LIFESTYLE Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 5
Nick’s LIFESTYLE Newsletter Vol. 8 No. 5
THIS IS AN INTRODUCTION
Hello again everyone. It's been a few weeks. Weeks full of enjoying games. Weeks of going to concerts. Weeks of seeing THE BEST MOVIE ALMOST EVER (more details below) and wanting to rewatch it. Weeks of lunches with friends that were long overdue. Weeks of enjoying the summer, riding the Mint Machine and running a 5k every Saturday. You should join me (running, not biking). BULLET TIME LIKE THE MATRIX:
Read a manga called 僕はビートルズ (“We Are the Beatles”). Plot is that members of a Beatles tribute band are transported back in time to 1961 and decide to perform Beatles songs. It’s super good, but SUSPICIOUSLY similar to the movie Yesterday. The manga came out nine years before the movie. Is this another Simba/Kimba situation?
Maybe the kids will be alright?
https://bsky.app/profile/alexkirshner.com/post/3lpb3fmer7s2sThis article blew my mind. Like blew it. One of the most interesting things I’ve read in five years. The End of Children. Just doing the math: If current trends hold, each generation in Korea will be a third the size of the previous one. Every hundred contemporary Koreans of childbearing age will produce, in total, about twelve grandchildren. Very interesting to read the ramifications of that in the culture that is experiencing it first.
Just to demonstrate how progressive and modern me and Melonie are, we were recently about to get intimate she asks: “How involved do you want to be?” and I replied “I’d like to be in the room, if possible.” THANK YOU FOR CHECKING, DEAR.
Accusations and spurious claims are flying over here. Melonie claims I have been taking bites out of left over pancakes. I told her we OBVIOUSLY have a Minnesota Wide-Jawed Refrigerator Rat in our house. I looked it up in my trusty Reader’s Digest Guide to North American Wildlife from 1982 and found a picture. She insists we do not have a rodent problem. Help me out and let her know that this is REAL and share your experiences with these rodents with her.
OBVIOUSLY a Minnesota Wide-Jawed Refrigerator Rat One of the BEST IDEAS ever. We all know the grocery store is chaos. Cookies can be in like 10 different places (organic, gluten free, bakery, snack aisle, frozen, etc.). How to solve this? THE CHEWY DECIMAL SYSTEM. “There is an institution that has already solved this problem. Allow me to introduce you to libraries, motherfuckers” Thank you Hank Green:
I saw a trailer for something that I just had to watch, Cheat: Unfinished Business. I don’t watch any “negative” reality tv shows, but I was so curious about how to make entertainment out of one of the most traumatic things possible. It was…ok. I prefer the excellent Couples Therapy. Is PET DEATHS: EMPTY HOLE IN YOUR HEART FOREVER the next show?
Last bullet, I promise (and some foreshadowing). AMTRAK WINS THE INTERNET FOR THIS VIDEO:
ITEM THE FIRST:
UPDATES FROM HEALTH LAND: I’m a year into MY PRETENTIOUS SOUNDING “health journey” and got a follow up DEXA scan (see Vol. 7 No. 6 for more) and thought I would overshare the results. My weight is roughly the same since my scan in September 2024 to April 2025, but my composition is very different. My body fat is down, lean muscle is up. I have very low visceral fat (which was the big concern) and my bone density, which was shockingly low, is starting to increase.
In short, weight lifting (and my healthy diet) is literally changing my body. I’m seeing better results than I did years ago when I was running 20-30 miles a week. It’s wonderful! But I’m old. And tired. It is a lot of work. Recovery is harder than it used to be and shoulders are sore for longer.
Now, to my internals…Nothing new to report there. I have some blood tests coming up, but I’m still on track for an early death. At least I’ll have sweet arms.
ITEM THE SECOND:
COMINGS AND GOINGS: In local small business news, I regret to inform you that The Phoenix Lounge has been closed (see. Vol. 6 No. 3). The business model just wasn’t sustainable and it never garnered the community support it needed to keep the lights on. Thank you for your patronage over the past few years.
I would also like to announce my retirement as group activity organizer. After many years of service, I’ve decided to retire in the role. I’m not sure if the role is being posted somewhere else. My plans to consolidate individual time with people into larger gatherings to preserve my mental health have largely been foiled in this COVID and post-COVID world and it was time to recognize that social interactions have changed. We had some fun times together and I appreciate your willingness to attend my dumb ideas.
ITEM THE THIRD:
I FEEL THE NEED. THE NEED FOR XXXX: A rival newsletter posted the author’s ideas of THE BEST FEELINGS IN THE WORLD and I thought it would be fun to see if we could come up with some as a community. If you have some, send them over. Here are some of mine:
When you ride a roller coaster and laugh uncontrollably over this dumb safe ride and you look at your wife and she is so happy because she thinks you are having fun.
Being under my THUNDER BLANKET (20 lbs. baby!).
The first day in the year you can run outside in shorts or bike for two hours.
Taking off in an airplane.
Having a cat on my lap purring.
Putting up an Out of Office notice and shutting down my work laptop for an extended time.
What are some of your favorite feelings? Send them over and I’ll compile for a future item.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (please mark "ok to print"):
None. I miss your correspondence.
GRATITUDES:
I’ve just wrapped up (or am close to wrapping up) two long board game campaigns.
First, we finished Kinfire Chronicles: Night’s Fall. I got to play a robot named Khor. I was a smashing machine with few emotions. I CAN PLAY TO A TYPE. We had a fun group with FRIENDS OF THE LIFESTYLE playing a supportive bard, a death-wishing dwarf and an opportunist thief who also loved a bargain. It was a ton of fun and I can highly recommend the game. Bonus, there is a used copy at Tower Games that was LOVINGLY hand packaged just for you.
Next, we are one game away from finishing up Clank Legacy 2: Darkest Magic. This was wonderful as well. A bit more complex and a definite step up from Clank Legacy, but introduces some unexpected game play changes AND WE GET TO KICK ASS IN LEGALLY NOT CANDYLAND.
I truly enjoy all these fun campaign/legacy games that we get to play with friends. It’s nice having a goal and the same group of wonderful people with a reason to get together.
FAVORITE THING TO GO IN MY EARHOLES THIS WEEK:
Ok, as everyone knows the BEST MOVIE IS “TOP GUN.” F-14’s and beach volleyball for the WIN.
What if you liked trains instead of planes?
NETFLIX DELIVERS with: BULLET TRAIN EXPLOSION!
Bullet Train Explosion is a Japanese movie that has some plot or story to it that lags a bit in the last 30 mins, but HOLY SHIT THE TRAINS. THE PROCEDURES. THE LEARNING ABOUT SWITCHING AND TRACKS. THE WATCHING THE SWITCHING WITH SECONDS TO SPARE.
I haven’t been this excited for a movie since TOP GUN 2 (obviously).
It’s a sequel to 1975’s “The Bullet Train,” but you don’t need to know that. Basically, someone has planted a bomb and if the train dips below 100 km/h it blows! (Yes, that is the plot of “Speed,” but you know what, they stole it from…"THE BULLET TRAIN.” Another Simba/Kimba situation!)
The movie starts out nice and slow and you get to see all the procedure of operating a bullet train from the engineer and the dispatcher side. Honestly, they could have stopped there and I would give it a 10. THEN the train starts moving. THEN the plot starts moving. THEN they have to do crazy train shit to save lives. Remember in Top Gun when Maverick hits the brakes to get behind Jester? THEY DO IT WITH TRAINS (kinda). It’s just fucking awesome.
The only disappointment: no beach volleyball. I was hoping there would be a sand car or something and they would play. I was thinking I could use some of the new AI video generators, train it on the actors and have it create a scene I could insert. A GOOD USE OF AI.
Anyways, if you like trains like I do (you don’t), love seeing transportation procedure like I do (you don’t) or just want to watch trains being all bad ass, I highly recommend BULLET TRAIN EXPLOSION. 10 STARS WAY UP.
THIS IS THE END OF THE NEWSLETTER
FIRST NEWSLETTER WITHOUT AN “IN MEMORY” SECTION IN AWHILE.
LET’S KEEP THAT UP.
BUT ALAS, WE CANNOT. WE ARE GETTING OLDER.
THAT IS ALL.