Lots of Time Pass and More Resources for These Times
May was cold in NYC, so plenty of Time Pass, and more resources for these times
I watched a lot in May and a lot of it was good, some enjoyable, but then totally forgettable, and some…meh.
I’ll share the Time Pass good today and the Enjoyable/Forgettable and Meh next week. For all the good Time Pass, I enjoyed watching them, and I often remember them afterwards to tell other people, or they added some small trivial knowledge to my life! A reminder for my non-desi readers, Time Pass is, as comedian Kanan Gill says, both an activity and a review.
TV Series: Bodkin (Netflix): A bingeable Irish murder mystery combined with true crime podcast jokes. I hope this has a second season.
TV Series: Ludwig (Brit Box): Another British crime drama, but quirky with a puzzle creator and awkward Ludwig pretending to be his police officer twin brother to figure out why his brother is missing. There is a crime of the week, with a longer term mystery of the missing brother and the relationship between fathers, sons, brothers, and brother’s wife! Def looking forward to season 2.
TV Series: Four Seasons (Netflix): This is Tina Fey’s return to TV writing and starring In this remake of the 1970’s Alan Alda-Carol Burnett movie. Look I don’t know if it needed to be 8 episodes (two per season) but it’s highly GenX coded, stars Colman Domingo and Steve Carrell (in his douchebag middle age man era), and was filmed at my college (where three of the characters met 30 years ago), so I was all in and enjoyed it. It is getting a second season and while I don’t think it’s necessary, it’s a cozy watch of college friends, their significant others, who somehow get together 4 times a year, so I’ll probably watch it!
Movie: Mountainhead (HBOMax): This was ridiculous, and each of these four men is horrible. They are 4 tech oligarchs hanging out for a poker night, making plans to ruin the world and each other, so totally realistic and very on brand The performances are good and particularly Steve Carrell (in his douchebag middle age man era) along with Ramy Youssef.
Movie: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (Theaters and On Demand): This was a lovely movie and so very French and British. You don’t have to know Jane Austen to love it, and you can think she’s overrated (The Horror!) and still enjoy this sweet movie.
DocuSeries: Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders (Netflix): Talk about GenX coded, if you lived through this you remember the hold it had on the country, the news and how we dealt with headaches. I remember the fear, but not if they ever solved the crime, and this series gets to those details. It won’t shock you to know that the Pharmaceutical company got away with, if not murder, then massive negligence.
Alive at the End of the World: This is one of my favorite poetry collections by one of my favorite poets, writers, and culture critics Saeed Jones (of perennial podcast recommendation VibeCheck). I’ve decided to use it as the name of a new regular Sujata Said… feature with recommendations and tips for these authoritarian times in the United States. I’m not here to convince you that we are in dangerous and precarious times. We are here. For many communities, we have been here for a very long time, not just since January 2025. I’ll be offering tips and resources periodically for you and those you love. They will also be compiled in this evergreen document which you can refer back to and share.
**If you have corrections for me or other resources to add, please comment or message me**
Digital Hygiene Basics (That You Can Actually Do) Part 2: There are a few things we should have all been doing for a while, regardless of who’s in government (let’s be real, the tech oligarchs have been calling the shots for a while). But now, with more of us being targeted, our digital security matters even more. My guide on this is YK Hong who I follow religiously on YouTube, Instagram and Substack for the best tips on tech and digital security, and the surveillance state (and learning about Korean politics!). I highly recommend you follow them (they are also on tiktok and patreon) for all things digital, tech and more.
Use a Password Manager: A good Password Manager remembers your logins so you can finally stop using that same variation of one password for everything (I’m attacking myself here!). It stores all your info in an encrypted vault and helps you create strong, unique passwords for every account, because if one site gets breached, you don’t want the damage spreading everywhere. 1Password, BitWarden, and KeePassXC are trusted recommendations right now (especially after all the LastPass breach issues over the years). I moved to 1Password in 2024; it did the exporting for me from my old password manager, and even gave me a credit when I cancelled LastPass. That alone was worth the “inconvenience” of setting up a new, more secure password manager.
Use 2-Factor (2FA) / Multi-factor Authentication (MFA): In today’s world, passwords alone aren’t enough to keep our online accounts protected. That’s where tools like MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication), and 2SV (Two-Step Verification) come in. These tools add an extra layer of security that can make all the difference.
MFA asks for more than just your password; it might ask for a code sent to your phone, or a fingerprint or facial recognition. This means that even if someone gets your password, they still can’t get into your account without that second (or third) piece.
2FA works similarly. It pairs your password with something else only you have access to, like a temporary code or an app, so even if your password is compromised, your account is protected.
2SV is another version of this. It just means there’s a second step before you can log in, like a text message or security prompt.
Each of these helps keep your personal information safe online. Here are a few authenticators you could consider:
Twilio Authy: Cross-device support and encrypted backups and owned by Twilio (not one of the Big Five)
Google Authenticator: Popular and simple, but part of the Google data empire
Your Password Manager's Authenticator: Most password managers now include built-in Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) support, and it’s convenient if you already trust them to hold your passwords, but you might be putting all your eggs in one basket
YubiKey: Hardware-based, phishing-resistant, works with many sites, and doesn’t rely on phone number, SMS, email, or cloud storage. This is probably the best, for those serious about security, especially journalists, organizers, and activists.
Aegis Authenticator (Android): Open-source, end-to-end encrypted, locally stored, and not tied to Google, with no cloud backup unless you choose to.
Raivo OTP (iOS): Open-source and lightweight TOTP app for iPhone, and NOT connected to Apple or Google clouds and empires.