Weekly Report: April 29th - May 5th 2024
The Week in Summary:
- With body aches, nasal congestion, fatigue, a very hoarse voice, and an unreasonably dry throat, the first few days of the work week were dreadful and kept me at home to rest and recover. I managed to get some reading and writing done, but beyond that, I was mostly just drinking lots of water, having warm showers, and grunting in distress. For Thursday and Friday, I was back at work and absolutely exhausted, but thankfully I had a lot of help from my buds.
- On the weekend, Taylor and I still had some ongoing symptoms, so while we were feeling better, we stayed inside to relax. We watched Season 1 of the Australian Heartbreak High, played some Crusader Kings 3, and listened to some records. I am hoping next week we will be able to get out and about a bit more than we have.
- With the European Parliament elections coming up in June, I decided to watch the Maastricht Debate and refamiliarize myself with some of the current affairs in the European Union. The debate had eight candidates who debated three contemporary issues: (1) Climate Change, (2) Foreign and Security Policy, and (3) EU Democracy. I found myself agreeing with Bas Eickhout (European Greens) and Walter Baier (Party of the European Left) the most, though I found Walter’s position on Ukraine to be foolish to say the least. As for the strongest disagreement, I obviously found Anders Vistisen (Identity and Democracy) to be a complete and utter alt-right dipshit.
Recommendations:
- Diamond Jubilee by Cindy Lee (Album): This is a two-hour collection of hypnagogic pop inspired by 60s sunshine pop tunes (specifically the types of songs from the Brill Building in New York City). In this regard, because of this album's strong sense of time and place, this musical journey sounds like it is from its the sonic remains of a lost era. Adding to the archaic elements behind this album, it solely exists on Youtube and a sketchy Geocities website where you can download the file. Personal highlights from the album include songs like: Diamond Jubilee, Glitz, If You Hear Me Crying, Kingdom Come, and All I Want Is You.
- The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel (Book): A good overview book regarding the history of fabrics and their impact on human civilization. I specifically enjoyed the chapters providing greater clarity on pre-industrial spinning and weaving. One of the beautiful things I keep thinking about during this book is how intimate an individual's material connection to their craft was during these pre-industrial times, whether it is spinning, smithing, farming, or trading. I do enjoy Worn: A People's History of Clothing more though (though Taylor feels otherwise and they are a fibre fanatic to the fullest).
The Week in Images
