I'm Starting a New Publication on Substack
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #14!
Oren Cohen
Software engineer by day, and a gamer and fantasy nerd by night.
This Blog Was Never Going to Save Me. But I Still Want to Keep Writing It
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #13!
This Isn't The Three-Month Issue I Planned
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #12!
Beginner's Guide to Dropout.TV
If you’ve heard of Dropout and you don’t know where to start watching shows on the service, let me help you as a longtime Dropout subscriber. (Last Updated: Aug 2026)
Small Things Compound
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #11!
The Best Cure for Burnout Is a Finished Project
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #10!
Shinji Finally Has a Reason to Stay | Evangelion Episode 4
No Angel, no fight, and the most important fifty seconds of the series so far.
Shinji Has No Reason to Pilot | Evangelion Episode 3
Father isn't watching. So why is Shinji in that cockpit at all?
Shinji Didn't Win His First Fight | Evangelion Episode 2
The show hides Shinji's victory for twenty minutes because it was never his victory to begin with.
The EVA Chose Shinji Before He Ever Piloted It | Evangelion Episode 1
One scene with no pilot, no power, and no explanation tells you what this show actually is.
Brandon Sanderson Called Me Ancient
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #9!
When It Feels Like Failure Try A Different Perspective
Welcome to Oren's Nerdy Letter #8!