Corona Mountain

There isn't a whole lot to say about the coronavirus at this stage that hasn't already been said - by myself, and by a thousand other blogs and websites. Things still seem to be moving along quite well, with the remaining cases largely isolated to Dublin, I think. Of course, there's always the chance that our newfound freedoms will land us in hot water eventually. And while Ireland might have passed the worst of the virus, the US and the UK are still writhing in the throes of it. My advice to those countries would be to cease any travel, first of all (contain the spread, both for your sake and ours), and secondly, to avoid any mass celebrations and protests. About ANYTHING. I don't care what it is: now isn't the time to have that Liverpudlian jamboree, or to become an ardent environmentalist. Protesting is largely about "wokeness," these days, anyway. You know it, I know it...

• Reading. I've only read a volume of Pokémon Adventures this week: shame on me. I've started Zone One (2011), so I'll need to return to that

• Gaming. Final Fantasy VII (2020). I'm on Chapter 8, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it thus far. My only criticism might be that, like a lot of AAA games of the PS3 and PS4 era, there's a lot of those "walking simulations." You know the set-pieces: where one character is guiding you to another place, and your movement is slowed to a crawl as you trundle through lavish environments. The whole point of these scenes seems to be to draw your attention to the expense spent on the graphics. It's in games like God of War (2018) and Uncharted (2007-2017), and The Last of Us (2013-2020) is another egregious offender. I would much prefer the game allowed you to explore these sections at your leisure, rather than parading you through them at a clunky, rubbernecker's pace. Other than that, though, Final Fantasy VII is superb

• Films/TV. No films watched, but significant progress made through Frasier. I'll be disappointed when I run out of episodes, but when that's done, it's onto Seinfeld, anyway (1989-1998)

• People. Natalie's off to Kilkenny tomorrow, as restrictions have been eased and her visit is long-anticipated, so I'll miss her for a week. Parents, friends, and sisters are all good, and if they aren't/you aren't, they should reach out to me!