Games, Pods, Bits + Bobs

1.14.22

** It turns out that Northern California is doing a much better job than we are at reducing water use, according to Cal Matters: “Californians used nearly 7% less water in their homes during November 2021 compared to November 2020. Residents of the North Coast reduced their household water usage by roughly 26%, while residents of the highly populated South Coast used about 0.8% more water during the same period.”  Can’t we do better?

** Eve Rodsky, an Angeleno who wrote the book Fair Play about divvying up the responsibilites of parenting and housekeeping, has a new podcast called Time Out: A Fair Play Podcast. Rodsky is paired with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, an expert on stress burnout and mental health from Harvard Medical School, and the venture is produced by Resse Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine. After listening to the first episode, I’m ready for more.

** A new word game, Wordle, is as addictive as Spelling Bee – both only come out once a day, feeding your desire for more. And Codenames isn’t new, but did you know you can play it online?

** If you are a member of the Museum of Modern Art you can screen their prestigious 2021 Contenders series online. This year’s selection includes West Side StoryLicorice Pizza, and Nightmare Alley (among others). Many of the titles aren’t available on streaming platforms yet so consider a donation to the museum, see these films at home now, and skip the lines at MOCA when you’re next in NYC.

** Kazu Nori (everyone’s favorite around here) is offering To Go Handroll Kits, a roll-your-own-sushi option for four people.

** The 2022 Sundance Film Festival is going virtual this year, and tickets are on sale as of today. Coda, a darling from Sundance last year is available on Apple TV, and finding a new audience during awards season. Set in Boston, it’s a tale of a girl who is the only member of her family who can hear. Here is Common Sense’s review (for 13 +).