Weekly Report: March 25th - March 31st 2024
The Week in Summary:
- It is Spring Break for the local public schools, so this week my buddy and I ran a city-themed science camp. Lots of cardboard, tape, and hot glue used. It was a lot of fun, but very tiring and messy. The good thing about the mess is that anytime we had to do a class clean-up, we put on Daybreak by Michael Haggins, so that made everything more tolerable. With the Catholic schools having their spring break next week, we’ll be doing the same thing with a different group of kids. There are definitely a lot of logistical issues to iron out on our camp prep day next Monday, but I am confident we’ll be able to work through them.
- With another week of playing Elden Ring, I'm still enamored with this world and I am already thinking of my second playthrough (especially because I can tell that I am getting closer to the end of the game). With my energies being directed towards becoming Elden Lord, I've been neglecting my ongoing reading list this week. That being said, I feel okay with this actually. It's very rare for me to so consistently play a single video game for so long (the last time I remember being this enchanted was with Ghost of Tsushima a few years ago).
- Whilst most of Easter Weekend was spent at our home, we did go over to Taylor’s parents' place on Saturday. We played Terraforming Mars (I lost), talked politics (as always), and had a fantastic Easter dinner!
Recommendations:
- Why We Can’t Stop Mapping Elden Ring by Renata Price (Video Essay): Critical examination into the concept of mapping and cataloguing as it applies to Elden Ring (and video games in general). Minor spoilers here.
- Cave World by Viagra Boys (Album): A frenetic pandemic-era dance-punk album full of ridicule for a recent strain of unhinged far-right conspiracism. As a Canadian, when I'm listening to this album, I specifically think of the so-called “Freedom Convoy'' protestors from back in early 2022 and the absurd bullshit we heard from that crowd. Personal highlights from the album include songs like: Troglodyte, ADD, Ain’t No Thief, and Return to Monke.
- Why Kids Love Dinosaurs by Riley Black (Essay): An exploration into the popular fascination with dinosaurs and why children continue to love these extinct Mesozoic creatures.
The Week in Images
