The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (Game Boy Advance)

Zelda is very much a winter franchise for me. Something about the holiday time inspires me to pick up a game to chip away on. This year, I landed on a new-to-me entry, as I didn’t own a Game Boy Advance growing up, and this game was a blast. While the overworld was a bit trite (forgivable, considering it’s on a mobile device) the dungeon puzzles were highly satisfying. I thought the music, when I remembered to turn up my Game Boy’s volume, was particularly magnificent, directly reminiscent of Ocarina of Time. There were moments I thought I had played this before, but it was only the music grounding me. This was not my favorite Zelda game, not even my favorite 2D Zelda, possibly not even my favorite handheld 2D Zelda, but even a “not my favorite” in this series is still a tremendous game. Especially after feeling burned by the Zelda output on the Switch, this reminded me what I love about the series.

Network (1976)

Although he doesn’t play a major role, Robert Duvall submits another incredible performance, proving he would not be typecast as Tom Hagen, despite being just a couple years removed from The Godfather. What a treasured American actor. A ludicrous satire of mass media, which—while obviously dated—somehow feels more poignant viewed in today’s America. The sensationalism depicted here actually winds up feeling quaint compared to the real-life news channels. The interpersonal relationships of the executives could not hold my interest, but the machinations of the TV station, whereby all moral values are sacrificed at the altar of Nielsen ratings and ad revenues, will never not be relevant. This is Succession, but fifty years earlier.

Football - Chuck Klosterman

I have often said no one has influenced my writing style more than Chuck Klosterman. In fact, these very words wouldn’t exist without him. So, my favorite author wrote a book about sports. One sport in particular, actually. And it was exactly what I’ve come to expect from him and his writing. I like to read his thoughts on pretty much any subject, but as it happens, football is also a topic I enjoy, though not nearly as much as he does. Still, his appreciation is undoubtedly infectious. This is less of a history or analysis of the game, and more critical think-piece essays about football’s place in the larger view of society, which is again to be expected. If anything, it was more focused than I expected, less tangential than his usual works. Not many nonfiction books have ever made me laugh out loud, but he does it with regularity, and this one was no exception. He writes at a level of intellectualism where I feel dumb even trying to comprehend it, but then bends it back around to a level of stupidity where I feel smart again. The truth is probably closer to the former for me, but at least it's a fun ride, and it tends to prompt me to initiate similar conversations with my own like-minded friends. He has an undeniably special way of looking at the world that sitting in the bar and chatting with him for an afternoon would feel natural.

The Alabama Solution (2025)

As expected, this was a difficult documentary to watch. The story was primarily told via vertical cell phone footage directly captured by inmates of the Alabama prisons, and it was amazing how quickly the blurry imagery naturally gave way from “cinematography” to realism. Specifically, the film focused on a handful of prisoners and the immediate impact of their mistreatment. Broadly, though, it was about the widespread systemic racism and classism in the prison system where powerless human beings are kept in inhuman conditions. Likening the captivity to slavery—forced labor, little to no chance to graduate—made the message that much more effective. Importantly, the film did not give time to anyone with the concept that these people somehow deserve what they are going through beyond a couple arrogant radio hosts, nor does it blatantly politicize the outcome beyond the usual, which is to say financial gain. Doing so would have only made it divisive, and this shouldn’t be. Human beings throughout the nation (as the documentary reminds us this is not limited to one state or one region) are being denied human rights. It’s impossible to talk about this as a work of art. It’s a well-made documentary, sure. But the value, of course, is in the meaning, and hopefully some actual difference can be made because of it.

Big Arch burger (McDonald’s)

It’s not often a fast food gimmick actually works for me as anything more than that: a fun one-off I never need to try again. Calling myself a connoisseur feels pretentious, but I do make regular trips to any fast food establishment for any new goofball menu offering, so I can comfortably say I’ve had a wide range of offerings. That said, I was impressed with the new Big Arch burger, even for someone with such a limited palette. For starters, opening the lid to see a dual sesame and poppy seed bun was a very pleasant surprise. I appreciated the gooey over-serving of cheese surrounding both patties, which was even tastier in conjunction with the sauce. But the best addition was the combination of raw and fried onions, above and below the meat, respectively. If I had one request, it would be for a pop of fresh tomato. It is decidedly too much food to function as my daily driver of a sandwich, but as an occasional purchase and competitor with the Big Mac, this burger deserves a place in the regular menu, or at least a rotating treat.