Wow, that's really good insight! Thank you!

Oh, that's really neat! Prop cigarettes that look and burn like the genuine article, but just have herbs stuffed in it! Thanks!

• Shenmue: Rereleased with a wonderful port on PC/Xbox One/Playstation 4 in 2018, it's an investigative adventure game that takes place in a small town in Japan in 1986. The thing that sticks out to me about it is how unlike any other game in its class before or since, it feels like an authentic depiction of a regular-ass suburb from that period, from people who lived in similar places growing up.
• Freespace 2: Space dogfighting game that gets right to the point, feels intense, and while you're there you find yourself in the middle of an excellent sci-fi radio drama. Holds up great today when you pair your purchased GOG copy with the fan-maintained Freespace Open Source Project engine. Joystick + Keyboard control recommended, but Mouse + Keyboard is fine!

This is right. I desperately want to cycle places and take public transit, but in Los Angeles, things have been built with such distances that this often means 2+ hour trips if not done by car. Cities need to rezone and re-prioritize for better public transit in a lot of areas to reach this vision.