in front of me. Life is a series of small steps and I’ve been focused on the finish line for what feels like years. It’s time I stopped and enjoyed where I am.
What I’m Playing
Destiny 2 - I’m hitting a breaking point with Destiny 2. The content is all the same and week after week I’m being forced to run the same mission. I loved Operation: Seraph’s Shield at first, but a literal month of being forced to run it has left me a little salty towards it. I’m still covering it for work but otherwise am done playing for fun until Lightfall hits at the end of February.
Mass Effect 2 - It’s still my favorite in the series and this playthrough was just as brilliant as I remember it being. I managed to get my entire team through the suicide mission, which I’ll admit, had me extremely worried. Instead, we came through with flying colors and were ready for the third installment in the series.
Mass Effect 3 - What the actual fuck did the Alliance do to the Normandy!? There are pipes, wires, and tarps everywhere. Someone had the audacity to box up all my model ships and I found my space hamster wandering down in the engineering deck. All of my fish have completely fucked off…I blame Major Anderson for this. It’s probably a good thing I left him for dead during the Reaper invasion of Earth.
The Division 2 - I’m in trouble. A friend suggested we try this as we’re both fans of looter shooters. We’ve tried everything from Anthem to Godfall, Outriders to Destiny 2, and several more. Maybe it’s my disdain for Destiny 2 at the moment, but everything about The Division 2 feels soooooooo right. The world is actually impacted by my actions, the combat feels great, and I get to dress up as Hunk from Resident Evil. I. Am. In. Love.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - I probably shouldn’t have bought this, but the reviews had it better than Infinite and it was cheaper. I ended up only playing a few matches with a friend before uninstalling it. Unfortunately, it was no longer eligible for a refund.
Marvel vs Capcom Infinite - Infinite looks and plays a lot better than its predecessor, but good lord, some of the character models are hideous. Captain America and Haggar don’t have necks, Thor is an amalgamation of muscles, and Venom is simply gorgeous. All is forgiven simply because I can play as Anti-Venom.
Fortnite - I logged in today to see if the Dead Space bundle had gone live yet and instead walked away with Gambit and Venom. I don’t even play this game! I just buy the characters like they’re action figures! I need an intervention.
What I’m Watching
John Wick: Chapters 2 & 3- I dunno why, but I went on a bender and watched the John Wick trilogy recently. Chapters 2 and 3 just didn’t land with me. I had completely forgotten what happened in the third entry and upon rewatching it, remembered why. It’s just action for action’s sake and crosses into the realm of the unbelievable far too often. I’ll probably watch the fourth movie when it eventually comes out, but I don’t have any expectations of it being good. It should have been a standalone movie and left at that.
Wednesday - We finally finished the series and it was better than expected. Wednesday finally grew on me as a character and the mystery was satisfying enough. I’m curious to see where it goes in season two.
Andrew Santino: Cheeseburger - I went on a standup binge as I was drawing a lot last week. This was probably my third favorite of what I wanted. It wasn’t awful, wasn’t great, but I enjoyed my time with it.
Sheng Wang: Sweet & Juicy - I was very pleasantly surprised by Sheng Wang and his dry, muted style of comedy. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something different.
Ghost in the Shell - For movie night with the wife, I opted for this anime classic. I enjoyed it and she fell asleep. I’m now tempted to binge Stand Alone Complex.
Bill Burr: Live at Red Rocks - I really want to like Bill Burr, but I’m so sick of politics infecting everything, that this special was hard for me to finish.
Nick Kroll: Little Big Boy - By far, my favorite of the specials. I wasn’t sure how he would be at standup, but have loved all of his roles in TV and film thus far. He definitely did not disappoint.
Chris Distefano: Speshy Weshy - Dude needs to take a breath and slow down. He seemed to rush through the jokes and nothing really landed.
Articles
I’m closing in on 1000 total articles for Pro Game Guides and haven’t put out a newsletter for three weeks. Here’s a link to my articles.
Art
