Weekly Report

Weeknotes: October 27th - November 2nd 2025

Good Morning Magpie

02 Nov 2025 — 5 min read

Disclaimer: This is a new format for the weekly report (now titled Weeknotes) and it is best viewed through the link (rather than email). It should be noted that these notes are always a snapshot of the week itself and lack the fullness of life - as is the case with any personal blogging.

✨ Happenings

On Monday, as expected, Premier Smith and the United Conservative government invoked the non-withstanding clause to end the teachers' strike and force Albertan teachers back to work with an imposed four-year collective contract. The government threatened fines of $500 per day for teachers and $500,000 per day for the ATA itself if workers defied the order. By Wednesday, teachers were back in their classrooms. The UCP has demonstrated, unequivocally through their draconian actions, that they will shred the Charter of Rights and Freedoms at the first sign of inconvenience. They have declared war on workers and the government must be toppled. May the Alberta Federation of Labour organize a general strike in good time and slay these fascist scumbags.
After beginning bullet journaling back in March, I have finished my first journal and started my second one this week. I have always struggled with maintaining organization in my everyday life, so being successful with this organizational system has been really good, not only for my life administration, prioritizing, and routines, but also my self-esteem too. I am very proud of myself.
On Halloween, Taylor and I went over to Katelyn and Ang's place for a murder mystery party. They had a variety of lovely finger foods, and Ang was making excellent cocktails and mocktails for folks all night! The setting was a jazz lounge during the roaring 1920s and I played a New York City tabloid-journalist (who is naturally an undercover FBI agent). Taylor played an Italian construction worker (who was naturally a mobster). It was so much fun to spend the evening with our wonderful friends while enjoying the intrigue of this story!
On Saturday morning, Taylor and I went to Bolder Climbing Community to give bouldering a try and see if we would like it as an indoor exercise activity. I cannot speak for Taylor, but I really enjoyed climbing. It's kind of life a puzzle, but in order to do it, you have to practice your upper body and core strength. We had meant to go to Calgary Climbing Centre on Sunday morning, but Taylor and I were both quite sore in the morning - we'll have to pace ourselves a bit more.

📗 Reading

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching by Ursula K. Le Guin - Finished Reading

A timeless classic with a splendid re-imagining from one of the greatest science fiction writers of the 20th century. What's not to love!?

🎮 Playing

Crusader Kings III

With the release of Crusader Kings III's latest expansion, "All Under Heaven", on Tuesday, I have dropped EU4 this week to return to one of my most played games on Steam. This expansion has been highly-anticipated ever since it was announced earlier this year, but it has been dreamed of by Paradox Interactive fans for even longer. Fundamentally, it expanded the map to include East Asia and flesh those regions out with new flavourful events, the Silk Road, new cultures and religions, and different governance systems. So far, I have only been playing in southern Japan as a humble Shinto governor with a love of hosting tea ceremonies and investing in Kyushu's provinces.

No Man's Sky

Recently, No Man's Sky released a new expedition (basically a timed community-event): Breach. This weekend, mostly on Sunday, I completed it entirely and I won't apologize for my dedication to the space-hustle. I am liking the utilization of these new corvette starships and how much I could customize them - providing I am willing to grind. So fucking cool.

🎵 Listening

Love Goes On! by The Go-Betweens (Track):

Just a great jangle pop track from The Go-Betweens' 1988 album: 16 Lovers Lane that I stumbled upon browsing through RYM.

🔗 Links

Striking Alberta teachers to be forced back to work through notwithstanding clause

Good summary of the situation in Alberta this week between the UCP government and the ATA. I have a few folks on my newsletter who live outside the province (or are attempting to preserve their sanity by avoiding the news).

Vassy Kapelos tears a strip off of UCP Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides in interview

Incredible. Simply incredible.

Calgary’s bizarre low-turnout, high-turnover election

A local independent article from the Sprawl on this recent municipal election, but more specifically, the abnormally low voter-turnout, which was "the lowest in nearly two decades." The consequences fundamentally boil down to this: "Jeromy Farkas is set to be sworn in as mayor next week with about 1 in 10 eligible voters having cast a ballot for him." Regardless of your position on him, the biggest loser of this election is our municipal democracy, which we have the UCP to blame for tampering with non-partisanship and slowing down lines at the ballot box with their stupid unnecessary bureaucratic forms.