While away the hours

Bad_azz

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Let's have a list of Books/Blogs/ Videos/Vlogs, Films etc.
What has got you through this interminable holing-up at home shenanigans so far?
Can you recommend any good quality websites, books, you tube or other vloggers/ bloggers etc to entertain through all these long and endless Covid isolationy days?

Here are some YouTube channels I have subscribed to:
Sailing SV DELOS - about a guy (& his brother & was gf/now wife & their guest crew etc.) who bought a boat & sailed her around the world a couple of times & different adventures along the way- including a whole chunk in Indonesia.

Sailing UMA is similar to DELOS but about a couple & their adventures & they are very likeable.

Also Shawn James' My Self reliance- basically says what it is in the title. A guy builds a log cabin & all the other survivalist stuff, in the most stunning Canadian scenery.

For those who less gentle things- Ross Kemp's series' are a fab insight into gangs, piracy or military life around the world.

Cooking- I love these videos by Pro home Cooks , just much less irritating than Ramsey (whose stilted 3 syllable sentences drive me mad) & the like, this guy just does what he is doing & doesn't need to prance around performing :)
https://www.youtube.com/c/ProHomeCooks/videos


Webfiction also seems an interesting concept & what @HappyMan said here sounds good:


Netflix: I only discovered this due to Covid, I had never really been a sit & watcher more of a sit & doer.
Homeland -I loved that
Outlander- I am just working through that & loving it - the cinematography of the Scottish highland scenes is beautifully done capturing it so beautifully & the acting is 1st class
The Irishman- well I do love a bit of Al Pac & De Niro

So that's my mini list & I am always happy to be pointed in the direction of something new.
 
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He has dozens of videos reviewing famous chefs attempts
 
Btw he is a parody. He is comedian Nigel Ng
 
Btw he is a parody. He is comedian Nigel Ng
Not my cuppa tea though I can understand why others may enjoy him.
So, for the past year that is all you have watched, read or followed?
 
I went down a serious rabbit hole with travel vloggers a while back, but now they just make me jealous and resentful. Get a real job showoffs!
 
Here are some of mine:

Foil Arms and Hog - Excellent Irish comedy trio, who upload a sketch every Thursday:

Daniel Thrasher - Funny videos for piano players:

Martin Miller - Elite level cover band:

Bob and Brad: Stretches and rehab with some gentle comedy:

The famous Ging Ging (recommended by the kids):

Seth Everman - surreal keyboard based humour

Liziqi - growing and preparing food in China with amazing cinematography

Life of Jord - travel blogger who used to be located around here until Covid

Peep Show - clips from one of my favourite shows

Moranbong Band - North Korea's top band

And I really got into AFL (Aussie Rules) last year:
 
I've gone through phases for the past five years (so the past three is obviously pre-covid)....learning about (very) basic photography, wine making, but the past two years, lower carb/diabetes friendly baking, watching youtube videos on private jets and yachts.....and supersonic jets...and latest is watching youtube videos on Portable solar generator and solar system.

Edited: In the beginning of the pandemic, I started taking on Duolingo's Japanese course to refresh/relearn my Japanese I learned in High School. I have slowed down in pace (used to be about 8-10 quick lessons/day now down to just two...but still pluggin away.
 
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To continue with the web fiction, Worm by John (Wildbow) McCrae is another lengthy and much loved story. It clocks in at around 7000 pages. There is also a free audiobook version. I actually preferred the audiobook, in part because it was so well done and in part because 7000 pages of binge reading gets me a bit tired of the sound of my own internal reading voice. This is a modern super-powered people story, by the way. Less Batman and more Watchmen. Dark and real. https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/1-1/

The Iron Teeth is a zero to hero fantasy story, where the hero is a sometimes-ruthless goblin. It has been a long time since I read this, so I'd struggle to further characterise it without reading a bit, but it did leave me wanting more stories from the same author (ClearMadness). http://www.ironteethserial.com/dark-fantasy-story/story-interlude/prologue/

There is loads of free fiction out there, but if you want to spend a bit less time sifting dross, you can try https://topwebfiction.com/
My top pick is still the Wandering Inn. I'd say maybe read the first ten chapters of it to get acclimated and give the new author a chance to get on a roll.
 
I've been getting into true crime, fitness / health, and cooking Korean food. The best of the best below:

True crime / mental health:

https://www.youtube.com/user/RioGrande51

Sure I gained some 'rona weight, but I got into the best shape of my life 2 years ago with the help of these guys:

https://www.youtube.com/user/drericberg123

https://www.youtube.com/user/Calisthenicmovement

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCERm5yFZ1SptUEU4wZ2vJvw

I sometimes watch this Korean lady just for her cute accent. Her fried chicken recipe is phenomenal. The Koreans have figured out how to fry chicken better than black people. No joke and it's not even close:

https://www.youtube.com/user/Maangchi

Bonus - a humor channel. This guy from the Midwest does a lot of dad and husband humor:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7I_NC8mIyNLlslSi129ow
 
Geez, life for me hasn't really changed except for wearing a mask when I go out. Just keep on playing my racing games online.
I've made a lifetime habit of avoiding other humans :)
 
I watch a lot of Russell Howard when I need a laugh:
I watch a lot of After Skool when I need a bit of perspective:
School of Life is also good for this: https://www.youtube.com/c/theschooloflifetv/videos

Visual Politik helps me to put the world into perspective a little bit: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT3v6vL2H5HK4loLMc8pmCw

Been listening to a lot of Sammy The Bull Gravano talking about his life of crime: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2qsQ8pUNhhANzMIy6kha2w

Michael Franzese, Colombo captain that does mob movie reviews:
The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (full episodes on Spotify): https://www.youtube.com/c/joerogan/videos

Tech Spurt for Tech Reviews:
Netflix shows that are good for me are Ozark, Narcos and Mindhunter. All crime shows but really well done imho. The best book I have read recently is "What it is like to go to war" by Karl Marlantes. Really good book. My favorite fantasy fiction tends to be George RR Martin, Patrick Rothfuss and Joe Abercrombie. All worth checking out if you like a bit of grim dark. Everyone has heard of George RR but the other two are really good as well.

That's about all I can think of at the moment.

:D
 
Our life hasn't really changed, daily shopping, a beer here and there, restaurant 3 times a week.
But it is still boring as 70% of places are closed, and in the other places it are always the same faces you see.
But I found this website that had quit a choice of movies :


Doing some Youtube as well, but only movies, docs and info. I avoid vloggers / bloggers. Zero interest for me.
Netflix has some interesting stuff, specially some series. Let's say it has 30 to 40 % of decent content. Way better than HBO which is 80% shitty B categorie movies.
Playing the stock market keeps me busy a few hours a day doing some research.

So, no, I haven't gone in survival mode. I am too old for that, no years to waste.
 
@Lee Bale I was gutted when David Fincher announced he's cancelling Mindhunter. He cited low viewership as the reason, which is hard to believe.
 

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