Recent headlines
World: Brexit: Cross-party talks continue amid impasse (Yup, still going on)
Gaming: Randy Pitchford praises move to Epic Store after Borderlands 2 review bombing (Look kids, consequences for your actions!)
I read an article yesterday about Emilia Clarke suffering two brain injuries during the course of Game of Thrones, recovering in time to continue shooting, and subsequently starting a charity called Same You to improve aftercare for victims of brain injury. That is goddamn incredible. I bring it up because a few weeks ago a friend of mine told me about their own journey through a bout of critical health, and it’s renewed my appreciation for my own health and instilled me with a new level of respect for anyone who’s been through something like that. I talk about mental health a lot, and how absolutely vital it is to be good to yourself and to respect the health of others. I’m fortunate enough to know some very strong people who have kept me educated about these matters. But physical health is absolutely something I take for granted and only consider when it’s brought up. One absolutely does not cancel out the other, and I’m grateful for both of these things: that I am as aware of mental health as I need to be, and that I haven’t had to worry about my physical health on a day to day basis.
I often fret about my weight or my eating habits, but as someone who’s only physical concern is that they’ve grown a bit of a gut, I’m now aware of how little I have to worry about compared to someone who can’t be certain of their own brain continuing to function as required. My task now is to keep this perspective in mind the next time I give myself a hard time over my lack of self-control. As someone who is very much an introvert, it’s easy for me to become wrapped up in my own self-devouring narratives, and I have to constantly check my sense of reality before falling down a well of my own making. I suspect many people live similarly, and I fear that such a lifestyle is often what leads people down dark roads and into warped thought patterns. It’s why I’m so grateful to be surrounded by the people in my life, and why it’s no exaggeration when I say they light my way.
Speaking of informed life choices, I just spent seventy pounds on cardboard that I won’t even own for five days! For those of you who don’t know, the Nintendo Switch has these kits you can buy called Labo, which are sort of… ah heck, how do I describe Labo? They’re like DIY cardboard peripherals which work ingeniously with the system’s joycon controllers. Skim down to the further reading section if you’re curious, but the fourth kit is VR, and VR is something I’ve always wanted to try, so I’ve taken the plunge. I don’t know how well it will work; it’s certainly not capable of what PSVR and the Vive can do. Nevertheless, the trailer captured me, and news that Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be VR compatible by the end of the month has me very intrigued. It’s a third person game, for starters. It runs at 30fps in handheld mode, which is sure to cause nausea in VR. I’ve basically spent seventy quid in disbelief that this thing will be worth seventy quid. I’m sure it’s gathering dust somewhere in future Kristian’s bedroom, but I sure hope it’s not.
While we’re talking about entertainment – and why not, this’ll all be more interesting when it publishes a year later – we are one week away from Game of Thrones Season 8 premiering. I’ll find another platform to discuss overt spoilers closer to the time (maybe this very blog, via site pages), but suffice to say that at this point in my life I am full of anticipation. I finished my Game of Thrones rewatch early, and now I’m stuck trawling the internet for behind the scenes clips to sate my Westerosi thirst. The show’s Youtube channel just uploaded a bunch of videos where actors remember their time on the show, so that marks two times Emilia Clarke has brought me close to crying this week. And let me tell you, I don’t cry easy! I’m getting better at it, but it is still quite the accomplishment to make me well up. This show, their books and the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is unique in its scope and success, and I will be immeasurably sad when it is over. Hopefully HBO can pull off their prequel series with half as much expertise. In the meantime, future Kristian: maybe it’s time for that full series 1-8 rewatch you’ve been considering. Winky face.
Further reading:
Emilia Clarke on ‘Game of Thrones’ – Not my typical vehicle for information, but hey, this is where I heard about her brain injury scares.
The Cast Remembers: Emilia Clarke on Playing Daenaerys Targaryen – Crying emoji. Crying emoji. Bawling emoji.
Nintendo Labo: Toy-Con 4: VR Kit – Nintendo are not doing me any favours with that voice-over.
The Weekly Deathmatch #50 – Cube 2: Sauerbraten – Expensive Cardboard – Yeah I discuss Labo in this video too, but I’m cutting myself some slack because this was published a year ago from your POV!
Perpetually Perturbed 