Weekly Report: April 15th - April 21st 2024
The Week in Summary:
- Besides being home sick on Monday, the work week was fairly normal. Apparently it's going to get busier as we go into May, but I am not too worried about that, especially given everything else there is to worry about.
- For instance, I am getting more worried about the ongoing drought and upcoming wildfire season. I am trying to keep the doomscrolling to a minimum, but there isn’t much I can do when the soil becomes bone-dry and the skies are blanketed with hazy smoke. Maybe we will get some much-needed rain and it will be alleviated over the spring, but I am doubtful there will be relief.
- Sticking with an apocalyptic theme, Taylor and I watched the new Fallout TV series this week. We loved it (more below) and it inspired me to play Fallout 3 (last played in 08/09). After all these years, I still have a soft spot for the Capital Wasteland.
- Over the weekend we had dinner with one of our friends at Khao San Thai on 17th (they have incredible Drunken Noodles), got some ice cream, and then played Carcassonne over a bottle of wine. It's lovely getting back into meeting up with friends after being out of the city for the past couple years. It feels grounding.
- On Sunday, Taylor and I enjoyed listening to some records, made an apple crumble, and listened a few chapters of The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel. Textiles are awesome and I bought a wool sweater.
Recommendations:
- Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry Lopez (Book): This is a non-fiction essay collection that compiles a variety of published and unpublished essays from Barry Lopez’s lifelong career, ranging from essays on land-based knowledge, to his childhood experience as a victim of sexual assault. Due to its variety, some essays felt a little thrown in there, but most were well warranted in a collection themed around holding onto love during a time of ecological upheaval.
- Fallout Season 1 (Series): We went into the pilot with doubts, but damn, the show kicked fucking ass. It has a lot of wacky wasteland humour, a great cast of interesting complex characters, and an engaging multifaceted plot. As an adaption, it is faithful to the source material without regurgitating stories from the Fallout franchise. It takes place approximately 15 years after the events of Fallout New Vegas and builds on that fragmented world in a fantastic way with flashbacks to the pre-war era and the domination VaultTec had over American life. Really excited for season 2 (if it happens)!
- Fallout 3 (Game): I have such nostalgic ties to Fallout 3. I remember seeing buzz about it online (must have been early Facebook) and it became the first game I ever bought on my own. After playing it again, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere is phenomenal and the world is absolutely worth exploring if you haven’t yet. That being said, do not expect stunning combat or complex RPG decision-making. Still, I really enjoyed playing through the main campaign again, though I think the DLC is where the game shines most.
The Week in Images
